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The term passive house refers to a rigorous standard of energy use in construction. Born in Germany (Passivhaus Standard), was built in 1990 when the first passive house in Darmstadt. A few years later created the Passive House Institute in the same city (Passivhaus Institut, Darmstadt). Despite the name, is not limited to housing. Several buildings, schools and supermarkets have also been built under this standard. While generally applies to new construction, you can also renew existing buildings to meet the demands.
Summary of Standard:
Heating-maximum allowed: 15 kWh / (M2a) [kW-hours per square meter per year]
Energy-highest total (electricity, heating, hot water): 120 kWh / (M2a)
Windows U-value equal to or less than 0.80 W / (m2K)
Tightness-air: N50 = 0.6 / h (air leakage less than 0.6 times the volume of the house in one hour 50 Pascal is empty )
Walls U-value between 0.1 and 0.15 W/m2K
-To build the solar energy  is built with large windows pointing to Ecuador (That is to the north in the southern hemisphere)
-It must use a mechanical ventilation system with heat exchanger to ventilate with little energy loss

Sometimes I wonder what meaning can assign a user to the term "passive houses" and who is not of the trade. The answer that I do is never good, even if living in a “house passive” means to live better but not understood until you actually go to live in these buildings for energy saving up to 90%. EPS SmartBlockPlus™  ICF systems are a sustainable construction method of pouring concrete inside polystyrene formwork to form a structure. The process is truly remarkable boasting extreme build flexibility, superior energy efficiency, and unparalleled levels of cost reduction over traditional construction methods. New lightweight insulating concrete formwork and building system for In-Situ Concrete Constructions is Simple to use, Fast, Efficient and Cost Effective Moreover, most of the “passive houses” built with innovative technology EPS SmartHausPlus ™ composed by innovative system constructive for concrete formwork of polystyrene foam in blocks thermal acoustic "permanent" EPS SmartBlockPlus ™ ICF including the insulating concrete formwork  attic EPS SmartAtticPlus  ™ and insulating concrete formwork roof EPS SmartFloorPlus ™  to make a casing housing without thermal bridges and homogeneous in its shares is not only very clean, comfortable, but when you need it. In summer is not too hot and winter is not too cold, the air is always fresh, clean and energy bills are reduced, incredible, we read with a smile. The comfortable living in a “house passive” EPS SmartHausPlus™   is secured by a technology hidden and silent. These “passive houses” EPS SmartHausPlus ™ not need a traditional heating system consumes very little and making the most of the heat generated within the premises contribution solar energy. Thus the term "passive houses" is their predisposition to avoid having to produce heat from a common source like the boiler, but to passively consume the waste from other sources already present: people, household appliances and not least, the Sun contribution free energy.

The technology it is simple to use and economic construction for concrete formwork of polystyrene foam, in blocks thermal acoustic "permanent" EPS SmartBlockPlus® or ICF.

To be able to optimize the process and consume only 15 kWh per square meter per year (less than a tenth of the average national consumption), to ensure the principle of conservation of energy and not wasted, it is necessary to construct a building with a residential housing very well isolated and kept in air, with components for building high quality offering only the innovative system constructive for concrete formwork of polystyrene foam in  blocks thermal ”permanent” EPS SmartBlockPlus ™  ICF including the insulating  concrete formwork attic EPS  SmartAtticPlus ™  and insulating concrete formwork roof EPS SmartFloorPlus™   and together (for example, windows with double or triple glazing and insulated low Emissive), without thermal bridges insoluble problem with the conventional methods of construction (bricks, blocks thermal porosity, cement blocks etc), causing severe heat dispersion with subsequent prolific of molds.
Putting into practice “house passive” that is not easy if not impossible using conventional methods of construction.  Not only from a technical, design and constructive. The technology of a “house passive” EPS SmartHausPlus® realized with the innovative system constructive  for concrete formwork constructive with polystyrene foam in blocks thermal acoustic "permanent" EPS SmartBlockPlus ™  ICF EPS including the insulating concrete formwork attic SmartAtticPlus™  and insulating concrete formwork floor EPS SmartFloorPlus™  to make a jacket housing without heat bridges obviously becomes homogeneous in its parts, is simple, in fact, to meet the minimum requirements for air conditioning environments there is a mechanical ventilation system that provides controlled air temperature necessary, according to the seasons. Only rarely needs a surplus of energy that usually comes from a small heat pump but for a few days a year, during the winter months more rigid.

The injury cultural and political energy saving in buildings.

We must consider that the first difficulty is the cultural and political. We are immersed for years in a daily life made of waste energy to which we are now accustomed. As you can convert the act of wasting and build evil that was reached today in a growing awareness that puts focus on the quality of the built in energy terms and more comfortable housing?
It is important that every actor involved, he is designer, manufacturer, plant or inhabitant, becoming through this quality. Many houses, including newly built, have serious problems of moisture will affect the life and health of local but have a high market price. This is because the factors that count in evaluating a home is the place where it is located, proximity to infrastructure, the size and not least the type of finish very often understood only as a beauty coatings. In recent years it has taken hold the home automation and automation all in a house that increases the degree of comfort covered in part in the assessment of its market price. Result: we pay very dear to our sweet homes and not ever buy or rent the real quality of a building. Few resort to legal action to sue the manufacturer of a house where problems occur such as molds, but many could well do so having paid the right to live a healthy building where generally spend most of their time. The quality, the real one, it certainly claim and also well paid for the guarantee of results. However, often we feel we I allow and need only save money, but in so doing leaving out the fact that the money will still be deferred in bills, in medicine and ongoing maintenance for years. Not only that, but some already paying for a quality that nobody gives us and basically we live a false interpretation of value for money, not targeting those who are the real components to be found in quality. Speaking of constructive innovative methodology of the “house passive”, you are astonished by the fact that his own party as the right orchestration of those components and materials of those who should take in a normal house and that they are only maximize the benefits in terms energy saving.

Towards a new concept of quality housing with innovative systems design.

It is necessary to revise terms of energy saving of new buildings. The quality is an intrinsic characteristic that determines the value itself. Today we should try a quality that is not a surplus but it is already inherent in value for money. Optimizing the process of planning, design, installation and management of the building to get quality, becomes crucial and a push in that direction comes from the European Parliament which adopted Directive 2002/91/EC on energy efficiency in buildings. Italy, and the other Member States, should adapt to national implementation of this legislation by January 2006, but for now our government has managed to issue a Legislative decree, the 192 of 9 August 2005 the Legislative Decree 311/2006, which Implementation will find a very long road ahead of him, as was the Law 10 of 1991. It seems that the certification of buildings, according to the European directive, should come into operation on a trial from January. For energy performance of a building "means" the amount of energy actually consumed or who is likely to be needed to meet the various needs related to a standardized use of the building, including, among others, heating, heating of 'water, cooling, ventilation and lighting. "In calculating the energy efficiency must be considered such as insulation, of installation the technical design, and location in relation to climate, exposure to sunlight and the influence of adjacent structures, the existence of systems of its energy generation and the same climate of indoors. The goal is obviously to promote the improvement of energy efficiency of buildings and then the actual quality of construction, through the use of materials and facilities adequate and efficient. It may be useful to recall that European legislation also includes an energy performance certificate (Article 7), whose objective is to provide information to facing the owners, buyers or tenants (the validity, according to the European directive, is ten years) so can read the consequences of a certain quality and it can actually be chosen without cheating.
You wish now that the certification of buildings Sweep marks the beginning not only of the New Year but also of a different professional and civic maturity. A description of the German Passive House (Passivhaus) Standard of energy efficient home design to reduce energy requirements by 90% in new homes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_house