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Androulakis Prefabricated Houses, adopting the goals of architecture2030 and the Paris Agreement, has embraced passive construction, which is not a commercial brand but a design and architectural philosophy open to all.
Passive House – Definition
Το παθητικό κτίριο είναι ένα κτίριο στο οποίο η εσωτερική θερμική άνεση (ISO 7730) εξασφαλίζεται αποκλειστικά από προθέρμανση ή πρόψυξη της ποσότητας του νωπού αέρα, η οποία απαιτείται (DIN 1946) για την σωστή εσωτερική ατμόσφαιρα, χωρίς τη χρήση επιπλέον ανακυκλοφορίας του αέρα. Το παθητικό κτίριο είναι ένα πρότυπο κτιρίου το οποίο προσφέρει ταυτόχρονα υψηλή ενεργειακή απόδοση (ενεργειακό σπίτι), άνεση, οικονομία και είναι φιλικό προς το περιβάλλον.
Ως μέλη του ΕΙΠΑΚ, της ipha αλλά και του παγκόσμιου project architecture 2030 η εταιρεία Ανδρουλάκης υλοποιεί πιστοποιημένες παθητικές κατοικίες οι οποίες και ικανοποιούν τους κανόνες τους όποιους έχει θέσει το Ελληνικό Ινστιτούτο Παθητικού Κτηρίου.
Cost and Sustainability
Passive, bioclimatic, and energy class A homes are the only sustainable solution for the coming decades. For example, if you have an energy-efficient home with the use of renewable energy sources such as natural gas, the quarterly bill will be around €000. This amount will double and triple in the future due to environmental, social, and economic conditions, but it will not exceed €200.
However, if you have quarterly expenses due to an energy-consuming, polluting residence of €300, it is understood that in the future, you will have to pay around €2,500. In short, the cost will be unbearable.
As proven by the operation of buildings (i.e., the only way to determine the real cost of a building), the operation of Passive Buildings has reduced expense requirements, while their construction cost is remarkably affordable. The investment in high-quality construction materials, based on the Passive House standard, is balanced by the absence of the need to purchase conventional heating and cooling systems. Additionally, this investment in energy efficiency is much cheaper and more cost-effective in the long run than the unilateral investment in renewable energy sources or the easy solution of changing fuel.
A Passive Building uses up to 90% less energy for heating and cooling than conventional buildings in Central Europe, requiring less than 1.5 liters of oil or 1.5 cubic meters of natural gas per year to heat a square meter of habitable space. Exceptional savings are also achieved in warmer areas where buildings require cooling. Limiting energy use leads to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, making the Passive Building a truly sustainable choice compared to conventional constructions.
Efficiency of Passive Buildings
Regardless of the climate or region, Passive Buildings maintain a comfortable and pleasant temperature throughout the year with minimal energy requirements. Passive buildings are heated passively, meaning they make efficient use of sunlight, internal heat sources, and heat recovery, resulting in conventional heating systems not being necessary even on the coldest winter days. During the summer, a Passive house or building uses passive cooling techniques, such as proper shading design and nighttime natural ventilation, to keep it cool. In any case, high-quality materials and careful design ensure that temperatures remain stable and comfortable for occupants/users throughout the year.
Thermal Comfort
Passive Buildings achieve thermal comfort with very low energy requirements. Mechanical ventilation systems with heat recovery continuously provide clean air with optimal air quality, without being perceptible due to reduced noise levels. The combination of stable temperatures and proper air exchange prevents moisture damage and mold growth.
A Passive Building operates by minimizing heat losses and maximizing thermal gains. To minimize heat losses, good insulation is crucial (approximately 15 cm or more, depending on the location in Greece). Insulation with thermal conductivity ≤ 0.1 W/(m K), aiming for a U-value of the envelope between 0.10 and 0.25 W/(m2K).
The Five Basic Principles of Passive Buildings
To have a passive building system, the five basic principles of passive buildings must be met:
Shading, Nighttime Natural Ventilation, Light Geothermal Air, and Proper Thermal Mass Design contribute to the better performance of passive buildings in Mediterranean climates.
The System
It is evident that the home should be ventilated, but internal warmth should not be lost in winter. Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery is the solution. It works well only in airtight houses and offers energy recovery of up to 90%. During the summer, natural nighttime ventilation and the use of light geothermal energy provide the desired levels of thermal comfort.
By minimizing losses, thermal gains are maximized. These gains come from the sun, which should enter the house abundantly during winter but also be avoided with proper shading in summer, as well as from user activities and devices inside the house. The building requires good orientation to the south and a good bioclimatic design. Supplementary heating and hot water usage also come from the sun or other high-efficiency, low-consumption passive or active energy systems.
As a result, the building requires only 15 KWh/m2 per year for cooling, heating, and hot water usage. Additionally, the primary energy does not exceed 120 KWh/m2 per year.
Bioclimatic design directly aims to adapt buildings to the natural environment and local climate, seeking to limit energy consumption, have low energy requirements, achieve energy independence, and have low usage and maintenance costs without disrupting the comfortable living conditions of users. Therefore, passive construction and complete energy independence cannot be achieved without prior bioclimatic design at the architectural design stage.
We design and implement each residence to operate in harmony with the climate and not against it. To some extent, every home can be designed according to the principles of bioclimatism. However, on an open ground, the possibilities are clearly much greater.
Taking into account factors such as:
– Best views.
– Directions of bothersome or beneficial winds.
– Natural ventilation.
– Sunlight exposure times on the plot.
– Microclimate of the area.
– Vegetation of the plot.
– Application of technology to make it less time-consuming.
We:
– Orient the building in the best way.
– Decide where openings will be.
– Decide where shading systems will be installed.
– Provide advice on shaping the outdoor space and the preferred type of vegetation at a later stage.
– Guide regarding planting points for vegetation.
– Install technology based on the type of residence, area, usage costs, and plot position.
How it Works:
– Buildings can function like periscopes, utilizing light, sun, and wind while providing a view. If a building is designed with the purpose of incorporating any of these functions, care should be taken to orient it in the right direction.
– Outside the tropic zone, the optimal orientation for more sunlight, brightness, and warmth is towards the equinox. If a building is oriented 15° towards the east or west of the sun’s direction, the energy it collects will be nearly the same for both cases.
– Orienting the living room towards the sun in moderate climates can save up to 30% of annual heating needs.
– Even in challenging locations, careful design allows the exploitation of light and solar heat.
– If the location doesn’t provide suitable orientation, sunlight can still be harnessed using periscopes protruding from the building in the form of windows with awnings, roof windows, and windows with three glazed sides.
– The most challenging orientation is westward, as the setting sun coincides with the hottest time of the day (midday), causing overheating in west-facing spaces unless the building is in an area with a high latitude.
– Westward orientation should be avoided, especially in sunny areas, due to potential overheating.
– Consider how the room will be used, as well as the type of light and heat required from the sun. For example, a room used in the morning is better off with an eastern design to take advantage of morning sunlight, while the dining room should harness afternoon sunlight.
– Few, well-designed openings for light can make the house more pleasant than having many.
Passive Buildings don’t require conventional heating or cooling methods. This means that the money saved on energy can be invested in higher-quality materials. This, coupled with the significant and long-term energy savings, makes Passive Buildings an excellent investment. Given the reduction in reserves and the increasing cost of fossil fuels, the Passive Building model proves that sustainability is accessible to everyone.
Even if a Passive Building costs, on average, more than a conventional construction, this has changed in recent years as construction materials are now available in all countries. Additionally, the increasing number of professionals with experience in Passive Buildings, who can now be certified as Designers, Consultants, or Builders of Passive Buildings, contributes to achieving even greater savings, as specialists are now available in many countries. Public or private funding promoting “green buildings” like Passive Buildings further reduces the construction cost. However, even without such incentives, Passive Buildings are more cost-effective over time compared to conventional buildings.
Κεντρικά Γραφεία – Έκθεση
19o Xιλ Λ. Μαραθώνος, Πικέρμι
