After the International Passivhaus Conference in Darmstadt, 2016, I had the privilege of meeting Wolfgang Feist, the co-founder of the Passivhaus concept. I wanted to gauge from him his view on the role of Passivhaus in tackling climate change and fuel poverty.
Using sustainable design and construction solutions is often, by a happy coincidence, more affordable than ‘regular’ building techniques. This is due to the efficiencies and optimisations required to make a successful low energy building. Affordable Passivhaus construction was a running theme throughout the lectures at the International Passivhaus Conference this year, with delegates enthusiastically sharing their ideas.
Last month, I began the travels for my Churchill Fellowship by making a pilgrimage to Darmstadt in Germany, the birthplace of the Passivhaus standard. I gathered with fellow ‘Passivhausers’ from around the world for the 20th International Passivhaus Conference and to celebrate the impressive milestone of 25 years of Passivhaus. Technology, techniques, awareness and enthusiasm for the standard have evolved dramatically since the prototype house was constructed, but the reliable physics underlying the system remains largely unchanged.