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Passive or energy-efficient house – which one to choose?
Until recently, hardly anyone cared about the costs of operating houses – what mattered was to erect and renovate the building at the lowest possible cost, without losing quality. Currently, we can encounter completely opposite thinking, because most people prefer to invest a little more financial resources that will pay off for investors within a few years. Therefore, let’s consider: passive or energy-efficient house?
It is worth considering the advantages of passive and energy-efficient houses, comparing the requirements that must be met during the investment.
Good changes are already coming to us – what 2020 will bring
Although investors are not convinced by this idea, the directive makes it clear – from 2020, all houses built must be passive or meet most of the conditions.
Most people who wonder: passive or energy-efficient house? – They decide to build a passive house today, because they treat the costs of materials and workmanship as an investment for the future. However, energy-efficient houses are more popular, so it is worth considering the differences and possibilities of these solutions.
Design differences
The strict rules that apply to the construction of passive houses can become a big problem, because they force investors to determine the shape and appearance of the house in advance. Energy-efficient designs are much easier to adapt to individual requirements. Comparison:
Passive house:
- – rectangular shape of the building,
- – single or gable roof,
- – glazed southern façade,
- – as few windows as possible on the north side,
- – wall insulation layer at the level of min. 30 cm and 50 cm of roof,
- – heat transfer coefficient through windows, doors and garage doors, must not exceed 0.8 W/(m2· K),
- – the heat source is a mechanical supply system (e.g. a heater or a heat pump).
Energy-efficient house:
- – as few roof bends as possible,
- – simple body of the house,
- – a large number of glazing on the south side,
- – wall insulation layer min. 20 cm and 30 cm of the roof,
- – heat transfer coefficient through windows, doors and garage doors, must not exceed 1.3 W/(m2· K),
- – The heat source is modern heating devices (e.g. heat pump, condensing boiler).
However, they have a lot in common, because in both cases, a similar layout of rooms is recommended. On the south side there should be bedrooms, kitchen and living room, while on the north side it is worth placing a garage, utility rooms and dressing room.
You can read more in our previous article: Energy-efficient and passive house – differences.
Savings Values
When comparing values when choosing a passive or energy-efficient house, the best solution and illustration will be to present the values in numbers.
- – Seasonal heat demand index E [kWh/m2a]: 12.3
- – GZ 50 gas: PLN 385,
- – Heating oil: PLN 656,
- – Electricity: PLN 502,
- – firewood: 255 PLN.
- – Seasonal heat demand index E [kWh/m2a]: 37.2
- – GZ 50 gas: PLN 1169,
- – Heating oil: PLN 1990,
- – Electricity: 1924 PLN,
- – firewood: 725 PLN.
Standard house:
- – Seasonal heat demand index E [kWh/m2a]: 96.1
- – GZ 50 gas: PLN 3023,
- – Heating oil: 5145 PLN,
- – Electricity: 3939 PLN,
- – firewood: 2004 PLN.
All values are approximate and final costs, they depend on the quality of materials, the number of rooms and the size of the building.
Passive or energy-efficient house – so what to choose?
The choice between a maximally economical passive house and a cheaper to build energy-efficient project is not easy. Customers with a smaller budget and those looking for more opportunities to individually match visual accessories should opt for an energy-efficient design, which can be rebuilt into a passive house over time. Investors who focus on ecology and future savings should immediately choose the second option.