SYDNEY - Aug. 28, 2019 - The completion of the first two Passive House Certified buildings in NSW is a major milestone, practically demonstrating that this worlds' best practice standard for comfortable, healthy and highly energy efficient buildings is equally applicable here in Sydney and the Blue Mountains as it is in Europe.
The certification of these two buildings today brings the total number of Passive House Certified buildings in Australia to 18. And there is a pipeline of hundreds of Passive House buildings in various stages of planning and construction.
"In light of the dissatisfaction many people have with the current building stock – in terms of quality, and the cost to keep warm and cool – this early growth of Passive House in Australia is the beginning of a new era of high quality, high performance, ultra-low energy buildings that Australians will really appreciate," said Australian Passive House Association chairperson, Chris Nunn.
The Passive House standard delivers airtight construction with appropriate insulation and windows which ensures homes remain a stable 20-25ºC over the year. They typically use 80% less energy for heating and cooling that an average home. A reliable mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery provides guaranteed high levels of indoor air quality 24/7, without concerns about security, comfort, or external noise levels.
Both homes use conventional Australian construction techniques. The people behind both projects see these as the first of many as demand increases to deliver more homes to the Passive House standard making healthy, comfortable efficient more affordable for more people.
The Faulconbridge Blue Mountains house is located in a Bushfire Attack Level Flame Zone area in adding to the construction complexity but showing that careful design and construction can overcome all technical barriers.
Joe Mercieca of Blue Eco Homes said, "We're very proud to have completed the first Certified Passive House in the Blue Mountains, we hope to build all our future projects to this way."
The Thornleigh house is sandwiched between a busy local road and the main Northern trainline. The airtight construction and quality windows provide a quiet indoor environment, even as the freight trains labour past the rear yard. The house wraps around a large tallowwood tree that has been retained providing both summer shade and a gorgeous outlook.
"With a third of all our new projects now being delivered to the Passive House standard, Envirotecture are very pleased to see this first project completed and certification received. The construction process was so smooth we're looking forward to the next one," said architect Andy Marlow.
APHA have seen a growth of 30% in membership in the last 12 months and have also doubled the number of certified professionals serving the growing demand for Passive House in Australia. We look forward to sharing these exemplar projects and the burgeoning Passive House market at the South Pacific Passive House Conference in May 2020 in Sydney.
Images available upon request.
To find out more about the Australian Passive House Association and the upcoming conference go to https://passivehouseaustralia.org/
Contact
Chris Nunn (Chairperson)
chairperson@passivehouseaustralia.org
