The future is the Passive Buildings
Andreoy Insulation SA is specialized in design & manufacture of:
- Passive Houses
- Zero Energy Buildings
- Low-Energy Buildings
We will be glad to work together!Ask for our offer. See the projects of passive buildings that we successfully delivered.
Why Passive Houses is the proper choice
In the coming decades, building activity is expected to expand across Europe. Due to the new legal framework, Directive 2010/31 / EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 MAY 2010, which has been fully applicable since 31/12/2018 in all Member States, the existing building stock is devalued and the new buildings will be almost zero energy consumption, ie passive buildings.
Based on the above, new buildings will soon be built according to the requirements that are discussed below. Also important will be the old houses sector, which due to increased maintenance costs , will either need to be demolished or energy upgraded in order to meet the new standards.
For example, in Germany, already the 70% of all renovation works is related to passive energy upgrading (thermal insulation, window frames, natural ventilation - lighting), and this percentage is expected to increase due to the need for energy self-reliance.
The design and the energy performance of buildings are going to change , as the public awareness and the modernization of legislation is increased about the need for energy efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
The building sector will have an important role, since over 40% of energy in Europe and 60% in Greece are consumed by buildings. Scientific researches and presentations have shown that using low-energy houses or passive buildings,technically and economically is a significant reduction in the existing energy consumption by 70-80%.
- Trust Andreoy Insulation SA as well as thousands of others. It applies:
- Quality Control System ISO 9001: 2015 & Environmental Management System ISO 14001: 2015
- Occupational Health and Safety Management System ISO 45001:2018
- All the construction crews of Andreoy Insulation SA consist of:
- Civil Engineers
- Mechanical Engineer
- Architect Engineer
- Decorator
- Certified Insulation Technicians/ Insulators according to the ESYD according to the international standard ISO / IEC 17024
- Specialized and certified insulators according to DIN CERCTO
- Andreoy Insulation SA is a member of:
- Pan-Hellenic Association of Insulation Companies (PESM)
- European Federation of Associations of Insulation Contractors (FESI)
- Panhellenic Association of Inflated Polystyrene - EPS HELLAS
- Association of Greek Manufacturers of Aluminum and Related Products (SEKA)
- Hellenic Institute of Fire Protection of Constructions (ΕLIPYKA)
Ask our offer and prices for the construction of a Passive House
Contact us. We give solutions. Simply!
- Fill in the contact form
- Call us at the following telephone numbers: 210 62 55 780, 22 210 79 950
- Come to our technical departments in Athens and Chalkida
- Visit our Facebook and Twitter pages and send a message
Do you have a house, a block of flats, a commercial building or industrial building? Contact us and tell us your problem that you have.
A civil engineer or a specialized technician will explain you the construction method, the materials that will be used, and the το the cost of building a passive house.
Andreoy Insulation SA is available in Athens, Attica, Chalkida, Evia, Thiva and Viotia.
Introduction to Passive Buildings
Source HEPSA
The term "passive building" refers to buildings with maximum comfort for residents during winter and summer, with minimal or zero conventional heating and no active cooling. Typically, this includes high thermal insulation with minimal thermal bridges, use of passive solar systems, airtightness, while the indoor air quality is guaranteed by an external thermal insulation system, as well as a ventilation system with heat recovery.
- "Passive Buildings" have a defined maximum energy consumption of 15 Kwh / m2 per year.
- "Low energy" buildings have fully self-sufficiency.
This is not just an idea. The first low-energy house was built in 1989, and today there are approximately 10,000 passive homes all over the world.
The basic principle is to minimize energy requirements for heating and cooling to the extent that conventional heating / cooling systems are no longer needed. The total energy requirement for home heating and cooling is limited to 15 Kwh per square meter, taking into consideration the external temperature, the heat capacity of the air, and the maximum temperature at which the air needs to be heated to provide comfort conditions.
The total primary energy use for hot water, heating and cooling of the house and for all the household appliances is limited to 120 Kwh per m².
By reducing energy requirements to a minimum, the supply from renewable energy sources is sufficient to meet the needs. The goal is to increase as much as possible the comfort of people living in their home while minimizing energy consumption and other environmental impacts.
This includes exploiting the free and natural sources of energy such as sun and air to ensure heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting while contributing to responsible energy use.
The investment cost may be higher for a zero-energy building than a conventional one, but the low operating cost makes it much more economical over the years.
Low and zero energy houses are a fast growing, simple, mature and inexpensive technology that effectively contributes to saving energy and avoiding climate change.
Regulatory Framework for Passive Homes
Below there is a summary of the regulatory framework : European-level about low and zero energy buildings. It explains in detail the principles and benefits of passive buildings and the important role of thermal insulation.
The laws that set minimum requirements for insulation at new one, as well as improvements in renovated old houses, vary according to country and national legislation. Many improvements are still possible for the regulations, if we really want to improve energy efficiency.
The concept of passive house, or as it is now called in the EU. a zero-energy building, has become a pan-European acceptable solution for achieving a significant reduction in the energy consumption of buildings.
In December 2009, the European Commission agreed with Parliament and the Council to build all the new buildings until 2020 with no consumption, and the public buildings two years earlier. In addition, until 2050 all the existing structures must have been converted to zero-energy buildings.
It is mandatory for every member state of the EU. to adopt a national energy efficiency action plan. These plans, among other , should include specific goals for the percentage of zero energy buildings and to determine specific actions on how this will be achieved and how the monitoring of progress will be done.
As regulations evolve and public awareness is raised on sustainable building issues, future buyers are going to demand passive plans.
It is economically more advantageous to exceed the minimum requirements and to obtain a more adequate, more comfortable home with lower electricity and oil bills. Positioning or upgrading of thermal insulation is one of the best economically and ecologically investments that can be made .
Advantages of Passive Houses
The main advantages of passive buildings, low and zero energy consumption, are the reduction of operating costs and the low impact on the environment. This has the effect of energy security and environmental sustainability. Today, the worldwide trend is to achieve zero energy consumption for all the future constructions.
The improvement of energy efficiency requires more efforts and investments in its design and construction. However, if energy efficiency can be improved with simple economic measures,so can result significant benefits. At the same time, the energy requirements for heating , electricity, heat exchangers and heating equipment can be reduced and the results are cost savings in equipment compared to conventional buildings.
At zero energy buildings, the cost savings by the maintenance of these systems can cover much of their additional costs. Even in simple buildings, maintenance costs and connection fees can be reduced by using such systems.
The appearance of a house of low or no energy consumption is no different than that of a conventional home. Life in such a home does not require a different lifestyle and does not appeal to a particular category of people.
Benefits for the Environment
The design of low energy consumption, which includes the reduction of energy requirements for heating and cooling with the installation of high quality thermal insulation, is an important element for a viable building.
The scientific community agrees that global warming and climate change are affected by human behavior. The most important reason is the emission of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning to meet our present energy needs.
The United Nations Intergovernmental commission on Climate Change has predicted that the results will have long-lasting effects. Even if CO2 emissions stabilize soon, global warming and sea level will continue to rise for hundreds or thousands of years.
The climate changes will affect our everyday life as well as the building sector. It is expected that some parts of Europe will become warm and dry, while others will become wetter. Scientists warn that the biggest impact will be the extreme and more frequent weather phenomena such as heavy rainfall, floods, droughts and storms than simple changes in the average weather.
The effects of ultraviolet radiation are expected to increase until 2015 and will be gradually decreased about 6-7% until 2030, then is going to be reduced at 10% from the current levels until 2070. Ultraviolet radiation is a major cause of skin cancer .
Changes will also affect the design of structures. They should be resistant to more intense rainfall, and also more attention will be paid to dams, drains and gutters. Alternatively, they may need to be designed for higher temperatures and also have to be taken into account the fact that how summer rainfall is likely to decrease.
Longer droughts periods are expected and also will be paid importance at city water supplies. These changes will affect the requirements for heating and cooling of structures. Increasing moisture may have as a result high mold growth and the appearance of other indoor air problems. Climate change can have other effects, for example in premiums. Some buildings may be deemed unsuitable for insurance.
At the G8 summit in July 2009, the world's most powerful economic states agreed for the first time, including the US, that the temperature of the planet should not rise above 2 degrees Celsius.
G8 leaders pledged to seek an 80% reduction at the greenhouse gas emissions. This is only possible with a fast and strict change in the way we produce and consume energy.
Considering the chances of reducing energy consumption, 40% of energy consumption in Europe (60% in Greece) comes from buildings, and in this sector we are about at the half of our potential to reduce energy consumption.
Overall this corresponds to 3.3 million barrels of CO2 oil per year : this is equivalent with the permanently removal of 100 million cars from the streets .
Comfort of Passive houses
It turns out that much of the comfort depends on "thermal comfort". According to ISO 7730 it is important:
- The air not to be too wet.
- The speed of air is waiting for acceptable levels (for speeds below 0.08 m / s, less than 6% of people feel the airflow).
- The difference between the heat radiation and the air temperature remains small.
- The difference in heat radiation at different directions must remain small (less than 5 degrees Celsius).
- The difference in room temperature between the head and the feet of a seated human,need to be less than 2 degrees Celsius.
- The perceived temperature need to be less than 0.8 degrees Celsius in the living space.
The use of low energy design principles and also the good thermal insulation which avoid cold bridges, will result a stable temperature without cold surfaces at the internal of rooms. This upgrade the level of comfort due to the lack of significant air movement.
Good thermal insulation will result the reduction of temperature variations throughout the time, which will make the house more dry and comfortable, so you can live at the lower average temperature.
Good insulation is combined with an effective sun protection that will result for a high heat protection during the summer.
Surveys to residents on this kind of homes showed a high level of satisfaction for the indoor climate during the winter and summer.
Social impacts and health impacts
Fungal and mold cultures typically occur in a high humidity environment. Moisture is usually increased in households with many people, because people produce moisture continuously. The appearance of mold and fungi can be avoided with good thermal insulation without cold bridges.
Cold, wet surfaces, e.g. in corners and behind the furnitures, lead to the growth of mold, fungi and other problems related to indoor air quality.
An extensive research in New Zealand, shown that living in a well-insulated home compared to a home without insulation results in:
- Additional energy savings due to a 34% reduction in energy costs.
- Significant improvements (10-11%) in the health and life quality of the residents.
- Reduction in moisture, which means reduction in the possibility of mold and fungus growth .
- Reduction of colds and breathing problems for residents (by 40-50%).
- Fewer visits to doctors and reduction of costs for hospitalization associated with breathing problems at 36%.
- Less chance of residents to be absent from work and school (40-50% decrease).
The most basic features include high levels of insulation in the shell, the roof and the floor of the building.
Financial data
A large number of design results can be incorporated into new or refurbished buildings at low or minimal cost. These measures concern the effective use of data which is common to the most or all of the houses. Data at no extra cost or at a small additional cost is:
The right orientation based on the sun, which can provide us natural heating and lighting.
- The shape of the building: the compact have less external wall surface and therefore less heating requirement. The long, thin is best for natural lighting and proper ventilation, using natural air to cool the interiors and also to have fresh air.
- Proper design of rooms and activities of residents taking into account the movements of the sun, natural lighting and possible noises.
- Using the available thermal mass in the foundations (for example in the concrete floor) to temper the temperatures.
- Using proper shade constructions to avoid unwanted light and heat.
- Careful study for the placement and size of frames and windows.
- High thermal insulation of the shell.
- Proper thermal insulation of the roof and flat roof.
- Choice of construction materials.
- Attention to the detail and proper execution - application to create an airtight building.
- The value of a low-energy building will be at a higher level than the one with a high energy consumption.