Our Passivhaus Services

Passivhaus facilities allow for the potential of heating and cooling energy savings of up to 90% compared with typical building stock, and over 75% potential energy savings compared with average new builds.

It is also the world’s leading comfort standard, which focuses first and foremost on the building occupants’ health and wellness by ensuring the building has a continuous supply of superior fresh air, free from draughts, cold spots, and noise pollution. As a leader in designing climate-positive and energy-efficient buildings, Elementa houses one of the largest passivhaus design teams globally. Our team has delivered passivhaus design and consulting services for educational facilities, residential developments, corporate offices, visitor centres and community hubs.

Passivhaus Consulting

Each passivhaus project requires adequate planning and research up front at the initial stages of the project. As the design approach will vary according to location and geographical factors, each project will be truly unique. Elementa can provide passivhaus design, support and certification services. This includes guidance for the building envelope consultant and architect for building orientation and massing, glazing ratios, shading, envelope detailing and minimum performance requirements.

PHPP Calculation

PHPP (Passivhaus Planning Package) is best used as a design tool throughout the PH certification process. If used early in the design process it will play a significant role in informing the building design and providing accurate metrics on how the building will eventually perform. Additionally, the PHPP also predicts comfort and energy consumption very accurately for low energy buildings.

Thermal Bridging Analysis

up to one-third of a building’s energy can be lost through thermal bridges in structures without thermal breaks.

Reducing heat loss via thermal bridging decreases heating demand and improves occupant thermal comfort. It also mitigates the risk of condensation on interior surfaces, thereby improving occupant health, as well as the durability and longevity of the building.

Natural Ventilation Design

Natural ventilation uses wind and thermal buoyancy to create air movement in and out of a building without the use of mechanical systems. ventilation is important as it reduces unhealthy air pollutants and reduces excessive moisture and humidity levels, which can lead to mould growth and can cause structural damage. The benefits of natural ventilation design include:

Improved indoor environment

Lower maintenance of mechanical systems Reduced equipment costs

Air Permeability Testing

Air Permeability testing will detect areas where a building is wasting energy, by detecting air leakage. Including this service as part of the passivhaus design certification will assist in verifying the performance of your building. Additional benefits of blower door testing include:

Reduced health issues resulting from air pollution and a lack of insulation

Improved overall energy efficiency Lower Energy costs