Professional Documents
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Sustainable Energy Ireland was established as Ireland’s national energy agency under the Sustainable Energy Act 2002. SEI’s
mission is to promote and assist the development of sustainable energy. This encompasses environmentally and economi-
cally sustainable production, supply and use of energy, in support of Government policy, across all sectors of the economy
including public bodies, the business sector, local communities and individual consumers. Its remit relates mainly to improv-
ing energy efficiency, advancing the development and competitive deployment of renewable sources of energy and
combined heat and power, and reducing the environmental impact of energy production and use, particularly in respect of
greenhouse gas emissions.
SEI is charged with implementing significant aspects of government policy on sustainable energy and the climate change
abatement, including:
• Assisting deployment of superior energy technologies in each sector as required;
• Raising awareness and providing information, advice and publicity on best practice;
• Stimulating research, development and demonstration;
• Stimulating preparation of necessary standards and codes;
• Publishing statistics and projections on sustainable energy and achievement of targets.
It is funded by the Government through the National Development Plan with programmes part financed by the European
Union.
No part of this material may be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, without permission. The
material contained in this publication is presented in good faith, but its application must be considered in the light of
individual projects. Sustainable Energy Ireland can not be held responsible for any effect, loss or expense resulting from
the use of material presented in this publication.
Dwelling description 49
SECTION TWO: Current heating and DHW system 50
Review of Building Stock in Ireland Use of PHPP and DEAP to prepare retrofitting strategy 52
Preparing a retrofitting strategy 52
Energy efficiency and dwelling age 7 Measures in detail 53
Fuel poverty source: Healy and Clinch (2002) 8 Thermal insulation 53
Windows and doors 53
Thermal bridges 53
SECTION THREE: Airtightness 53
Ventilation heating system 54
Principles of Passive Houses Cost of retrofitting 54
Passive house verification 57
Passivhaus Planning Package 2007 - An essential design tool 11
Passive house certification 12
Building envelope insulation 12 SECTION SEVEN:
Optimising passive solar gain 12
Thermal bridging 13 Case Study of Completed Retrofitted Project
Structural airtightness and draught proofing 13
Internal heat gains 13 Case study of completed retrofitted project 61
Passive House building systems 13
What happens in the event of a power failure? 13
Back-up heating system 14
Domestic hot water production 14
SECTION FOUR:
Typical Phases of Retrofitting
Survey 17
Initial PHPP calculation 17
Changes in layout/design 18
Upgrade thermal envelope 18
Insulation 18
Internal insulation 19
External insulation 20
Insulating the roof space 20
Wall cavity insulation 20
Windows and doors 21
Airtightness 21
Thermal bridges 22
Upgrade ventilation and heating system 22
Ventilation system 22
Recommended ventilation rate 22
Mechanical heat recovery ventilation (MHRV) system 23
Insulation and positioning of duct work and vents 23
Heating system 23
Water to air heat exchanger 23
Compact unit with electrical heat pump 23
Wood pellet / Wood pellet stove / Wood log boiler 24
Integrated controls for heating in a Passive House 24
Individual room temperature control 24
Site supervision 24
Foreword
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEI, operates
programmes and activities to advance the Government’s ambition for
Ireland to become a world leader in sustainable energy as part of our
transition to a low carbon economy. Thus, we seek to accelerate the
development and deployment of cost effective low carbon
technologies. Following the implementation of the EU Energy
Performance of Buildings Directive, recent substantial improvements
in Building Regulations energy standards and requirements for the
use of renewable energy systems, we have seen substantial
improvement in the energy performance required of new buildings.
100
Fuel Poverty SOURCE: 50
HEALY AND CLINCH (2002)
0
The study by Healy and Clinch highlights 1972 1979 1982 1992 2002 2008 Regs 2010
est.
that older dwellings are more likely to be Construction standard/year
occupied by those experiencing fuel
poverty than newer dwellings, with the prior upgrading are most suited to retro-
highest absolute numbers found in fitting to a significantly higher energy References
homes built in the 1940s-70s, where performance standard (such as 2
Energy in the Residential Sector, 2008
some 111,000 households are affected. Passivhaus Standard) given their
Report, by Fergal O’Leary, Martin Howley
As might be expected, those in newer completion prior to introduction of
and Dr. Brian Ó Gallachóir
homes experience a lower level of fuel thermal insulation standards in the late
poverty. Retrofitting older dwellings to 1970’s. Further, due to the age of these
the Passivhaus Standard would there- dwellings, they may well require signifi-
fore assist in addressing the issue of fuel cant upgrading of the building fabric
poverty in Ireland. which often provides a stimulus to
upgrade energy performance.
Summary In short, the older the building the more
It is likely that dwellings which are older effective would be retrofitting to the
than 30 years and have had little or no Passivhaus Standard.
Source:MosArt Architecture
S ECTION T HREE
Principles of Passive Houses
Principles of Passive Houses
The principles of passive houses will be of the PHPP software can be purchased and the proportion of insulation
outlined below in brief. More detailed from SEI’s Renewable Energy occupied by structural elements.
information is provided in Chapter 2 of Information Office (www.sei.ie/resource-
■ Windows – the orientation and size
SEI’s Guidelines for the Design and centre). The verification requires the
of all windows are entered into this
Construction of Passive House Dwellings input of very specific and detailed data
sheet, along with the U-values of the
in Ireland (www.sei.ie/phguidelines). about the building design, materials and
glass and frames as well as other
components into the PHPP spreadsheets
The building envelope consists of all technical specifications.
and is then related to the climate data
elements of the construction which
for the region in which the house would ■ Annual Heat Requirement – this
separate the indoor climate from the
be retrofitted. The validity of the result value is calculated by determining
outdoor climate. The aim of retrofitting to
from this process is of course highly the heat losses through transmission
the Passivhaus Standard is to upgrade the
dependent upon the validity of the data and ventilation and subtracting the
building envelope in order to minimise
entered. total solar and internal heat gains.
heat loss and optimise solar and internal
The annual space heat requirement
heat gain to reduce the space heating Some of the principal datasheets
must be less than 15 kWh/(m2a).
requirement to 15 kWh/(m2a). included in the software are listed
below, along with their main functions: ■ Heat Load (W/m2) – the building’s
The following parameters are funda-
heat load is based on energy balance
mental in this process: ■ Climate data – it is possible to
calculations estimated by subtract-
choose the climate for which the
1. Well insulated building envelope ing the minimum solar gains and
passive house is being designed.
internal heat sources from the
2. High energy performing windows This has a potentially significant
maximum transmission and ventila-
and doors impact on the U-values required to
tion heat losses.
achieve the threshold annual heat
3. Minimised heat loss through thermal
requirement. The PHPP software is comprehensive
bridging
and detailed and therefore requires
■ Verification – this sheet collates the
4. Significantly reduced structural air some training prior to embarking on
results of the overall evaluation of
infiltration practical application to a real project.
the building including the Space
5. Optimal use of passive solar and However, the software is also quite user
Heating Requirement, Specific
internal heat gains friendly and the verification page
Primary Energy Requirement, Heat
enables the user to check whether or not
6. Introduce renewable energy Load and Frequency of Overheating.
such thresholds as space heating
technologies such as solar thermal The user can see at a glance on this
requirement are met. In the event that
sheet whether or not the building
the key Passivhaus Standard criteria are
can be certified as a Passive House.
not met, for example, the assessor will
■ U-value – this sheet enables the firstly have to check to see if there are
Passivhaus Planning Package
assessor to specify the construction any fundamental errors in terms of data
2007 – An Essential Design
of all the opaque (ie. does not entry. If this is not the cause of the
Tool
include windows) elements of the problem, then the retrofitting strategy
The Passivhaus Planning Package 2007 building envelope for the purposes will likely have to be modified in order to
(PHPP) is a software package based on a of calculating the U-values of those achieve the required standards. In a
series of extensive and interlinked Excel elements. The sheet requires the retrofit situation, this will typically
data sheets which collectively allow input of the thermal conductivity (λ- involve improving the U-values of the
building designs (including retrofit value) of the building materials building envelope.
strategies) to be verified against the proposed as well as their thicknesses
Passivhaus Standard. The latest version
record of adjustment of the ventilation achieved with U-values for walls, floors
system, declaration of the construction and roofs ranging from 0.09 to 0.15
supervisor and photographs of the W/(m2K) and average U-value for
complete building must also be submit- windows (including glazing and window
ted. Upon examination of received frames) in the region of 0.60 to 0.80
documentation the applicant receives W/(m2K). Typically triple glazed window
the results of the examination from the units are used in passive houses in
certifying party. If the necessary verifica- Central and Northern Europe.
tions have been found to be correct and
These U-values are far below (i.e. better
the above criteria have been met the
than) the limits set under the Irish
‘Quality Approved Passive House’ certifi-
Building Regulations.
cate is issued (PHPP 2007, pp.28).
According to the current Technical
A wider European passive house certifi-
Guidance Document Part L 2007 the
cation scheme was developed within the
required U-values are 0.27 W/(m2K) for
Intelligent Energy Europe
walls, 0.16 – 0.22 W/(m2K) for roofs, 0.25
project (2005-2007) “Promotion of
W/(m2K) for ground floor slab, 0.15
European Passive Houses, PEP”
W/(m2K) for ground floor slab with under
(http://www.europeanpassivehouses.org).
floor heating and 2.0 W/(m2K) for
This certification scheme is applicable to
windows, rooflights and external doors.
Passivhaus Institut Certificate example, Quality ‘an emerging market scenario’ (i.e.
Approved Passive House. countries with a small number of passive
Source: Passivhaus Institut, Germany.
house buildings), aims to ensure that the
design of a particular passive house can Optimising passive solar gain
Extracts from the PHPP software are deliver the specific energy requirements
included later in Section 6 pertaining to The optimal approach to the design of a
in accordance with the PHPP and
the retrofit case study house. passive house is to avoid an excessive
confirms the airtightness of the
area of north facing glazing and place
completed building. This certification
Passive House Certification relatively large windows facing south.
scheme involves the verification of the
This is in order to minimise heat losses
At the time of writing these Guidelines, a 'as built' design (i.e. that reflects the
through the north facing elevation,
passive house in Ireland can be certified actual construction, incorporating any
which receives no direct sunlight during
by the Passivhaus Institut in Darmstadt, modifications made during construction)
most of the heating season, while
Germany (http://www.passiv.de) or in accordance with the PHPP and confir-
maximising ‘free’ solar heat gains on the
certifying body approved by the mation of the airtightness of the
south. Achieving the optimal distribu-
Passivhaus Institut. For further informa- completed building by a fan pressurisa-
tion of glazing when dealing with exist-
tion on certification of passive houses in tion test performed in accordance with IS
ing dwellings will often be very
Ireland contact SEI’s Renewable Energy EN 13829.
challenging and in many instances it will
Information Office or the Passivhaus simply not be possible to increase
Institut directly. The evaluation criteria passive solar gain due to the aspect of
for the certification (Source: PHPP 2007, Building Envelope Insulation the dwelling. A detached house in its
pp.23) are: own grounds might provide some scope
There are several different methods and
- Specific Space Heat Demand for alteration and provision of south-
materials available to upgrade the
max. 15 kWh/(m2a) facing windows, but an east-west facing
performance of the building envelope in
mid-terrace house will not have the
- Pressurisation Test Result n50 dwellings to the Passivhaus Standard
same scope. The PHPP software can be
max. 0.6 air changes per hour and the most typical scenarios likely to
used to determine whether or not the
be encountered are illustrated in the
- Entire Specific Primary Energy Passivhaus Standard can be reached
next Section. Continuous insulation of
Demand max. 120kWh/(m2a) includ- with any given aspect and it will typically
the entire thermal envelope of a build-
ing domestic electricity. be possible to compensate for lack of
ing is the most effective measure to
passive solar gain by increasing the level
The above criteria have to be verified reduce heat losses in order to meet the
of insulation of the building envelope.
with the PHPP 2007, and the required list Passivhaus Standard. Achieving this in a
of documentation for the passive house retrofit situation is more challenging Extensive areas of glass on the south
quality approval certificate, construction than for a new-build. facing façade in a well insulated and air-
drawings and technical specification tight dwelling might well lead to
Insulation of the building envelope can
with product data sheets, must be overheating on warm sunny days. The
be divided into four distinct areas: exter-
submitted to the certifying party PHPP software will alert the designer to
nal wall, floor, roof and windows/doors.
(including PHPP calculations). Also, any risk of overheating by calculating
Existing passive houses in Central and
verification of the airtight building the frequency of overheating and
Northern European countries have been
envelope according to IS EN 13829, a expressing this as a percentage of the
year in which the internal temperature in The airtight construction required any auxiliary space heating needs,
the house rises above 25 degrees C. should reduce the penetration of radon expected to be small. Typical fuel
in to the building. Radon which can still sources for the back-up system
Thermal Bridging be detected inside of the building will be include biomass, heat pump, gas,
partly contributed from outside air as and in some instances electricity (for
Thermal bridging (i.e. un-insulated joints
well as off-gassing from building materi- example ‘green electricity’ from
between walls, floors/ walls, ceilings/
als. To mitigate against effects of low renewable sources). The back-up
adjacent walls, windows/walls etc) are
radon concentrations recommended air system is also used to provide hot
weak points of thermal resistance in the
changes of 25 to 30 m3/person provided water, either throughout the year or
building envelope and cause unwanted
by a mechanical ventilation system are during winter if a solar water heating
losses of energy. A thermal bridge
sufficient3. system is used during summer.
increases heat loss through the struc-
ture, and in some extreme cases this The Radiological Protection Institute of An airtight house requires a well-
may cause surface condensation or Ireland (RPII) (www.rpii.ie) and the Irish designed mechanical ventilation system
interstitial condensation in the structure. Building Regulations provide advice to provide good indoor air quality. A
Surface mould growth or wood rot may about the treatment of radon in the built passive house is ventilated using a
be the consequences of a thermal environment. mechanical system which incorporates
bridge. Special care must be taken to air to air heat recovery (mechanical heat
ensure that retrofit measures do not recovery ventilation, or MHRV). Exhaust
increase the likelihood of creating such air is extracted from rooms that typically
Internal Heat Gains produce heat, moisture and unwanted
problems which can affect the health
and longevity of the building. A passive house is very efficient at utilis- smells such as kitchens and bathrooms.
ing ‘free’ internal heat gains from domes- Before this air is expelled to the outside
The Passivhaus Standard for linear
tic household appliances, kitchen and it passes through a heat exchanger
thermal transmittance should not
utility equipment, electronic equipment, where the heat is transferred to the
exceed 0.01 W/(mK). This requires the
artificial lighting, and occupants. Heat separate stream of incoming fresh air,
building designer to identify and locate
losses from stoves or boilers also thereby eliminating the need to
all potential thermal bridging in the
contribute towards the overall space completely heat the fresh air as it enters
construction, applying careful specifica-
heating requirement as long as they are the building.
tion and detailing of those elements
positioned within the building envelope.
providing where possible a continuing It is important that attention is paid to
Occupants of the building also
layer of insulation as well as taking care regular replacement of air-filters for both
contribute to meeting the heat load; a
to execute those elements on site as per incoming and exhaust air. Filters are
typical adult human continuously emits
design details. The impact of thermal used not only to provide clean air for the
100W of heat when stationary. A family
bridging can be tested and verified in occupants but also to ensure that the
of five persons, therefore, can emit up to
the PHPP software as the design of the heat exchanger is not clogged with dust
0.5 kW of heat. This may seem like a
retrofitting scheme is being developed. and other matter. If the filters are not
small amount but it equates to approxi-
regularly replaced (for example every six
mately two thirds of the total space heat
to twelve months) and become clogged
load for the case study passive house
with dirt the MHRV will have to work
Structural Airtightness and retrofit project presented in Section 6.
harder to provide the same volume of air
Draught Proofing to the house, thereby increasing the
Building an airtight or leak-free structure speeds of the fans and, ultimately, using
is imperative to achieving the Passivhaus Passive House Building more energy. In retrofitting a dwelling to
Standard. If there are gaps in the build- Systems include MHRV, occupants will likely have
ing structure then uncontrolled no experience of the maintenance
As indicated earlier a passive house does requirements involved with the system.
amounts of cold external air can infil-
not need a conventional space heating
trate the building. Achieving a high level
system of radiators or underfloor
of air-tightness eliminates cold draughts
heating to maintain a comfortable
and associated comfort losses. It also
indoor climate. Instead, due to the small What happens in the event of
prevents condensation of indoor moist,
space heating requirement involved, the a power failure?
warm air penetrating the structure, and
following building services are sufficient
possible structural damages due to If there is a loss of electricity (and the
in a passive house:
decay, corrosion and frost. The air tight- dwelling has no back-up generator) the
ness of a building can be accurately (IS ■ Mechanical ventilation system with ventilation system will stop working and
EN 13829) measured by carrying out a heat recovery which provides most the supply of fresh air will be cut off. If
blower-door test and the Passivhaus of the space heat requirement. power is lost for a short while (for
Standard is reached when there are less example a few hours), then there is likely
■ Back-up system capable of heating
than or equal to 0.6 air changes per hour to be no noticeable difference in indoor
the air passing through the dwelling
@ 50 Pascal pressure. air quality. However, if the loss of power is
via mechanical ventilation to meet
prolonged, the simple solution is to open The heat load, on the other hand, has ■ The optimal orientation is due south
the windows and to create natural cross been reduced from 80 W/m2 (6.64 kW for and deviation from this will reduce
flow ventilation through the building. 83m2) to 9 W/m2 (0.74 kW for 83m2). This the contribution of the collectors to
amount of energy could be provided by DHW production. In places where
Additional details on MHRV aspects are
a very small wood chip / pellet there is no south facing roof, then
provided in SEI’s publication Guidelines
boiler/stove compared to what might be expected orientation losses can be
for the Design and Construction of
typically required in a family home. overcome by increasing the collector
Passive House Dwellings in Ireland.
area.
The most common method of ‘heating’
in a passive house is by post-heating the ■ The optimal tilt of the solar panels
fresh air after it has already been for DHW is approximately 45
Back-up Heating System warmed by the exhaust air in the MHRV. degrees. (In a pitch that is greater
As previously highlighted in these There are a number of ways in which the than 45 degrees the potential annual
guidelines, the space heating require- temperature of the air can be boosted, output is compromised somewhat).
ment in a passive house is so low that including:
■ There are two main types of solar
there is no need for a traditional space
■ Water to air heat exchanger; collectors typically used, namely flat
heating system. Space heating demand
plate panels and evacuated tubes.
in a passive house is typically met ■ Compact unit with electrical heat
through passive solar gains (40 – 60%), pump; and
internal heat gains (20 - 30%) and the
■ Wood pellet/wood log boiler/stove
remainder (10 - 40%) needs to be
with integral back boiler.
provided from building systems. The
optimal way to transfer the small An overview of the typical back-up
amount of required heat throughout the heating systems used in passive houses
house is through the mechanical ventila- to provide thermal comfort3 is provided
tion system. in Section 4.4.
INSIDE
OUTSIDE that the retrofit designer makes sure not being dependent on reasonable
that the proposed insulation strategy weather to carry out the works.
will not cause more interstitial
■ In terms of thermal comfort, a room
condensation in the structure that can
which is internally insulated will
be evaporated to the exterior over the
typically heat up much quicker due
course of one year. The amount of
to the avoidance of having to heat
condensate that can potentially build up
up massive external walls.
within the envelope of a building is influ-
enced by climate (temperature and Considering disadvantages, the follow-
humidity) and internal air conditions ing are highlighted:
(high or low occupancy, internal average
■ Internal insulation will reduce the
temperature and humidity). All calcula-
INSIDE
OUTSIDE
usable net floor area of rooms with
tions in these Guidelines are based on (a)
external walls. In the case of the
climate conditions for Dublin and (b) low
semi-detached retrofit house
occupancy (according to BS EN ISO
presented later, this reduction would
13788, Annex A). ). The danger of inter-
be approximately 20% (300 mm
stitial condensation is that it is, by defini-
insulation) of the total net usable
tion, hidden within the structure and
floor area for insulation with a
therefore may be reducing the thermal
thermal conductivity value of 0.035
performance of the envelope unknown
W/mK (such as mineral wool or cellu-
to the homeowners, potentially causing
lose) and 14 % for an insulation with
In the top diagram, the risk of creating a thermal structural defects in the medium to long
bridge is greatly reduced using external insulation. a thermal conductivity value of 0.025
term as well as health risks from result-
Source: MosArt Architecture W/mK (such as polyisocyuranate).
ing mould growth. There is free software
Related to this, any surface mounted
external and internal blockwork or, in available which can be used to test the
services located on the internal face
the case of timber frame between the risk of causing interstitial condensation
of external walls, such as electrical
wall studs). with different insulation strategies and
switches and sockets, will have to be
application of such tools is strongly
Ideally, the insulation layer should be re-mounted on the new surface.
recommended herein.
continuous all around the building
■ Inevitably thermal bridges will be
fabric without any breaks. While this is
4.3.1.1 Internal Insulation created for example at
relatively easy to achieve with a new-
external/internal-wall-junction or
build project, avoiding breaks in the There are advantages as well as disad-
external-wall/ceiling-junction. As a
insulation layer is considerably more vantages of internally insulating the
result of this, additional insulation
challenging when retrofitting. building envelope which need to be
may be necessary along internal
considered at an early stage of the retro-
The location of insulation relative to the elements such as walls and ceilings
fitting strategy.
structural envelope can have a signifi- to reduce the effect of the thermal
cant influence on thermal bridges. In terms of advantages, the following bridges with all details having to be
External insulation, for example, is attributes are highlighted: studded very carefully to avoid any
typically the most effective in reducing condensation in joints.
■ The external facade of the building
thermal bridges, whereas internal
will remain untouched by the ■ Usually there has to be a vapour
insulation would be the least effective.
upgrading works which would be barrier on the warm side of the
beneficial when dealing with certain insulation. When fixing paintings or
external finishes which homeowners cupboards with nails or screws this
might be reluctant to cover with vapour barrier could be penetrated
external insulation, such as tradi- which would compromise its
tional brick, or natural stone. performance and result in a higher
risk of mould growth and damages
■ Internal insulation may be cheaper
in the wall construction through
when compared to external insula-
condensing water. A service cavity
tion because of certain savings, such
may be necessary to avoid penetra-
tion of the vapour barrier. This again
reduces the treated floor area.
This section illustrates many of the most Readers should also note that a change plastered with an approved render
common construction types in Ireland in external finishes may require planning system.
and various means of upgrading their permission.
In many situations, random rubble walls
performance to the Passivhaus
or hollow block walls will already be
Standard. It must be appreciated that 5.1.1 Random Rubble and Hollow
insulated internally (commonly referred
there are many different construction Block Wall
to as ‘dry-lining’). If the wall is already dry
types as well as numerous techniques
Walls constructed of random rubble or lined, the plasterboard and plastic sheet-
and materials available to reduce
hollow block are often found in very old ing should be removed in order to check
thermal losses and to deal with all the
dwellings and, accordingly, are often not the condition of the timber or metal
permutations and combinations would
insulated. studs as well as the existing insulation. If
not be possible within these Guidelines.
these are not in good condition, they
It is hoped that the variety of examples If the stone used in the dwelling is
should be replaced or upgraded and
covered below, however, provide as exposed and of high aesthetic quality,
closed with OSB and an airtight layer/
useful guidance for most scenarios that homeowners might well be reluctant to
vapour control layer. As has been
will be encountered by persons inter- clad over this with external insulation
stressed earlier, great care has to be
ested in retrofitting. which would completely alter the
taken when insulating internally in order
character of the building. In situations
It must be stressed that readers to avoid causing interstitial condensa-
where this is not the case, however,
should not copy techniques from tion. A membrane with a high vapour
external insulation might be considered.
these guidelines without checking the resistance (vapour ‘barrier’) may help to
suitability of the building being When insulating externally there are two prevent the build up of condensation,
upgraded! For all parts of the thermal possible options, either using a loose but this should be proven by calculation.
envelope, the risks of interstitial insulation type with a ventilation cavity
It is recommended to create an insulated
condensation have to be calculated or using a single skin insulation type.
service cavity for cables and pipes
and verified. Furthermore, there may Using loose external insulation typically
running along the external walls in order
be other issues such as structural requires a substructure comprising
to protect the vapour control layer from
stability and fire safety considera- wooden battens which are fixed to the
being penetrated by nails or screws.
tions to be considered. wall and bear the load of the new
façade. Depending on the thickness of It is possible to mix both external and
Retrofitters should only use IAB
the insulation required, it might be internal insulation techniques but there
approved products with installation by
necessary to counter batten externally is likely to be more costs involved due to
specialist contractors only to ensure
to the first layer of battens to provide additional labour and materials.
insurance by Home Bond.
enough depth. An oriented strand board
A number of 3D images are provided to
(OSB) or a wood fibre board is then fixed
5.1 Walls illustrate different possible approaches
to the external side of the battens
to significantly upgrading the energy
The following Section explains how to followed by a breather membrane.
performance of random rubble and
upgrade different wall constructions Thereafter, a ventilation cavity is formed
hollow block walls. These sketches are
which are common in Ireland. with vertical battens which can be clad
not exhaustive. Rather, they serve as
with appropriate materials.
For all construction types care has to be examples of the kind of approach that
taken when externally insulating at the The other option is to insulate externally might be used.
base of walls. The insulation here should with insulation boards which create a
be a type of material which is suitable for a single skin structure (ie. no ventilation 5.1.2 Cavity Walls
humid environment. Furthermore the cavity). In this case, the insulation of
When dealing with cavity walls, it is
detail has to be developed in that way so required thickness can be mechanically
usually best to full-fill the cavity with
no moisture can infiltrate the construction. fixed to the structural wall and thereafter
Existing Standard Random Rubble Exterior Wall
Random Rubble Exterior Wall Upgraded to Passivhaus Standard - Internal “Loose” Insulation
Dry Lined Hollow Block Exterior Wall Upgraded to Passivhaus Standard - External “Loose” Insulation
Hollow Block Exterior Wall Upgraded to Passivhaus Standard - Internal “Loose” Insulation
Hollow Block Exterior Wall Upgraded to Passivhaus Standard - External “Rigid” Insulation
Cavity Exterior Wall Upgraded to Passivhaus Standard - External “Loose” Insulation Source: MosArt Architecture
Existing Standard Cavity Exterior Wall
outside
Timber Frame Exterior Wall Upgraded to Passivhaus Standard - External “Loose” Insulation
Source: MosArt Architecture
Existing Standard Timber Frame Exterior Wall
Timber Frame Exterior Wall Upgraded to Passivhaus Standard - External “Rigid” Insulation
Timber Frame Exterior Wall Upgraded to Passivhaus Standard - Internal “Loose” Insulation
Ceiling to Attic Space with Insulation on the Flat Upgraded to Passivhaus Standard
NOTE:
Source: MosArt Architecture Only the use of IAB approved products is
permitted & installation by specialist contractor only.
Additional insulation applied
in attic space and ventilation tile installed.
NOTE:
Source: MosArt Architecture Only the use of IAB approved products is
permitted & installation by specialist contractor only.
S ECTION S IX
Case Study Retrofit Building - Theoretical
Case Study Retrofit Building - Theoretical
This Section will illustrate a theoretical The construction of the walls, floor and
case study in how to approach the ceiling is summarised in the Table below.
upgrading of a semi-detached house to The windows were replaced in 2004
the Passivhaus Standard. A description from single glazed units with wooden
of the construction type and thermal frames to double glazed PVC. Attic
performance of the property will first be insulation was also fitted in 2004 which
provided. Thereafter, it will be shown added considerable comfort to the
how the specialist software PHPP was dwelling.
used to determine such critical issues as
Thermographic images of the house
the level of insulation required for the
were taken at pre-dawn in late
Passivhaus Standard along with sizing of
September 2008, with an outside
mechanical systems and prediction of
temperature of 11 degrees C and an
annual space heating requirement.
internal temperature of 18 degrees C.
Schematic drawings are included in
The low energy performance of the
order to illustrate various means of
building fabric can be easily appreciated
achieving a highly efficient thermal
from these images, highlighting uninsu-
envelope as well how to deal with
lated external walls with thermal bridg-
challenging issues such as thermal
ing, heat loss through ventilation grills,
bridging and excellent air-tightness. An
uninsulated external door, poorly
approximate estimate will be provided
insulated hot water pipes connecting to
of the projected savings in terms of
radiators and inadequately sealed attic
energy for both heating and DHW
hatch.
production.
A blower door test was also carried out
Dwelling Description on the same day to determine the level
of airtightness of the dwelling. The result
The dwelling chosen as a case study is a
of this test was 6.39 air changes per hour
semi-detached / terraced house built in
at 50 Pascal, or 6.6m3/(hm2). The principal
the late 1970’s and located in north
weakness of the envelope in terms of
County Dublin.
airtightness is the ground floor, compris-
The house comprises three bedrooms ing wooden flooring on timber joists
and one bathroom upstairs with an over a ventilated void. According to the Source: MosArt Architecture
entrance hall, sitting room, kitchen and occupant, there are often severe drafts
dining area at the ground floor level. The CURRENT BUILDING ENVELOPE DETAILS (FROM INTERIOR TO EXTERIOR)
total accommodation comprises 83m2. Walls Floor Ceiling Windows and Doors
In addition to this is an unheated, exter- 100mm inner 25mm wooden 12mm plaster
nally accessed, single storey, flat roofed concrete block floor covering board
garage attached to the western side of 40mm cavity 150mm joists 100mm ceiling joist
uninsulated uninsulated with 100mm mineral
the dwelling. wool insulation
In terms of aspect, the front of the house 100mm exterior 150+ mm open
concrete block ventilated space
faces north and the rear of the house
faces south. There are no east facing Overall U-value Overall U-value Overall U-value Overall U-value of
= 1.69 W/(m2K) = 1.47 W/(m2K) = 0.43 W/(m2K) windows = 1.85
windows but three windows which face W/(m2K) and doors
west. = 3.0 W/(m2K)
blowing up from the open space below
the ground floor creating severe thermal
discomfort. A number of the windows
and both external doors are insuffi-
ciently sealed as can be seen from the
smoke test carried out during the blower
door test. Other weaknesses include
wiring which passes from the first floor
through to the attic space as well as a
poorly sealed attic hatch. Front (north) elevation illustrating significant heat loss Heat loss depicted in black and blue colouring created
through the upstairs front bedroom external wall by an uninsulated front door. Note how the cold
(Bedroom 2). The red glow located between the two migrates inward along the floor.
Current Heating and DHW System
windows is created by heat loss from a wall mounted Source: GreenBuild Building Information Services
radiator at that position.
The house is currently heated using a Source: GreenBuild Building Information Services
relatively new natural gas boiler of
approximately 80% efficiency. The boiler
heats six radiators (two downstairs and
four upstairs) which are controlled by a
thermostat located in the kitchen. There
is also a wall mounted electrical heater
in the upstairs bathroom and a portable
electric heater in the living room.
Heat loss depicted in blue colouring created by cold air Poorly sealed attic hatch displaying heat loss around
entering the corner of a bedroom through a ventilation the perimeter (in dark blue colouring).
grill. Source: GreenBuild Building Information Services
Source: GreenBuild Building Information Services
Smoke test clearly highlights poorly sealed windows Smoke test illustrating air leakages below a window sill Leaky floor construction
Source: MosArt Architecture Source: MosArt Architecture Source: MosArt Architecture
Source: MosArt Architecture
Use of PHPP and DEAP to Prepare PERFORMANCE OF THE EXISTING DWELLING ACCORDING TO PHPP AND DEAP7
Retrofitting Strategy PHPP DEAP
Annual space heating 214 KWh/(m2a) 160 KWh/(m2a)
All the relevant details concerning the requirement
existing building dimensions, thermal Annual primary 441 KWh/(m2a) including 356 KWh/(m2a) (only includes
envelope performance, level of airtight- energy use all household electricity electricity for lights, pumps & fans)
ness, orientation and shadowing as well Building Energy Rating N/R E2
as electrical elements, heating system CO2 Emmissions 94 KgCO2eq/(m2a) 37 KgCO2eq/(m2a)
are entered into both the PHPP and the
Space Heat Requirement
DEAP software.
Retrofit Steps
As can be seen from the Table above, the 6
dwelling as it is currently constructed
5
has an annual space heating require-
ment of approximately 14 times that of 4
the Passivhaus Standard. Further, with
3
an existing BER of E2, there is consider-
able scope for improvement to bring the 2
overall energy efficiency to what would
be required by the revised 2008 Part L 1
200
150
100
50
0
Current Space Part L 2005 Part L 2007 Retrofitted
Heat Passivhaus
Requirement Standard
Space heating energy comparison, Current use in case study dwelling, Building Regulations (TGD) Part L 2005 and
2007 and the Passivhaus Standard. Source: MosArt Architecture
Case StudyTheofexisting
Completed
This project is one of the first in Ireland in Retrofitted
double glazed windows Project
achieved. Testing with a thermal
retrofitting a conventional built dwelling were replaced with thermally broken imaging camera is also available. This
towards a Passivhaus Standard. The triple glazed windows throughout and can detect any cold bridges in the exter-
clients visited MosArt's demonstration triple glazed roof lights were installed in nal fabric of the building. Strict on site
passive house ‘Out of the Blue’ in 2006 the roof. supervision is required throughout the
and were inspired to convert their home construction works by the designer. The
to the same standard of comfort and site foreman or main contractor should
energy efficiency. The existing roof was a standard tiled also be made aware of the importance of
roof with pre-fabricated timber trusses strict on site supervision by them of all
The existing external walls were
with insulation on the flat. As the alter- trades to achieve an airtight building. On
constructed as a standard cavity wall
ations to the existing house included an completion the house should have one
with a 100 mm brickwork outer leaf, 100
additional bedroom in the roof space final blower door test.
mm cavity and 100 mm concrete block-
the insulation had to be changed to on
work inner leaf. Upon inspection the
the slope to accommodate this.
cavity was found to have no insulation
Additional timber rafters were installed The retrofitted building was occupied in
installed and the walls had been dry
to accommodate additional higher May 2008 and at the time of print, the
lined internally with timber studs with
density insulation in the roof space heating season is approximately 50%
rock wool insulation between, polyethyl-
between the timbers, airtight vapour complete. The actual annual energy
ene vapour barrier and plasterboard
barrier was added and new plasterboard consumption cannot be verified before
with skim finish.
with skim finish. May 2009 at the earliest. A comparison
As the exterior leaf was brickwork we between the modelled and achieved
The existing heating system was
were restricted in how we could improvement of the energy perform-
replaced with a MHRV unit and heat
upgrade the fabric to the Passivhaus ance of this project is yet not possible,
pump with a gas condenser boiler as
Standard. We achieved this by fully filling therefore it is anticipated that the annual
back-up and solar collectors to the roof
the cavity with blown in insulation, the space heating requirement will be
for hot water supply.
existing dry lining was removed inter- reduced by 80%.
nally and replaced with larger timber It is important to note that the
The extra-over cost to achieve the
studs and higher density insulation programme for a passivhaus build differs
Passivhaus Standard according to the
between, a higher quality airtight to that of a conventional build. Time
cost plan on this project was 14%. It
vapour barrier was installed and taped should be allowed for the installation of
should be borne in mind that this house
on all joints with specific care taken to the airtight layer, this airtight layer
underwent a major retrofit and exten-
junctions at floors, ceilings and around should then be tested (blower door test)
sion programme and thus the above
windows and doors and new plaster- for leaks prior to any plasterboard being
percentage extra over costs should in no
board and skim finish was installed. All installed. Should any leaks be detected
way be taken as a general guide for
existing wall vents were blocked up they should then be rectified and the
retrofit projects.
internally and a MHRV unit was installed airtight layer should be re tested until
throughout the house. the required level of airtightness is
Improvement of U-values
Retrofitting to reduce
energy consumption
also provides a valuable
opportunity to enhance
the aesthetics of the
interior