Comparative study between the Passive House Standard in warm climates and Nearly Zero Energy Buildings under Spanish Technical Building Code in a dwelling design in Seville, Spain

Abstract

The Passive House Standard is based on the reduction of energy demand and consumption. In Spain, this Passive House concept has become the preferred alternative for achieving nearly Zero Energy Buildings. The necessary criteria were incorporated into Spain’s 2019 Technical Building Code, which considers the passive design of buildings. In fact, it is possible that the design of many Spanish buildings complying with the basic criteria of passive architecture and the current regulatory framework, meet the requirements of the Passive House. On the other hand, the adaptation of the standard to different climates is very general and wide- ranging. The inflexibility of certain criteria brings into question the effectiveness of the certification in warm climates such as in the south of Spain or Southern Europe.

This study compares the application of basic Passive House standards with Spain’s current building regulations to achieve nZEB in a project which applies passive design strategies to a single-family dwelling in Seville, Spain. The results show that the current national regulations render unnecessary the application and/or certification of the Passive House standard as a guarantee of energy efficiency and offer a better solution in terms of building sustainability for a warm climate.