The share of new passive houses in the Czech Republic last year remained at 4.5%

Prague - The share of new passive houses in the total number of family houses built last year in the Czech Republic remained approximately at 4.5 percent. There were 600 to 700, similar to 2015. Over 3000 family houses were constructed in the Czech Republic last year. Jan Bárta, director of the Passive House Center, stated this today.

A building can be labeled a passive house if it has very low energy consumption for heating. Key to this is the recovery of heat, known as recuperation, where a system of pipes exchanges air while keeping the heat inside.

"I must emphasize that the provided numbers are purely indicative. In the Czech Republic, there is no central registry of passive houses, and we can only rely on data from the New Green Savings program. If someone builds a passive house outside of this subsidy program, it is not recorded anywhere. Unfortunately, there is no statistics on the energy demand of buildings for which a building permit was issued," said Bárta.

In addition to low energy consumption, Bárta perceives less dependence as a main advantage of passive houses. "For example, when the energy supply fails, the house retains its internal temperature significantly longer. When energy prices increase, the impact is smaller. On the contrary, the disadvantage is that the house must be designed and built to a very high standard. Unlike standard buildings, passive houses require technical oversight by the builder. And that can increase the cost of construction," added Bárta.

He considers wood to be the ideal material for the construction of passive houses. "It has the advantage that you combine the load-bearing system and thermal insulation in one layer. Therefore, the perimeter construction can be thinner, and the usable area is greater. Wood also has its disadvantages, but bricks do too. In general, it can be said that a passive house can be built from almost anything," Bárta further stated. He estimates that wooden constructions account for 40 percent of the total number of passive houses.

According to Bárta, most passive houses are single-family homes, but apartment buildings, kindergartens, schools, and administrative buildings are also being constructed. Examples of apartment buildings include the Ecocity Malešice project in Prague and Koti Hyacint in the Modřany district of Prague. Passive standards have also been applied in the construction of a kindergarten in Moravské Budějovice, the Karel Malich Art School in Holice, and a senior house in Modřice, South Moravia.

Regarding the share of newly built houses, according to Bárta, the Czech Republic ranks among the European leaders alongside Austria and Belgium. The largest number of passive houses is in Germany, with a rough estimate of 40,000. The first house referred to as passive was built in 1990 in Darmstadt, Germany. "In the Czech Republic, the first passive houses began to be built around ten years ago. The biggest boom was recorded in 2014 with the launch of the New Green Savings program," Bárta added.

Today, the fair for low-energy, passive, and zero-energy buildings, For Pasiv, started at the exhibition grounds in Letňany, Prague. It ends on Saturday, February 11.