Extract: The first two homes built to the Passivhaus standard on the Isle of Man have been completed.
The firsts home built in line with the German Passivhaus standard on the Isle of Man have been completed.
Passivhaus translates as ‘passive house’, referring to the low impact such a property has on its surroundings, due to triple-glazed windows and high levels of environmentally-friendly insulation, which are two of the requirements of homes constructed in this manner.
While over 30,000 properties have been built to the Passivhaus standard throughout the world since its introduction in the 1990s, it is new to the Isle of Man, where the first two homes to be awarded this certification have been recently completed.
Located at the entrance to the isle’s Janet’s Corner estate, two three-bedroom properties to be occupied by public sector tenants are now officially classified under the Passivhaus standard.
The homes form part of a project run by the Isle of Man’s Department of Infrastructure’s Housing Division, which aims to lower the area’s excess carbon emissions significantly through the use of more sustainable construction methods.
Alongside high levels of insulation, the new Passivhaus homes feature whole house ventilation and heat recovery systems, which means renewable sources of energy can be used to both cool and heat the properties, in what is regarded as a more sophisticated manner than via solar panels or wind generators.
Infrastructure minister Phil Gawne commented: “The government has undertaken a major modernisation of Janet’s Corner over the past eight years and I’m very impressed with the quality achieved in the two Passivhaus properties.
“I am passionate about protecting the environment and this latest development could point the way towards a more sustainable way of building affordable housing in the Isle of Man.”
He explained that while there may be additional costs involved in the construction of a home built in line with the Passivhaus standard, the significant energy bill savings will soon make up for these extra costs.
http://www.greenbuildingpress.co.uk/article.php?article_id=2091
http://www.isleofman.com/News/details/72344/government-completes-eco-homes-in-castletown