Passive House KOFINAS

Based on the needs of the modern era to save energy, at KOFINAS Prefabricated Houses we follow construction practices with reduced energy consumption. Our constructions have been distinguished according to the Regulation of Energy Performance of Buildings (KENAK) as energy class A' residences, while our guarantee is the standard building, the so-called "Passive House" KOFINAS.  

What is Passive House? 

The house that meets all the conditions to be characterized as fully energy efficient and environmentally friendly is called passive. In particular, a Passive House offers high energy efficiency, economy and sustainability, with minimal energy requirements and costs for heating and cooling. 

According to the official definition by the German Passive Building Institute, "A passive building is a building in which the internal thermal comfort (ISO 7730) is ensured exclusively by preheating or precooling the quantity of fresh air, which is required (DIN 1946) for proper internal atmosphere, without the use of additional air recirculation.”

The KOFINAS Prefab Houses company, as an official member of the Hellenic Passive Building Institute, is active in the design and construction of Passive Buildings with the corresponding official institutional certification, combining the company's quality constructions with sustainability and comfort data!

What are the advantages of a Passive House? 

Energy Efficiency 

Through the passive heating and cooling system, the Passive House has the ability to maintain the correct and desired temperature inside throughout the year, regardless of the climate zone in which it is located. The fact that a Passive House uses alternative ways of heating and cooling, such as solar energy, internal heat sources, natural ventilation, etc., makes conventional heating and cooling sources that consume huge amounts of energy, completely meaningless and ineffective. The precise design, the properly selected materials and of course the modern passive heating and cooling systems, offer every tenant / user of the house the best healthy living conditions without moisture, ensuring a stable temperature. 

Sustainability 

The Passive House works by limiting thermal losses and ensuring thermal gains. Due to the bioclimatic design of a passive house, its percentages of energy consumed in a year are clearly reduced compared to the data of a conventional house. For reference, the energy required for heating and cooling in a Passive House is up to 90% less. Due to this, emissions of pollutants that drastically affect the greenhouse effect are significantly reduced. Thus, the choice of a passive house can be characterized as one of the most sustainable options for building and living, with a low environmental impact, since the primary energy used is extremely small. 

At the same time, it is important to mention that compared to a conventional house, the additional energy required to achieve the heating and cooling of a Passive house is negligible if we consider the savings data they offer. Features, according to EIPAK, "in a passive house, less than 1.5 liters of oil or 1.5 cubic meters of natural gas are required per year, to heat one square meter of habitable space". 

Economy 

In a passive house, saving money is obvious from the very beginning of living. The minimum energy requirements reduce to the maximum extent the necessary operating expenses, which, contrary to conventional houses, reach heights both for heating in the winter period and for cooling in the warm months. 

At the same time, what is certain is that every tenant / user does not need to worry about unnecessary expenses or when the initial investment will be completely repaid, since the cost of a passive house is extremely affordable. Specifically, in the KOFINAS prefabricated houses company, the cost of using the highest quality building materials and construction of a passive house is directly balanced by the reduced operating costs and long-term energy efficiency. 

Comfortable living 

As mentioned in the official definition of the Passive House, the main result and benefit of passive cooling and heating systems is to ensure a healthy and correct indoor atmosphere. Indeed, due to the way these systems work with an air filter, automatic humidity regulation, prevention of mold and the damage it may cause, the atmosphere inside a passive house becomes the most suitable for optimal living and excellent quality of life. The fact is, how the passive house contributes to the health of the users while at the same time being a completely practical and quality option, since it does not require constant intervention for ventilation, heating, cooling, hot water, etc. 

What are the basic operating principles of a Passive House? 

The mode of operation of one Passive House it is based on 5 basic principles of design and construction, related to the exploitation of the freely offered energy and heat. 

In more detail, the so-called "free" heat is mainly produced by the electrical devices that are used every day in a house. In order to enable the immediate utilization and reuse of this heat, for the purpose of the desired heating, the passive house must follow the following 5 specific modes of operation: 

Insulation  

As mentioned, the heat produced by electrical appliances can be kept inside a passive house and thus reused for heating purposes, without unnecessary energy requirements and losses. To make this possible, it is necessary to take care of the total insulation of the house, so that the building shell is completely airtight to keep the heat inside during the winter months and prevent it during the summer. 

Frames 

The quality frames of a passive house play an equally important role for its maximum energy efficiency. In particular, windows with an insulating design, equipped with low-reflective glass panes are absolutely necessary to prevent the inflow or outflow of heat.  

Air tightness 

In a passive house, the maximum airtightness of the entire structure is provided to minimize potential leaks through openings and thus increase energy efficiency levels. 

Absence of thermal bridges 

With the correct and careful insulating shielding of the entire passive house, the goal is the absence of thermal bridges that are often responsible for the development of moisture, mold and corresponding damages. This creates the conditions for a comfortable living, in a completely healthy atmosphere and safe environment. 

Ventilation 

A key factor in the operation of a passive house is naturally the ventilation systems that are integrated for maximum energy efficiency as well as the regulation of the air, humidity and heat that enters the interior of the building. 

Practically, how does a passive house work? 

1. A ventilation system with an air-to-air heat exchanger is installed so that it can simultaneously bring in fresh air from the outside and at the same time release a quantity of stale air from inside the building.

2. In the winter months, cold outside fresh air enters the exchanger, receives the heat of the expelled stale air and enters the passive house. Specifically, the warm stale air that leaves the house, "brings" the "free" heat, which through the exchanger heats the fresh air that enters the house.

3. In the summer, the stale exhaust air cools the warmer incoming fresh air, maintaining proper cooling levels inside the house. 

4. In the event that the above system is combined with geothermal energy (the clean air first diffuses from the earth and then goes to the exchanger,) the profits and general energy benefits are multiplied for both winter and summer. 

As a result of all of the above, the installation of a conventional heating and cooling system can be avoided and the house can be operated fully efficiently through the mechanical ventilation systems for ultimate energy efficiency. 

What is the cost of a Passive House? 

Based on the data and specifications of the KOFINAS Prefabricated Houses company, it is important to mention how the cost of a passive house of 100 sq.m. it is about 10% larger than that of a typical build of our company.

This difference is obviously insignificant, if compared to the long-term money savings offered by a passive house due to the minimized operating costs since the payback is immediate and the benefits are evident from the very first moment, both in energy and financial terms. 

Certification of the KOFINAS company for the Passive House 

A basic requirement to qualify a house Passive is to test all its functions in practice to check if it meets the basic principles of how to organize a passive house.

The KOFINAS company, which has proven to be most interested in the scientific certification and guarantee of all the practices and technologies it uses, has undergone the certification process for the Passive House. 

The passive house certification criteria are set by the Passive House Institute, which is based in Darmstadt, Germany.

After a series of detailed scientific tests, it was proven that the KOFINAS company follows all the necessary design and construction standards of the passive building, in order to provide all the energy and practical benefits to its customers. 

Interested in building your own prefabricated home according to the best and highest quality specifications of the market? 

The company "Kofinas" is certified by Greek and international bodies for all the materials it uses as well as for the manufacturing process it follows.

In this way, our stable quality and reliability is proven, which characterizes every "Kofinas" construction from 1977 until today.

Contact us, and we will undertake to do it prefabricated your dream home come true.