Conscytec, Eiffage Energía’s construction subsidiary, will build the first Passivhaus residential development in Castilla-La Mancha in Albacete. It is a building with 18 sustainable homes, located in a residential area next to the Imaginalia shopping centre, and features communal areas such as a swimming pool, gym and children’s play areas. Work will begin in early 2022. This will make it the first group of dwellings to hold the Passivehaus certification in Castilla-La Mancha. As of June 2021, there are only nine groups of dwellings throughout Spain that hold this certificate.
This certificate is obtained by meeting a German standard that far exceeds the requirements of the Technical Building Code. It is a type of construction that uses the resources of bioclimatic architecture. These resources are combined with far better energy efficiency than traditional construction. Buildings in which heating and cooling requirements are reduced by 75%. Furthermore, the rest of the energy can easily be covered by renewable energies.
In this case, special emphasis is placed on the design and good execution of the enclosure: reinforced thermal insulation; or window frames with triple glazing. The thermal transmittance of façades, roofs and windows is between 30 and 50% lower than CTE 2019. Thermal bridges are eliminated from the design phase onwards and on-site treatment measures are subject to very strict and documented execution controls. The airtightness limit value of the building is 0.6 air changes per hour. This is five times lower than the value defined by CTE 2019. This involves careful sealing of joints and openings, as well as a reduction in energy demand by more than 75% compared to a building designed according to CTE 2019.
The ventilation system is dual flow and contributes to energy savings through heat recovery. It improves inside air quality thanks to the installation of maximum efficiency filters. Passivhaus is gaining ground in Spain. Since 2018, European Union member states are under the obligation to ensure that their public buildings are Near-Zero Consumption Buildings. From 2020, this obligation was extended to all new buildings. Hence the importance that is being placed on efficient construction in our country and the rest of Europe. Every day more and more people choose to live in a house with maximum energy efficiency due to savings, comfort and environmental friendliness.
