Belfast’s Passivhaus Homes

Rising fuel bills prompt Belfast builder’s new approach (via RTE)

One of the largest low–energy housing projects in the UK and Ireland is nearing completion in Belfast.

The 219–home development at Lancaster Park is being built to Passivhaus standard.

Passivhaus or ‘Passive House’ is a building standard whereby the finished home uses very little energy for heating and cooling.

Rising fuel bills in his own home kickstarted project director John Carrigan’s journey to adopting this approach to building.

He said: “Some time ago, in my own house, I noticed my oil bill doubled within the course of a year. It occurred to me, I am fortunate, I can afford it. But there are a lot of families out there and how on earth can they afford this fluctuating energy bill?

“So, I just researched and researched. I didn’t invent anything new. I just found out the best way to spend less money on heating a house is to keep the heat in the house. The best way to do that is to build ultra–low–energy houses. The gold standard of low–energy housing is Passivhaus.”

John took the idea to his employers, Fraser Millar Homes. The developer agreed to adopt Passivhaus standards at Lancaster Park.

“Passivhaus Institut is a building standard created in Germany. It works off five key principles – triple–glazed windows and doors, eliminate thermal bridges, increase insulation, superior air tightness and installation of a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery system.

Read the full story here…