What windows to choose for a passive house
Trying to make the right decision? Let’s go through the advantages and disadvantages of both wooden and plastic windows.
What is a passive house?
An energetically passive house is a house that meets strict criteria for energy savings during its operation. A low-energy house meets similar criteria, but they are not as strict as in the case of a passive house.
Thermal protection
In the passive houses, the main emphasis is placed on the thermal protection of the building, which is characterized by the so-called heat transfer coefficient. This coefficient indicates the thermal insulation capacity of the structure.
Windows and doors are the weakest point because there is the highest heat transfer. In other words, they are the places of highest heat leakage.
As mentioned, passive houses must meet strict criteria for energy saving. As for windows the heat transfer coefficient is a maximum of 0.8 W/m2K.
Windows and solar energy
Windows serve not only for illumination of the room, but also for gaining sufficient solar energy. In fact, they act as a solar radiator heating up the room.
It is therefore necessary to ensure that the windows in the passive house are profitable in the overall year-round balance. This balance leads to significant financial savings on heating.
When trying to ensure the highest possible solar gains, beware of summer overheating and try to avoid these inconveniences by optimizing the size and location of the windows or supplementing the windows with shading technology.
What windows to choose
When making the choice of windows for a passive house, it is recommended to use quality frames with sufficient depth and triple glazing, which reduces losses and at the same time lets in enough solar energy.
As for materials, none of them has any advantage. In other words, you can install plastic, aluminium, and wooden windows. Do not hesitate to contact us, we will gladly provide you with more information about our products suitable for passive houses and help you make the best choice.
Concerning the window location, vertical windows are more suitable than skylights. Skylight windows are often a problem point due to leakage and dew. Moreover, they achieve little solar gains in winter.
