FREQUENT QUESTIONS
Yes. It is a prerequisite to have the plot owned or in process of it.
The ENERGY MORTGAGE is the ECONOMIC EXPENDITURE or cost in relation to the CONSUMED ENERGY. To reduce it, maximum energy efficiency must be provided. (ENVELOPES AND ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SYSTEMS).
In this passive house it is convenient to maximize exposure to the south, this way we will be able to increase the temperature and include a trombe wall in the south façade. The spaces where we will develop our daily activity should be in the south zone of the house, looking for that comfort temperature.
You have to isolate the floors, walls and ceilings especially well. It is also convenient to reduce the number of windows and doors facing north. Protecting the home from summer sunlight is not a priority, since in some very cold places it is still necessary to turn on the heating during these months.
We will use the thermal inertia (the capacity of heat storage in a material) and the insulation in the spaces of the house where we will develop most of our activity, in the cool nights. The rooms can be low in thermal inertia.
The passive house should be designed to maximize exposure to the north, and if possible to make it hermetic to the outside and open the rooms to an interior courtyard (as in Andalusian and Arabic architecture). And it should be remembered that the green covers help to stabilize the temperature inside and contribute to thermal insulation.
The windows should be small and tall, and only be located on the north and south facades. The windows to the south must be in the shade, as well as any window to the east and west. Evaporative cooling should be used, since the humidity is low and will be more effective. We must also consider the environment, if there is vegetation or buildings that provide shade, where the wind comes from, etc.