Strengthening The Path to More Sustainable and Efficient Building
At Energiehaus [based in Barcelona, Spain] we have just issued our Passivhaus certification number 100 in Spain: the “Rosales del Canal” residence for the elderly in Zaragoza. We also recently certified the first single-family house to meet Passivhaus Plus; the house is on a rectangular plot of 773 m² with a drop of 3 m between the access road and the southern limit of the plot. It is a good sign of what we are looking forward to in 2021, strengthening the path toward more sustainable and efficient buildings.
The Passivhaus standard journey began in Spain more than 10 years ago, when the first single-family home in the province of Granada was certified in 2009. The development of the Passivhaus standard in Spain is a good example of the success of private initiatives, promoted by visionary people, that have become reality over the years. Its success confirms to us that it is possible to initiate small-scale changes that improve the world in which we live. Today, Passivhaus has become the reference standard in terms of energy efficiency. Building under this umbrella is “playing in the European Champions League” (I quote Juan Postigo Castellano).
Of course, the “normal CTE league” has also benefited from this dynamic, as can be seen in the latest updates to the Technical Code that include Passivhaus concepts in the energy-saving regulations. Seeing the development of Passivhaus in Spain gives me hope for a new year that holds the opportunity to start new projects and challenges that allow us to live in a more sustainable world.