María Eugenia Velásquez
Houses built under the Passivhaus standard not only help save money in the long run, but are surprisingly affordable. The investment in the higher quality components that passive houses require is largely mitigated by the elimination of heating and cooling systems. In addition, with the growing need to stop climate change, this type of nearly zero-energy construction is increasingly receiving more support and better financing conditions.
If you are thinking of building a passive house, this article will help you clarify any doubts you may have about investing in your new home, and if you still have any questions, we will be happy to talk to you.
Although Passive Houses are very high quality buildings with unrivalled energy efficiency, they are not much more expensive than conventional construction.
The cost overrun of a house built to Passivhaus standards is on average 5%. In some homes, this cost overrun can be as high as 10% or even 15%, but this increase is mainly due to the choice of premium finishes and design features.
The components that justify the extra cost of a passive house are the higher quality insulation material, the high performance windows, the mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery and the labour of specialised engineers. On the other hand, the cost of installing a heating and cooling system is completely eliminated.
To give you a better idea, the average price of the passive wooden houses we build is €1,500 per m2. This price includes architectural design, interior design and standard landscaping, administrative procedures to obtain the building permit, basic health and safety study, works management and supervision, Passivhaus thermal insulation, finishes, installation of basic services, final building certificate and energy efficiency certificate.
I invite you to download our brochure where you will find detailed information about our houses and how we work.
One of the biggest benefits of having a passive house is the huge energy savings, resulting in up to 90% lower energy bills. A conventional 120 m2 house spends on average €1,500 per year on heating, but a passive house of the same size spends only €150 per year - amazing isn't it?
Thanks to these energy savings, the extra cost of the initial investment can be easily amortised in 5 to 10 years. In addition, you will continue to save on your electricity bill and reduce your carbon footprint throughout the lifetime of your home.
In the last year, new laws have emerged in our country to promote the construction of nearly zero-energy buildings with the aim of achieving CO2 neutrality by 2050, thus fulfilling our part of the Paris Climate Agreement.
In this context, the financing of energy-efficient housing has benefited greatly. Many banks are offering better conditions for sustainable home mortgages. Liberbank, Mediolanum, Banco Santander and BBVA are some of the banks offering so-called "green mortgages". For our part, we have an alliance with Triodos Bank to finance the passive wooden houses we build.
Triodos Bank incorporates sustainability criteria when offering you a mortgage, they value that you buy a home that reduces CO2 emissions and promotes energy savings: the better the energy rating of your home, the lower the differential applied. So with your passive house you can be sure that you will get the best conditions.
Take a look at this post where I tell you in detail what green mortgages are and what they consist of.
In conclusion, investing in a passive house is a smart investment. Because of the energy savings and the better terms you can get for financing, building a passive house can be even more affordable in the long run than building a conventional home. That's not to mention the great health benefits for you and the planet 😉.
If you want to take the first step towards your new passive wooden house, schedule a video call with us and let's start shaping your project.
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