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Page 1: THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF AIRAH JULY 2016 · VOLUME 15.6 ... · recovery ventilation systems typically ensure high quality fresh air provision during heating and cooling seasons. In

EcolibriumTHE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF AIRAH JULY 2016 · VOLUME 15.6

RRP $14.95

The skin we’re in Optimising building facades. PRINT POST APPROVAL NUMBER PP352532/00001

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PEER-RE V IE W ED T ECHNICA L PA PER S

The Bruck Building,  Chanxing, China – a Passivhaus hotel in a sub-tropical climate

DAVID RITTER, M.AIRAH, MCIBSE MEI Associate Director, Atelier Ten, Melbourne

1. INTRODUCTIONPassivhaus has become known as “Passive House” in the English speaking world and internationally, although this paper refers to the original German name so as not to confuse it with a more generalised passive solar design approach. Passivhaus is a proven design and construction standard that delivers high-comfort, very low-energy buildings that is rapidly growing in prominence around the world. The Passivhaus concept originally began in Europe in the late 1980s as collaboration between Feist and Adamson with the first residential buildings completed in Darmstadt in 1990. Since then over 20,000 Passivhaus projects have been built and certified.

Over this period, as the growth of Passivhaus has generated a large market for the new and innovative construction products, so the cost of these products has been driven down such that they are a viable proposition for standard construction in many parts of Europe. Far from being the exception, it is becoming the minimum housing standard in a number of European countries and cities[8], driven by the requirement to reach Nearly Zero Carbon by 2020. Studies across European countries[3] have shown that a Passivhaus project can be achieved for around a 5–10 per cent uplift in capital cost with as much as an 80–90 per cent reduction in energy use compared to standard code compliant projects[9].

Although the standard has largely been applied to residential projects in Northern Europe, it is also being applied to a growing number of different building types, including public and commercial buildings, particularly schools and office buildings where there are a number of built examples.

Passivhaus is also a global phenomenon, growing in prominence in a number of different climate regions and construction markets across the globe, notably including large

ABSTRACTTheglobaltrendtowardsultra-high-performancebuildingenvelopeswillhaveasignificantimpactindeterminingthefutureofHVACdesign.ThePassivhausmovementbeganinGermanyintheearly1990sandhasgrowntobecomealeadingstandardinhigh-performancebuildingsacrossEuropeandbeyond,applicabletoawiderangeofsectorsincludingresidential,educational,commercialandleisurebuildings.

TheBruckBuildingCasestudyexplainshowthispioneeringstandardwaseffectivelyappliedtoahotelbuildinginasub-tropicalclimatenearShanghai,China.Aparticularaspectofthisapplicationwastomodifytheenergystandardtoaccountforthehigh-humidityclimateandfindsuitablelow-energyHVACsolutions.Thepaperwillexploretheapplicationoftheultra-highperformancebuildingenvelopeandtheimplicationsfortheHVACdesignandconstructionprocessinthecontextofthistechnologytransferfromEuropetoChina.

Thestudydemonstratesthatthestandardhasbeensuccessfullyachievedinasub-tropicalclimateandcouldalsobeappliedtoAustralianclimatezones.Thestandardhasthedemonstrablebenefitofprovidingahigh-comfort,low-energylivingenvironmentthatisaround80percentreductioninenergy[9]usecomparedtostandardconstruction,withsignificantreductioninpeakbuildingloads.Italsopresentsthelessonslearnedintermsoftherigorousdesignandconstructionprocessthatisfollowed,andsuggestshowtheHVACengineercanbecomepro-activelyengagedinthedeliveryofthiscutting-edgetechnology.

Figure 1: Raiffeisen-Holding Group building, high-rise office, Austria. Credit: Atelier Hyde Architekten.

Figure 2: Wilkinson Primary School, UK.

Credit: Architype, Photo: ©Dennis Gilbert/VIEW.

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markets in China and the US, where the first certified projects have been completed within the last few years. Furthermore, in the US it is also significant that the introduction of the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code[2] included a mandatory requirement for air pressure testing of thermal envelopes in addition to a significant upgrade in thermal performance requirements. This push towards higher performance building envelopes and rising global interest in the Passivhaus standard will undoubtedly further contribute to the improvement in competitiveness and commercial viability for high-performance building fabric technologies.

Passivhaus is primarily a concept that focuses on the design and construction of high-performance building envelopes that are highly insulated, have low air-leakage and minimal thermal bridging. The form, orientation, fenestration and shading are appropriately designed such that the building achieves a passive energy balance requiring minimal additional heating and cooling to achieve comfort conditions. Contrary to what is often believed, natural ventilation is integral to the Passivhaus approach where the ambient temperature is conducive in the temperate seasons, while energy efficient heat recovery ventilation systems typically ensure high quality fresh air provision during heating and cooling seasons. In order to comply with the standard, peak space heating and cooling loads are typically reduced to less than 10W/m2, while annual space heating or cooling energy use must be less than 15kWh/m2/annum. To achieve certification, comprehensive verification of energy calculations, internal comfort, building fabric and services systems is required together with an on-site air leakage test that achieves less than 0.6 ach at 50 Pa.

During this phase of global growth, much work has been undertaken to apply and adapt the Passivhaus standard to different global regions[1]. This case study shows how the standard was successfully adapted to a hot summer/cold winter subtropical climate for the recently completed Bruck Passvihaus in Changxing, Huzhou, China (figure 3).

The 2,500m2 five-storey multi-residential hotel building was commissioned by Landsea, a leading green real estate developer, as a test project for potential roll-out on larger scale commercial high-rise development in the Yangtze Delta region. The project was designed by Peter Ruge Architects collaborating with the Passivhaus Institut in Germany, with delivery completed by the local Landsea Design Institute working with local contractors. The developer is primarily interested in the application of

the Passivhaus approach since it provides a very high level of interior comfort to the occupier, with stable, uniform thermal and humidity conditions in what is a relatively harsh external climate. Such living qualities, together with provision of filtered fresh air supply have proven popular within the local market over the last decade.

This case study considers application of the Passivhaus standard to a sub-tropical climate and further considers its application to Australian climate zones and the implications of ultra-high performance building envelopes for the HVAC designer.

1.1 APPLICATION OF THE PASSIVHAUS STANDARD TO CHANGXING

The Passivhaus Institut were commissioned to act as design consultants for the project, and produced an initial concept design report. A key part of their process was to consider any adaptation requirements for the Passivhaus concept in the Changxing climate. It was determined that the Passivhaus approach for a high-performance building envelope developed in Northern Europe would work well in the cold winter/hot summer climate of Changxing. A highly insulated, well-sealed façade would significantly reduce the heating and cooling requirements and provide a highly stable, comfortable internal environment all year round. The critical differences in approach were that the heating load is less, while the cooling load, both sensible and latent is increased relative to the European model. Therefore, strategies for the control of solar gain and low energy de-humidification were essential to the project. In addition, the high level of air-tightness was shown to be critical as it would not only reduce loads associated with infiltration, but would also protect the building fabric against the risk of interstitial condensation due to high internal vapour pressure in winter and high external vapour pressure in summer (Fig. 4).

Whereas in Northern Europe, a Passivhaus building must meet a required target of 15kWh/m2/a for heating and cooling respectively, the Passivhaus definition was amended for Changxing such that the maximum allowance for heating was set at 10kWh/m2 to reflect the reduced heating demand, while the sensible and latent cooling allowances were also established at 10kWh/m2/a each, to reflect the overall increased demand for cooling in the hot, humid summer conditions. The overall energy umbrella for heating and cooling over the year therefore remained unchanged at 30kWh/m2.

It was calculated that a wall U-value of 0.2 W/m2K, (assuming no thermal bridges) and a glazing unit composite U-value

Figure 3: Bruck Building South Elevation. Credit: Peter Ruge Architekten, Photo: © Jan Siefke

Figure 4: Global average vapour pressure in July. Credit: NCAR Climate Data Guide, D.Shea.

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(including frames) of 1.6 W/m2K was required to meet the Passivhaus standard[5]. In addition, for this climate region where the control of direct and indirect solar gain is of higher importance, a glazing SHGC of 0.25–0.3 was targeted, together with fixed shading on southerly elevations.

Table 1, below, provides a summary of the differences in approach in application of Passivhaus in Central Europe and in the Chanxing climate.

1.2 APPROPRIATE HVAC SOLUTIONOne of the original tenets of the Passivhaus concept and a key opportunity of the Passivhaus approach is to use fresh-air-only heating and cooling systems; where the loads are reduced so low by the ultra-high performance fabric design that no additional system is required to meet comfort levels (in line with ISO7730). Such systems have frequently been built in Europe, and demonstrate a significant saving on the capital cost of an additional air system or a distributed wet-system. In practice, this would require the cooling load to be reduced down to around 8W/m2, while it was estimated that the peak cooling load for this project would be around 15W/m2. Also, in order to meet the cooling load on the fresh air supply only, there was a risk that supply air temperatures would need to drop below levels that would meet the internal comfort requirements. Therefore, since this was a pioneering project, and the first of its kind in the climate region, it was felt that to omit a supplementary room-side fan-coil unit would be too risky. Therefore, an early design decision was to provide

for the majority of heating and cooling via a centralised fresh air supply system, which would run the majority of the time during the heating and cooling season. However, a local in-room fan-coil unit would be provided to give top-up heating and cooling during the peak season as required.

Criteria Central Europe Changxing (nr. Shanghai)

Passivhaus Standard

Requirements

Peakheatingload 10W/m2 10W/m2

Peakcoolingload 10W/m2 15W/m2(sensible+latent)

Annualheatingenergy 15kWh/m2/a 10kWh/m2/a

Annualcoolingenergy 15kWh/m2/a 10kWh/m2/a

Annualde-hum.Load N/A 10kWh/m2/a

air-tightness <0.6ach50Pa <0.6ach50Pa

Indoor Comfort Design

Parameters

Summerindoortemp. <25°C <26°C

Summerindoorhumidity <66% <66%

Winterindoortemp. 20°C 20°C

Typical design solution

WallU-value 0.15W/m2K 0.2W/m2K

RoofU-value 0.1W/m2K 0.15W/m2K

GlazingspecificationGlazingsystemU-value

(Uw)SHGC:

Triple-glazing

0.8W/m2K0.6(southfaçade)

Triple-glazing

0.8W/m2K0.25–0.30(southfaçade)

MVHRsystemperformance Heatrecovery:80% Heatrecovery:80%humidityrecovery:60%

Naturalventilation Yes–openablewindows Yes–openablewindows

Table. 1: Comparison of Passivhaus Approach

Ventilation and cooling/heating system1. Balanced ventilation system with heat and moisture recuperation.2. Cooling base load is covered through by one of two air-to-water heat pumps.3. A second air-to-water heat pump covers the cooling peak load.4. User controlled cooling coils is installed in the apartments (circulating air).

Figure 5: HVAC services concept. Credit: Peter Ruge Architekten.

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In the Northern European climate, Passivhaus has typically used mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) systems in winter to ensure high internal air quality and minimize energy losses. While this strategy is also appropriate to the Yangtze Delta area for winter, in summer it is also essential to consider the use of humidity recovery to minimize the dehumidification energy loads. An AHU with a high-efficiency desiccant wheel was therefore specified for the centralised air handling units for this project. The desiccant wheel acts as the enthalpy exchange between incoming and out-going air streams, providing approximately 70 per cent latent and 75 per cent sensible heat recovery between the two streams. The incoming air stream is further subject to dehumidification and final re-heat to condition the air to the desired entry temperature.

For the centralised heating and cooling source, two rooftop reverse-cycle air-water heat pump units were selected. One unit is dedicated to the centralised AHUs, while the secondary unit is dedicated to the in-room fan-coil units for top-up heating or cooling during peak periods as required.

1.3 PERFORMANCE MODELLING PROCESS

The Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP) Excel-based software is used as a design and verification tool for Passivhaus projects. It is an Excel workbook that uses inputs of typical monthly

climatic data for the site location as the boundary condition for the building model input.

The key model input parameters are based upon detailed building fabric elemental thermal performance values including consideration of glazing frame performance, thermal bridging elements and air permeability, which is based upon the actual on-site pressure test air leakage rate. The calculation package algorithms have been developed through feedback obtained from extensive research of the actual monitored energy use and thermal performance of Passivhaus buildings, so that the tool has been proven to deliver a high degree of accuracy[9].

For this project, PHPP modeling work demonstrated that controlling the solar cooling loads was absolutely essential to maintaining comfort and target energy use during the summer months. Triple glazing with a target maximum SHGC of 0.3 was required for the south elevation, with fixed solar shading required to control the direct gains from high-angle summer sun, whilst allow the lower angle winter sun into the rooms to provide useful heating. Fixed solar shading design on the south façade was an important focus of the early architectural design and energy modeling work. The design solution ensured that that the south facing windows would be fully shaded between the spring and autumn equinox.

In addition to energy and thermal comfort analysis, it was important to carry out hygrothermal analysis on the building

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fabric using WUFI software to determine the optimum wall materials and construction system to mitigate the risk of potential moisture build-up in the walls.

Typically in the Northern European climate this analysis is carried out with consideration of the winter condition where there is a high internal vapour pressure and risk of outward migration of moisture. For the Changxing climate, however, an analysis was carried out for both winter and summer conditions since in the summer there is also a potential risk of inward migration of moisture from the high humidity, high rainfall external environment to the interior, with potential for condensation forming on the cool internal wall construction.

1.4 OVERVIEW OF THE DESIGN PROCESSThe Passivhaus design process differs from the conventional design process since the definitive high-performance envelope and energy performance standards are a key starting point for the design rather than an optional consideration. It is important, therefore, that the PHPP was used during the concept design process as an iterative design tool to establish a design that would meet with Passivhaus performance criteria, rather than using the energy modeling process as a performance-checking tool which can often be the case in conventional design practice. Critically, the form and orientation of the building, fenestration sizes, solar shading strategy and building fabric performance were all modeled as a number of iterations to get the right strategy established.

Typically in China, a project such as this may be designed by an overseas architect up to schematic design stage and then handed on to a local design team to deliver the detailed design.

Critically for this project, at scheme design stage the German architect team developed a detailed design concept for the continuity and integrity of the thermal and air-tightness envelope, as this is vital in both shaping the façade and achieving the Passivhaus goals. Furthermore, the architect appointment went beyond the scheme design phase to produce a catalogue

of details for the building that included typical wall construction, wall-window junction details, door details and typical services penetrations in order to meet the onerous thermal performance and air tightness requirements.

The HVAC designer was similarly commissioned to produce an extended package including fully coordinated plant layout and ductwork distribution with plans locating all services penetrations through the floor slabs and roof essential to the design of an air-tight thermal envelope.

1.5 OVERVIEW OF THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

The façade construction was outside the expertise of conventional building contractors in the Yangtze Delta area, and special planning was required as to how the project would be delivered in construction. This was achieved through separating the project into distinct packages of work for core building construction, insulation installation, window installation, and interior fit-out, whereby specialists could be used for the key elements essential to the Passivhaus concept.

0 1 2 3

Time in (Y)4 5 6

0.4

0.35

0.25

0.15

0.05

0.3

0.2

0.1

Loca

tion

in (m

)

inside plaster (26°C) (airtight)

concrete

mineral wool (35°C)

outside rendering (50°C)

100 96 92 99 91 90 76 72 68 61 60 56 4952 41 3640 32 28 21

Figure 6: WUFI plot of % relative humidity within wall construction over six-year period.

Figure 7: Mock-up wall.Figure 8. Floating window detail.

Credit: Peter Ruge Architekten.

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Extensive training for the local project management, design team and contractor was required for the thermal envelope construction methods. Construction training sessions were given using a mock-up wall section (Fig. 7) where each detail and junction in the thermal envelope were built and left as a control sample on site for the team to refer to. The wall sample also gave guidance to the contractor on how to construct services penetrations by casting sleeves within the in-situ concrete wall or roof construction and using cut insulation material and air-tightness membranes to seal the holes.

In addition, during the installation process, on-site training was given to the site operatives, particularly with regards to window installation. The window detail (Fig. 8) is a floating window construction, common in Germany or Austria but new to China. The window was fixed within the same plane as the external wall insulation using angle brackets to minimise thermal bridging effect.

For the final Passivhaus certification process, the air pressure test was carried out on the completed building to verify the air leakage rate. The building achieved an air leakage rate

of 0.3 ach/hr at 50Pa (within the 0.6 target required for Passivhaus verification), but this was not without some difficulty. Although the windows and doors had been installed satisfactorily, the biggest problem area proved to be air leakage through cable tray wall penetrations and ventilation services penetrations between floors and through the roof [6]. An area of work that was a little weak on this project was in regard to final services co-ordination and the contractor’s sealing around penetration holes. For the design of a Passivhaus project the aim is to keep the number of necessary penetrations to a minimum, whereas this project had a number of unrationalised, unnecessary services penetrations at roof level, which added extra risk and complication for creating an air-tight envelope. Nevertheless, through remedial action all leaky services penetrations were properly sealed and the performance target was successfully achieved.

1.6 CURRENT PERFORMANCE MONITORING

A program of thermal comfort data monitoring is currently under way for the full year from June 2015 – June 2016. However, early feedback from the building from late 2014 has suggested a very stable, comfortable internal environment during peak summer and winter conditions, as was predicted.

Although it should be noted that the building occupancy has not been at full capacity in the first six months, the gathered energy consumption data suggests that the building will be on target to meet the overall annual HVAC energy target of 30kWh/m2annum, as the first half-year consumption is 15.2kWh per m2. It is also likely that performance improvements will be made through seasonal commissioning of systems and fine-tuning of the building management and operation.

The initial projected energy savings from the Passivhaus approach are significant, representing approximately a 40 per cent reduction in energy use compared to the client developer’s best-practice low-energy buildings, while representing approximately an 80 per cent reduction in energy use compared to typical projects built to compliance with the local Chinese building code.

Figure 9: Bruck Passivhaus in use. Credit: Peter Ruge Architekten, Photo: © Jan Siefke

2014 HVAC Lighting Equipment DHW Total

July 12745 836 976 806

August 8748 815 1105 560

September 6177 268 970 1300

October 1256 414 944 900

November 603 196 863 1539

December 8531 466 1110 2839

Half-year energy use (kWh) 38060 2995 5968 7944 54967

Half-year energy use (kWh/m2 ) 15.22 1.20 2.39 3.18 21.99

Table. 2: First six months of operation energy monitoring.

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1.7 APPLICATION POTENTIAL IN AUSTRALIA

Although not the focus of this paper, it is important to consider the outcome of this case study and make inference to the application of Passivhaus in Australia.

Australia’s main populated coastal areas can be broadly described as situated in a warm, temperate climate to the south and east, with a warmer sub-tropical climate to the north. Research suggests the Passivhaus approach can be successfully applied within these climate zones with relative ease compared to the Central European or Yangtze Delta climate[1], since the climate is more favourable. For example, as a general rule of thumb, wall and roof U-values in the Melbourne area need only be around 0.25 W/m2K (R4) and 0.17 W/m2K (R6) respectively, while low-E double-glazing with a U-value of between 1.4-2.0 W/m2K is likely to suffice to meet the Passivhaus standard[4]. As with the case study, solar control glazing and solar shading will be a critical element of any Passivhaus application in all regions of Australia.

Perhaps of greatest significance is that this project was the first certified Passivhaus in a sub-tropical climate, and suggests that Passivhaus is not just appropriate for temperate climates, but can successfully be applied further north in Australia. In sub-tropical northern climates such as Queensland, humidity control will become a key consideration, and it is likely that a similar low- energy approach using an enthalpy wheel for humidity exchange would prove effective.

It may seem that there is a wide gap between the Passivhaus approach and the requirements of current Australian Building Code. However, although there is no mandatory air-leakage rate testing of buildings in Australia, this standard has recently been recognised as a technical innovation under the Green Star Rating system[7]. The requirement to pay attention to air-tightness details is already written into the Building Code (though with no means of verifying the application). It does not take a big stretch of the imagination to see that a continued push towards higher performance air-tight envelope design, or a mandatory air-tightness standard is likely in the near future, just as it has been applied elsewhere around the world.

CONCLUSIONSPassivhaus, and more generally, high-performance building envelopes, are a global trend within the construction industry. Outside of Europe, this growth is now occurring within large commercial markets such as the US and China, as well as here in Australia.

The Passivhaus concept has been successfully applied to a subtropical climate where the sensible cooling and dehumidification loads are high relative to the heating load, while still being able to maintain the overall level of performance. Heating and cooling load allowances have been maintained at 30kWh/m2/annum, despite these different climate conditions.

Planning and detailing of the thermal envelope was critical to the success of the project. In general, this project shows that air-tightness details around building envelope elements were successfully adapted to the local market by the local Design Institute. Furthermore site operatives who were inexperienced

in implementing air-tightness detailing were able to successfully do so with on-site training. However, the most difficult area to achieve air-tightness proved to be around services penetrations, and this is a critical area where the HVAC engineer and architect must collaborate in the design stage to ensure they are well coordinated and well-sealed. This is ideally followed up with an on-site representative working with the contractor team to ensure that these penetration details are implemented correctly.

In Australia, Passivhaus can be successfully applied to southern temperate climates – those most similar to Central Europe – and could also be applied to more northerly sub-tropical climates, as this case study illustrates. The building envelope thermal performance requirements for meeting Passivhaus are generally less onerous than those for Central Europe or the Changxing Case Study due to the more favourable climate. This suggests that that the standard can be more affordable in Australia relative to other climate zones, but with the same significant energy savings and high comfort levels.

The Passivhaus process is an excellent model from which much can be learned on how to design and construct high-comfort buildings that deliver deep energy savings. The design process includes a modelling package that has been successfully verified against numerous completed and monitored projects to a high degree of accuracy. In addition, the design process focuses on ensuring high performance in the building envelope through analysis of building details to eliminate problems related to thermal bridges or moisture. Furthermore, the construction process ensures a high performance building envelope through pressure testing to ensure a very low air-leakage rate.

In the future, improved thermal envelope specification and wider application of air leakage testing is a trend in Australia likely to be driven by improvements in building or code or greater voluntary uptake of standards such as Green Star or the Passivhaus standard. For the HVAC designer this presents a number of opportunities:

• To deliver stable and uniform internal thermal conditions, providing optimum occupant comfort.

• Use of high-efficiency MVHR and enthalpy wheel technologies to provide a significant portion of the heating, cooling and de-humidification load, while ensuring fresh air delivery. This approach does not preclude the opportunity to naturally ventilate when seasonal conditions are appropriate.

• Reduction of plant sizes and mechanical equipment costs through significantly reduced heating and cooling loads as well as reduced oversizing due to better certainty of building fabric performance.

• To be able to offer the client significant energy savings, and to be able to design with a higher degree of certainty regarding energy-performance savings. ❚

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe author gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Y.Liu (Landsea Group) and C.Parry (Australian Passive House Association). Like to know more? Go to Professional Development

at www.airah.org.au or email [email protected]

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REFERENCES(a) Books and Handbooks:

[1] Feist, W et al ; Passive Houses for Different Climate Zones, Passivhaus Institut and University of Innsbruck, 2011

[2] Building Energy Codes; Air Leakage Guide, U.S. Department of Energy, 2011

[3] Ford, B., Schiano-Phan,R. and Zhongcheng, D.; The Passivhaus Standard in European Warm Climates: Design Guidelines for Comfortable Low Energy Homes, Passive-On Project, IEAA, 2007

(b) Papers:[4] Parry,C ; Passivhaus in Australia, Environment Design

Guide 79, Australian Institute of Architects, 2014(c) Project documentation:

[5] Feist, W et al ; Dynamic Simulation of the Thermal Behaviour of a Building in Warm, Humid Weather Regions – Documentation as Part of the “Bruck” Construction Project in Changxing, Tuying, 2011

[6] Schenke, D; Final Report for Landsea Changxing Bruck Passive House; Drees&Sommer, 2014

(d) Website References:[7] GBCA, Green Star Innovation Challenge, viewed 27

June 2015, <http://www.gbca.org.au/uploads/78/34894/Buliding_Air_Tightness_FINAL_JUNE2014.pdf>

[8] International Passive House Association, Passive House Legislation, viewed 27 June 2015,

<http://www.passivehouse-international.org/index.php?page_id=176>

[9] Passipedia.org, Energy Use- Measurement Results, viewed 27 June 2015, <http://www.passipedia.org/operation/operation_and_experience/measurement_results/energy_use_measurement_results>

ABOUT THE AUTHOR DavidRitter,M.AIRAH,isassociatedirectoratAtelierTen,Melbourne.Hiscareerincutting-edgegreenbuildingdesignhasspannedthepast15years.Hebeganhistrainingasanarchitect,thenwentontoworkforsomeoftheUK’sleadingenvironmentalengineeringpractices,includingAtelierTenandBuildingDesignPartnership.Hisworksincludeaward-winningeducationalandcommercialbuildingdesign,thePalacesofWestminsterrefurbishment,andlargesustainableinfrastructureandmasterplanningprojects.BeforecomingtoAustraliaRitterwassustainabilitydirectorforLandseaGroupinShanghai,China’sleadinggreenrealestatecompany,wherehewasinvolvedinthegrowthanddevelopmentofthePassivhausStandard.

[email protected]

Like to know more? Go to Professional Developmentat www.airah.org.au or email [email protected]