Exeter firm fits windows in national award shortlisted Devon Passivhaus

A Passivhaus project in which Exeter-based Aspect Windows installed the windows and doors has been shortlisted for a national award.

Totnes Passivhaus B & B, in Dartington, about a mile from Totnes in Devon, has been shortlisted, along with two others, in the private housing category of the UK Passivhaus Awards 2013, which celebrates the design and performance of Passivhaus in the UK. The winners will be announced at a Passivhaus Trust ceremony in London on July 4th.

Aspect Windows worked closely with the designer and builder and supplied and installed the property’s triple glazed Internorm windows and doors to achieve the Passivhaus standard.

The UK Passivhaus Awards, now in its second year, aims to highlight the achievements of the Passivhaus pioneers and show that Passivhaus can apply to any building type to create beautiful buildings.

Aspect Windows is leading the way in energy-efficiency in Devon and the South West and as part of this new generation, Director of sales and special projects, Andrew Seller, has undertaken training to become a Passivhaus design consultant.

To achieve the Passivhaus standard, a home in the UK typically needs to have a range of energy-saving measures. For starters it's essential to have very high levels of insulation. That means triple-glazed windows with insulated frames. It also means having airtight building fabric.

The construction must be free of "thermal bridges" – gaps or joints in the building which allow heat to escape. It must also have a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, which uses air leaving the building to heat air entering the building.

To achieve Passivhaus certification, a home must be planned using a special planning package, designed by a Passivhaus-certified designer, and certified by an accredited organisation. Even without that, though, you can also use the principles of Passivhaus to achieve significant energy savings without necessarily achieving formal Passivhaus certification.

Managing director Steve Cooling said: “We are really proud to have been involved with this Passivhaus project and the award shortlist is the icing on the cake.

“Here at Aspect Windows we have been working hard to move into the next generation of energy-efficient window and doors. Our staff are trained in using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) and Therm-modelling to prove performance and allow the company to focus on customers’ budgets.”

To find out more about Passivhaus and Aspect Windows, go online at www.aspect-windows.com