| Nowadays climate change captures the attention of all institutions and governments around the world. The big challenge is to reduce CO2 emissions which derive from the buildings. In this context, the construction sector plays a significant role. In fact, a correct design process that takes into account sustainability and environmental issues can affect the entire building by reducing the costs concerning energy demand and by providing a prolonged life for the building itself. Incorporating the developments and the society challenges has always been the natural attitude of architects into the design process. One of the biggest challenges nowadays is how architecture contributes towards the protection of our natural environment. Therefore, the Passive House technology provides effective sustainable solutions to these problems as well as new challenges for architects and designers to find new solutions that can satisfy both technical and aesthetic needs. In fact, a good architectural design includes functional characteristics, well-being and artistic values; it is able to represent the needs of functional, ecological and economical requirements in an artistic way. Passive techniques can achieve up to 80% energy demand reduction in comparison to conventional house building techniques and constitute one of the main alternatives in achieving low-carbon emissions. Passive houses are considered as almost completely energy self-efficient. Furthermore, the introduction of active systems is necessary to meet energy requirements. Their implementation should be effected at an early stage in the design process in order to achieve their best possible integration into our building. In fact, a master plan of the entire project should be created in collaboration with other specialists, such as mechanical and civil engineers as well as specialists in renewable energy systems. Due to limited available time to carry on this project, passive building techniques prove to be a secure way to achieve low-carbon emissions, especially if renewable energy systems are also used. However, for more elaborate studies, it would be possible to extend the research at a higher lever, by developing the passive techniques with more details and by verifying them through the use of a software such as PHPP (Passive House Planned Package). The PHPP software calculates:
- Provide carbon savings
- U-values of thermal insulation components
- Energy balance
- Ventilation rate to obtain good internal comfort
- Heat load (however there are still no climate data for other locations apart from Germany)
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