Applying the Passive House Standard to Office Buildings—How Much Glass Is Admissible?

Enjoying a pleasant interior temperature in both summer and winter without the necessity for additional heating or cooling—a level of comfort already offered by private homes built with an eye to energy efficiency. What has become known as the passive house standard is now increasingly demanded in tenders and competitions revolving around office buildings. Below, Dr Friedrich Sick, professor at the HTW Berlin, and Stefan Schade, a graduate in Environmental Engineering/Renewable Energies who explored this particular field in his thesis [1], examine the conditions necessary for the implementation of this standard.