Towards sustainable housing: ABS industrialized passive buildings = Hacia la vivienda sostenible: los edificios industrializados pasivos ABS

Promoting innovation in the construction sector is one of the cornerstones of sustainability, since it is one of the main responsible for GHG emissions. This paper provides a proposal for sustainable housing: the industrialized passive home of American Building System Company (ABS) and its suitability to be incorporated into the construction system. Following the comparative analysis of the energy demands of this model versus an equivalent house which follows the regulations of the CTE. These data will be simulated by the SG SAVE software that perform the energy simulation of the both systems, based on the transmittance values of enclosures and glass and the final tightness of the homes. From these results about the savings in energy consumption, an economic analysis has been carried out and an assessment of the amortization period of the proposed house facing the other. In addition, through the calculation coefficients of equivalent CO₂ emissions from the Spanish Ministry of Industry, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy consumption during the use stage has been obtained. Finally, for a standardize comfort conditions, the modelling and the assessment allow us to conclude that the deployment of ABS house in comparison with the conventional Spanish system supposes a reduction of 60% in energy demand, a 90% in CO₂ emissions, and an amortization period of 12 years. With all these evidences we should start to think why this system has not been already integrated in the Spanish construction sector.