The term
passive house (
Passivhaus in German) refers to a rigorous, voluntary standard for
energy efficiency in a
building, reducing its
ecological footprint. It results in
ultra-low energy buildings that require little energy for space heating or cooling. A similar standard,
MINERGIE-P, is used in
Switzerland. The standard is not confined to residential properties; several
office buildings,
schools,
kindergartens and a
supermarket have also been constructed to the standard. Passive design is not an attachment or supplement to architectural design, but a design process that is integrated with architectural design. Although it is mostly applied to new buildings, it has also been used for refurbishments.