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Passivhaus standard as a social housing model in the UK: Barriers and opportunities

Zhao, Jing

Authors

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Dr. Jill Zhao Jill.Zhao@uwe.ac.uk
Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Construction Technology



Contributors

Walter Leal Filho
Editor

Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis
Editor

Sara Moggi
Editor

Elizabeth Price
Editor

Alex Hope
Editor

Abstract

The reliance on fossil fuels and the high amount of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions remain to be the most critical barriers for the European region to achieve its net-zero targets. Energy used in the household sector contributes to more than a quarter of the total energy consumption. High energy demand and poor housing quality also lead to other issues such as fuel poverty and residents’ ill health, preventing the UK from reaching key objectives set in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The social housing sector, in particular, is in urgent need of an upgrade in both the quantity and quality of new build and existing homes that could also deliver a significant carbon reduction in energy use. The Passivhaus standard provides a potential solution to the above issues, offering design strategies that benefit the health and wellbeing of end-users, reduce fuel poverty, and minimise energy consumption. Yet the social, technical and economic barriers to more widely implementing this low-energy building methodology are still under-explored. This chapter reviews previous research and practice of Passivhaus projects in the UK and explores Passivhaus methodology from the perspectives of social housing providers, the design and construction team, and the end-users behaviour and experience. By doing so, it identifies the barriers and opportunities and summarises guidelines and mitigating strategies in key procurement, design, construction and operational stages of implementing Passivhaus as social housing model, in accordance with the RIBA Plan of Work 2020.

Citation

Zhao, J. (2023). Passivhaus standard as a social housing model in the UK: Barriers and opportunities. In W. Leal Filho, M. Alzira Pimenta Dinis, S. Moggi, E. Price, & A. Hope (Eds.), SDGs in the European Region. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91261-1_87-1

Acceptance Date Sep 1, 2022
Online Publication Date Apr 12, 2023
Publication Date Apr 12, 2023
Deposit Date Mar 20, 2023
Publicly Available Date Apr 13, 2025
Publisher Springer
Series Title Implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals – Regional Perspectives (IUNSDGRP)
Series ISSN 2731-5576; 2731-5584
Edition 1st
Book Title SDGs in the European Region
Chapter Number 22
ISBN 978-3-030-91261-1
DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91261-1_87-1
Keywords Passivhaus; SDG's; Sustainable Development Goals; Sustainability; Sustainable Development; Consumption; Research; Innovation; Capacity-building; Production Patterns; Lifestyle; Environment Impact; Behaviour; Natural resources and energy economics; Green D
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10536396
Publisher URL https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-030-91261-1_87-1
Related Public URLs https://www.springer.com/series/16878