Implementation of passive house requirements in MUNICIPAL REGULATION for buildings
Passive house strategies and standard are a clear set of quantitative requirements, which can lead design and construction activities to reach actual nearly zero energy buildings, proved by a complete quality control procedure and on-field tests. Many monitoring campaigns of energy and comfort performances of certified passive house all over the world demonstrate quantitatively the high performances and the very low energy demand, which passive houses really reach as estimated in the design phase. This made passive house requirements a very useful and important opportunity to be requested in local policy decision acts, local energy plans and building codes.
Passive house requirements are clear, completed, quantitative and measurable, from technical point of view they can easily insert in local regulation documents, directly as they are or with intermediate steps.
A comprehensive document summarizing technical information on Passive Houses, suitable for direct implementation in local building regulation (as “Regolamento edilizio”, regional guidelines, etc.) has been developed and it's available here: Requirements_in_municipal_building_CODE_eERG_v1
In addition, we can signal that some municipalities in Italy already implemented these, adopting the passive house targets in the local building codes (Regolamento Edilizio) as quantitative requirements needed to reach financial supports and construction taxes incentives. For example is the case of Municipality of Muzzano (Biella) and Municipality of Botticino (Brescia).
In Muzzano, Certified Passive Houses are eligible for a 60% reduction in construction permitting fees (primary and secondary planning fees as well as a construction cost based fee).
Look here for the regulatory document (in Italian).
In Botticino, Certified Passive Houses enjoy reduction up to 55% on primary and secondary planning fees. These represents first actual examples where the Passivhaus requirements and complete certification scheme have been implemented in the local buildings codes.
Look here for the regulatory document (in Italian).