Homebuilder Cairn said today it has secured international certification for its growing pipeline of passive homes, marking a significant step in scaling a new generation of energy-efficient housing in Ireland.
Passive homes are designed to cut energy demand by up to 50%, lower household energy bills and maintain consistent comfort levels, while reducing carbon emissions and improving indoor air quality.
While traditionally a home is designed to be heated for eight hours per day, passive homes are designed to maintain a constant temperature of 20 degrees, 24 hours a day, and provide a constant supply of filtered, fresh air.
Many passive homes never need to turn on heating, effectively insulating them from extreme energy price shocks and reducing their financial burdens.
Cairn said that passive homes already account for one-third of units being built by the company.
Its Dublin based developments at Pipers Square in Charlestown, Whitehaven in Santry and Cooper Square in Seven Mills have all sought certification from the Passivhaus Institute.
Across Cairn's passive developments, delivery is already well advanced, with 229 homes completed at Cooper Square (of 607 units), 395 at Pipers Square (of 590 units), and all 255 homes at Whitehaven now finished and handed over.
One of these developments, Pipers Square in Charlestown, built in partnership with Approved Housing Body Respond, and Fingal County Council, is set to become one of the largest passive house housing schemes in Europe.
Certification by the Passivhaus Institute, founded by Professor Wolfgang Feist, gives independent, international validation of the performance and significance of these homes.
Cair said it will be a new benchmark for energy performance, with Passive House providing a more rigorous and future-aligned standard than BER.
Madeleina Loughrey Grant, Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer, Cairn said the company decided to take the passive house approach because it believes in building homes that perform for residents over time.
"For us, sustainability is about building high quality homes and communities that perform for residents, for the environment, and for the long term," she said.
"These homes use significantly less energy, support consistent comfort for occupiers and offer reduced household utility bills, particularly important in times of cost fluctuation," she stated.
"As leaders in our industry, we have a responsibility to keep improving the homes we deliver, and to apply higher standards in a way that is practical, proven and scalable," she added.
Professor Wolfgang Feist, Passivhaus Institute, said the Passive House standard offers a proven approach to achieving very low energy demand while ensuring excellent indoor comfort.
"It is particularly important in the current climate, given the increases in energy prices we are seeing across Europe and the world," he added.
