Amid all the talk of housing shortages and sustainable development, a little bit of history is being made in the historic town of Enniscorthy. For the benefit of more distant observers, this is one of Ireland's geological sweet-spots where a rejuvenated River Slaney weaves its way around the iconic Vinegar Hill in the heart of County Wexford. Affectionately known as the model county because of its pioneering role in agriculture and engineering, this far corner of the sunny south-east is now leading the way in tackling one of the most vexing social challenges of our times.
The same could be said about the arrival of passive houses in Ireland. Early proponents of these ultra-efficient buildings will have had to overcome significant hurdles on our green shores before finally winning hearts and minds. As an initial sceptic myself, with a soft spot for open-hearth fireplaces and sash windows, I couldn't help noticing that this new era in the evolution of the Irish home has interesting parallels with the Shannon initiative all those years ago.
I was always struck by the use of the word "passive" to describe this expanding niche in our recovering housing market. Its roots in the Passivhaus Institut of Germany may have been lost in translation — if not in the literal sense then in the mildly negative vibe it gives off in the English-speaking world. This was certainly not the brainchild of a marketing guru which is no bad thing in an industry with lingering memories of marketing hype, reckless lending, frenetic building activity, energy inefficient designs, property bubbles and financial chaos. So, unless you've been living on another planet for the past ten years, you'll be glad to know that this uninspiring technical term was coined in a country renowned for its work ethic, quality living accommodation and sensible spending habits. It means that your home has been certified to a rigorous international standard which has become a byword for energy efficiency, healthy living, comfort, clean air, safety, sound-proofing, ease-of-maintenance, durability and value retention. Of course, none of this would matter if it didn't leave plenty of scope for bespoke designs and creative flourishes — not to mention a few old-fashioned creature comforts for dinosaurs like myself.
For all of its detail, the government action plan is notably reticent about tackling the main cause of the current housing crisis. With the economy picking up nicely, our banking system still bears the scars of a bailout which bankrupted the country only a few short years ago. This is actively discriminating against first-time buyers who have always been key to kick-starting new developments while freeing up existing accommodation and stabilising rent inflation. As things stand, average earners haven't a hope of getting on the property ladder notwithstanding their ability to endure extortionate rents. This blight on our economic recovery harks back to the 1980's when only married couples with secure public service jobs could entertain notions of a mortgage. With our two main banks still performing poorly in EBA stress tests, they are clearly in the risk-averse business of milking captive customers in a recovering economy where wholesale interest rates are at an all-time low. It is no secret that our banking duopoly is still exerting an inordinate hold on a government mesmerised by the fear of another financial crisis — and this is not helped by looming uncertainties over Brexit which is an even greater incentive to make hay while the sun shines. This is epitomised by the tracker mortgage scandal which is being dealt with at a snail's pace by the Central Bank with the tacit acceptance of a government whose bark is necessarily bigger than its bite. But it is also instructive that the current housing shortage suits the main banks since it drives up prices and rents on properties purchased at the height of the boom which are the biggest drag on their mortgage portfolios.
To break this stranglehold, we need to move beyond the superficial "help-to-buy" proposals in the government's action plan to a more sustainable home financing model for couples and young families who have impeccable rent credentials but are unable to obtain a conventional mortgage. With enough safeguards to preempt property bubbles and economic shocks, this alternative route to home ownership could be linked to life insurance, health insurance, social insurance, property tax, pensions, retirement planning and inheritance tax. In the interests of healthy competition, it could be channelled through retail banking outlets with a well-established social remit but with no skin in the current mortgage game; e.g. post offices, credit unions or a new breed of cooperative building societies.
Whatever the ways and means, personal mortgages clearly need to be re-purposed for a new era with less job security, increased mobility, longer working lives and marginal interest rates. Key to all of this is more flexible financing with much longer terms (up to fifty years) which immediately casts the spotlight on home construction techniques. Here we need to up the ante in terms of future-proof designs, low cost-of-ownership, durability and value retention — and, under all of these headings, the certified passive house is a shining beacon to the rest of the industry. It goes without saying that the government needs to use every legitimate means at its disposal to keep down the cost of development land; otherwise the construction efficiencies achieved to date will have been for nought.
Long before mainstream development was commercially viable in Ireland, a tiny cohort of architects, builders, suppliers and manufacturers were dipping their toes in passive houses and setting out their stalls. If nothing else, it gave them plenty of time to move up the learning curve which would later prove surprisingly steep for others to climb. The strict requirements imposed by the passive house standard came as a culture shock to those unfortunate tradesmen who got roped into early projects and clocked up many more hours than they had originally budgeted. But they benefited from this hard education which put them in pole position when the housing market eventually recovered. Electricians and plumbers also had their baptisms of fire since even the most innocuous violation of the building envelope could render an otherwise perfect house unfit for certification — and the latest advances in test equipment ensured that there were no hiding places.
Passive houses were not for the fainthearted in those heady days, but the benefits were becoming increasingly obvious to those who went about it the right way and were able to absorb the initial price premium. However, potential buyers were still having a hard time getting their heads around this idea of continuous ventilation with near-zero energy loss. Waxing lyrical about building envelopes, fresh air circulation and heat recovery is all well and good, but these homes had to be experienced to be believed — and preferably in quiet, unhurried conditions at the height of a nasty cold spell.
My first encounter with a certified passive house in Ireland was a decidedly upmarket development completed in 2011 when the industry was still mired in recession. I emphasise the word "certified" because I had prior experience — both at home and abroad — of houses that were "passive" in name only and would certainly not have come through the rigorous certification process — and for very good reasons. This particular house caught my eye because a slow wood-burning inset stove had been incorporated into the living room to give it a traditional focal point. This is one of those features that require careful thought and experimentation in a closed system and can prove disastrous when not designed in correctly. Other aspects which merited closer scrutiny for the same reason were bathroom ventilation and kitchen fume extraction. In traditional buildings, these are little more than afterthoughts; however, in a passive house, they require careful planning and — depending on your lifestyle — it may be worth increasing the initial spend to achieve a more robust solution. I was also concerned about residual noise from the Heat Recovery and Ventilation (HRV) system having had the unfortunate experience of renting an apartment where this was unbearable. Since outdoor sounds are muted by triple-glazed windows, this increases our sensitivity to background hum from indoor appliances such as computers, refrigerators and ventilators. This house achieved an almost eerie quiet thanks to a well-insulated HRV unit installed in the sectioned-off utility room. For good measure, noise attenuators were fitted to the passive-grade ducting to maintain this blissful silence throughout the house. Combined with high quality air filters and well-regulated temperature and humidity, this gave the house that remarkable blend of serenity and vitality we have come to associate with the passive concept. It is no exaggeration to say that this can be a boon for both physical and mental health since our living space is the ultimate sanctuary in a noisy and chaotic world. It also helps to preserve the house itself — and its contents — by eliminating the primary causes of dust accumulation, expansion cracks, mould and infestation.
None of this would have been possible without a fully-integrated software-based climate controller. In this country we are used to dealing with a hotchpotch of regulators and timers for controlling heating, hot water, air-conditioning, humidity and energy-usage. These independent systems are invariably working at cross purposes with all-too-predictable results in terms of over-complication, energy wastage, health issues and discomfort. All of the HRV components used in this build were sourced from the Irish affiliate of a Danish manufacturer with an excellent reputation in the passive community. As a seasoned embedded systems developer myself, I am fond of pointing out that it takes a lot of thought and effort these days to keep things simple. This is best illustrated by those all-singing, all-dancing appliances which never seem to get the basics right and are prone to software bugs and hacking via the Internet. In sharp contrast, this controller got full marks for its discrete operation, reliability and ease-of-use — which is totally in keeping with the passive house philosophy.
The only routine maintenance task in a passive house is filter replacement which can vary from quarterly to yearly cycles depending on building design, lifestyle and local air quality. The main sources of external pollutants are industrial activity, road traffic and residential chimneys, especially in the winter months. The sight of an expired filter is a sobering reminder of the poor air quality in traditional homes which is often forgotten in the rush to denigrate their carbon footprint. While the need for sustainable development has seeped into the public consciousness, it is still a vague notion for most of us. The real drivers of public interest in passive houses are low energy bills, comfort and fresh air. But it is still nice to know that you are in good company as far as the health of our planet is concerned.
Of course, it took a global crisis and the abandonment of laissez-faire policies by our newly-elected government to create the industry-wide impetus for sustainable development that was lacking at the height of the boom. Architects, builders, suppliers, manufacturers and tradesmen had no choice but to raise their game in a regulatory environment that continued to raise the bar for building energy ratings. While these changes were flagged well in advance, it was a harrowing time for seasoned veterans of the construction industry many of whom were forced to take a back seat or call it a day. But this shock therapy allowed the cream to rise to the top which propelled us into a new era as import overheads dwindled and local economies of scale began to kick in. And now, with the EU setting a deadline for near-zero energy by 2020, it makes perfect economic sense for home buyers to go the whole hog by insisting on the passive specification.
Which brings me back to the recently announced pilot social housing scheme in Enniscorthy. This happens to be part of the same residential development featured on RTE's popular Eco Eye series last February (see video below). As can be gleaned from this landmark episode, a number of companies and individuals were instrumental in reaching this national milestone. At the same time, it is hard to imagine how these uncompromising standards could have been achieved within such an ambitious time frame without the drive and energy of the man I alluded to earlier. Five years ago, his pioneering passive house development in Rosslare won the Isover Energy Efficiency Award. Only last year, his team completed the Blackrock home of Pat Cox, the former president of the European Parliament, who has become an outspoken advocate of the passive concept. But I doubt if any of these accomplishments gave Michael Bennett more satisfaction than bringing the passive house to the wider public, not least in his native county where house prices are amongst the most competitive in the country. It may be good for business in the long run; but this is patriotism writ large from a man who, in spite of his punishing work schedule, still finds the time to quietly help many worthwhile causes.
One major take-away from that watershed Eco Eye episode was the assertion by one of the residents that her new home had been a boon for her physical health. The intrepid presenter, Duncan Stewart, gently challenged her on this, as he is apt to do when presented with such claims. The lady's firmness on the issue spoke to a truth that is well-known within the passive house community. It is especially relevant to the elderly and more vulnerable who are prone to respiratory illnesses during the influenza season. It is well-established that the pressure on hospitals during the winter months is hugely influenced by home-heating, low humidity and poor ventilation which reduces our natural mucosal defences to seasonal viruses. Apart altogether from the suffering and tragic passings that could be avoided by the widespread adoption of passive houses, the cost-benefits are obvious when one considers the enormous healthcare bill that accrues, not least to the taxpayer in these austere times.
There is another interesting little cameo from the same Eco Eye episode when the presenter gets around to the question that is on all of our minds — and the stunning price tag leaves us in no doubt that the passive house is here to stay.
Hailing from a different part of the country — and a different branch of engineering — I can offer an outside perspective on this long-smouldering spark of ingenuity which is only slightly coloured by my long association with the main protagonist. He is the embodiment of that unpretentious "can do" attitude which has served his native county well through bad times and good. Never was this more apparent than in the aftermath of the global financial crisis which hit Ireland harder than most, not least in the construction industry where this inspirational story begins.
It is often said that necessity is the mother of invention and our history books are littered with first-hand accounts of mind-boggling innovations inspired during times of crisis. The standard bearer in Ireland also happens to be our first major "green" initiative — although it attracted much more "colourful" language before it finally proved its worth. The Shannon Hydroelectric Scheme got off the ground in 1925 when our fledgling state was convulsed by internecine strife and penury. Hydroelectric activity had been sporadic prior to that — our earliest small-scale generator was commissioned in 1891 at Milford on the River Barrow which put my hometown of Carlow on the electrification map. However, the River Shannon was in a league of its own having defied previous attempts by our departed colonial masters to tap its massive potential. Drawing on the latest German technology and applying it to our own unique circumstances, the Irish electrical engineer Thomas McLauglin spearheaded a new initiative with the enthusiastic backing of the Minister for Industry and Commerce Patrick McGilligan. This hugely successful undertaking served as a model — there's that word again — for large-scale hydroelectric projects around the globe and it was only surpassed by the Boulder Dam (renamed the Hoover Dam) in 1936. But what is not widely appreciated in these energy-conscious times is the intense opposition that greeted this bold vision for a better future when it was needed the most. As our history books will also bear out, this is a rite of passage for any worthwhile innovation which only seems obvious with the benefit of hindsight.
It is often said that necessity is the mother of invention and our history books are littered with first-hand accounts of mind-boggling innovations inspired during times of crisis. The standard bearer in Ireland also happens to be our first major "green" initiative — although it attracted much more "colourful" language before it finally proved its worth. The Shannon Hydroelectric Scheme got off the ground in 1925 when our fledgling state was convulsed by internecine strife and penury. Hydroelectric activity had been sporadic prior to that — our earliest small-scale generator was commissioned in 1891 at Milford on the River Barrow which put my hometown of Carlow on the electrification map. However, the River Shannon was in a league of its own having defied previous attempts by our departed colonial masters to tap its massive potential. Drawing on the latest German technology and applying it to our own unique circumstances, the Irish electrical engineer Thomas McLauglin spearheaded a new initiative with the enthusiastic backing of the Minister for Industry and Commerce Patrick McGilligan. This hugely successful undertaking served as a model — there's that word again — for large-scale hydroelectric projects around the globe and it was only surpassed by the Boulder Dam (renamed the Hoover Dam) in 1936. But what is not widely appreciated in these energy-conscious times is the intense opposition that greeted this bold vision for a better future when it was needed the most. As our history books will also bear out, this is a rite of passage for any worthwhile innovation which only seems obvious with the benefit of hindsight.
But the real story here is not passive houses per se, but the monumental efforts by a small group of Irish visionaries to put this exceptionally high standard of construction within reach of the average home buyer. They have been so successful in meeting this singular objective that passive houses are now making a compelling case for social housing — so compelling in fact that Wexford County Council has secured government funding for a pilot development of eight residential units in Enniscorthy. This is a first in the Republic of Ireland and similar projects are underway north of the border and in the UK.
These developments will be watched closely by other local authorities and, most especially, by approved housing bodies (AHBs) which have a critical role in the government's recently published Action Plan for Housing. Energy efficiency, build quality and ease-of-maintenance are key elements of this plan which is perfectly aligned with the passive house template. The economic case is also obvious when you factor in the dramatic cost savings to both tenant and provider over the lifetime of the building.
For all of its detail, the government action plan is notably reticent about tackling the main cause of the current housing crisis. With the economy picking up nicely, our banking system still bears the scars of a bailout which bankrupted the country only a few short years ago. This is actively discriminating against first-time buyers who have always been key to kick-starting new developments while freeing up existing accommodation and stabilising rent inflation. As things stand, average earners haven't a hope of getting on the property ladder notwithstanding their ability to endure extortionate rents. This blight on our economic recovery harks back to the 1980's when only married couples with secure public service jobs could entertain notions of a mortgage. With our two main banks still performing poorly in EBA stress tests, they are clearly in the risk-averse business of milking captive customers in a recovering economy where wholesale interest rates are at an all-time low. It is no secret that our banking duopoly is still exerting an inordinate hold on a government mesmerised by the fear of another financial crisis — and this is not helped by looming uncertainties over Brexit which is an even greater incentive to make hay while the sun shines. This is epitomised by the tracker mortgage scandal which is being dealt with at a snail's pace by the Central Bank with the tacit acceptance of a government whose bark is necessarily bigger than its bite. But it is also instructive that the current housing shortage suits the main banks since it drives up prices and rents on properties purchased at the height of the boom which are the biggest drag on their mortgage portfolios.
To break this stranglehold, we need to move beyond the superficial "help-to-buy" proposals in the government's action plan to a more sustainable home financing model for couples and young families who have impeccable rent credentials but are unable to obtain a conventional mortgage. With enough safeguards to preempt property bubbles and economic shocks, this alternative route to home ownership could be linked to life insurance, health insurance, social insurance, property tax, pensions, retirement planning and inheritance tax. In the interests of healthy competition, it could be channelled through retail banking outlets with a well-established social remit but with no skin in the current mortgage game; e.g. post offices, credit unions or a new breed of cooperative building societies.
Whatever the ways and means, personal mortgages clearly need to be re-purposed for a new era with less job security, increased mobility, longer working lives and marginal interest rates. Key to all of this is more flexible financing with much longer terms (up to fifty years) which immediately casts the spotlight on home construction techniques. Here we need to up the ante in terms of future-proof designs, low cost-of-ownership, durability and value retention — and, under all of these headings, the certified passive house is a shining beacon to the rest of the industry. It goes without saying that the government needs to use every legitimate means at its disposal to keep down the cost of development land; otherwise the construction efficiencies achieved to date will have been for nought.
A lot of water has passed under the bridge since "eco-friendly" houses were derided as wacky pet projects at the more affluent end of the market. In a country still wedded to traditional construction techniques, these dream homes were a logistical nightmare due to their heavy reliance on imported materials, equipment and construction skills. Few of these early developments would have seen the light of day were it not for the active participation of the eventual occupiers who carried out most of the preliminary research themselves, often influenced by their experience of living abroad. But these trailblazers did us a great service by ironing out teething problems and adapting these continental curiosities to our own peculiar needs. Of course, it wasn't always plain sailing and there were a few horror stories where the whole precept was undermined by over-elaboration, false economies or excessive tinkering.
Long before mainstream development was commercially viable in Ireland, a tiny cohort of architects, builders, suppliers and manufacturers were dipping their toes in passive houses and setting out their stalls. If nothing else, it gave them plenty of time to move up the learning curve which would later prove surprisingly steep for others to climb. The strict requirements imposed by the passive house standard came as a culture shock to those unfortunate tradesmen who got roped into early projects and clocked up many more hours than they had originally budgeted. But they benefited from this hard education which put them in pole position when the housing market eventually recovered. Electricians and plumbers also had their baptisms of fire since even the most innocuous violation of the building envelope could render an otherwise perfect house unfit for certification — and the latest advances in test equipment ensured that there were no hiding places.
Passive houses were not for the fainthearted in those heady days, but the benefits were becoming increasingly obvious to those who went about it the right way and were able to absorb the initial price premium. However, potential buyers were still having a hard time getting their heads around this idea of continuous ventilation with near-zero energy loss. Waxing lyrical about building envelopes, fresh air circulation and heat recovery is all well and good, but these homes had to be experienced to be believed — and preferably in quiet, unhurried conditions at the height of a nasty cold spell.
My first encounter with a certified passive house in Ireland was a decidedly upmarket development completed in 2011 when the industry was still mired in recession. I emphasise the word "certified" because I had prior experience — both at home and abroad — of houses that were "passive" in name only and would certainly not have come through the rigorous certification process — and for very good reasons. This particular house caught my eye because a slow wood-burning inset stove had been incorporated into the living room to give it a traditional focal point. This is one of those features that require careful thought and experimentation in a closed system and can prove disastrous when not designed in correctly. Other aspects which merited closer scrutiny for the same reason were bathroom ventilation and kitchen fume extraction. In traditional buildings, these are little more than afterthoughts; however, in a passive house, they require careful planning and — depending on your lifestyle — it may be worth increasing the initial spend to achieve a more robust solution. I was also concerned about residual noise from the Heat Recovery and Ventilation (HRV) system having had the unfortunate experience of renting an apartment where this was unbearable. Since outdoor sounds are muted by triple-glazed windows, this increases our sensitivity to background hum from indoor appliances such as computers, refrigerators and ventilators. This house achieved an almost eerie quiet thanks to a well-insulated HRV unit installed in the sectioned-off utility room. For good measure, noise attenuators were fitted to the passive-grade ducting to maintain this blissful silence throughout the house. Combined with high quality air filters and well-regulated temperature and humidity, this gave the house that remarkable blend of serenity and vitality we have come to associate with the passive concept. It is no exaggeration to say that this can be a boon for both physical and mental health since our living space is the ultimate sanctuary in a noisy and chaotic world. It also helps to preserve the house itself — and its contents — by eliminating the primary causes of dust accumulation, expansion cracks, mould and infestation.
The only routine maintenance task in a passive house is filter replacement which can vary from quarterly to yearly cycles depending on building design, lifestyle and local air quality. The main sources of external pollutants are industrial activity, road traffic and residential chimneys, especially in the winter months. The sight of an expired filter is a sobering reminder of the poor air quality in traditional homes which is often forgotten in the rush to denigrate their carbon footprint. While the need for sustainable development has seeped into the public consciousness, it is still a vague notion for most of us. The real drivers of public interest in passive houses are low energy bills, comfort and fresh air. But it is still nice to know that you are in good company as far as the health of our planet is concerned.
Of course, it took a global crisis and the abandonment of laissez-faire policies by our newly-elected government to create the industry-wide impetus for sustainable development that was lacking at the height of the boom. Architects, builders, suppliers, manufacturers and tradesmen had no choice but to raise their game in a regulatory environment that continued to raise the bar for building energy ratings. While these changes were flagged well in advance, it was a harrowing time for seasoned veterans of the construction industry many of whom were forced to take a back seat or call it a day. But this shock therapy allowed the cream to rise to the top which propelled us into a new era as import overheads dwindled and local economies of scale began to kick in. And now, with the EU setting a deadline for near-zero energy by 2020, it makes perfect economic sense for home buyers to go the whole hog by insisting on the passive specification.
Sadly, the success of passive houses has attracted some of the more unseemly aspects of disruptive change. In my own profession, we are accustomed to entrenched interests promulgating "fear, uncertainty and doubt" to delay or even scupper the adoption of new technologies. In the case of passive houses, this is compounded by unscrupulous builders jumping on the energy-efficiency bandwagon with only a superficial grasp of the underlying issues and very little in the way of hard experience. As with any profession, we cannot all achieve the Gold Standard; however, there is a lot of loose talk in the industry about getting "as close to passive as makes no difference". Builders who operate in this twilight zone will avoid the rigours of passive house certification like the plague; and they justify their stance with exaggerated claims about the "hassle and cost". This is always going to resonate with hard-pressed customers while painting a completely false picture of the certified build process as undertaken by legitimate passive house builders. Ironically enough, the wriggle room is to be found in the narrowly focused Building Energy Ratings (BER) which have caught the imagination of the public in more ways than we could ever have anticipated. But there is a lot more to energy efficiency than sealing up your house like an Egyptian Mummy so you can boast about your superlative BER to your friends. The real deal hinges on the more intricate aspects of the building envelope coupled with the highly specialised areas of ventilation and heat recovery. There is no better way of nailing these critical areas than by insisting on the passive standard — and there are many other benefits to boot. Without this "insurance policy", the temptation to cut corners is irresistible as a number of unsuspecting victims are finding to their cost. This is also a legal grey area since, in one key respect, they are getting exactly what they asked for. The telltale signs are old-style ventilation grilles retrofitted to external walls to prevent the formation of mould. Of course this undermines the whole precept while the prospect of keeping windows "slightly open" for health reasons only adds insult to injury. It is one thing to argue the toss about heating costs and comfort; however, air quality is a different matter. While the health risks posed by "energy-efficient" solutions pale in comparison to traditional oil, gas or solid-fuel heating, the passive house is more vulnerable to any muddying of the waters in this sector since clean air is one of its big selling points. Fortunately, unscrupulous activity has a short shelf-life in these consumer-friendly times; so it is only a matter of time before the current abuses of the BER system are stamped out and the full implications of passive house certification are widely understood. Word-of-mouth is key here and public awareness will undoubtedly increase as passive houses move beyond the restricted orbit of one-off builds into the wider galaxy of well-planned mainstream developments.
Which brings me back to the recently announced pilot social housing scheme in Enniscorthy. This happens to be part of the same residential development featured on RTE's popular Eco Eye series last February (see video below). As can be gleaned from this landmark episode, a number of companies and individuals were instrumental in reaching this national milestone. At the same time, it is hard to imagine how these uncompromising standards could have been achieved within such an ambitious time frame without the drive and energy of the man I alluded to earlier. Five years ago, his pioneering passive house development in Rosslare won the Isover Energy Efficiency Award. Only last year, his team completed the Blackrock home of Pat Cox, the former president of the European Parliament, who has become an outspoken advocate of the passive concept. But I doubt if any of these accomplishments gave Michael Bennett more satisfaction than bringing the passive house to the wider public, not least in his native county where house prices are amongst the most competitive in the country. It may be good for business in the long run; but this is patriotism writ large from a man who, in spite of his punishing work schedule, still finds the time to quietly help many worthwhile causes.
There is another interesting little cameo from the same Eco Eye episode when the presenter gets around to the question that is on all of our minds — and the stunning price tag leaves us in no doubt that the passive house is here to stay.