What Are Passive House Windows?

If you head to your local hardware or home improvement store and ask for the best "passive house windows," the chances are that the store employees will most likely not be able to assist you. In reality, there is no such thing as a passive house window type. Instead, passive house windows are built to a specific energy efficiency performance standard. The Passive House Standard is a performance-based standard. It is widely considered to be the world's leading standard in energy-efficient home construction.

According to the International Passive House Association website, the standard is designed to ensure homes that offer maximum quality, comfort, and energy efficiency. The end goal is for the structure to require a minimum amount of energy to achieve a comfortable, year-round temperature, making obsolete conventional heating and air conditioning systems.

What Are The Best Brands of Passive House Windows?

There are dozens of different companies and brands selling high-efficiency windows incorporating the Passive House Standard's characteristics. We recommend the following brands:

Neuffer Windows

This German company specializes in making passive house windows. They have several different frame types, including aluminum-clad wood, aluminum-clad vinyl, and pure vinyl frames. The company's Eco Idealu window combines wood and aluminum and adds a layer of insulating foam. The triple glazing and warm edge spacers allow the Eco Idealu to achieve impressive passive house U-values of 0.14. They can do this thanks to their unique polyurethane insulating wedge, ensuring the aluminum does not contact the wood.

Alpen Windows

Alpen High Performance Products: This company is one of the few manufacturers offering "quad-pain" window glazing to achieve an R-value of 10. This rating is three times that of the required ENERGY STAR standard. The four panes of glass also block out 99.5 percent of UV rays, almost eliminate issues with condensation, and contribute to LEED points by improving the home's overall efficiency.

Marvin Windows

Marvin Windows also offers several high-performance windows that meet the Passive House Standards. The frames for their windows are made from Ultrex®, which is exceptionally resistant to the elements, essentially eliminating the threat of air leaks around the frame.

What Are The Benefits and Drawbacks of Passive House Windows?

Windows constructed to the rigorous and exacting Passive House Standard will incorporate a highly thermally insulating glazing, a highly thermally insulating frame, and a thermally optimized edge compound. When professionally installed, these window options will allow homeowners to enjoy all of the benefits of natural illumination, passive solar heating, and biophilic architectural design without compromising energy efficiency and thermal performance.

On the downside, passive house windows will represent a significantly higher upfront investment. For example, you can expect triple-pane windows to cost between 10 and 15 percent more than double-pane options. When combined with an airtight building envelope, high-efficiency insulation, and other aspects of the Passive House Standard, homeowners can expect a significant decrease in energy costs. These savings will result in quicker payback periods.