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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Britain should adopt the Passivhaus standard to cut energy costs in new homes | Britain should adopt the Passivhaus standard to cut energy costs in new homes |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Adrian Birch praises the German building standard, saying it can do away with the need for solar panels and heat pumps | Adrian Birch praises the German building standard, saying it can do away with the need for solar panels and heat pumps |
| Regarding your article (Poor building standards add £1,000 to energy bills of new homes, analysis finds, 16 May), the solution is very simple: the government should adopt the Passivhaus standard that has been established in Germany for over 25 years. | Regarding your article (Poor building standards add £1,000 to energy bills of new homes, analysis finds, 16 May), the solution is very simple: the government should adopt the Passivhaus standard that has been established in Germany for over 25 years. |
| Its use there results in buildings with little or no heating requirements as the buildings are super-insulated and extremely airtight, and have mechanical ventilation and heat reclaim systems to distribute filtered air throughout the property. | Its use there results in buildings with little or no heating requirements as the buildings are super-insulated and extremely airtight, and have mechanical ventilation and heat reclaim systems to distribute filtered air throughout the property. |
| This can obviate the need for solar panels and heat pumps, which have a lifespan of around 25 years. However, housebuilders in the UK do not yet have the desire to build houses this way as it requires site staff be motivated to build in a way that prevents air leakage and to care about build quality, something that is sorely lacking here. | This can obviate the need for solar panels and heat pumps, which have a lifespan of around 25 years. However, housebuilders in the UK do not yet have the desire to build houses this way as it requires site staff be motivated to build in a way that prevents air leakage and to care about build quality, something that is sorely lacking here. |
| The higher build cost for the fabric would be offset by the absence or reduction in the cost of heating installation. We have yet to see how the future homes standard will compare, but I for one am not holding my breath.Adrian BirchBrockweir, Gloucestershire | |
| Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section. | Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section. |