Notes

• The term passive house (Passivhaus in German) refers to the rigorous, voluntary, standard for energy efficiency in buildings.
• It results in ultra-low energy buildings that require little energy for space heating or cooling. PassivHaus dwellings typically achieve an energy saving of 90% compared to existing housing.
• The standard is not confined only to residential properties; several office buildings, schools, kindergartens and a supermarket have also been constructed to the standard. Passive design is not the attachment or supplement of architectural design, but an integrated design process with the architectural design.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_house