Efficiency Promotes Social Justice

26th International Passive House Conference shows benefit of better buildings

Darmstadt/Wiesbaden, Germany. Highly energy-efficient buildings are indispensable for climate protection. The 26th International Passive House Conference demonstrated that a high energy efficiency is also necessary for other reasons: social justice, good air quality for example in schools and health care buildings, and protecting the power grid against overloading are other good reasons to build and retrofit buildings in a better way.

"So much of the Passive House is about health and well-being," said Kate de Selincourt from Great Britain. Especially low-income families and elderly people are often unable to heat their homes properly. Their health is suffering enormously. She told the audience about the gratitude of residents when they move into an energy-efficient building that meets the Passive House standard. "The heat stays in the house for a long time, and the demand for heating energy is generally low. The whole lives of these people are changed," de Selincourt said.