I’ve heard it said on many occassions. Once you experience what it is like to live in a house that is built to the Passive House standard you’ll want nothing less. This is exactly what prompted Marie Baker of Dun Laoighre Rathdown county council to propose a motion for the Passive House standard to be made mandatory for their 6 year development plan from 2016-2022. Councillor Baker was a member of a group of councillors taken on a visit (organised by the Passive House Association of Ireland) to a house built to the Passive House standard. She came away convinced that it was the right thing to do for her constituents and so started a 2 year odessesy to get the standard written into the development plan that affects 200,000 people ! It’s generated massive interest worldwide. All from a single trip to a house built to the Passive House standard.
Take away all the science, all the quality assurance, and the rigorous performance standards. Its about the experience, the experience that we feel as people and the stories that they tell. That is why I love the video post below. Its an interview with a young family who have been living in a Passive House in Ebbw Vale in the Welsh valleys. As far as they are concerned they just happen to live in a really great house. My favourite bit is when they describe sending the boiler repair man away the week before Christmas since they didn’t want the disruption of him being around during the holidays !