Passive House Girona

Energy efficiency takes teamwork

Loxone can seamlessly integrate several systems with one goal in mind: maximum energy efficiency. Thus, bringing the homeowner unmatched savings and comfort. In this passive solar house, the ventilation system, air conditioning, DHW recirculation, solar panels and blinds all play a role together as a team. Their “coach”, our Miniserver communicates their game plan and the best actions for each to take to work together to reach this energy-saving goal.

Reduce energy bills, maximize comfort

In a truly passive solar house, energy savings should outweigh energy costs, especially on air conditioning. In this case, the surplus energy produced by the photovoltaic system can now be used to activate electrical resistance in the hot water tank. This process takes advantage of electrical energy to heat water.

Since energy levels vary – in production, consumption and surplus – the power of resistance is regulated by a voltage regulator. 

Deviation of kW from the photovoltaic production to the electrical resistance of the ACS tank (data from May 2018): 774 kWh.

Average monthly consumption: 147 kWh/month.

From May to September, the surplus of photovoltaic production covers 100% of the energy required for the hot water tank.

Next level efficiency with automated blinds

On top of every detail put into the design of the building, type of construction, the insulation and photovoltaic insulation, this home even goes as far as solar protection to also play a role in energy efficiency. This means shading control for blinds that go up or down automatically depending on the position of the sun and room temperature.

For the common passive house in Spain during summer, constant sunlight beaming through the windows will lose efficiency gained since the home relies on cooling with air conditioning as a first step to regulate temperature. Not in this next level passive solar house. Automatic blinds help regulate the room temperature to avoid unnecessary efforts from the cooling system. Similarly in winter, the same will go for using blinds to avoid unnecessary heating.

Automate essential functions

The home’s value is boosted by the integration of all essential smart home functions – lighting, HVAC, shading, security, multi-room audio and more. 

Starting with smart lighting control, energy will never be wasted by lights being left on accidentally. Motion sensors are key here. Similarly for windows, if a window is left open when it shouldn’t be, the Window Handle Air shown above will send a notification in the app. You can always monitor their status in the app to see where your potential savings may be.

Automate essential functions

The home’s value is boosted by the integration of all essential smart home functions – lighting, HVAC, shading, security, multi-room audio and more. 

Starting with smart lighting control, energy will never be wasted by lights being left on accidentally. Motion sensors are key here. Similarly for windows, if a window is left open when it shouldn’t be, the Window Handle Air shown above will send a notification in the app. You can always monitor their status in the app to see where your potential savings may be.

Making net-zero energy possible