Differences between passive, efficient, ecological, and bioclimatic homes

There is some confusion between these terms, which many companies take advantage of. Efficiency is currently in vogue, but not all efficient homes are ecological or healthy. Let us examine the differences between these concepts.

An efficient home or passive house is a home that minimizes its energy demand so that, to achieve interior comfort, there is no need to turn on the heating or air conditioning.

This is achieved through passive architecture strategies; in other words, we do not have to “activate” anything to be comfortable, as the architecture itself assists us. In winter, the environment is heated thanks to south-facing openings that capture solar heat, good insulation, and airtightness. In summer, solar protection, pergolas, and cross-ventilation are used to cool the environment naturally.

Passive architecture is also referred to as bioclimatic architecture, a term that refers to homes that leverage the local climate to generate interior comfort.

Furthermore, if we also have an ecological conscience and implement all of this using natural, non-toxic, minimally processed materials of local origin—whose transport has generated low emissions—then we can say that we have also achieved an ecological home.

One must be careful with this last concept, as a house built with ecological materials may not necessarily be healthy. For instance, applying varnish or chemical protections to a wooden structure, or a poor design that causes thermal bridges, humidity, and mold, can be detrimental to health. This is where the final concept comes into play: the healthy home, which is one that achieves a healthy indoor environment with appropriate temperature and humidity, constant air renewal, and is free of toxins or pollutants.

Finally, it should be noted that the term passive house—which uses passive architecture strategies such as south-facing openings, pergolas, or cross-ventilation—should not be confused with the term “Passivhaus home,” which is a German certification for passive houses that meet specific standards.