Danica is focused on the design and construction of energy efficient houses. Our unique Passive House technology allows you to minimize the need for heating in homes, even in winter, and eliminate the use of air conditioners during the summer.
How is it possible?
If all parameters are observed during construction, traditional heating systems in Passive Houses become unnecessary even in cold winters. During warmer months passive cooling techniques such as strategic shading are used to keep you comfortable and cool. Therefore, there is no need to cool the premises using air conditioners.
Additionally, the principles of zoning are applied, the correct geometry and the correct orientation of the building to the cardinal points.
Houses which were built by DANICA are not afraid of natural disasters. Of course, Ukraine is not characterized by such natural phenomena as tornadoes, tsunamis or strong earthquakes, but climatic changes are gaining momentum every year. Who knows how global warming will affect the Ukrainian latitudes. Even if there is a serious natural disaster, our homes will withstand any shocks. We guarantee a long service life.
A house can be considered passive if its heat loss does not exceed 15 kW/h per sq. m. For comparison: the heat loss of a standard brick house reaches 250-350 kW/h per square meter of heated area per year.
The heating of a Passive house should be due to the heat generated by the people living in it and by household appliances. Ideally, it should be “zero” power consumption.
Heat loss through an uninsulated foundation can reach 15% or more. We use two types of foundation insulation:
The strip foundation is erected quite quickly and simply, and is a monolithic reinforced concrete contour, insulated on both sides, which is erected under all the load-bearing walls of the building. It is used in all types of houses, as well as structures with basements (this type of foundation forms a basement wall).
An ICF block from DANICA is used to erect a strip foundation made of in-situ concrete. The block performs the function of thermal insulation for the foundation and basement parts of the future house:
Thus, a strip foundation can be erected twice as fast as usual, 30% cheaper, and it does not require additional insulation.
Formally, the insulated Swedish slab is a type of insulated monolithic concrete slab, which is supplemented with an insulated blind area. In the application of the Swedish board, an insulating formwork plays a special role, which is assembled from extruded polystyrene foam boards or special polystyrene boards. Simply put, the benefits of a foundation are:
The most significant heat loss - about 40% occurs through the walls of buildings, therefore, proper insulation of the outer walls of the house will significantly improve its heat-saving parameters.
The estimated durability of walls erected with the DANICA system is over 100 years. In addition, we have no restrictions on the number of storeys.
DANICA builds houses using fixed formwork technology. The latter, in turn, consists of:
Neopor external insulation panels are manufactured in accordance with the requirements of European standards and have a fire resistance class corresponding to Euroclass E. It is a self-extinguishing material, has passed all fire tests and has the necessary certification.
They certainly can. Rodents can gnaw through any insulation. If there are risks of rodents entering the house, we use a layer of protective steel mesh when finishing the basement of the foundation. This will prevent rodents and other pests from entering the house and ruining the lives of its inhabitants.
The thickness of the passive house insulation allows for different thermal resistance of the wall. The thicker the insulation, the more energy efficient the house becomes. But at the same time, it increases the cost of its construction.`
In the maximum version of Neopor 30 cm, the thermal resistance of the wall, taking into account the plaster and concrete of concrete 15 cm thick, we get the insulation of the house three times higher than the state building codes.
Accordingly, the smaller the thickness of the insulation, the more heat energy is needed to heat it. As for us, we recommend houses construction with a Neopor thickness of at least 25 cm. Taking into account the increase in tariffs, this will be economically justified and profitable.
The block of a passive house is a permanent formwork and in different countries construction using this technology is regulated individually: in Europe - up to 9 floors, in Russia - 7, in Ukraine - 5.
The block for internal load bearing walls and interior partitions consists of two gypsum panels, which are ready-made plaster. Gypsum panels are an environmentally natural material that does not emit any harmful substances into the atmosphere during operation and maintains an optimal microclimate in the room.
DANICA uses advanced technology - remote window mounting. This type of installation allows you to reduce heat loss along the perimeter of the window by 10 times, which in turn will reduce the heat loss of the entire structure. The window structure is taken out into the insulation area and mounted on high-strength profiles of the Trioterm system or Foppe consoles.
It is very important to consider the placement of windows developing the architecture project of the house. As a rule, most of the windows are located in the southern and eastern directions, and in winter they bring on average more heat than they lose. Orientation of windows to the east and west is minimized to reduce uncomfortable overheating and energy consumption for air conditioning in summer.
Airtightness is a requirement for energy efficient construction. Gaps and crevices in the house, on masonry joints made of bricks, aerated concrete, ceramic blocks significantly reduce the tightness of the house, which can negate any insulation on the facade. Tightness is ensured by a monolithic concrete wall and the adjoining of the roof to the walls and ceilings. In addition, the outer heat-insulating shell is made in a continuous layer without through fasteners (thermal bridges) and adheres tightly to the concrete.
A healthy person needs 30 cubic meters of fresh air per hour. In order for us to receive such an amount of air, taking into account the tightness of houses constructed using our technology (recall, tightness allows us to avoid heat loss in the building as much as possible), the ventilation with recuperation is indispensible.
Why should Passive House technology be used constructing the houses:
In Passive Houses you will forget about a skewer or frozen legs. It maintains a comfortable temperature and a stable temperature regardless of the season.
Clean air, normal humidity and dust-free conditions are ensured by forced ventilation with heat recovery.
For maximum energy savings and natural lighting of the house in the autumn-winter period, it is advisable to orient the majority of window openings to the south. In summer, excess light is leveled out by awnings, roller shutters and sliding systems.
Modern soundproofing materials help create a comfortable acoustic environment. Thermal insulation manufacturer BASF offers Neopor. It serves as heat and sound insulation, improving the thermal protection of the house and at the same time performing the function of protecting against external noise.
DANICA can build a turnkey private house using Passive House technology. We will develop an architectural project, coordinate and take into account all your wishes and take care of the construction with our own construction team. This approach will allow you to control all stages of the construction process and make sure that everything is done in accordance with the required technical characteristics, and all construction standards are met. Write to us or leave your contacts, we will contact you and consult on all issues.
