An office tower in Vienna, Austria, has achieved the Passive House Standard, an energy efficiency building standard in Europe.
The high-rise building, home to 900 employees of the Austrian Raiffeisen- Holding Group, features superior indoor air quality and minimal energy consumption. The building’s energy is provided by a photovoltaic system as well as a combined heating, cooling and power plant. In addition, the waste heat from the data center is re-used; cooling partly takes place via the nearby Danube Canal.
Helping to achieve the Passive House Standard were the energy efficiency of the building’s glazed facade, the building component connections and the mechanical systems. In combination with optimized shading equipment, the heating and cooling demand was reduced by 80 percent compared with conventional high-rise buildings, says the Passive House Institute.
Also in Vienna, a "Eurogate" district is under construction, which will consist entirely of Passive House buildings. Upon completion of the first construction phase, 7,000 occupants in 800 apartments will be able to benefit from the advantages of this energy efficient construction method.
