“We’ve got plenty to do in Scotland,” says Steff Bell. “The Germans are ahead of us by some length.” Steff Bell, who studied at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, has always had a keen interest in energy efficient construction and became aware of the placement opportunity with Herz & Lang through a friend. Herz & Lang are among the most renowned experts in Passive House in Germany. Among other things during Bells stay in Germany the team at Herz & Lang worked on the largest Passive House project in the world. The so-called Lodenareal in Innsbruck, Austria is made up of two apartment complexes with a total of 354 residential units and is certified to Passive House standards. The heating energy consumption of these homes is the equivalent of 1.5 liters per square meter per year. “In comparison” says Bell, “a new build house in Scotland can consume 15 – 18 liters per square meter per year in heating energy.”
In view of the rising energy prices, which last summer was about 40 percent, and the dwindling British gas and oil recourses coupled with the urgent need to reduce our CO2 emissions and increase energy efficient construction, it is clear to see that the hour of need is here.”Unfortunately this is not fully realised in Scotland” complains Steff Bell, “people are only now beginning to slowly deal with this problem.” The potential for large scale construction to Passive House standard is still a long way away in Scotland. “But we can and must significantly increase our construction standards.” Steff Bell was not only involved in new build projects during his time with Herz & Lang but also the renovation of existing buildings, were he thinks there is potential for the Passive House standard in Scotland due to the enormous amount of aging housing stock in this country.
In order to close the gap on Germany we must encourage our architects, engineers and designers to develop their expertise urgently. “It is not enough to just install better windows and improve insulation,” says Bell. “It must be a holistic approach applied in a knowledgeable manner otherwise improvements can have detrimental effects on old buildings and create more problems than were originally there.”
Dieter Herz, who twelve years ago built one of the first Passive Houses in Germany, speaks very highly of Steff Bells talents. “I was surprised how quickly he has adapted himself to the subject and could significantly contribute to projects.”
Among other things, the guest from Scotland attended the Certified Passive House designer course during his time in Germany. As he successfully completed the course and passed the exam he is now one of the first in Scotland who can claim the title of Certified Passive House Designer. “I now know exactly how to apply the Passive House standard, and what is important,” Bell says. He hopes to implement his knowledge with as many projects as possible which is an opportunity his new found position at the Scottish Passive House Centre can offer him.
According to Bells assessment, the fact that Scotland is far from being a passive country is partially a mental problem. “People in Scotland still don’t fully understand the things that are important with regards to spending money in order to become more energy efficient.” Solar panels are becoming more popular in Scotland, however due to low insulation levels and poor air-tightness it does not make sense to spend money on these measures if they will only provide you with ten percent of the energy your home requires. “With a much higher quality of construction such as Passive House you can significantly increase the benefits of solar energy,” says Bell. He hopes that in the future the media will dedicate greater attention to these subjects in order to raise public awareness. “Unlike Germany, our newspapers hardly ever report on Passive Houses and energy efficient design,” says Bell, adding with a smile, “We knew about Passive House years ago, we were just willing to let the Germans develop the technology and do the groundwork. We would however be very smart if we could now use their knowledge and expertise.”
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