The ISOVER Multi-Comfort House.

Live comfortably – Save natural resources.

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They have been providing themodel for thousands of years:rational use of energy ensuresour survival.

Live comfortably – in unison with nature.

Whoever can take responsibility should do so.

Nature is the best teacher.

As attractive and cuddly as bird, penguin, bear & co may look, it cannotobscure the simple fact that their feathers or fur have a very important

function: efficient thermal insulation. Depending on the temperature,birds can ruffle their plumage to varying degrees, thus protecting them-selves against heat and cold. And as for the unprotected parts of the body,the motto is simply “tuck in under a down quilt” and every thermalbridge is snugly excluded all way round.

But nature is capable of more. The passive use of solar power, forinstance. To survive in the frigid polar north, the polar bear uses the sunas energy source for its heating system. Each hair in its thick fur functionsas a conduit through which the light penetrates. At the root of the hairthe transmitted light meets the bear's black skin and is absorbed as energy.To be more precise: light’s energy is absorbed and used to maintain theanimal’s body temperature. Thermal insulation against heat loss is ensuredby a several centimeters thick layer of blubber.

Life in a passive house offers a great many advantages. Its inhabitantsenjoy unparalleled comfort and contentment, a sense of pervasive well-being that penetrates every corner of the building, and yet sustainablenet benefit to the environment.

For a long time now, the ecological effects of a lifestyle aligned to maximizing personal prosperity have become noticeable for all of us.The climate is changing. Natural phenomena such as tornadoes occurmore frequently. At the same time, the glaciers are retreating and polarcaps melting. The number of natural disasters is on the increase, reachinghitherto unknown levels: flooding on the one hand and drought on theother cost millions of lives every year. But we all have to pay, each andevery one of us: we all suffer from bad air, loaded with fine dust, ozoneand rising CO2 levels. For this reason, climate protection is regardedworldwide as the greatest challenge of this millennium. This brochureshows how prudent and agreeable it is to start with your own four walls.

Whoever cares about our planet should actively protect it.

Passive houses – benefit also for our greater home: the planet.

throughout the world. For instance,with our ISOVER brand we havelong succeeded in establishingenvironmentally sound insulatingmaterials in the market. By usingmineral wool consisting up to 80%of recycled materials, we go easyon our environment. At the sametime, we have achieved excellentproperties which have helped

establish the passive house standardand thus the ISOVER Multi-ComfortHouse.

ISOVER has declared its unwaver-ing commitment to climate protection and comfortable living!We are the leading producers ofinsulation materials. And for usthis means very special obligations.Every day, we strive to developincreasingly efficient andresource-saving products, offeringthem at prices that benefit people

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The building regulations differ from country to country.

The passive house standard makesactive savings on energy consump-tion. At the same time, there ismuch less for you to worry about:Not about the heating which is onlyrarely needed. Not about windowventilation which is no longer necessary – but possible any time.And not about rising costs! Evenheated energy price debates leave

Responsible building – Comfortable living.

both in many European countriesand elsewhere in the world. Forhouses that enjoy an ideal southernorientation and are equipped withappropriate heat buffers, the energyvalue can be reduced even further,to almost zero. The passive housethen becomes a virtual zero-heat-ing energy house. Even so, theenergy saving potential offered bythe passive house amounts to atleast 90 % of the average energycosts of existing residential build-

As much as the fuel consumption ofa car is an indicator of its economy,the characteristic energy values of ahouse indicate its energy consump-tion. For the passive house standard,the annual heating requirement hasbeen set to a maximum of 15kWh/m2a (this corresponds to 1.5 loil per m2 living space and year).This value is internationally valid –

occupants, household appliancesand heat recovered from theexhaust air. How is this possible?First and foremost, due to the“passive” components, for examplethermal insulation windows, heatexchange systems and efficientinsulation. The passive housestandard fulfils today the energyefficiency requirements of tomorrow.

No big deal for the passive house: low energy values.ings – with no restrictions on archi-tectural design. Comparison withnew buildings is also impressive. Itis worth noting that a convention-ally built new house requires about6 to 10 l oil per m2 living space andyear. When building according tothe passive house standard, you canreckon with a maximum annualconsumption of 1.5 l oil or 1.5 m3

natural gas per m2 living space!

The Multi-Comfort House: a wealth of advantages.

you cold. And what is more, youcan enjoy your own patch of para-dise in the Multi-Comfort House,for instance constant, agreeableroom temperature in both winterand summer. The best room airquality, comparable to that of afresh air health resort: With nodrafts. And all this without com-plicated technology.

Car House House

Liter/100 km kWh/m2a Liter/m2a

20 200 20 Old building

8-10 80-100 8-10 Building regulations

3-5 30-50 3-5 Low-energy house

1.5 15 1.5Passive house/

Multi-Comfort House

Judging from the outwardappearance of the passive housealone provides few clues as towhat it really is: perhaps the lackof a chimney? Apart from thisomission, it defines itself merelyby its inner values. The passivehouse standard implies that nextto no active supply of heat is necessary any more. The house’smain heat sources are the sun, its

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Passive house Proyer, Steyr . Proyer & Proyer Architects OEG, Steyr, Austria

WeberHaus, Rheinau-Linx, Germany

Barnlike passive house, Viernheim, Germany

College of Physical Education Albstadt, Architect Prof. Schempp, Tübingen, Germany

Disc-shaped passive house Salzkammergut Architect’s office DI Hermann Kaufmann, Schwarzach, Austria

As the Multi-Comfort House onlyreveals its virtues from the inside,it can be externally designed likeevery other normal house – orcompletely different. Within theframework set by official regula-tions, the passive house standardallows, for instance, all roof types.Whether gable, hip, pent or a flat

What started with a research projectby Dr Wolfgang Feist in May 1988,has in the meantime made its triumphant advance into ecologi-cal housing construction, withthousands of examples: the passivehouse standard. Whether detachedhouse, row house or buildingcomplex – every variant hasalready been built, moved intoand adjudged excellent. This doesnot mean that passive houses mayonly be used for living. Dependingon their size and construction, theyare also used as offices, hotels,schools, kindergartens or old people’s homes. Even commercialbusinesses, even a church, feel athome in the passive house. Aspassive houses do not fundamen-

tally differ from conventionalbuildings as far as their structuralrequirements are concerned, thefreedom of architectural design isvirtually unlimited. From this view-point, the later appearance ismerely a matter of taste – just aswith every conventional buildingproject. When renovating oldbuildings, passive house compo-nents have recently gained in bothimportance and reputation: forgood reason. Project evaluationshave shown that the use of pas-sive house components not onlyresults in substantial energy sav-ings, but also sets the benchmarkfor improving the constructional quality of old houses.

Individual architecture is standard.

From single-family houses to kindergartens: any use is possible – and also makes sense!

Innovative building pays off.

No Multi-Comfort House needs tobe afraid of a cost comparisonwith conventionally built houses.On the contrary, costs of an aver-age passive house lie well belowthe top prices for new buildings.Passive house projects built atparticularly low costs often come

more economical construction. It is true that the initial planningphase costs a little more time andeffort, but in the final phase mostdetails have already been wellthought through so that the projectcan be executed with a high degreeof security.

much cheaper than average housesof conventional design. At theend of the day, even if today anextra 5 to 8 % must be realisticallybudgeted for, the cost reliefachieved due to savings in energyconsumption fully pays off fromthe very first day. Another clear

asset is the higher resale value:Multi-Comfort Houses simplyhave an unbeatable economicedge over conventionally builtnew housing.

roof etc. – there are no restrictions.The entire range of materials canbe used – from brickwork, wood,steel all the way to glass. One thing is for sure: the Multi-Comfort House will always reflectthe individual character of its builder. And in the future, modu-lar elements will ensure even

Unlimited design possibilities.

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Freshsupply airbedroom

Exhaust airbathroom

Freshsupply airliving room

Exhaust airkitchen

Exit air

Outside air

Outside airfilter

Air/airheat exchanger

Earth heat exchanger

Fresh supply airheat register

The nose of a passive house:air duct for unlimited supplyof fresh air.

Standard houseaccording to building

regulations 8 €/m2 per year

Multi-Comfort House1 €/m2 per year

Energy consumptioncosts

*Ex

ampl

e G

erm

any

2001

New building according to EnergySaving Directive*

Multi-ComfortHouse

Heat energysavings > 75%

• Healthy fresh air, free from pollutants, pollen, aerosols etc.

• Constant air humidity whichprevents the penetration ofmoisture, mould formation andstructural damage

• No bad smells as the directedair flow prevents polluted airfrom mixing with fresh air

• No draft air• No temperature fluctuations• Window ventilation –

only if desired• Highly efficient heat recovery

Similar to the human lung, theComfort Ventilation Systemensures that you are always sup-

plied with fresh air in the Multi-Comfort House. An air flow, produced with a minimum ofenergy, is permanently circulatedthrough all rooms – virtuallysoundless and imperceptible. It is used for multiple purposes:

• for fresh air supply, primarily in living room, bedroom andchildren's room

• for exhaust air transport, mainlyfrom kitchen, bathroom and WC

• for heat distribution and recoveryin the entire house.

Completely different from traditionalwindow ventilation, the air in theMulti-Comfort House alwaysremains fresh – automatically!Without the help of obligingneighbors.

Breathe in the advantages …

High living comfort achieved with little heating.

Low energy consumption – low costs.

Buildings constructed today only according to the latest energy savingguidelines are already out of date and uneconomical. The passive housestandard sets a level of energy efficiency which goes far beyond thosestipulated by official guidelines. To enjoy a snug 23°C inside with out-door temperatures of -10 °C, a couple of tea lights would be sufficientto warm up the room.

It is thanks to its excellent thermal insulation, high-quality glazing, controlled ventilation and highly efficient heat recovery that the Multi-Comfort House almost always remains snugly warm indoors.

The most favorable energy is the one that is not consumed in the firstplace. On this principle, the Multi-Comfort House allows to make savingsin heating energy of about 75 % – compared to regulations – withouthaving to compromise your demands for comfort.

Air in a Multi-Comfort House is constantly in motion. Always fresh. And not stale even after a 4-week holiday.

Quite normal and energy-efficient: permanent fresh-air climate comparable to a health resort.

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A Multi-Comfort House is alwaysencased in a seamless shell, pro-viding protection against cold,heat and noise. The occupantsenjoy a constant healthy andcomfortable climate, independentof the season. The directed airflow alone ensures the pre-selec-table, demand-oriented supply offresh air and heat. This, of course,makes high quality demands on

the building’s construction, insula-tion and structural junctions. Thebuilding shell must be sufficientlyairtight so as not to allow theaccidental and unwanted entry orexit of air anywhere. The jointsand gaps typical of conventionallybuilt houses have no place in aMulti-Comfort House.

Challenging demand:as few thermal bridges as possible.

Pleasant warmth – bothin winter and summer.

Ideally, a passive house would bebuilt without any corners, edges,junctions and conduits. For theseare the places where a higherheat loss via thermal bridges canbe expected. Through carefulplanning and execution of struc-tural connections in the Multi-Comfort House, thermal bridgescan be avoided to a great extent.

What protects well against coldalso helps against excessive heat.For this reason, larger fluctuationsin temperature are practicallynon-existent in passive houses.Nevertheless, the largest windowarea should be orientated south if there is optimum scope forplanning. This results in a maxi-mum utilization of solar energy in winter. And protects againstexcessive heat in summer.

It goes without saying that thewindows in a Multi-ComfortHouse are also there to let inlight, allow a view of the outsideand be opened just when youfancy. Equally important is theheat gain they produce. This isbecause they function as solarcollectors which in winter allowhigher levels of solar energy, andthus heat, to penetrate the build-ing than are lost to the outside.This bonus not only saves energyand costs, but also promotes anagreeable and healthy indoor

The open secret of success for comfortable living: air-tightness.

Encased in an airtight shell: airy and warm, like in a down sleeping bag.

climate. There is a good reason forthis. Windows in passive housesare equipped with high-qualitymultiple heat protection glazing.And also the frames are thermallyinsulated. This reduces the amountof thermal loss by approx. 50 %,compared to customary frames.Even on cold winter days thetemperature on the interior window surface does not fall below18 °C. Simply pleasant: today,you can also enjoy the same comfort near the window as anywhere else in the room.

Crystal-clear advantages: insulated windowframes and heat protection glazing.

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ISOVER Research Centre CRIR – MMS Team

Modern comfort: keeping warm without energy consumption.

The crucial energy saving factor is invisible: thermal insulation.

As often in real life, the trueheroes work undercover. This factalso applies to the thermal insula-tion of your home. But it is exactlythis fact that assures extra comfortwhile at the same time cuttingdown on heating costs. And as itproduces a well-balanced andpleasant room climate, thermalinsulation eventually also promotesour health.

Thermal insulation can, however,only be exploited to its full poten-tial if insulating materials of opti-mum thickness are employed.Optimum thermal insulation ishence the basis for state-of-the-art house building. At the end ofthe day, insufficient thermal insulation produces much higher heating bills than can later becompensated by the installation ofsophisticated energy generationsystems, as for example solar cells.Thick insulation layers thus generatesavings in the right place.

The math is quite simple.Optimum thermal insulation helpsnot to consume large amounts ofenergy in the first place. Andenergy that was not consumed did not have to be generated orimported. As a result, no air pollu-tants are produced and humanityand the environment are protectedfrom further harms.

Every one of us can thus activelycontribute to environmental pro-tection while at the same timebenefiting from increased living comfort and lower heating energycost. As good as it gets.

Low effort – highimpact: the principle ofthermal insulation.

Thermal insulation to ensure high environmental and climatic protection.

The pioneer of insulation is prob-ably known to everyone: the thermos flask. Once in the flask,the hot liquid is kept nicely warmfor a long time. Technicians callthis a “passive” solution. Thedesired aim is reached withoutneed for additional energy – justpassive, not active.

The passive house concept alsoforms the basis for the energy-efficient ISOVER Multi-ComfortHouse.

U-values of 0.10-0.15 are desirable for thermal insulation of outdoor structural components.

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Energy-efficient living.

ULTIMATE, the new high-performance glass woolinsulant by ISOVER.

From nature – for nature: insulating with ISOVER.

Optimum thermal insulation pro-duces the highest energy savings.But it should also meet the highestdemands with respect to workability,quality and in particular ecology.ISOVER is committed to fulfillingall these criteria and has devel-oped the appropriate products:ISOVER glass wool and stonewool. Glass wool, for example, ismanufactured from sand which isfound in almost unlimited suppliesin nature.

Extraction is easy on the environ-ment: the natural raw materialsare only produced in small open-cast mines where regreening startsimmediately after completion ofwork. Afterwards, modern pro-duction processes assure that alsothe next steps are environmentallysound. The result: an extraordinarilyfavorable ratio between productionenergy invested and energy savingsrealized, thus achieving an excellentCO2 balance.

ISOVER mineral wool products – safe insulating materials.

When using natural raw materialsas a base for production, theproperties of the finished productwill also convince. This is whatISOVER products do. They are:

• safe in application and use• not classified as carcinogenic

under Directive 97/69/EC ofthe European Commission

• free of propellants and pesticides

• chemically neutral

• excellent with respect to theirthermal, acoustic and fire insulation properties

• very economical, especiallywhen using thick layers of insulation

• non-combustible• free of flame-retardant, ground-

water-polluting chemicals• durable and rotproof• diffusion-capable

The advantages of ISOVER glasswool are not limited to later savingsin energy, but already becomeobvious during installation. Here,the material shows its strengths,also under economic points of view:

ISOVER glass wool – Recycling the easy way.

The name says it all: ISOVER glass wool consists of glass. Ideally, thisneeds not be new, but is taken for the most part from recycling sourcesin an environmentally friendly way. For this reason, ISOVER glass woolconsists up to 80 % of recycled materials. An exemplary approach toenvironmental protection.

• 75 % storage and transport sav-ings due to high compressibility

• dimensionally stable, high tensile strength

• no waste• straight off the roll onto the wall

• multi-purpose, reusable, recyclable

• easily disposable

ISOVER products – Exceptionally convenient handling.

Energy-efficient living.

Saint-Gobain Insulation

“Les Miroirs”

92096 La Défense Cedex

France

www.isover.com

By using the innovative ISOVER insulating materials you simply ensure a betterclimate: in our environment as well as in your home. You reduce the consumptionof energy while at the same time increasing your well-being and comfort. Can there be a more convincing argument?

Build on ISOVER. Show responsibility for our environment and for yourself!