Low awareness of low energy housing

One of the two English women at the AZB for work experience relating to sustainable building practices has studied architecture.

The terms 'passive house', 'low energy house' and 'energy plus house' meant something to her before she came to the AZB. I am the second person and I hadn't heard of these concepts. This is despite my reading the two 'quality' English newspapers each weekend, being engaged in eco-campaigning work and, I thought, generally being aware and receptive to topics relating to sustainability.

I felt it would therefore be a useful exercise to ask 10 of my friends in England, two questions:

a) have you heard the terms 'passive house', 'low energy house', and 'energy plus house'?
b) can you explain them?

The receipients were chosen solely on the basis of being a friend. None is an architect or to my knowledge has studied architecture or lives with someone who is qualified in this field. Several are actively engaged in promoting green issues, most are graduates and some have completed, or are engaged in, further study.

Mr Jens Schwarz, the Co-ordinator of the RCE Hamburg and Region, feels the exercise is sufficiently interesting to roll it out among the trainees who come to the AZB.

Of the 10 emails I sent, one person had heard the term passive house but only that person said they could explain it. Three people had heard the term low energy house of whom two responded that they could explain it. No-one had heard the term energy plus house.

People living, working or studying in, Hamburg or visitors to this city (perhaps for the Third European Fair on Education for Sustainable Development which takes place at the AZB this week, ie Wednesday 28 to Friday 30 October 2009) or for the Christmas Markets (23 November to 23 December 2009), have a chance to find out what an energy plus house is.

Next to Hamburg's main rail station an energy plus house has been set up. It will be there until 25 January 2010. See ZEBAU GmbH for details and related events.