Research on the applicability of passive house technology in areas hot in summer and cold in winter-take Nanjing area as the research object

In this study, to explore the applicability of passive house technology under PHPP assessment standards in Chinese areas hot in summer and cold in winter, Nanjing area was taken as an example, real cases were examines under PHPP assessment standards for passive houses in line with regional climatic differences. The present study focused on four aspects, namely the thermal insulation & heat preservation properties of the external enclosure structure, the mildew-growing temperature of the interior wall, the air-tightness property of the external enclosure structure, as well as the damp-proof performance of buildings. A numeric analysis was conducted using Dest software, and the German PHPP assessment standards for passive houses were eventually found not entirely applicable to Chinese areas hot in summer and hot in winter. Thermal insulation, damp-proof, and vapor-proof properties should be considered when designing passive house projects for such areas. Based on influential factors, this study proposed the climatically-reconstructed design for the external enclosure structure of passive houses and employed Energyplus for demonstration and analysis. Analytical findings suggested that the reconstruction plan is feasible.