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black awning and fixed windows pella impervia passive house

Passive House Windows & Doors

What is Passive House?

A Passive House uses a specific set of design principles to obtain aggressive energy efficiency and comfort and reduce the ecological footprint of a building. Following a standard released in 2015, these residential, multi-family and commercial buildings use only small amounts of energy for heating and cooling. Learn what goes into the coveted Passive House Institute United States (PHIUS) certification.

Requirements of Passive House Windows & Doors

commercial building with impervia windows certified by passive house

Extreme Energy Efficiency

The Passive House Standard places a heavy emphasis on continuous insulation throughout the entire building envelope — without any thermal gaps or bridges to provide ultimate comfort. For windows and doors on a Passive House project, this places more emphasis on the glazing and insulation of the unit, including its U-Factor and R-Value. The U-Factor measures the rate of heat transfer through a window or door.

The lower the U-Factor, the better the insulating properties of the unit or glazing system. R-Value measures how well insulation keeps heat or cold from entering and exiting the home — the higher the value, the better. Our dual- and triple- glazing systems leverage panes of Low-E glass with the insulating space filled with argon to optimize energy efficiency.

impervia window exploded view of a corner

Airtight Construction

As a key component in a building envelope, windows and doors are a critical decision in Passive House design. Our products are engineered for exceptional performance, helping to eliminate drafts and leaks in the building envelope. Pella products are tested and rated at or above industry standards to reduce air infiltration. Another key component to the performance of a window is proper installation; the perimeter seal between the wall and window frame needs to be complete.

Hyland library pella passive-house certified windows

Climate Specific Solutions

To find the best intersection of rigorous energy efficiency, carbon reduction and cost effectiveness for your specific location, PHIUS has identified over 1,000 locations across the country and provide a unique data set for each. In addition to fiberglass and vinyl frame materials, we offer a variety of glazing solutions to meet the specific Passive House requirements of your exact location. To help you achieve your design intent without sacrificing performance, turn to Pella Architectural Solutions, a dedicated team of drafters, engineers and architects with both product and Passive House expertise.

Pella Passive House Registered Windows

A Detailed Look at Pella Passive House Window

Every Pella product certified by PHIUS is optimized, down to the smallest of details, for performance. See how we bring this attention to detail to life in our windows and patio doors.

Dual- and Triple- Glazing Solutions

Energy-efficient dual- and triple-pane glass options with argon help slow the transfer of heat, keeping your home more comfortable year-round. On select products, insulating foam and glazing packages provide enhanced sound dampening to improve performance.

Resistance to Water & Wind

For added strength, durability and reliable water performance, some Pella products feature corner locks and sashes injected with sealant and fastened with screws or fully welded sashes with reinforced frames.

impervia fixed window cross section black trim

Engineered Structure

Factory joined, factory prepared for joining and structured mulls for our products are verified through rigorous engineering evaluation and testing.

Temperature Stability

Our windows and patio doors are engineered for energy efficiency and high performance. Each helping to eliminate drafts and leaks, keeping your space more comfortable year-round.

new york architect working on the drawings for the harlem boys and girls club

Pella Passive House Expertise

Product Expertise

Our dedicated Architectural Solutions team is made up of engineers, architects, drafters and installation experts, ready to collaborate with you from schematic design to construction. Our team provides design and performance analysis, performance and application information, guidance in product selection and expertise in our custom product capabilities.

Design Assistance

To help you choose the right window or patio door for your high-performance building, our team is equipped with our very own Passive House expert. With a greater understanding of Passive House requirements, our team caters to your project needs with preliminary design drawings and custom extrusion and installation design.

Additional Tools & Resources

Our highly qualified support team is on call to provide full technical service and support to your high-performance Passive House project. Our team offers an array of valuable resources including budget assistance and value engineering, code compliance and thermal analysis.

Passive Home certified windows featuring Pella Impervia Casement windows

Explore Passive House Design Possibilities

Work with a dedicated Pella representative every step of the way.

FAQs

Awards & Certifications

Look for this designation from the Passive House Institute of the United States (PHIUS), ensuring products optimized for exceptional performance.