Energy Saving by Adapting Passive House Buildings in Warm Climates: A Case Study of Vietnamese Housing

The residential sector is responsible for approximately one third of total energy consumption in Vietnam. This is partly due to the poor thermal performance of the existing housing stock, which is often constructed using poor insulating materials such as: concrete or corrugated iron roofs; clay brick walls; and single-glazed windows. This leads to the use of much energy to meet cooling demand. To improve thermal performance and the sustainability of housing in Vietnam and in other warm regions, Passive House techniques can be used as an advanced solution. Proposed here is a completely new approach replacing the common techniques of natural ventilation or hybrid methods in current housing in warm climates. However, the specification of temperature set-points of 20 and 25oC in Passive House calculations for all climate zones should be carefully considered. The hypothesis is that adopting a higher thermal comfort range for warm climates would be more appropriate for indigenous residents whilst saving more energy compared to using the 20 - 25oC range. In addition, the Passive House standard could be achieved using simpler and more affordable materials. This research helps to establish the theoretical foundation for the arrival and development of the Passive House approach in Vietnam