Paille-Tech Positive House

Identification

Today, the construction sector is responsible for ≈39% of total annual greenhouse gas emissions. While the energy consumption of buildings is expected to decrease steadily, the energy embodied in building materials still accounts for 11%. The conventional buildings rely upon concrete or terracotta for the structure, and petrochemical foam or mineral fibres for insulation which are carbon-intensive. In opposition, Paille-Tech houses offer a comfortable, healthy and durable home, highly energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. Compared to the standards materials, the solution is low in embodied-energy and not exhausting non-renewable resources. All materials are hardly processed (e.g. no cooking) and locally procured (less transport). One m² of Paille-Tech wall requires for its production 68 kWh of non-renewable primary energy, compared to 251 kWh for a concrete and XPS wall with the same insulating value. In-shop prefabrication ensures fewer nuisances for the neighbourhood and a shorter installation time, resulting in economies (scaffoldings, no double house-renting). During its manufacture, no less than 44 kg of CO₂ equivalent is stored, whereas a conventional wall releases 50 kg into the atmosphere.