The Sustainable Energy Programme section team at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has showcased the world’s first “Passive House” for a hot and humid climate. The team took the <a href="http://www.thenational.ae/uae/environment/sheikh-mohammed-bin-rashid-unveils-sustainable-house">sustainable autonomous house,</a> which is certified by the Passive House Institute in Germany, at the International Passive House Conference in Vienna. Passive House is a rigorous, voluntary standard for energy efficiency in a building, reducing its ecological footprint A similar standard, Minergie-P, is used in Switzerland. A Passive House is an ultra-low energy home that requires very little energy for heating or cooling. In fact, a Passive House is built without a standard central heating or air conditioning system. Such homes are based on five criteria, which are met through intelligent design and implementation: thermal bridge-free design; passive certified windows; central ventilation system and heat recovery system; quality insulation and air tightness construction. The MBRSC team revealed engineering practices and technology deployed in the new house, including insulation techniques, a cooling system based on chilled water, mechanical air filtration, as well as a smart management and control systems. They also stressed that the aim of the project is to reduce energy consumption, rcut carbon emissions and provide cutting-edge housing to produce a comfortable, efficient internal environment for those living in hot and humidcountries. “The goal of MBRSC’s participation in the International Passive House Conference in Vienna is to shed light on the advantages of its sustainable autonomous house in one of the most important conferences in the world,” said Engineer Abdulla Ahli, the manager of the Sustainable Energy Programme section at MBRSC. “Furthermore, by participating in this conference we aim to increase our scientific and technical knowledge in the field of passive houses and learn more about advanced scientific discoveries in order to build a sustainable knowledge-based economy and ensure a prosperous future for our next generations,” he added. “This sustainable autonomous house reflects the UAE’s comprehensive forward-looking vision, which aims to preserve and protect the environment, as well as using smart technology to make people’s lives easier and happier,” Mr Ahli said. MBRSC launched the sustainable autonomous house project as part of its research efforts in sustainability and green buildings. The house uses energy production and storing technology similar to that used when building satellites and space shuttles, the institute said. chnelson@thenational.ae Follow The National's Business section on <a href="https://twitter.com/Ind_Insights">Twitter</a>