16 – Reduced Thermal Bridges

REDUCED THERMAL BRIDGES: Vital to the performance of a Passive House design, thermal bridges refer to penetrations in the thermal layer of a building’s envelope which contribute dramatically to undesirable heat loss. Elements such as nails and girts, insignificant on their own, accumulate over the entire surface of a building and compromise the effectiveness of a building envelope. Rigorous detailing is required to reduce the amount of thermal bridges and their impact.