The revolution in sustainable construction: powerhouse

Energy efficiency standards are evolving in parallel with greater awareness of the environment and sustainability. The real estate industry is also assuming its share of responsibility with the introduction of new building concepts such as the powerhouse. 

What is a powerhouse? 

While Passivhaus promoted a construction model characterised by thermal insulation and energy conservation in buildings, Powerhouse goes one step further: sustainable buildings are also self-sufficient buildings. 

The main feature of a powerhouse is its ability to generate clean energy. Thus, these buildings can not only cover their energy consumption but also produce the energy that was needed in their own manufacturing process. 

The three key features of a powerhouse are: 

• The ability of these sustainable buildings to generate more energy than they consume.
• Certified documentation of the energy required for their construction and subsequent supply, so that their efficiency can be justified.
• Maximum use of environmental conditions to enhance energy generation (e.g. through solar panels) and ensure energy efficiency.

Powerhouse trends for the coming years 

The challenge of sustainable construction is already being addressed in many different ways, from the use of eco-friendly materials to the search for bioclimatic designs and advanced mechanical ventilation systems. But the powerhouse concept will add new advantages to this more sustainable future from several perspectives. 

These are some of the trends that will shape the evolution of powerhouses in the short term: 

• Minimising the energy impact of buildings: these self-sufficient houses produce extra energy for other uses.
• Reducing energy costs: the energy demand of powerhouses is covered by their own production, reducing costs.
• Property revaluation: houses and buildings constructed using the powerhouse model will increase in value on the property market.
• Promotion of renewable energies: the powerhouses themselves will act as a magnet for investment in clean energies.
• Emergence of new professional profiles: the construction of self-sufficient, energy-producing homes will promote the creation of new specialised jobs.
• Incentives and bonuses: the boom in these sustainable constructions will be backed by government aid for their promotion. 

Sustainable construction at Real de La Quinta 

Powerhouse represents an ambitious concept in sustainability that inspires a new generation of more conscious and efficient projects. At Real de La Quinta, we share this vision and work to integrate recognised standards such as BREEAM that promote more conscious and responsible construction. This certification is one of the most rigorous standards in sustainable construction, and some powerhouse buildings have obtained this certificate, thus validating their high energy and environmental performance. 

This demonstrates their commitment to energy efficiency and reduced water consumption, as well as to minimizing environmental impact and improving indoor environmental quality. In addition, BREEAM-certified buildings often achieve higher market value thanks to responsible construction practices, sustainable materials, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and improved lighting. 

In this way, our developer ensures that each project not only complies with the regulations but also provides real value to users and the environment, aligning with a vision of a sustainable future.