Welcome to the Passivhaus Trust‘s learning resource centre. Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned expert, our Passivhaus Learning Hub provides a wealth of on-demand content. Join as a member to get discounts and other benefits.
New & noteworthy
Don’t miss these latest resources from the Passivhaus Trust.
Explore the optimal timing and strategy for installing air source heat pumps (ASHPs) in retrofit projects. It examines the impact of ASHP installation during various fabric improvement stages using modeling and PHPP to estimate energy demand and running costs, aiding informed decisions for efficient retrofit planning.
This webinar accompanies our guidance “Air-to-water heat pumps” which simplifies critical design elements with a special focus on air-to-water heat pumps, shedding light on both common oversights and advanced considerations that can elevate building performance to meet diverse energy standards.
Getting Started
New to Passivhaus? Explore these introductory resources. We recommend you begin with the free online introduction to Passivhaus course. If you are interested in a particular sector such as self-build or social housing – check our curated industry sector pages.
This guide highlights significant synergies between the priorities of social housing providers and the multi-faceted benefits of successfully building and delivering Passivhaus homes. The aim is to explain why social housing providers should be aiming for Passivhaus and how to successfully implement the Standard.
Free
Delving into details
Grasped the basics and ready to learn more? Whether you want to deepen your understanding, develop your skills, or work towards a Passivhaus qualification, these resources are for you.
As the adoption of Passivhaus continues to grow in the UK, we are watching more sizeable projects emerge with increasing complexities that bring new challenges. This on-demand mini-series covers some exciting, detailed case studies & the latest research on large & complex Passivhaus.
Explore the relationship between Passivhaus and embodied carbon. Get access to the on-demand recording of the popular webinar to learn more about the Trust’s Embodied Carbon paper, followed by engaging presentations from key experts. It is an excellent opportunity to learn first-hand from industry practitioners as they share real-life case studies and valuable lessons learnt.
This webinar accompanies our guidance “Air-to-water heat pumps” which simplifies critical design elements with a special focus on air-to-water heat pumps, shedding light on both common oversights and advanced considerations that can elevate building performance to meet diverse energy standards.
Masterclasses
Aiming for mastery? For those with more Passivhaus experience, these resources explore advanced concepts & specialised tools. Elevate your ability to lead and innovate in the field.
Explore the optimal timing and strategy for installing air source heat pumps (ASHPs) in retrofit projects. It examines the impact of ASHP installation during various fabric improvement stages using modeling and PHPP to estimate energy demand and running costs, aiding informed decisions for efficient retrofit planning.
As the adoption of Passivhaus continues to grow in the UK, we are watching more sizeable projects emerge with increasing complexities that bring new challenges. This on-demand mini-series covers some exciting, detailed case studies & the latest research on large & complex Passivhaus.
Good Practice Guides
Good Practice Guides provide in-depth, practical advice on implementing Passivhaus standards. These comprehensive resources offer step-by-step guidance, best practices, and lessons learned to ensure successful design, construction, and performance of Passivhaus buildings.
We often take ventilation for granted; most buildings in the UK rely on draughts and leaks! Continuous fresh air & eliminating cold draughts is a key comfort factor for Passivhaus buildings. Often the steepest learning curve is reaching the airtightness target. Breathe easy with this new good practice guide.
Free
Technical Research Papers
The Trust’s expert Technical Panels & Working Groups address emerging challenges as more Passivhaus buildings are designed, built, and monitored. Explore the latest UK Passivhaus technical research documents. These resources ensure the integrity and application of the Passivhaus standard in the UK. You will need to log in or register to view these documents.
Explore PHI Passivhaus criteria for energy-efficient, affordable, and comfortable buildings. This guidance offers practical insights into sustainable design, rigorous certification, and optimizing energy performance. Enhance living conditions and support a greener future with Passive House principles.
Free
To obtain a clearer picture of Passivhaus costs in the UK, AECOM, in conjunction with the Passivhaus Trust, has undertaken a research study into the capital cost of building to certified Passivhaus standards across a number of affordable housing projects in the UK, using a standardised cost tool to compare projects on a like for like basis.
Free
The need for this Quality Assurance guide has arisen from the rapid growth of the Passivhaus Standard within the UK and the recognition that with the increased volume, scale and complexity of building projects, that it takes an increasingly well structured quality assurance system to maintain the required standards of design and construction.
Free
This document with ATTMA provides the technical standard to be followed for the air tightness testing of Passivhaus and other low energy buildings as required as part of a Passivhaus or low energy building design.
Free
ATTMA Technical Standard L4 (TSL4)
Publication
The Passivhaus Trust has developed guidance accompanied by a PHPP plugin to calculate more representative monthly average internal temperatures for existing buildings and an overall average for the heating season. These temperatures can then be used in the PHPP heating demand calculation to achieve a more accurate indication of energy demand.
Free
Retrofit
Discover how Passivhaus retrofit principles and training, including the EnerPHit standard, can transform existing buildings into energy-efficient, comfortable spaces, tackling the challenges of retrofitting at scale while promoting sustainability and high-quality construction.
The Managing Moisture on-demand course explores moisture-safe retrofitting for energy efficiency. Learn to prevent moisture issues in building fabric and structure while retrofitting. Gain expert insights and advanced knowledge in moisture management for safer, healthier buildings. Ideal for professionals seeking to enhance retrofit practices.
There is an urgent imperative to decarbonise home heating, but we also need better housing that is more comfortable, healthier and cheaper to run. How do we enable heat pumps and fabric to work in synergy to maximum effect? This paper aims to answer the question by modelling heat pump installation at different levels of home retrofit.
Free
Position Papers
Position papers outline the Passivhaus Trust’s approach to key topics and policies. These documents explain our stance on important issues, offering insights into how Passivhaus standards align with broader industry challenges and policy developments.
PHPP is a proven tool for assessing overheating risk. It has already been deemed to satisfy Part O of the Building Regulations (England & Wales) by several Building Control services, and should be accepted as an alternative means of compliance in place of the ‘simplified method’ and the ‘dynamic method’ for single-family dwellings and simple building forms.
Free
There is an urgent imperative to decarbonise home heating, but we also need better housing that is more comfortable, healthier and cheaper to run. How do we enable heat pumps and fabric to work in synergy to maximum effect? This paper aims to answer the question by modelling heat pump installation at different levels of home retrofit.
Free
Certifiers Circle
These guidance documents are provided by the UK Passivhaus Certifiers’ Circle. Passivhaus Certifiers are individuals who have been internationally accredited by the Passive House Institute (PHI) to certify Passivhaus buildings, EnerPHit retrofits and PHI Low Energy Buildings anywhere in the world on behalf of the Passive House Institute and in accordance with their criteria. You will need to log in or register to view these documents.
Passivhaus certification requires a Summer Comfort Statement, signed by the building owner, detailing the thermal comfort strategy, design assumptions, overheating risks, and stress testing. This template supports certification, accommodating buildings with active cooling by presenting expected cooling results.
Free
For multi-residential or non-residential buildings the Passivhaus Certifier may require dynamic thermal modelling to adequately evaluate summer comfort and overheating risk. This guidance from the UK Certifiers’ Circle aims to establish a common approach to modelling, reporting and user handover in these scenarios.
Free
This paper serves as a starting point for discussions and agreements between project teams and certification bodies regarding roles, responsibilities, and expectations for achieving Passivhaus certification. The scope of services it presents is designed to be adaptable and applicable to various project types and scales.
Free