Misunderstanding Passivhaus Principles

Lead author: Alun Watkins

As awareness of the Passivhaus standard has grown, some knowledge of the fundamental building principles which all such high-performance buildings have in common has also spread throughout the industry. This must be seen as a positive. However, this has led to projects that have declared that they are following “Passivhaus principles” because they incorporate some or all those building principles, while neglecting to follow an integrated approach that also encompasses the principles of detailed performance and comfort criteria, accurate performance modelling in PHPP, and rigorous quality assurance across design, construction, and commissioning.

This paper shows how attempting to incorporate some Passivhaus building principles without also following the principles of approach introduces significant risks. Two case studies are presented, where the clients were ambitious in their intention to provide reduced operational carbon emissions and lower energy bills for residents – but an ill-defined brief, absence of energy modelling, and lack of attention to fabric and quality led to poor outcomes and significant costs.