The latest book from APHA is the Passivhaus Playbook and it’s great. I love the focus on the team and a successful process. The publishers describe it as “a nine-step pathway that covers everything from funding to design coordination and supply chain to storytelling … [providing] a process for a technically feasible, buildable, cost-effective Passivhaus approach to new buildings in …
Deep retrofits of commercial buildings make good sense
The deep retrofit at 80 Willis Street, Wellington is featured in a just-released NZ Green Building Council publication, A practical guide to upfront carbon reductions. This is a project dear to my heart, as I worked on it years ago as the Green Star professional. This was the very first NZGBC project to submit carbon modelling using LCA Quick …
In the race to net zero, operational carbon remains crucial
Lloyd Alter is a Canadian adjunct professor and writer on sustainability topics. Like a growing number of commentators, Lloyd is brushing off the impact of operational carbon and arguing for the need to radically focus on lowering embodied carbon: building with low carbon building materials and methods that are low or zero carbon and retrofitting and renovating existing buildings rather …
Stepwise energy improvements waste time and money
Neil Savery had a 20 year career with the Australian Building Codes Board, nine years as its CEO. Let’s say that gives him some perspective, and industry experience worth listening to. In a story on Fifth Estate, he’s quoted as saying that Australia would have done better to ‘bake in’ the highest energy codes into its building standards from the …
We need accurate planning tools
The UK’s first net zero energy bills have been introduced by several English councils as part of their response to the climate emergency. That’s good. These requirements need to be measured so they can be enforced. SAP 10 (Standard Assessment Procedure) is what they use to show building code compliance in England and Wales, for new dwellings and major renovations. …
Air pollution kills New Zealanders
Air pollution is real and has deadly impacts. In New Zealand we’re 10 times more likely to die from the effects of air pollution than from a car accident. Marc Daalder of Newsroom wrote a detailed feature about the extent of the problem here in New Zealand. Despite lingering fond notions about Aotearoa’s clean, green environment, it is sadly the …
Makeup air in a Passive House
Here’s a good summary on make up air for rangehoods, from HVAC consultants and designers at Energy Vanguard. It’s worth reading in full. The quick summary goes like this: Good kitchen cooktop installs position the cooking hood against a wall, and it fully covers the cooktop. In such a case, 125 L/s or 425 m3/hr is sufficient for a normal …
Certifier scope of service guidance a helpful read
The Passivhaus Trust, the UK’s industry body, has published an excellent guide to where the roles and responsibilities sit during Passive House design, construction and certification stages. It’s worth reading. In my experience, good communication is THE most important part of a successful working relationship between designer and certifier. The guide clearly explains the stages and who needs to call …
Successfully marketing Passive House performance
We hear that stories on homes built to Passive House standard are very popular with Stuff readers. Here’s another well-written story about this family home in west Auckland, just completed but now on the market. Good to see Nick choose family life over his beautiful long-awaited Passive House. I’m looking forward to seeing his renovation project (read more about that …