Mary James’ work influential
Mary James is the director of publications at Passive House Accelerator in the US. She’s written multiple books on aspects of Passive House and her work New York Passive House...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Jan 2023
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SEL provides PHPP support for PHINZ
Have you purchased the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) software from PHINZ and got stuck with some aspects of energy modelling using this tool? PHINZ now has a PHPP support...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Jan 2023
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Grand design at Tapu more than meets the eye
Stuff’s ranking of this season’s homes featured on Grand Designs is of course highly subjective and arguably not particularly useful. Sustainability did feature as a criteria but frankly was a...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Dec 2022
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Renewal of your PH Designer/Consultant or PH Tradesperson Qualification
We’re often asked by accredited PH Designers / Consultants and Tradespersons how to renew their qualification. For PH Designers / Consultants there are two ways to renew your qualification: By...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Dec 2022
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“Grand” Passive House project in spotlight
Great to see certified Passive House performance getting some prime media coverage. It featured on Grand Designs this month, which was then written up by Stuff. It’s a large home...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Dec 2022
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Better windows start now
It’s disappointing that the c have been delayed further. However, new levels of window thermal performance kicked in last week. So did new calculation methods. As of 3 Nov 2022...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Nov 2022
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New Aus Defence buildings to meet airtightness targets
Tip of the hat to Sean Maxwell for his LinkedIn post alerting me to some welcome developments in Australia. The Australian Department of Defence has revised its Building Energy Performance...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Nov 2022
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It’s not just about the money
Here’s a nice round up from Stuff, who talked to people living in Dunedin’s Toiora High Street co-housing development, which is certified Passive House. Stuff has covered this project well...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Nov 2022
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New video focuses on Fletcher’s LowCO project
It’s not often our work features in video format so it was fun to see Newsroom cover the LowCO (low-carbon) homes by Fletcher Living. Sustainable Engineering has been involved with...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Nov 2022
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Toxic mould condemns $17m mansion
It’s rare to hear about building failures as owners of properties that require remediation often want it kept very quiet. As the new owner is the local council, which claims...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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New airtight resource available from ProClima
ProClima has released an in-depth look at lightweight timber framing construction for walls and roof (and including warm roofs and their hybrids) across the climate zones of Australia. The report,...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Oct 2022
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BIM models are accurate enough
Engineers use lots of computer modelling tools. It’s our professional responsibility to understand those tools well enough to understand their limitations and determine when they are sufficiently accurate. This accuracy...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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Thermal bypassing publication a must-read
If you design building assemblies you need to make the time to read this new publication. Thermal bypass—the air movement through and around insulation—has a very big impact on building...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Oct 2022
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Energy modelling at heart of Passive House
Often when people talk about Passive House, they’ll focus on those things they can see and touch, like triple-pane windows or mechanical ventilation. But the core of the Passive House...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Oct 2022
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Leaky building crisis spreads to Australia
Here’s a detailed but accessible write up about leaky homes that takes an international perspective. Written by Australian lawyers who specialise in construction law, it considers the risks emerging for...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Oct 2022
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PHPP accuracy proven by comparison to other tools
PHPP matches quite well for monthly heating and cooling energy demand when compared to lots of dynamic energy modelling software tools. And it should, as the equations/methods in PHPP have...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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Calculating building system shutdowns in PHPP
It’s common for some non-residential buildings to be unoccupied for periods of time, during which the ventilation and conditioning is turned off. Schools and office buildings are common examples; think...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Oct 2022
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World’s biggest Passive House office rises in Boston
Sometimes I take a look to see what’s going on in Massachusetts, just for old times sake. And look at this: the Winthrop Center is a Boston high-rise that will...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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