What does NZ’s first deep retrofit teach us?

New Zealand’s first certified EnerPHit project began back in 2019. A very expensive and complex undertaking, it’s taken three years to complete. Sustainable Engineering’s Jason Quinn got involved not as...

by Rachel Rose

Updated: Jul 2022

  • General Notes
    /
Read More

Ngā Kāinga Anamata passes pre-construction review

Update 16May2024 We want folks to know that Kainga Ora has regretfully informed us that they are now in the process of officially closing the R&D component of the project...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

  • General Notes
    /
Read More

Scaling up PH trades training

New Zealand needs more tradespeople, full stop. But we also need tradies with skills and experience of building the Passive House way, especially as larger certified projects get underway.  In...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

  • General Notes
    /
Read More

Haiku sums up warmer home benefits

Who the hell composes a haiku as the summary in a technical report to a government agency? A New Zealander, that’s who. I love this country. People’s ability to care...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Jul 2022

  • General Notes
    /
Read More

Elements of building industry lobbying to delay H1 changes

Like I’ve said before, if we want to change, we actually will need to change. Seems simple enough, right? But many in the “pro-cold-home” contingent of our building sector don’t...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Jul 2022

  • General Notes
    /
Read More

Builder backlash to H1 upgrade begins

And, it’s begun: the backlash to the update to the energy efficiency requirements in New Zealand’s Building Code announced last November. It’s been a long time since the last upgrade....

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Jul 2022

  • General Notes
    /
Read More

998 days to reach climate change reduction goals

The latest IPCC report emphasises that we have to peak our CO2 emissions by 2025 at the latest to reach 1.5 degrees global warming, to follow those rational paths that...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

  • General Notes
    /
Read More

Student skimp on food to pay rent on cold, mouldy flats

Radio New Zealand has really done an excellent job of summarising the plight of New Zealand university students—all in less than four minutes. Listen here, to hear how bad it...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Jul 2022

  • General Notes
    /
Read More

Think twice about that wood burner

I still surprise Passive House folk when I point out it’s better to use a heat pump than a wood burning fireplace for heating. It’s better for their clients’ health,...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Apr 2022

  • General Notes
    /
Read More

Cold bedrooms make people sick

I know folks who still argue for not heating bedrooms. They love kids but just refuse to believe the research. Cold bedrooms make kids more likely to be sick with...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

  • General Notes
    /
Read More

Passive House for my mom

Awesome to see Architecture New Zealand linking to this great video primer on Passive House from Dave Borlace, who publishes a channel on climate and sustainable energy on You Tube....

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Jul 2022

  • General Notes
    /
Read More

First Bushland Park homes certified, go up for auction

The certification of 8 and 10 Bushland Place is a milestone the entire Passive House community in New Zealand should celebrate. These are the first certified Passive House homes to...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

  • General Notes
    /
Read More

UK progress on Passive House

The UK is way ahead of New Zealand in terms of numbers of certified Passive House buildings so it’s certainly instructive to see what we can learn. A recent article...

by ike saniel

Updated: Mar 2022

  • General Notes
    /
Read More

Passive House social housing transformative for NYC tenants

Passive House social housing in New York City is taking off, according to this Guardian feature story. Two things stand out: the extent of the uptake (dozens of affordable Passive...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2022

  • General Notes
    /
Read More

Evaluating embodied carbon of solar panels

Elementa Consulting has released a very easy to follow report on a very complex topic: how good are PV panels and what matters when you consider their embodied carbon? The...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2022

  • General Notes
    /
Read More

Time for deep retrofits

MBIE’s Building for Climate Change programme is going to drive greater energy efficiency in new buildings. Among other things, it will introduce actual performance modeling for New Zealand buildings. This...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Feb 2022

  • General Notes
    /
Read More

Luggate Hall delayed

It’s a shame to hear about delays in construction to Luggate Hall but supply chain issues are a huge issue across the industry. Delays in shipping the Passive House certified...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Feb 2022

  • General Notes
    /
Read More

Zero-energy building sector vital to addressing climate change

Buildings have a big role in addressing climate change. This nice and short technical paper shows how reducing consumption is the only way to address climate change that does not...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

  • General Notes
    /
Read More