Ngā Kāinga Anamata announced
Kāinga Ora’s first Passive House pilot project was a great milestone but we knew far more was in the works and today we are happy to be able to share...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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Passive House subdivision in Christchurch blazes a trail
Interesting perspective here on materials from an experienced builder of certified Passive Houses. Peter Bielski of Ethos Homes is a fan of panelisation—in a shed on site, in the case...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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ALL certified PH builds in NZ have been written up
Here’s a handy short cut to case studies on all certified Passive House projects in New Zealand to date. Phcert.nz will take you to the Sustainable Engineering website’s case study...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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PHPP10 launched
Update [June 2022] PHPP10 is now available in English. In case you hadn’t heard, PHPP10 was released at the 25th International Passive House conference in Wuppertal last month. That’s the...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Jun 2022
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Why bigger is easier
There’s still lots of talk about the cost premium to build a detached family home to the Passive House standard and how much that premium is. Let’s not overlook that...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Oct 2021
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We won’t get to zero carbon without energy efficient homes
It’s great to see this piece in popular media, outlining research that shows that, like the rest of the world, New Zealand’s path to a zero carbon future requires homes...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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Kāinga Ora will drive Passive House uptake across the whole building sector
Kāinga Ora’s announcement of its first Passive House pilot project, the 18-unit Bader Ventura apartment building in Mangere, Auckland, is receiving a lot of attention with stories running across national...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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‘Worlds Apart’ graphic depicts future pathways
I spend most of my waking hours focused on improving the performance of the buildings: for the sake of the humans who live, work and play within them and for...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Aug 2021
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Breaking news: Warmer, healthier homes are worth more
This recent Stuff story was a pretty well-considered look at whether improvements in thermal performance influence sale prices. I’ve covered this ground before, in my book and in this blog...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Jul 2021
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NZIA adds weight to call for better Building Code
In this high-profile recent opinion piece, Marcus Hogan (professional practice director at Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects), points out that even new homes built to meet the...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Jul 2021
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The take-back effect
Folks are illogical. Including me. I think a fizzy drink should cost about $1 and don’t want to pay more—but $5 for a coffee is alright. Weird. Well it turns...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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Passive House performance would fix the dry winter energy problem
The stumbling block to a fully renewable energy grid in New Zealand is what to do in a dry winter, when electrical demand peaks but there’s not enough water in...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Jun 2021
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Health burden of cold damp houses costs millions every year
I’ve often wondered in the past exactly what percentage of New Zealand’s health burden is due to our damp and cold homes. Well I obviously didn’t look in the right...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: May 2021
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Lessons from failed UK retrofit programmes
This excellent top-level round-up of multiple UK retrofit programmes sadly reveals how many were really poorly done. The most recent was a politically driven voucher system that lasted less than...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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Ireland nails affordable Passive House
They won’t win points for style, but these semi-detached, two-storey Irish homes fit seamlessly amongst their neighbours. This is a very familiar UK building style, now made better: both Passive...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: May 2021
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MBIE responds to climate change consultation
MBIE has provided its initial feedback based on consultation with industry on its “Building for climate change”. There are some promising signs from industry as the snapshot below indicates. We...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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Join US expert on marketing PH to homeowners
I’m looking forward to this seminar on how to effectively market Passive House and encourage those working on and designing Passive Houses to attend. This Zoom seminar is hosted by...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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More Passive House certifiers in NZ
Jason Quinn of Sustainable Engineering Ltd has been New Zealand’s sole Passive House certifier for five years but he’s no longer alone in the job. Toby Brooke and Sara Wareing...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Mar 2026
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