Understanding Our Energy Use: The RBS as a Foundation

When we talk about how much energy our homes in Australia and New Zealand consume, chances are the data underpinning those discussions comes from the Residential Baseline Study (RBS). As highlighted in...

by ike saniel

Updated: Jan 2026

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Canada tackles the massive task of greening its buildings

We often look to other countries for examples and lessons learned in the push towards sustainable buildings. A recent article in Canada’s National Observer (July 2024) highlights the significant challenge and opportunity...

by ike saniel

Updated: Mar 2026

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Mapping residential heat demand and resulting emissions

This is a new paper by Jack et al looking at how residential space heating and hot water varies across New Zealand regions with a focus on the amounts and carbon emissions....

by ike saniel

Updated: Jan 2026

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Palmerston North’s first Passive House

Heartland city Palmerston North now has its very first certified Passive House project, Hokowhitu Passivhaus....

by Rachel Rose

Updated: Jul 2025

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Electrification is the future (and the future is now)

While electrification will drive up electrical consumption, it will simultaneously lead to a vast decrease in overall energy demand. This is primarily because of the far greater efficiency of electric...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Apr 2025

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Replicable design for energy-efficient homes in India

It’s interesting to see how other nations tackle energy efficiency in buildings. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)’s Handbook of Replicable Designs for Energy Efficient Residential Buildings in India provides...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Apr 2025

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Assessing feasibility of commercial PV generation

EECA recently published guidance for businesses weighing up commercial PV generation. As always, the devil lies in the detail, and understanding the methodology used to assess the viability of solar...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Apr 2025

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Visiting The House, a giant NYC Passive House housing complex

There’s so much to see in New York City, including lots of certified Passive House buildings. Here’s another side trip I did during last year’s family holiday. The House is...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Jan 2025

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Keep designPH up-to-date to avoid Passive House certification hitches

Passive House designers: do you know what version of designPH you are using? It’s important you are using, if not the latest version (2.2.24 at time of writing) then 2.1.15...

by Jessica Eyers

Updated: Jan 2025

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Owl Woods: complex form, superb Passive House performance

This Australian Passive House home is such a stunning departure from a simple rectangle and a great example of how complex forms can still be extremely energy efficient. It goes...

by Rachel Rose

Updated: Dec 2024

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Kara’s last tradies course

It was the end of an era last week, when Kara Rosemeier taught her last CET (certified Passive House tradesperson) in Auckland . Knowing Kara, hers will be a very...

by Jessica Eyers

Updated: Nov 2024

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Passive House buildings still need heating

Here in New Zealand climates, people living in certified Passive House homes need to turn the heater on sometimes. To me as a building scientist and Passive House certifier, this...

by Sara Wareing

Updated: Jan 2025

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H1 insulation requirements are not expensive

How much cost does upgraded insulation required under the revised H1 add to a new build? Much less than anecdotal figures bandied about in the media, according to some solid...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Nov 2024

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Wellington Passive House meet up

The Wellington chapter of PHINZ is hosting a social event on 3 December at the Southern Cross hotel. No presentations or talks, just a relaxed drink with friends and like-minded...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Nov 2024

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The independence of Passive House certifiers

Jessica Eyers was the architectural designer and Passive House designer for this month’s featured case study, a groundbreaking prefab straw home. Jessica ran her own architectural design company from 2012...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Nov 2024

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To advance Passive House, stop myth-busting and start reframing

Presentations by Jess Berentson-Shaw from The Workshop were a highlight of this and previous year’s PHINZ conferences. She offers science-based advice on how the Passive House community can most effectively...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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Why new H1 requirements impact rammed earth construction

The improvements introduced in 2023 to the H1 Energy Efficiency requirements of the New Zealand Building Code have implications for those wishing to build their homes from some natural building...

by Rachel Rose

Updated: Oct 2024

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PHINZ conference highlights solutions to NZ winter energy problem

PHINZ’s annual conference has just finished in Wellington—it was a great weekend and a welcome opportunity to catch up with colleagues-friends.  The programme dived deeply into carbon emissions and how...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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