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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Highlights from NZGBC Green Property Summit 2024

I attended the NZGBC Green Property Summit this month. Several presentations stood out. The first was by Sam Archer, who spoke immediately before the Minister of Climate Change—Sam sure put...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2024

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Off-grid PV systems are not carbon-friendly

It’s common for Passive House homes to have solar panels on their roofs. Every Passive House Plus or Passive House Premium project has to generate at least as much energy...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2024

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First US EnerPHit hotel is a beauty

What did you do on your family winter break? I took mine to a PHI-certified EnerPHit hotel, the first of its kind in the US.  I really enjoyed our stay....

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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Design and build your own Passive House Premium off-grid home

  Maria’s Passive House is in select company whichever way you look at. Few New Zealand Passive projects are rural; only three are certified to Premium performance; it’s believed to...

by Rachel Rose

Updated: Jul 2024

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Wildfires also kill people through fine particulate pollution

This paper on PM2.5 pollution caused by wildfires estimates the number of Americans killed by wildfires—not the fire itself but the fine particulate pollution in the smoky air. It has...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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When must windows be open in your Passive House?

As any Passive House homeowner knows, you can open your windows and doors whenever you want. The mechanical ventilation is delivering fresh, filtered, pre-warmed (or cooled) air 24/7 which means...

by Rachel Rose

Updated: Jun 2024

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