What I saw at Thrive: a model Model

Everybody was talking about Model and with good reason. Conference organisers gave this property developer and its consultants a lot of time to talk about its concept and the work currently in...

Updated: Mar 2026

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NZ homes are still cold, damp and unhealthy

New Zealand homes are slightly less cold in winter compared to 20 years ago. More New Zealanders appear to be heating at least some bedrooms, some of the time, to...

Updated: Jan 2026

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Useful advice on avoiding household mould

The prevalence of mould in New Zealand houses is a disgrace but it’s also not unique, as this American paper in the latest ASHRAE journal makes clear. The author claims about a...

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....

Updated: Jul 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...

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...

Updated: Apr 2025

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Tech overview for ECCHO now available

The technical overview for the NZ Green Building Council Energy and Carbon Calculator for Homes is now available. The guide was put together by me and NZGBC’s Sam Archer. It’s...

Updated: Mar 2025

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Primary Energy Renewable (PER) is misunderstood

There are many factors that impact the amount of energy generated by a specific renewable energy system on a day-to-day basis. But none of that matters for PH Plus or...

Updated: Jul 2025

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Help coming for PHPP heat pump worksheet

Every Passive House designer who has modelled in PHPP10 knows what a pain it’s become to enter heat pump data. To solve this, we’re developing a heat pump webinar with...

Updated: Jan 2025

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What’s to like in the MBIE H1 consultation document?

After painstakingly researching, consulting on and citing improvements to thermal performance in the NZ Building Code for years, MBIE was directed by its incoming minister to investigate rolling back changes....

Updated: Dec 2024

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Wanted: Passive House champions

We want more Passive House champions! Resources will be released this summer to make it easier for select professionals to present the benefits and details of the Passive House standard....

Updated: Dec 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...

Updated: Nov 2024

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Climate data resource page

For Passive House calculations members of iPHA can use their tool to generate files for PHPP An indicative climate file can be generated here with this tool. Remember that the file is defined...

Updated: Mar 2026

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ByggaF standard addresses moisture risks in a systematic process

I field questions often that go something like, what is the best way to build a CLT roof or an ICF window install or handle a three-way junction between heavy...

Updated: Oct 2024

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Temperature extremes impact personal productivity

This idea that productivity at work is linked to comfortable temperatures has been studied for many years. There’s plenty of data we can draw on to make the case for...

Updated: Oct 2024

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Ways to earn continuing education credits

Did you know your PHINZ/APA membership gives you access to leading international educational material from iPHA? And if you watch iPHA’s webinars live or very soon after, you’ll earn Passive...

Updated: Oct 2024

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designPH course now available on-demand

You can supercharge your designPH skills and improve your Passive House energy modelling whenever it suits you: our short course is now available on-demand. This is particularly useful for anyone...

Updated: Dec 2024

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Roofing detail provides for ventilation and adequate insulation

This detail is a good example of how to have a thin roofline but still sufficient insulation for an R6.6 roof. The advice may vary for a specific project, but...

Updated: Mar 2026

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