Heat pumps a great choice for high-performance homes

Heat pumps are suitable for every climate zone in New Zealand, even the coldest, and they are the most efficient source of heating and cooling. Don’t buy crappy ones. New...

by Rachel Rose

Updated: Mar 2026

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RNZ Explores Barriers to Passive House

RNZ presenter Kathryn Ryan asked some very good questions in a recent interview about whether all new social housing in New Zealand should be built to the Passive House standard....

by Rachel Rose

Updated: Aug 2020

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Even a ‘green grid’ has a carbon cost

We can’t solar panel our way out of climate change: energy demand must fall as well. And especially in the winter, when less solar energy is available! This alone is...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Nov 2023

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Barriers to Passive House and how to solve them

RNZ presenter Kathryn Ryan asked some very good questions in a recent interview about whether all new social housing in New Zealand should be built to the Passive House standard....

by Rachel Rose

Updated: Jul 2020

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Cooking with gas is like idling a car in your kitchen

This story about the American Gas Association promoting gas cooking via Instagram influencers makes me cringe. “Every time you ignite a gas stove, you’re filling your home with many of...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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Yes! MBIE action on climate change for building sector

Finally, it’s been published. This company has been working on better buildings to address climate change since 2011 and MBIE’s announcement today is definitely causing celebration in our office. It’s...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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iPHA Passive House tour time!

And this year it is virtual. OK, it’s not the same as getting our grubby fingers on everything but there are significant benefits to seeing inside Passive Houses around the...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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Welcome media attention on improving NZ homes

Stuff ran an impressively long and well-researched story on Passive House and the need for net-zero buildings this week; it’s well worth a read in its entirety and a plug on...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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Choose gas for cooking? Please don’t.

I recommend against combustion devices in homes—all of them. Using gas to cook is particularly bad, with health impacts related to the indoor air pollution it causes. (American think tank...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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Calculating embodied carbon: live presentation at the NAPHA virtual conference

The North American Passive House Network is hosting a virtual conference next month. The tickets are cheaper and you save all those carbon emissions by not flying. Hopefully, you bought...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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Reality check: PHPP accuracy in the real world

I’m sometime asked just how accurate PHPP’s models are. This great paper quantifies it. “Are the energy savings of the passive house standard reliable? A review of the as-built thermal...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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Top 10 tricks for PHPP speed and ease

Tech Tips with Toby PHPP is the software Passive House designers use to model the performance of buildings—before they are built. It’s a front-end on an Excel spreadsheet. Now, most...

by Toby Brooke

Updated: Jun 2021

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External insulation facade solutions: thermal facade clips

I’ve been asked about improving the performance of larger buildings. This often requires an external insulation facade solution but getting it right is not always obvious. I’m a fan of...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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New design choices possible in Queenstown and Wellington

Thermal comfort targets have been revised by the Passive House Institute for use in PHPP. Passive House certification requires that windows and doors meet specified thermal comfort targets*. This requirement...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Jun 2021

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Look back and celebrate: 8 years of PH in NZ

It’s eight years since the first New Zealand home was certified as a Passive House. That distinction went to the aptly named PH1NZ in Auckland. (Notable second was a more...

by Rachel Rose

Updated: Aug 2020

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Attend the North American PH conference virtually

The North American Passive House Network annual conference will be a great event—and way cheaper than normal due to being virtual. The bad news is the timing sucks for Australia...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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Owl Woods PH nails a design-stage retrofit for performance

Check out a beautiful project from across the Tasman, the Owl Woods Passive House. It’s the 10th certified Passive House in Victoria, Australia and it’s won or still a finalist...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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Great Passive House primer (includes eye candy and clear diagrams!)

This is a lovely summary of Passive House, written up as a Q&A with an American architect. There’s mention of an intriguing North American connection to the genesis of Passive...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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