20191104_UniversityOfOtagoWellington_ImprovingHousingStandardsForCoBenefitsForEnergyEfficiencyCarbonMitigationAndHealth

2019 November 4 University of Otago Wellington: Improving Housing Standards for Co-Benefits for Energy Efficiency, Carbon Mitigation and Health

The Public Health Summer School symposium on 11 February will be eye-opening and I recommend you attend. This is the team that made the Healthy Home Guidelines a political reality...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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20191031_Stuff_OnTheLadder:BuildingAPassivehouseOnFirst-HomeBudget

2019 October 31 Stuff: On the Ladder: Building a Passive House on First-Home Budget

“But how much will it cost?”. Anyone involved with Passive Houses hears that question a lot. Ross Brown of eHaus reckons an extra 20%, according to this article. I’ve also...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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20191031_ChapmanTripp_ClimateChangeRisk–ImplicationsForNewZealandCompanyDirectorsAndManagedInvestmentSchemeProviders

2019 October 31 Chapman Tripp: Climate Change Risk – Implications For New Zealand Company Directors And Managed Investment Scheme Providers

Chapman Tripp – Legal opinion – October 2019 This is pretty intense when you realise the implications of this legal opinion. Directors of companies and/or investment schemes have a ‘legal...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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20191029_EveryBuildingCounts-TimeTOTackleTheLaggards

2019 October 29 The Fifth Estate: Every Building Counts – Time To Tackle The Laggards

Profitable carbon savings through better buildings …  it’s a strategy we hear about more and more. I love hearing all these policy options: but I hope that the changes proposed...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 October 28: We Need The Building Code Fixed

2019 October 28: We Need The Building Code Fixed

In my opinion, the energy provisions in H1 are not fit for purpose. As Kylie Mills writes, “To make buildings better … the quickest way is for regulations to change.”...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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20191025_InternationalPassiveHouseAssociation_10TypesOfBuildingsThatAreCertifiedPassiveHouse

2019 October 25 IPHA: 10 Types Of Buildings That Are Certified Passive Houses

Cool list of 10 types of buildings that are certified passive houses that you might not consider as ‘houses’. Remember the standard is an energy performance and quality standard and...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 October 24 Stuff: DIY Rammed-Earth Passive House Involves Plenty Of Sacrifice

It’s great to see the progress Rochelle and Joel have made on their home. I grew up with a DIY-builder father, so I know how disruptive it can be to...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 October 21 Passive House Institute : Two New Zealand Window Manufacturers Win Certified Component Awards At The International Passive House Conference (China 2019)

I was happy to accept the TWO awards for Thermadura (Dunedin) and SEDA (Auckland) for their certified timber aluminium window systems. This is an incredibly competitive event and I was...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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2019 October 18 ASHRAE: Drop It Low: 2019 LowDown Showdown Winning Design Increases Resiliency, Minimizes Environmental Impact

This is another example of the ongoing shift from an engineering focus on saving energy to saving carbon. In order to do this properly, system engineering needs to be emphasized...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 October 16 The Fifth Estate: Passivhaus Social Housing Project Wins Stirling Prize For Architecture

2019 October 16 The Fifth Estate: Passivhaus Social Housing Project Wins Stirling Prize For Architecture

Great article by Australia writer David Thorp on a Passive House social housing project in the UK. Delightful, lovely, socially connected and award-winning Passive House homes. “Mikhail said that he...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 October 16 Stuff: ‘Heavy Burden’ Of Living In Mouldy And Damp Homes, Landlords Still Installing Insulation

“When the family bought their home, it was newly built. Over time, they saw mould on the ceiling and their roof began to leak, damaging their insulation. Their children began to...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 October 16: News just in from China

Jason Quinn reported back from the 23rd International Passive House Conference: “Technical PH people used to talk about saving energy—but at the conference, I kept hearing about saving carbon. That’s...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Oct 2019

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2019 October 15 The Fifth Estate: Passive House Celebrated at Victorian Premier’s Sustainability Awards

“Passive House certified accommodation for Monash University students has taken out the Built Environment category at this year’s Victorian Premier’s Sustainability Awards held in Melbourne last week.” I expect that...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 October 7 Stuff: Regulation Needed To Push Owners To Reduce Fossil Fuels In Buildings, Expert Says

2019 October 5 Stuff: Regulation Needed To Push Owners To Reduce Fossil Fuels In Buildings, Expert Says

“Government regulation will be needed to achieve net-zero carbon buildings says architectural engineering professor Larry Bellamy.” Let’s hope those regulations are good ones that take building physics into account and...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 October 1 Build: How Airtight Do Houses Need To Be

This article doesn’t really come to a conclusion other than the old rule of thumb of divide the blower door ACHn50 by 20 to determine the average infiltration is not...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 October 1 Build: Energy Poverty In New Zealand

Paying utility bills is a stretch for many New Zealand households. As we move to a low-carbon economy, a raft of measures may be necessary to ensure that energy costs...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 September 30 Passive Houses on Energy Efficiency

80-90% heating energy reduction (well for those that could afford to heat their homes) saves energy, CO2 and costs less over the lifespan of the building than building to the...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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2019 September 27 AU Codes to Zero Carbon

Built to Perform: An Industry Led Pathway to a Zero Carbon Ready Building Code 3 July 2018 Improved energy performance of buildings presents a win-win-win opportunity, reducing stress on the...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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