News & Articles

The Committee on Climate Change said: “The Government should act now to set an ambitious trajectory of standards, regulations and targets for new homes, ensuring they are fit for 2050...

05 April 2019 Passive House Plus’ Kate De Selincourt: New housing should be to passive house standard — Climate Change Committee

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Apr 2019

Building codes that ensure dwellings are built to a high standard of performance are an obvious move when thinking about reducing loads. “The cheapest time is when you first build,...

4 April 2019 The Fifth Estate’s Willow Aliento: Airconditioning needs to innovate to stop climate change and keep us cool

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Apr 2019

These provincial communities need better housing and outdoor air quality as well. “There is strong evidence that Taumarunui has a pool of housing that does not meet reasonable standards and...

04 April 2019 Devdiscourse News Desk: Investment of $2.1 million into housing announced for Taumarunui and Te Kuiti

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Apr 2019

“Many homes in New Zealand are cold and damp, which creates the perfect environment for asthma and allergy triggers such as mould. To help reduce this impact during the colder...

04 April 2019 Scoop Media World Allergy Week: Why healthy homes are important

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Apr 2019

You would think this is rare and something that you need to go looking for but it is not abnormal in NZ The windows of the North East Valley flat stay...

29 March 2019 Stuff’s Hamis McNeilly: Former refugee family placed in damp Dunedin home feels abandoned

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Apr 2019

In order to certify your building as meeting the exacting Passive House Standard the certification standard “Criteria for the Passive House, EnerPHit and PHI Low Energy Building Standard, version 9f,...

MVHR commissioning in Certified Passive House Buildings (includes PHI Low Energy Building Standard and EnerPHit as well)

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

Certification Guidance

“A Beachlands house, the first Passive House Plus in New Zealand to be awarded a 10 Homestar built rating, has been put on the market for sale.Built in 2014, the...

21 March 2019 Scoop: Coastal Home for Sale Provides the Best in Energy Efficiency

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Apr 2019

This is a good top level summary of efforts around the world to do deep energy retrofits. These deep retrofits are one way to approach the fundamental issue of lock-in....

21 March 2019 The Fifth Estate’s David Thorpe: Ways to finance deep energy retrofits from around the world

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Apr 2019

Passive House Institute has released a climate morphing tool for use in examining future climates and building resilience. I’m particularly fond of this approach which simply takes an increased summer...

Future climate considerations in Passive House Planning Package (PHPP)

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Oct 2019

“I remember a young family who had about seven children, who told us they would often be taking a child to hospital at least once a week, due to the...

28 February 2019 The Gisborne Herald: Real Health Difference

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2019

With the government finally raising the standard for existing homes in an attempt to lower the horrible health impacts for tenants of cold homes there has been quite a bit...

27 February 2019 Warm Healthy Homes Related Blogs

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

We have a lot of homes to fix in NZ and Sustainability Trust is estimating that “100,000 rentals will be exempt from installing insulation due to the cost of accessing...

27 February 2019 Scoop: New healthy homes standards are just the beginning

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2019

“There is clear evidence to support minimum standards for indoor temperatures” “Housing quality has a tremendous impact on our health and wellbeing.” Content by Scoop....

26 February 2019 Scoop: New Rental Housing Standards put improving health outcomes

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2019

Good responses and ones I’ve heard in New Zealand as well. Change our building code in NZ to be equivalent to Passive House in a stepwise fashion; allowing the industry...

21 February 2019 The Fifth Estate’s Willow Aliento: Passive House and Three Deep Dives: Phil Harris, Erwin Boermans, Daniel Kress

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Feb 2019

“At least 16 years of leaks, and months of staff health concerns, preceded the closure of a Kāpiti Coast library due to dangerous mould.Despite visible white mould, dripping walls, rotting...

20 February 2019 Stuff’s Virginia Fallon: At least 16 years of leaks revealed for Kapiti library now closed due to mold

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Feb 2019

“PHPP Version 9.6 has now been tested pursuant to ASHRAE 140, which qualifies it as an acceptable energy modelling software under a variety of regulatory systems” This means that...

PHPP Version 9.6 has now been tested pursuant to ASHRAE 140

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2019

The South Pacific Passive House Conference in Wellington was epic and is going to help move the bar with high performance building in New Zealand and Australia. Andy pulled together...

20 February 2019 Envirotecture: South Pacific Passive House Conference 2019

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2019