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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...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Jul 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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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...

by Jessica Eyers

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....

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Dec 2024

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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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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....

by Jessica Eyers

Updated: Dec 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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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...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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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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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...

by Jason Quinn

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...

by Jason Quinn

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...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Oct 2024

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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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