Training for professionals
Passiefhuis-Platform offers for several years now a comprehensive passive house specific training possibilities for the building professionals in Flanders, including city of Antwerp.
The training program is called ‘building energy neutral’ and consists of three specific pathways: designers/planners, builders and calculators. Each of these pathways offers a number of individual courses that can be chosen as wanted. Typically, the courses are attended by architects, engineers, builders/contractors, facility managers and installers.
The course topics for building designers are:
- nZEB houses
- multi residential and non residential buildings
- highly energy efficient renovations
- insulation and thermal bridges in new buildings
- insulation and thermal bridges in renovation
- windows, window frames and sun shading
- building air-tight
- ventilation and indoor climate
- energy techniques including renewable techniques
- energy efficient lighting.
The course topics for builders are:
- Building nZEB in practice: basic principles
- Building nZEB in practice: building envelope
- Building nZEB in practice: techniques
- Practice course: ventilation
- Renovation for builders: windows and doors
- Renovation for builders: insulation and air-tightness
- Renovation for builders: HVAC
The course topics for calculators are:
- THERM: calculating thermal bridging for EPB and PHPP
- Basic PHPP, netto energy use calculation
- Advanced PHPP: primary energy calculation.
These courses are given in 3 locations in Flanders covering geographically and are available in 3-4 cycles per year.
All info on PHP trainings can be found at: http://www.passiefhuisplatform.be/artikel/pakketkorting-van-20-op-phps-opleidingsaanbod
Within PassREg a specific training offer was given to the important stakeholder AG VESPA, which is the authonomous building company of the city of Antwerp. To increase the local capacity of architects and engineers involved in the city development, PHP and AG VESPA started from the existing course offer and agreed on a training programme that meets their specific needs.
A meeting between PHP team and architects of AG VESPA (city of Antwerp) was organized to identify needs and opportunities. An analysis was made on basis of the specific training programme which was then suggested to be adapted to extent to suit local needs for passive house developments in the city.
As a result of this process, three type of courses on passive house buildings with renewable energy were selected:
- Single family houses
- Multi-family residential buildings
- Non residential buildings.
In each of these course topics, the PHP course was adapted to integrate their specific needs.
Namely, in the single family houses, special focus was included on to how to reach passive in cases where the site/building have non favourable orientation? How to design and build passive in densely urbanized city areas? Compact ventilation units and acoustic – best approaches?
In the multi-family residential buildings course, special focus was included on centralized vs decentralized heating systems; windows and doors (type of glazing, effects on heat gains per orientation; how to reach nZEB; controlling systems (ventilation)
In the non residential buildings, special focus was included on ventilation, especially aspects: how to select appropriate system? Types of control systems with pros and cons and financial consequences; ventilation systems maintenance; summer comfort and how to calculate them; windows and doors types, effects on heat gains per orientation; special type of windows and doors; passive cooling techniques; installations and their maintenance.
The training was delivered within PasREg project work in the second half of 2014. These courses are now available in the regular PHP training program for all professionals throughout Flanders.
