Passive House Certification

Quality Approved Certified Passive House

Quality assurance for a certified Passive House building involves three steps:

Step 1: The planner submits the completed PHPP (Passive House Planning Package) calculation with the complete planning documents including the relevant implementation details. These consist of a concept for airtightness and avoidance of thermal bridges as well as the building services concept with the corresponding building system components. The PHPP calculation and the submitted planning documents are checked for Passive House suitability by the certifier. Both residential and non-residential buildings can be certified. The criteria for Passive House buildings can be downloaded from: German: | Zertifizierungskriterien_gebaeude_de English: | Certification_criteria_residential_en English: | Certification_criteria_non-residential_en . (From autumn 2015 there will be only one document in English for residential and non-residential buildings according to the criteria in German) These criteria are valid for the following: large and small buildings, new as well as existing buildings, residential buildings as well as schools, kindergartens and nurseries, offices and administrative buildings, hotels and recreational facilities, etc. For criteria relating to swimming pools, hospitals, cinema buildings, retails stores, production facilities and other special-use buildings, please contact the Passive House Institute at building.certification(at)passiv.de, or one of the PHI accredited certifiers. A list of these can be found | here . If the certifier is involved in the planning process at an early stage, mistakes can be avoided and support can be provided for optimisation.

Step2: The PHPP calculation and the drawings and plans are updated by the planner according to the actually executed construction work and submitted. These include the appropriate evidence of the components used, documentation of flow rate adjustment of the ventilation system and the airtightness test report. During the construction process, the construction manager checks the quality of the work in his visits to the construction site, and with his signature guarantees the execution of the work in accordance with the submitted documents.

Step 3: The PHPP calculation and the updated documents are finally examined by the certifier and if the requirements have been met, the corresponding certificate is issued by the certifier together with the appropriate house plate and documentation. If desired, the building details will be published on the Passive House Institute's website at | Passive House projects

There are 3 different certification classes. These are differentiated as follows:

Passive House – classic: this is the familiar approach which has been used for the last 20 years (PHPP verification, heating and cooling energy less than 15 kWh(m2/year), and what is new an annual primary energy demand from renewables sources of less than 60 kWh(m²/year) – used to be 120 kWh(m²/year) from mixed sources (fossil and renewables).

The Passive House Plus, has the same heating and cooling demand as Passive House classic, but in which additional energy is generated, such as from photovoltaics. Such buildings are said to produce more than 60 kWh/m² (ground area) from renewables sources and have a renewable primary energy demand of less than 45 kWh/m² (treated floor area).

The Passive House Premium class is designed for the avant-garde. Those buildings are in their basic construction still Passive Houses, but are said to produce annually more than 120 kWh/m² (ground area) from renewables sources and have a renewable primary energy demand of less than 30 kWh/m² (treated floor area). They are far more ambitious than the other classes. | Passive House classes

Because it is not always possible to achieve Passive House Standard (new construction) for refrubishement of existing buildings, even with adequate funds, the Passive House has developed the

“EnerPHit – Quality-Approved Energy Retrofit with Passive House Components” Certificate. The criteria you can download here: | Certification_criteria_enerphit_en

Many more details you find on Passipedia - The Passive House Resource and on the webpage of the |Passive House Institute