Certification

Over thirty years of experience demonstrates that the high levels of comfort and energy savings associated with the Passivhaus standard are achieved through independent quality testing. All certified Passivhaus buildings undergo a rigorous compliance process. Certification is also available for specific components, Designers/ Consultants & Tradespeople.

PROJECTS I PEOPLE I PRODUCTS

Projects

All proposed Passivhaus designs must undergo energy modelling in the Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP.) Tests ensure these targets are met, completing the quality assurance process. A certificate is only issued by a Passivhaus Certifier if the defined criteria have been met without exception.

A slightly relaxed standard has been created for retrofit projects - EnerPHit. Learn more about the different classes, Plus & Premium, which take into account renewable energy generation, and the certification process for Passivhaus buildings.

Passivhaus seal Certified EnerPHit seal

People

Designers / Consultants: Accreditation for designers / consultants who have the expertise to deliver Passivhaus buildings. The accreditation gives assurance of competence in PHPP, a design tool used to inform the design process and to assess or verify compliance with the Passivhaus standard. On qualifying, individuals will earn the title Passivhaus Designer if they also hold a relevant design qualification (for example, are an architect); otherwise they will earn the title Passivhaus Consultant. The qualification must be renewed every 5 years. This can be done by:

completing & submitting details of a Certified Passivhaus / EnerPHit building for which you are responsible for the Passivhaus design.
or via the accumulation of 100 PHI credit renewal points. A list of accredited training events can be found here.

To build on this Passivhaus training, additional advanced qualifications for Passivhaus Designers / Consultants are available including: PHPP Expert, Construction Verifier, Trainer, and Component Assessor. (See infographic below.) Join an upcoming training course to become a certified Passivhaus Designer / Consultant yourself.

Find a certified Passivhaus Designer / Consultant: If you can't find a UK Consultant via our members map, check a list of international certified Designers here.

Tradespeople: Certified Passivhaus Tradesperson Accreditation for contractors who have developed their basic building knowledge & understand key Passivhaus principles such as airtightness. The qualification must be renewed every 5 years. This can be done by:

completing a certified Passivhaus project & submitting adequate documentation
or via the accumulaton of 30 PHI credit renewal points. A list of accredited training events can be found here.

Additional advanced qualifications for Tradespeople are being developed including: Retrofit Expert and Site Supervisor. (See infographic below.) Join an upcoming training courses to become a certified tradesperson yourself.

Find a certified Passivhaus Tradesperson: If you can't find a UK contractor via our members map, check a list of international certified Passivhaus Tradespeople here.

Certifiers: To achieve certification, all Passivhaus projects must be signed off by an independent accredited Passivhaus Certifier. These organisations must be separate to the main design team and provide impartial verification that all Passivhaus criteria have been satisfied. More on this below. A Passivhaus Designer / Consultant accreditation does not qualify an individual to certify projects, and a Passivhaus Certifier cannot also act as the Passivhaus Designer / Consultant on the same project.

Products

Certified Passivhaus components have undergone independent uniform testing. This allows useful quick comparisons and eases the task for designers to confidently specify high-quality, energy-efficient products that will work best in their climates. Check the database of certified Passivhaus components.

Certified Passivhaus Component_ Warm, temperate climate

UK Certifiers Circle

Passivhaus Certifiers are individuals who have been internationally accredited by the Passive House Institute (PHI) to certify Passivhaus buildings, EnerPHit retrofits and PHI Low Energy Buildings anywhere in the world on behalf of the Passive House Institute and in accordance with their criteria. Details of Passivhaus Trust members & partners who are part of the UK Certifiers' Circle and offer certification services provided by an accredited Passivhaus Certifier can be found below:

How to become a Passivhaus certifier

The comprehensive list of all Passivhaus Certifiers worldwide is available on the Passive House Institute's website.

Further Information


Supplementary guidance to the criteria for the Passivhaus published by the Passivhaus Institute		To find out more about the training & software available, please download this certification guide produced by the Passivhaus Institute.