Guidance
The Passivhaus Trust provides guidance on Passivhaus in the UK. Our Technical Panels & Working Groups gather information and experience of emerging issues, as more Passivhaus buildings are built, occupied and monitored. Our aim is to raise awareness of the standard, and to ensure its integrity as it is applied in the UK. You can download our latest reports, presentations and briefing papers from the list below. Passipedia is another valuable Passivhaus resource. Other Passivhaus publications can be found here.
Technical Guidance - Air-to-water heat pumps: The basics of energy efficiency
This short guidance note gives a comprehensive overview of the considerations that must be factored in when designing and specifying an air-to-water heat pump system.
Technical Guidance - Bespoke PER
This guidance note from the UK Certifiers' Circle provides answers to frequently asked questions about what PER is, how it relates to other metrics used in the UK, under what circumstances a bespoke PER criterion might apply, and how to check if it does.
Research Report - The right time for heat pumps in retrofit
There is an urgent imperative to decarbonise home heating, but we also need better housing that is more comfortable, healthier and cheaper to run. How do we enable heat pumps and fabric to work in synergy to maximum effect? This paper aims to answer the question by modelling heat pump installation at different levels of home retrofit.
Position Paper - Passivhaus as an alternative means of compliance to Future Homes Standard
Modelling undertaken by the Passivhaus Trust demonstrates that an all-electric certified Passivhaus Classic performs better than both options proposed for the Future Homes Standard (FHS) in the 2024 consultation, as well as providing many other benefits.
Technical Guidance - Moisture and EnerPHit
This paper introduces the challenges around moisture risk to borne in mind when tackling any retrofit project, and is essential reading for designers, as well as clients who are looking to inform themselves of the key issues and factors that will influence the project.
Technical Guidance - Steel in Passivhaus Construction
The integration of a steel frame for Passivhaus brings unique challenges. This paper draws on knowledge gained from the first steel frame Passivhaus projects in the UK to offer applied guidance and a best practice approach to high performance and Passivhaus steel buildings.
Technical Guidance - Passivhaus Certifier Scope of Services
This paper serves as a starting point for discussions and agreements between project teams and certification bodies regarding roles, responsibilities, and expectations for achieving Passivhaus certification. The scope of services it presents is designed to be adaptable and applicable to various project types and scales.
Position Paper - Overheating, Part O, and PHPP
PHPP is a proven tool for assessing overheating risk. It has already been deemed to satisfy Part O of the Building Regulations (England & Wales) by several Building Control services, and should be accepted as an alternative means of compliance in place of the 'simplified method' and the 'dynamic method' for single-family dwellings and simple building forms.
Technical Guidance - Dynamic Thermal Modelling for Summer Comfort
For multi-residential or non-residential buildings the Passivhaus Certifier may require dynamic thermal modelling to adequately evaluate summer comfort and overheating risk. This guidance from the UK Certifiers' Circle aims to establish a common approach to modelling, reporting and user handover in these scenarios.
Technical Guidance - UK Metrics Plugin for PHPP
This PHPP plugin, developed by PHT members DeltaQ, in just a few clicks will help project teams swiftly and easily check alignment with RIBA and LETI targets.
Position Paper - Future Homes Hub Contender Specifications for the Future Homes Standard
This position paper responds to the report 'Ready for Zero: Evidence to inform the 2025 Future Homes Standard - Task Group Report' by the Future Homes Hub. It addresses modelling inacurracies and puts forward four key recommendations for consideration.
Research Report - EnerPHit and PAS 2035/2030
Discover the similarities between EnerPHit and PAS 2035/2030 and how the two standards complement one another in this new technical paper authored by PHT member QODA's Dr Sarah Price.
Technical Guidance - Passivhaus Overlay for RIBA Plan of Work
A new tool to help streamline RIBA Plan of Work processes to optimise the delivery of Passivhaus projects, has just been launched.
Technical Guidance - Thermal bypass risks
Discover how to minimise thermal bypass risks during design and construction in this detailed technical review.
Research Report - Passivhaus and embodied carbon
The Passivhaus community is increasingly acknowledging and focusing on the issue of material choices and resource efficiency, demonstrated by the development of several carbon counting tools, including the embodied carbon PHribbon plug-in for PHPP.
Technical Guidance - Modelling assumptions for steel projects
The Passivhaus Trust has released this technical briefing note to guide the modelling assumptions required for steel frame projects, which is considered of immediate concern for teams involved in developing UK steel frame projects. A more detailed position paper will follow later in 2022.
Passivhaus Primers - Net Zero, Retrofit, Embodied Carbon
The Passivhaus Trust has previously published detailed guidance on Passivhaus and zero carbon and Passivhaus and retrofit. These four-page primers will give you a quick but comprehensive overview of the issues covered.
Research Report - Passivhaus Retrofit in the UK
This paper sets out why EnerPHit must form an essential part of our national Zero Carbon ambitions and advises how to develop an appropriate retrofit plan comparing different standards and guidance.
Technical Guidance - Modelling existing dwellings in PHPP Periodic Heating
The Passivhaus Trust has developed guidance accompanied by a PHPP plugin to calculate more representative monthly average internal temperatures for existing buildings and an overall average for the heating season. These temperatures can then be used in the PHPP heating demand calculation to achieve a more accurate indication of energy demand.
Technical Guidance - Keeping Cool: Avoiding overheating risks
Recent summer heatwaves and a heating climate have made us more aware than ever that the risk of overheating in both new and existing buildings demands attention. The Passivhaus Trust has developed detailed guidance accompanied by a PHPP plugin to address this risk.
Technical Guidance - Good practice guide to airtightness
We often take ventilation for granted; most buildings in the UK rely on draughts and leaks! Continuous fresh air & eliminating cold draughts is a key comfort factor for Passivhaus buildings. Often the steepest learning curve is reaching the airtightness target. Breathe easy with this new good practice guide.
Research Report - The Case for MVHR
A widely adopted rule-of-thumb suggests that MVHR systems are only effective in more airtight buildings. This paper seeks to challenge this convention and suggests that MVHR systems are, in fact, desirable in nearly all domestic situations, either new-build or retrofit.
Research Report - EPCs as efficiency targets
The effectiveness of using the EPC rating to drive energy efficiency is doubtful. To illustrate why, and to suggest an alternative, this paper sets out how EPCs work, their limitations and options that may produce better results.
Passivhaus Social Housing: Maximising benefits, minimising costs
This guide highlights significant synergies between the priorities of social housing providers and the multi-faceted benefits of successfully building and delivering Passivhaus homes. The aim is to explain why social housing providers should be aiming for Passivhaus and how to successfully implement the Standard.
Research Reports - Passivhaus Costs & Benefits
PHT costs & benefits guidance shows that innovation costs associated with early Passivhaus projects are now reducing as the methodology has become more widely adopted. Costs are expected to fall further once the Standard is adopted at scale.
Research Report - Passivhaus the route to zero carbon?
How do we ensure Zero Carbon targets result in zero emission buildings? Many cities and regions are moving towards a Zero Carbon goal for new housing to achieve genuine emissions reductions. This paper analyses the definition of a Zero carbon building, and compares a notional building regulations Zero Carbon building with a Passivhaus Classic and renewables .
Technical Guidance - Good practice guide to MVHR for single dwellings
A good practice guide to MVHR, written by Dr Mich Swainson, Sally Godber & Andrew Farr, and peer reviewed by Kym Mead, Rupert Kazlauciunas, Nick Grant, Alan Clarke, Alex Baines, Jon Bootland and Mark Siddall.
Research Report - Post occupancy evaluation of certified Passivhaus homes in the UK
The Passivhaus Trust has been working with Rachel Mitchell, Bath University and WARM to analyse the performance of a number of certified Passivhaus dwellings in the UK.
Technical Guidance - Good practice guide to insulation
A good practice guide to insulation written by Will South, with input from: Jol Berg, Bill Butcher, Shelly Edwards, Clive Feather, Nick Grant, Kate de Selincourt, Mark Siddall & Peter Warm.
Technical Guidance - Passivhaus Building Certification
This guide, created by the Passive House Institute and updated in August 2021, explains what the certification process entails and the many benefits it brings to building projects.
Technical Guidance - Internal Heat Gains in relation to living areas
The new version of PHPP (9) incorporates new standard values for internal heat gains dependant on living areas in residential developments.
Technical Guidance - Passivhaus Capital Cost Research Project
To obtain a clearer picture of Passivhaus costs in the UK, AECOM, in conjunction with the Passivhaus Trust, has undertaken a research study into the capital cost of building to certified Passivhaus standards across a number of affordable housing projects in the UK, using a standardised cost tool to compare projects on a like for like basis.
Technical Guidance - Passivhaus Quality Assurance: Large & Complex Buildings
The need for this Quality Assurance guide has arisen from the rapid growth of the Passivhaus Standard within the UK and the recognition that with the increased volume, scale and complexity of building projects, that it takes an increasingly well structured quality assurance system to maintain the required standards of design and construction.
Technical Guidance - How to Build a Passivhaus: Good Practice Guide
Our latest publication highlights the key aspects of designing to the Passivhaus standard and the do's and don'ts on how to successfully build a Passivhaus.
Technical Guidance - Active for more comfort
This brochure from the International Passive House Association (ipha) is aimed at Property Developers, and clients
Technical Guidance - Internal Heat Gain Assumptions in PHPP
Passivhaus experts Nick Grant and Alan Clarke highlight that Passivhaus tools can be improved and heat gain assumptions can lead to anomalies at extremes of building size and usage.
Technical Guidance - What it means to claim Passivhaus in the UK
This paper provides guidance on quality assurance measures that are required to meet the Passivhaus Standard in the UK.
Technical Guidance - Passivhaus Cost Template
A cost template to use when reporting the costs of Passivhaus, to create robust comparisons across a range of sites for both new build and retrofits.
Technical Guidance - Occupant Guidance Handbook
This document provides guidance for the industry on how to produce effective User Guidance aimed at non-expert occupants for Passivhaus and low energy buildings.
Getting Started
So you have heard about the fantastic benefits of the Passivhaus standard and would like to build of your own but don't know where to start.
Technical Guidance - Why choose Passivhaus?
This publication aims to address some of the questions that have been raised as a result, and to encourage developers and others to consider Passivhaus. It covers questions centring on 'Why choose Passivhaus' as opposed to another approach, and includes information about: costs, complexity, aesthetics, air quality, overheating, materials, embodied energy and usability.
Technical Guidance - Passivhaus: an Introduction
This guide provides an overview of the Passivhaus standard, its relevance in the UK and 12 certified Passivhaus projects
