Grasping the thistle! UK Passivhaus Conference 2023

‘Scotland leads the way’ was the theme for the biggest UK Passivhaus Conference to date, attended by over 600 delegates (in-person & online) this October. Edinburgh University’s lofty McEwan Hall was an impressive (if non-Passivhaus) venue for celebrating all that Scotland is doing to deliver buildings to the Passivhaus (or equivalent) standard. A keynote speech from Scottish Government Minister Patrick Harvie, school masterclasses, and Passivhaus site tours were among the highlights of the two-day event.

Scottish equivalent of Passivhaus standard

Keynote speaker Patrick Harvie MSP, Scottish Government Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights, gave an update on how the ‘Scottish equivalent to the Passivhaus standard’ policy is developing. A cross-industry working group is currently working through the fine details, with a thorough consultation on the proposals due to begin in 2024.

This is the first time the Passivhaus standard (or equivalent) would be adopted on a national level (previous examples of Brussels, Vancouver, Massachusetts, and Heidelberg have been on a municipality level).

As well as policy scaling up a Passivhaus equivalent standard in Scotland, the event examined & explored the practical aspects, with discussions on standards, tools, certification, quality assurance, and expanding Passivhaus training and the supply chain. Encouragingly, over 30% of Scottish Section 6 Certifiers already have Passivhaus training or experience. They could play a pivotal role in the transition to Passivhaus levels of quality assurance.

Scottish showcase

There was much positivity and buoyancy about the Scottish policy throughout the conference. It is reinforced by the impressive number, scale, & diversity of Scottish Passivhaus projects already underway. From schools to social housing, steel frame to cross laminated timber (CLT). The Scottish showcase gave a brilliant snapshot. Projects included Fife Council’s super-sized 23,000m2 Dunfermline Learning Campus & Midlothian Council’s ambitious social housing programme delivering 200+ Passivhaus council homes.

35 Passivhaus Scottish schools and counting! The masterclass focused on schools, celebrating the Scottish Futures Trust funding mechanism that rewards proven building performance and is driving the uptake of Passivhaus educational buildings. The programme featured Scotland’s first Passivhaus school Riverside Primary School for Perth & Kinross Council, and the City of Edinburgh Council’s Passivhaus schools programme.

An innovative funding mechanism from the Scottish Futures Trust has encouraged the building of schools to the Passivhaus standard in Scotland. Projects receiving funding need to meet a clear energy target. Funding may reduced based on any performance gap post-completion. The Passivhaus standard effectively eliminates the performance gap, de-risking the securing of funding. It has been impressive how swiftly the industry, supply chain, and clients have adjusted to delivering to the Passivhaus standard in the education sector.

Sarah Lewis, Research & Policy Director, Passivhaus Trust

The 15-strong Passivhaus exhibition also gave a great sense of products & suppliers.

2023 UK Passivhaus Conference Exhibition

Cultural shift & collaboration

Scoring highly in the conference survey question: What is the most important factor in delivering Passivhaus equivalent for all new homes in Scotland?; There were many references to Passivhaus harbouring a cultural shift within the Scottish construction industry. There is increased early-stage collaboration with the design team and the reduction of blame culture, a far cry away from typical UK construction.

It was inspiring to hear from Tier 1 contractors stepping up to embrace Passivhaus in Scotland, particularly the collaboration between contractors to develop a training rig for steel construction in a joint venture between BE-ST, Morrison Construction, Robertson Construction, Kier, Balfour Beatty & Morgan Sindall. Discussion groups to share technical detailing and construction methods among the large contractors was another example of this openness of the Passivhaus community.

Site culture is changing in other ways. We heard testimonials from Morrison Construction and Robertson Construction. Working to the Standard has positively impacted mental health of the building team, who found working on a Passivhaus inspiring and empowering.

UK Passivhaus Conference 2023. Image credit: Ian Skinner

As always, the sense of community and shared purpose was inspiring. The opportunity to catch up & exchange ideas with practitioners nationally highlights a lifelong journey of learning & improving for many. Challenges are looming, but it is carthatic to pause and reflect on how far we have come.

At the start of my passivhaus journey in 2006, a UK Passivhaus conference hosting a government minister citing commitments to good quality construction at large scale was only a dream. But change starts with dreams.

Kirsty Maguire, Kirsty Maguire Architect

Thank you to all our conference sponsors, speakers, site tour participants, & delegates. We look forward to doing it all again next year - watch this space!

Thank you to our conference sponsors

We are grateful to our sponsors and are inviting you to visit their webpage by clicking on their logo and also visiting their exhibition stands live at the Passivhaus Conference.