Passivhaus upscaling in the UK & Ireland
Passivhaus is a good news story for Northern Ireland and across the UK and Ireland. That was the positive message that has come out of the joint UK & Ireland Passivhaus Conference held in Belfast this 7-8 October. With over 600 delegates joining over the two days, the conference celebrated the rapid growth of Passivhaus in Northern Ireland, and across the UK and Ireland. Northern Ireland Minister of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir was a keynote speaker at the conference and lent his support to the Passivhaus innovation and upscaling taking place.
The conference shared 5 key examples of rapid Passivhaus upscaling across the UK and Ireland:
- The biggest housebulders in Ireland and the UK are adopting the Passivhaus standard. Ireland's Cairn Homes and the UK's Baratt London have recently made commitments to deliver Passivhaus at scale.
- At least £315 million is currently invested in Northern Ireland's Passivhaus projects. Passivhaus student accommodation, college campuses, social housing, and swimming pools are among the major projects currently underway.
- 60% of all new Scottish schools are being designed using the Passivhaus methodology. Successful funding models have enabled rapid Passivhaus uptake by local authorities.
- Projects being built to the Passivhaus standard now account for approximately 1% of all new UK homes under construction. The Passivhaus Trust has set itself a target of getting to 10% all new homes in the next 5-10 years.
- London is becoming a Passivhaus hotspot. London Councils are delivering Passivhaus social housing at scale, with 3000+ homes in the pipeline, thanks to favourable policy drivers in the London Plan.
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Andrew Muir, Northern Ireland Minister of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs, said: "The Belfast Passivhaus Conference has brought a lot of much-needed climate positivity at a time of real progress. I was pleased to talk about the action we are taking in my Department in tackling climate emissions in a just and fair way that delivers benefits across society – as Passivhaus embodies. It has been great to spotlight the positive Passivhaus developments underway in Northern Ireland, which are creating new opportunities in a green economy. I'm very proud of my Department's adoption of the Passivhaus Premium standard for the £160m redevelopment of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) campuses and look forward to seeing that work progressing.”
Caroline Ashe Brady, Chairperson of Passive House Association of Ireland said: "The conference succeeded in shining a spotlight on the incredible upscaling of Passivhaus currently underway in Ireland and the UK. We know that the networking and connections made at the conference will resonate for years to come and help deliver even more of a Passivhaus multiplier effect."
Jon Bootland, Chief Executive of the Passivhaus Trust said: "Passivhaus is a good news story. It is a proven and practical solution. To have large-scale housebuilders adopting Passivhaus at scale, including Ireland's Cairn Homes and the UK's Barratt London, is a major step forward."
Find out more about Passivhaus in the UK and Ireland:
- UK: Passivhaus Trust: www.passivhaustrust.org.uk
- Ireland: Passive House Association or Ireland (covering the island of Ireland): phai.ie
Further information
UK + Ireland Passivhaus Conference 2025
Passivhaus for Educational Buildings
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Previous PHT story - On the sunny side of the street - new Passivhaus homes for Belfast - 1 August 2025
Previous PHT story - Scunthorpe SEND College targets Passivhaus - 1 August 2025
Previous PHT story: Major UK housebuilder to build Passivhaus for the masses – 20 May 2025
Previous PHT story - There's a new Passivhaus giant in the UK - 1 July 2025
Previous PHT story: The UK’s Passivhaus giants – 20 May 2025
Previous PHT story: London housing projects loom large - 15 December 2022
9th October 2025
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