Passivhaus Trust Activities

To meet our main aims, the Trust runs a core programme of activities:

Education and training

The Trust runs several educational events throughout the year from beginners seminars to extensive training for Passivhaus professionals and everything in between. Regularly visit our events listing and sign up to our mailing list to get the latest on upcoming activities.

Our events offer an opportunity to expand your knowledge, network and discover Passivhaus products and services. Catch us exhibiting at a trade show, celebrating the best at an awards ceremony, or sharing the latest knowledge at a Masterclass. The UK Passivhaus Conference is our largest event cumulating at the end of the year, and the International Passivhaus Conference is a unique opportunity to connect with Passivhaus practitioners worldwide.

Core Annual Programme

SPRING International Passivhaus Conference: Passivhaus is a global standard. Advanced lessons from what others are accomplishing worldwide. Ecobuild: The Trust exhibit& deliver seminars at Futurebuild, the giant sustainable design and construction trade show in Excel, London.	SUMMER UK Passivhaus Awards: The only awards dedicated to celebrating exemplar UK Passivhaus schemes. Biennial event with a unique awards ceremony focused on knowledge exchange as finalists vie for the delegates' vote.  Passivhaus Masterclass: Aimed at experienced Passivhaus practitioners with in-depth training materials and exercises.
AUTUMN UK Passivhaus Conference: The Conference is aimed at intermediate to advanced level Passivhaus knowledge. The Expo that runs alongside it offers something for beginners. The Passivhaus Student Competition gives architecture, engineering & planning students a creative vehicle to learn about Passivhaus and apply the Standard to their own designs.	WINTER     UK Passivhaus Open Days: Part of the International Passive House Open Days, this three-day event offers the opportunity to visit Passivhaus projects nationwide. PHT New Year Debate: A light-hearted (belated Christmas) event with a topical Passivhaus theme. Technical Panel: Passivhaus experts and Patron members decide on future working group topics.

PHT members receive discounted attendance rates for all our events and many of our partners’ events. The Trust run networking opportunities such as seminars, site visits and informal gatherings throughout the year.

Research and guidance

The Passivhaus Trust organises a Technical Panel of industry experts to participate with ongoing working groups. The key aim of the technical working groups is to investigate detailed aspects of applying Passivhaus in the UK. The findings from these working groups will result in a series of technical & introductory guidance notes, aiming to ensure the integrity and success of Passivhaus buildings in the UK. Several introductory guides are available for Passivhaus beginners as a free download. Technical information can be found in our guidance and knowledge base sections. 

Working groups

Current technical working group topics include:

• Costs and Benefits: PHT will be setting up a steering group for the new ‘Costs and Benefits’ guide which has been sponsored by Hastoe Housing Association, Saint-Gobain, Ecology Building Society, Econekt and Ashden. The steering group will also include Aecom and independent experts.

  The ‘Costs and Benefits’ guide will form two main sections. The first section will demonstrate the value to health, the local economy and wider zero carbon policies for one-off and mid-large developments, with the second section focusing on the benefits to operational and ongoing maintenance costs, whole life costing and procurement approaches and associated risks

• Certification: The Certification group which is now part of the PHT Working Group programme includes Etude, MEAD, WARM and a member of the PHI certification team. The aim of this group is to discuss arising issues and inform the PHT board and other working groups on potential research opportunities. 

Guidance documents and protocols

Via the Technical Panel meeting in January and through our internal technical team and advisers, PHT identifies areas that need further research and technical guidance documents. We are currently developing a suite of good practice technical guides which include:

• Large and Complex Buildings – Mark Siddall
• Summer Comfort – Nick Grant and Mark Siddall
• Insulation – Will South and Bill Butcher
• MVHR  – Sally Godber, Mich Swainson, & Andrew Farr

For an extensive list please visit or guidance library - Also currently in development:

• Zero Carbon paper

• Costs & benefits guide

All guides are peer reviewed by the PHT/iPHA technical group.

Campaigns and policy

As well as providing the advice and support described above, the Passivhaus Trust works to promote uptake of Passivhaus in the UK. This may be based on informal engagement with Government organisations and their consultation processes, but will also involve more active promotion of the Passivhaus standard, particularly:

• Investigating integration of the Passivhaus standard with UK national and local policy
• Producing guidance and tools tailored for different Passivhaus audiences
• Ensuring quality of buildings claiming Passivhaus standards in the UK

In addition, the Trust will work with partners to promote Passivhaus more generally, including to planners, clients, local authorities, architects, engineers, housing associations and others.

Passivhaus goes Personal is an ongoing campaign aimed at the custom & self-build market and Passivhaus Social is targeted towards encouraging housing providers to discover the benefits of building to the Passivhaus Standard and the challenges to embrace for future social housing.