What are Passivhaus Buildings?

Buildings designed, constructed, and certified to the Passivhaus standard are highly energy efficient, and at the same time provide high levels of comfort for occupants. The Passivhaus standard can be applied to any and all building types, not just domestic and residential construction.

The rigorous scientific principles that underpin the Passivhaus concept can make the standard seem like a performance standard only, but it is, first and foremost, a comfort standard. It’s not uncommon for people to say that a building follows the principles of the standard, and in this course, we’ll explore what they might mean by that and why it might not deliver the desired result.

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

1. Understand what makes a Passivhaus building passive and how it focuses heavily on the planning and layout
2. Understand how a Passivhaus building is created and how quality is assured