Retrofits are key to climate protection in the building sector. In order to support the uptake of retrofit solutions, the Passive House Institute’s 27th International Passive House Conference will take place with a focus on significantly improving the energy performance of existing buildings to the EnerPHit standard.
The conference will take place from 5 to 7 April in Innsbruck, Austria and it also includes a Passive House specialists' exhibition. The conference program is now online and the ticket shop is open. An early bird rate is available for anyone registering soon.
Numerous Passive House projects
Workshops will held in the run-up to the conference, including reliable events for creators and municipalities
The Passive House Institute invites to attend the 27th International Passive House Conference in the Austrian city of Innsbruck from 5 to 7 April 2024. The conference is being held in cooperation with the University of Innsbruck and will take place mainly on the university’s technical campus. The university building shown in the picture on the left has been modernized with highly energy-efficient Passive House components, making it a good showcase for the conference's focus on retrofits.
Excursions to the numerous Passive House projects in Innsbruck and the surrounding area of Tyrol will be offered on the third day of the conference (Sunday). Workshops will be held in the run-up to the conference, including dedicated events for designers and municipalities. Evening events for networking will round off the program.
Do not retrofit half-heartedly
The 27th International Passive House Conference will be inaugurated by climate scientist Diana Ürge-Vorsatz of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The event will be held under the auspices of Austrian Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler, who will also give a plenary speech.
Otherwise, neither the climate nor the people who have to pay for the energy bills will benefit
"Successful retrofits will bring us closer to our goal of dispensing with fossil fuels in the foreseeable future. If retrofits are carried out, they must not be done half-heartedly, instead they must be implemented to a high energy efficiency standard. Otherwise, neither the climate nor the people who have to pay for the energy bills will benefit," says Jan Steiger, a member of the management board of the Passive House Institute.
Fabric first
Steiger goes on to explain that a good level of energy efficiency significantly reduces the building's energy demand and peak loads. Occupants are no longer dependent on fossil fuels for heating or cooling, as a retrofitted building can be supplied more easily with renewable electricity, for example by means of a heat pump or a split air conditioning unit.
outPHit with EnerPHit
The program on 5 and 6 April 2024 includes a total of 12 presentation sessions. The focus will be on retrofit projects carried out to the highly energy-efficient EnerPHit standard. Numerous projects have been retrofitted with Passive House components as part of the EU project outPHit.
outPHit not only promotes highly energy-efficient and cost-effective modernizations but also serial retrofits using prefabricated building elements. Another outPHit session deals with quality control for reliably achieving a high level of energy efficiency in retrofits.
Passive House challenges and solutions
The 27th International Passive House Conference shows energy-efficient projects in inquiring climates
In addition to the retrofit focus, the 27th International Passive House Conference will present highly energy-efficient projects in challenging climates, learnings from exciting projects from the host country Austria, as well as various non-residential buildings built to the Passive House standard. Another series of lectures will deal with building services concepts.
The presentations will be held partly in German and partly in English, with simultaneous translation into English available for any originally German presentations.
Trade exhibition & further training
The conference also includes the Passive House specialists' exhibition: for two days in Innsbruck, manufacturing companies will present components for highly energy-efficient construction and refurbishment, including windows, products for airtightness, wall and roof constructions and ventilation units with heat recovery. The Passive House Institute will also have a general information booth at the trade exhibition.
The exhibition is open to everyone beyond the circle of conference participants as part of a free guided tour on the Saturday of the conference. The conference is an approved further training event. Those who purchase their conference ticket in good time will benefit from the discounted early bird rate available until 4 February 2024. Additionally, there is a special ticket offer for students.