Passive House Institute (PHI) - Experts & Thought Leaders

The planning phase is where all the important decisions are made before any deep renovation project is executed. outPHit is supporting building owners in this regard with its newly released Decision Support Tool. web-based tool The web-based tool guides energy-efficient renovation, allowing for a comparison of various retrofit concepts as they apply to the building in question. This makes it easier for those involved in the construction process to find a suitable retrofit concept for their building at the start of the planning phase. The Decision Support Tool is now available in English, free of charge. energy-efficient renovation The outPHit project partners have developed the Decision Support Tool in addition to guidelines and tools In an energy-efficient renovation, the individual renovation steps must be well coordinated so that energy consumption is significantly lower later on and living comfort is noticeably higher. The outPHit project partners have developed the Decision Support Tool in addition to guidelines and tools on various aspects of energy efficiency in renovation to support those wishing to renovate with an overview of the possible approaches. This provides owners as well as architects and planning experts with an initial overview of possible refurbishment approaches for the building in question during the initial planning phase. Providing orientation "With the variety of options for energy-efficient retrofits, those involved are often spoilt for choice. This is precisely where the Decision Support Tool comes into play, as it presents possible directions for the specific building right from the start. This makes it easier to decide on the next steps in the renovation process," explains the Passive House Institute’s Jan Steiger, project coordinator of outPHit. “Highly efficient components also used in building modernization make it possible to achieve the EnerPHit standard, the efficiency standard for renovations with Passive House components," Steiger continues. A solid foundation The tool only requires very general and easy-to-access information about the building such as construction year, basic floor plan, orientation, and construction method. Users can also indicate the importance of energy efficiency, sustainability, and costs within the framework of the renovation project. The Decision Support Tool then presents various conceptual solutions for energy improvements and their respective effects as well as further information on high energy efficiency. The tool’s results thus provide a basis for further planning with energy consulting experts. Free to use The Decision Support Tool is available free of charge on the outPHit website and in the Passive House Institute's Passipedia knowledge database.

Every building can be renovated to be energy efficient, and every renovation step counts. This will be demonstrated at the 27th International Passive House Conference, which will begin immediately after Easter. Retrofit. Have an impact Following its focal theme, 'Retrofit. Have an impact', the conference will present the successful transformation of buildings with high energy consumption into climate-friendly structures with low energy costs and high living comfort.  There will also be excursions and workshops, including a free offer for municipalities. The trade exhibition with Passive House components is also open to the public on both days.  EnerPHit standard Numerous international examples of retrofits to the EnerPHit standard will be presented. The modernization of all these buildings has been combined with highly energy-efficient Passive House components. The contrasts in some of these buildings are especially fascinating. The Mayerhof building in Tyrol, which is over 300 years old, was modernized using Passive House components, as was the Hotel Marcel in Connecticut, USA, not far from Yale University. The striking office building from the 1960s is now a climate-friendly hotel with a high level of indoor comfort for its guests.

Residents are opening their Passive House buildings for the 20th time. Interested parties can see the benefits of high energy efficiency for themselves. Passive House Open Days The Passive House Open Days will again take place on the second weekend in November. From 10 to 12 November 2023, many buildings around the world will be open to the public. Residents also present their homes in a video. In Germany, among other activities, there is a workshop on highly energy-efficient school buildings. These were predominantly realized with prefabricated building elements and therefore also promise a shorter construction time.  energy efficiency The tried and tested concept of open days in Passive House buildings makes it easy to see the benefits It is still worthwhile focussing on high energy efficiency: These buildings offer a high level of living comfort while keeping energy costs low. Climate protection also benefits from the significantly reduced energy consumption of the buildings. The tried and tested concept of open days in Passive House buildings makes it easy to see the benefits. Residents are invited to their homes and pass on their own experiences with highly energy-efficient construction and refurbishment directly to the visitors.  Better buildings Over the past 20 years, many people have used this opportunity to find out more about Passive House buildings and buildings that were retrofitted to the EnerPHit standard using Passive House components. In addition to the low demand for heating energy in winter, good thermal insulation is also an advantage in summer, when it helps to keep the heat outside. The advantages are obvious "The fact that the Passive House Open Days have been inspiring people for 20 years now is impressive," explains Sabine Stillfried from the International Passive House Association (iPHA).  Sabine Stillfried adds, "We very often receive feedback that this event in particular has persuaded building families to construct or retrofit their building even more efficiently than originally planned, simply because the advantages are so obvious." ventilation system with heat recovery In most highly energy-efficient buildings it is not yet necessary to switch it on at this time, Stillfried continues While in conventional buildings the heating system is usually already running at the beginning of November, in most highly energy-efficient buildings it is not yet necessary to switch it on at this time, Stillfried continues. In addition, a ventilation system with heat recovery ensures consistently fresh air in the house. Schools as modular timber construction Together with the Passive House Institute, the district of Groß-Gerau, Germany, is organizing a workshop regarding experiences with highly energy-efficient school buildings realized with prefabricated elements in modular timber construction. Among other things, this promises a shorter construction time.  World map and video tours The Passive House Institute's project database lists all viewing options for the period from 10 to 12 November 2023. The list is updated on an ongoing basis. The website of the network iPHA lists all information and activities, including a world map with viewing options.