One Day Introduction to Passivhaus

Introduction to the Principles of Passivhaus:
• What makes a Passivhaus, a passive house? We’ll take an introductory dive into the 5 main principles that define a Passivhaus and how they are applied.

• The end goals of a Passivhaus and what impact it has on both the people inside the buildings and out.

• The overarching global context that necessitates Passivhaus and why it is an integral part of facing the challenges we are up against today, including its relevance in the Australian climate!

• A brief look at the history of Passivhaus internationally and where it sits today in Australia in terms of its current adoption and standing within code and rating tools.

• The cost implications of a Passivhaus.

The Passive House Criteria:
• Learn the different criteria we use to determine if a building is up to Passivhaus standards.

• We also look at how Passivhaus stacks up against the current Australian code.

Building Physics 101:
• The main considerations we need to consider when designing a healthy, high-performing building. I.e. How energy moves through our buildings, what makes a building comfortable and healthy and the impacts of climate, building form, materials and more have on performance.

• An overview of how to consider the energy balance of our buildings and how can we truly understand what units like the R-value and U-value of materials mean and how can we take advantage of them through the application of a continuous insulation barrier.

Thermal Bridging:
• Why high levels of insulation alone aren’t enough to guarantee great performance in our buildings.

• Thermal bridge overview, how we measure them and some of the different types of thermal bridges we may encounter.

• How can we avoid thermal bridges through our designs and the construction methods we specify; and where they are unavoidable, how we can mitigate their impact.

Airtightness:
• Why is airtightness so important to the health and performance of our buildings, and where does Australia currently sit in terms of considering this metric?

• What are some of the various materials, construction methods and design processes we can use to help ensure a high level of airtightness in our buildings?

• Common pitfalls which could lead to a poor outcome in airtightness, and how we measure our performance.

Ventilation:
• Why effective ventilation is absolutely necessary (especially in airtight buildings) to ensure great levels of comfort, health and high performance in our buildings.

• A look at some of the dangers of poor ventilation including condensation, mould and high levels of CO2.

• How we can use a heat-recovery ventilation system to minimise the impact of constantly exchanging indoor air with outdoor air.

• The different forms of ventilation we can rely on, and how can we design buildings to maximise the use of all of them concurrently.

Windows:
• Why windows, and the frames that we choose, are some of the most important elements in managing energy transfer in our buildings.

• How we can rely on passive solar design principles i.e. orientation, placement and shading to maximise the performance of our windows and give us free energy!

• We look at a variety of different window constructions and installation methods, and how we can calculate their performance and impact on overall energy balance.

Energy & Renewables:
• An overview of major energy consumptions in our buildings and how we can reduce them.

• Why it matters where our energy comes from, and how we can significantly impact this through the use of renewables.

• How the Passivhaus Standard considers energy metrics and the strategies we can use through design, construction, and service choices to improve our performance.

The Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP):
• An introduction to the Passivhaus Planning Package, the design tool used by Passivhaus designers to ensure their buildings are meeting the required criteria.

• Why it is such a useful tool for testing design options, the key inputs it requires and the outputs it can provide us.

Passivhaus Classifications:
• An overview of the different Passivhaus classifications which are available, and the criteria specified for each of them.

• An introduction into the Passivhaus retrofit standard, EnerPHit, for existing buildings and how we can up-spec existing buildings into the realm of a Passivhaus.

Certification:
• A discussion on the certification procedure for obtaining Passivhaus recognition, including when to engage consultants and certifiers in the design process.

• Steps that you can employ in your process to give you the best possible chance of certification and ensure all relevant streams are onboard the Passivhaus journey.

Course Recap and Wrap-up:
• A review of all the content we’ve covered so far and a chance to dive into any specific areas the attendees would like.

• Laying out some of the possible next steps in your Passivhaus journey and where to take it from here!