The certification of a Passive House through the Passive House Institute or any of its accredited Building Certifiers offers enhanced quality assurance. The vast experience of these certifiers benefits designers throughout the planning process whereas the certification itself provides evidence of the building’s quality.
Building Certification categories include:
And there are several certification levels:
Passive House Classic, Passive House Plus (with renewables), Passive House Premium (with more renewables), EnerPHit (retrofits), and Low Energy Building (near misses).
North American Certifiers Circle:
The North American Certifiers Circle (NACC) is an association of organizations actively certifying buildings to the international Passive House Standards (Classic, Plus, Premium, and EnerPHit) in North America. The NACC works cooperatively to serve the public. Download the two-page flyer HERE.
Members include:
- Canadian Passive House Institute, e: [email protected]
- CertiPHiers Cooperative, e: [email protected]
- Herz-Lang, e: [email protected]
- MEAD Ltd., e: [email protected]
- MIZU Passive House Consulting, e: [email protected]
- Passive House Academy, e: [email protected]
- Passive House Institute, e: [email protected]
- Peel Passive House Consulting, e: [email protected]
- RDH, e: [email protected]
- Steven Winter Associates, Inc., e: [email protected]
- Stich Consulting & Design, e: [email protected]
- ZEPHIR Passivhaus Italia, e: [email protected]
Benefits of Certification:
Passive House building certification provides many benefits to the developer, designer, consultant, builder, owner, and others:
Independent Review. Certifiers’ review services are separate and distinct from Passive House consulting and design services. This clear separation ensures an independent and completely objective assessment. This additional quality assurance benefits all parties involved, including not just owners and occupants, but also investors, governments, funders, and other stakeholders.
Project Team Professional Development. Expert review of the energy calculations, design, specifications, and construction documentation is continuing education for the project team.
Assurance for Project Team. The project team can breathe easier at all stages of the project, knowing their energy calculations and related details have been double-checked.
Assurance for Developers and Owners. Previous building certifications assure the developer or owner of a prospective team’s skill and expertise.
Protects the Passive House Standard. Rigorous quality assurance maintains the integrity of the world’s highest building energy-efficiency standard.
Passive House Certification steps:
- Early in the concept design stage, obtain proposals for Passive House consulting and design services for your project and select your Certified Passive House Consultant/Designer.
- With your Consultant/Designer’s help, assemble key information about your project, such as its location and site conditions, architectural and structural concepts, any program constraints, as well as building assemblies and other components under consideration. Call out any unusual conditions or new technology you anticipate using.
- Early in the design process, send this information to Certifier(s) and request proposals. Select your PHI-accredited Certifier (or PHI), and then meet to discuss the certification process.
- Design Stage Review. Prepare your detailed certification submittal package (PHPP, plans, specifications, and required supporting documentation) according to your Certifier’s guidance. Double check it for completeness before submitting it to your Certifier.
- Make corrections your Certifier requests to your package and re-submit until your Certifier can conditionally assure certification when construction is completed, the building is commissioned, and required documentation submitted. If requested, your Certifier will issue a design stage assurance letter stating that the planned building can be certified, but there is no “pre-certification” status. Certification is always dependent upon the completed and commissioned building’s compliance with PHI’s published certification criteria.
- Upon completion, submit complete construction documentation: testing and commissioning reports, PHPP (adjusted if necessary for any changes from plans and specifications), photo documentation, construction and occupant certifications, etc. for Certifier’s final review.
- Upon review, if your building meets all certification criteria, you will receive the building certificate. You may post the certificate on your website and attach the plaque to your new Passive House building. If you wish, your Passive House will be listed in PHI’s online international project directory.
Note: Although PHI and NACC recommend you obtain a Certifier’s initial review and conditional assurance before construction, sometimes that is not feasible. Some Certifiers will review your building even when you first submit your information after starting construction. Or even after completing construction. However, all Certifiers recommend you submit your information during the design stage so you benefit from helpful feedback and advice before starting to build.
Many (but far from all) Certified Passive Houses can be found in this global database.
