Blog / February 2, 2021

How do you become a certified Passivhaus Designer?

There are two routes to becoming a certified Passive House designer: either passing an exam; or being lead consultant on a certified Passive House building and writing a short report. Some courses can support either route. South suggests that the biggest cost for most consultants will be time.

What is Cphd certification?

The Certified Passive House Designer / Consultant training is a core course for building design professionals. The CPHD/C course provides you with training that is recognized internationally through Passive House Institute (PHI).

What does a passive house designer do?

A Passivhaus Designer is trained and knowledgeable in the fundamentals of the international Passivhaus Standard, the building science of Passivhaus, the construction of Passivhaus, and building services for Passivhaus. They bring all these aspects of the design together across multiple disciplines.

What is Passivhaus standard?

Passivhaus is an international energy performance standard with buildings constructed to the Passivhaus standard reaching 30,000. The core focus of Passivhaus is to dramatically reduce the requirement for space heating and cooling, whilst also creating excellent indoor comfort levels.

How much does Passivhaus certification cost?

The Passivhaus Institute acts as a training and a certification centre. It charges around £1,500 to certify a house, though this is not compulsory. Other studies give quite different figures, from a ‘profit’ of upwards of £100,000 over the life of the house to an extra investment of over 30% of the build cost.

Is Passive House certification?

The Certified Passive House Designer certificate shows potential customers that the holder has acquired the knowledge and experience needed to successfully plan and build Passive Houses.

What is passivhaus training?

Passivhaus Contractor Training (AECB CarbonLite) An online course tailored to all contractors and builders who are involved in any level of low-energy building construction. This course does not cover any practical exercises.

What does a Cphc do?

A CPHC can offer professional consulting and design services, a PHIUS Certified Builder can be hired as contractor, and a PHIUS certified QA/QC professional can verify standard compliance.

Is Passivhaus expensive?

The study by Encraft’s Building Physics Team shows that whole life costs of houses built to Passivhaus standards can be 2-5% lower than traditional construction methods, even accounting for slightly higher build costs.

Does Passivhaus cost more?

In 2019 the Passivhaus Trust published a report into Passivhaus Construction Costs. Due to this costs will increase when compared to ‘standard’ construction. The practical reasons why a Passivhaus will cost more than a traditionally built house are; There is often more insulation being used in floors, walls and roof.

Are passive houses expensive?

A Passive home can cost $150 per square foot or more than $500 per square foot depending on the level of finishing. No matter which finishes are selected both homes will have the same energy performance.

Is building a passive house worth it?

Conclusion. Passive house construction can greatly reduce heating and cooling costs in buildings, and the concept is not limited to the residential sector. The main benefits of a passive house project are durability, high air quality, occupant comfort, and potential energy savings of over 90%.