You are here: start
Welcome to Passipedia!
The Passive House resource
Welcome to Passipedia, the Passive House resource! Please note that this is a project under construction which has only just been launched and will continuously grow and evolve over the next few months. The following pages are little more than a preview of what’s to come…
Please take a first look and keep visiting in the future to watch Passipedia grow!
What is a Passive House?
A building standard that is truly energy efficient, comfortable, affordable and ecological at the same time.
Passive House is not a brand name, but a construction concept that can be applied by anyone and that has stood the test of practice.
Please click here to view Passive House examples. Passive House components have also proven effective in existing buildings.
Passive Houses offer:
- an energy savings of up to 90 % compared with existing buildings and more than 75 % compared with average new buildings. In terms of heating oil a Passive House uses as little as 1.5 litres per square metre per year – far less than a low-energy building.
- a higher level of comfort! Superior air quality and pleasant temperatures year round.
- a Passive House makes use of energy sources within the building, such as the residents’ body heat or the sun entering the building, making heating so much easier.
 | The Passive House – the leading concept for: Insulation Thermal bridge free design Airtight construction Heat recovery ventilation Highly insulating windows Innovative building services An energy balance is compiled to make sure that all these details are perfectly coordinated. This balance is established using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP). |
| Passive House model | --> read more! |
Topics & News
| Topics - Overview |
|---|
| Basics Building physics, comfort, costs, sustainability | Planning Information relating to the planning phase |
| Construction Quality assurance during construction | Operation Recommendations, user experience, measurement results |
| Examples Built examples | Certification Certification for houses, components and designers |
The latest news & developments:
iPHA - events: Click here to get information on current events put on by iPHA members: trade fairs, seminars, work shops, conferences, briefings…
Visit the Passive House Institute website to learn about the latest scientific findings
Upcoming events:
17 September 2010: The next session of the Research Group for Cost-efficient Passive Houses will be held in Darmstad, Germany. This session will focus on the summer characteristics of non-residential Passive House buildings; project experience and the latest findings. more...
12 -14 November 2010: 7th International Passive House Days - Experience the Passive House for yourself! 
27 - 28 May 2011: 15th Intenational Passive House Conference in Innsbruck, Austria - The platform for energy efficient building. The 15th International Passive House Conference will take place on 27 and 28 May 2011 in Innsbruck, Austria. See the call for papers here
For members only
Members of the International Passive House Association (iPHA) receive free access to an even larger array of articles which offer detailed information on specific Passive House topics and expert advice for Passive House designers. For more information on memberships and to become a member, please click here.
Or go directly to the application form! Please choose your membership type:
Members of the German IG Passivhaus can join iPHA free of charge with full member benefits and Passipedia access!
Just sign up online to receive your user name and password!
Dicussions
Those with access to Passipedia can start a discussion on any article on Passipedia. Once you are logged in, simply click on the “discussion” tab (second from the left) and submit any question, comment or suggestion you may have relating to the article you are reading. This way you will be able to discuss current topics and issues directly with fellow Passive House experts and stakeholders all over the world, thus contributing to an active exchange of expertise and experience. Since Passipedia is not an open resource in the “wiki” sense of the term, this function will also allow you to contribute to improving Passipedia in an indirect way: We will be following all discussions closely and make sure to include valuable additional information in the respective article.
Article of the month
How to set up a Passive House Association in your region
It is in everyone's interest that we safeguard the high quality associated with the Passive House standard while fostering a greater public understanding of its significance internationally. The International Passive House Association (iPHA) was formed by the Passive House Institute, Germany with just these goals in mind.
iPHA is an independent and objective network of Passive House stakeholders working to promote the Passive House Standard and foster a greater public understanding of its significance – worldwide.
However, such an international effort cannot replace local efforts to bring together planners, scientists, suppliers, manufacturers, contractors and property developers on a national and regional level. After all, it takes regional expertise to gather and spread information relating to specific political and climatic conditions as well as building standards and traditions.
This month’s “Article of the month” deals with Successful strategies for forming a Passive House Association on a national or regional level. It is based on a presentation given by ANDA KURSISA on 29 May 2010 at the 14th International Passive House Conference, Dresden, Germany, and refers to the author’s experiences in setting up a Lativan Passive House Association.
German