What is Passive House?
Passive House (Passivhaus) buildings are designed to deliver exceptional comfort and indoor air quality while using minimal energy for heating and cooling. They are created with meticulous attention to detail, combining advanced design, precision construction, and high-quality materials to achieve outstanding performance.
Following the proven principles developed by the Passivhaus Institute in Germany, Passive House projects are carefully modelled and tested to ensure they meet exacting performance standards. This approach results in homes that stay comfortable year-round, are healthier to live in, and are far more energy-efficient than standard builds.
The 5 Pillars of Passive House
The five pillars of Passive House work together to create a building standard that consistently delivers comfort, efficiency, and resilience. Rather than focusing on one aspect alone, these principles combine to dramatically reduce energy demand, improve indoor air quality, and ensure stable year-round temperatures. They also help to eliminate common problems such as drafts, overheating, or condensation, making buildings healthier and longer-lasting. By building on these foundations, Passive House projects achieve a level of performance that goes well beyond conventional construction, offering spaces that are sustainable, cost-effective to run, and genuinely enjoyable to live and work in.
Learn more about the 5 Pillars
All opaque building components of the exterior envelope of the house must be very well-insulated. For most cool-termperate climates, this means a heat transfer coefficient (U-value) of 0.15 W/(m²K) at the most, i.e. a maximum of 0.15 watts per degree of temperature difference and per square metre of exterior surface are lost..
The window frames must be well insulated and fitted with low-e glazings filled with argon or krypton to prevent heat transfer. For most cool-termperate climates, this means a U-value of 0.80 W/(m²K) or less, with g-values around 50% (g-value= total solar transmittance, proportion of the solar energy available for the room).
The window frames must be well insulated and fitted with low-e glazings filled with argon or krypton to prevent heat transfer. For most cool-termperate climates, this means a U-value of 0.80 W/(m²K) or less, with g-values around 50% (g-value= total solar transmittance, proportion of the solar energy available for the room).
Airtightness of the building
Uncontrolled leakage through gaps must be smaller than 0.6 of the total house volume per hour during a pressure test at 50 Pascal (both pressurised and depressurised).
All edges, corners, connections and penetrations must be planned and executed with great care, so that thermal bridges can be avoided. Thermal bridges which cannot be avoided must be minimised as far as possible.
Passive House Standards
Passive House certification isn’t one-size-fits-all. Different standards have been developed to recognise the unique needs of new builds and retrofits, as well as projects that go beyond efficiency into renewable energy generation. No matter the pathway, all Passive House standards are built on the same principles of comfort, durability, and sustainability.
Passive House Classic
The original benchmark for Passive House. Classic ensures ultra-low energy demand, stable indoor temperatures, and year-round comfort while cutting running costs dramatically.
Passive House Plus
Building on Classic, Plus recognises projects that also generate renewable energy on-site. It rewards homes and buildings that not only save energy but actively contribute back.
Passive House Premium
The highest level of certification, Premium highlights buildings with exceptional efficiency and large contributions from renewables. These projects set the standard for future-ready, energy-positive design.
EnerPHit (Retrofit Standard)
Designed for existing buildings, EnerPHit adapts the Passive House principles to the realities of renovation. It provides a practical pathway to upgrade comfort, air quality, and efficiency in older homes and commercial spaces.
South Australian Project Showcase
Residential: Single Dwelling
Passivhaus Plus Certification
Mount Barker, SA, 2023
This stunning home was designed and built by Enduro Builders to showcase that you can build a Certified Passivhaus in Australia without importing windows, while using locally available materials. This display home was provided for the general public to view and experience a Certified Passivhaus.
HiPer Haus are proud to have supplied the following:
- Zehnder Comfo Air Q350 including design, supply and commission
- Reclaim Energy Heat Pump with 315 Tank