Residential Sustainability Framework | Passive House
A building performance standard that brings energy modelling, envelope design, airtightness, high-performance windows, controlled ventilation and construction quality into one coordinated framework.
Explore how Passive House principles, PHPP assessment and formal certification can be applied to Australian residential projects through climate-responsive design and carefully coordinated delivery.
Explore the Knowledge HubIn Brief
Passive House is a voluntary building performance standard centred on very low heating and cooling demand, a carefully designed building envelope, controlled ventilation and verified construction quality. Rather than relying on a collection of individual products, the standard treats insulation, windows, airtightness, thermal bridges, solar exposure and ventilation as parts of one coordinated system.
Performance is assessed using the Passive House Planning Package, known as PHPP, together with coordinated technical documentation and project evidence. In Australia, the design response must account for the local climate, including solar exposure, shading, humidity, summer overheating risk and the balance between heating and cooling demand.
Passive House principles may be applied without pursuing certification, but this is different from completing the formal independent certification process. The standard also operates separately from the National Construction Code, BASIX and other mandatory approval or compliance requirements that may apply to the project.
Low heating and cooling demand, coordinated envelope performance, airtightness, high-performance windows, thermal-bridge control and planned ventilation.
Through PHPP energy balancing, technical documentation, construction evidence, testing and verification appropriate to the intended project pathway.
The principles can inform an uncertified project, but only a building that completes the applicable independent certification process should be described as a certified Passive House.
Knowledge Navigation
Follow the framework from the underlying standard and five core principles through to Australian climate application, PHPP assessment, certification and project delivery.
The Standard
Understand Passive House as an integrated building performance standard rather than an architectural style, product checklist or residential compliance pathway.
Design Principles
Explore insulation, windows, thermal-bridge control, airtightness and planned ventilation as one coordinated system shaped by the Australian climate.
Assessment & Certification
See how PHPP supports project energy balancing and how its role differs from applying Passive House principles or completing independent building certification.
Project Planning
Review when Passive House planning should begin, what project information may be required and how modelling, documentation, testing and verification connect.
The Standard
Passive House is defined by the coordinated performance of the complete building rather than by a particular architectural appearance, construction product or individual technology.
The standard brings building form, orientation, insulation, windows, airtightness, thermal-bridge control, solar exposure and planned ventilation into one integrated design and assessment process. Each decision influences the overall energy balance, which means individual components cannot be considered in isolation.
Passive House is intended to limit heating and cooling demand while supporting defined indoor conditions through a carefully resolved building envelope and controlled air exchange. The design intent is developed through calculation, technical coordination and construction detailing rather than through broad claims of energy efficiency alone.
Where formal certification is pursued, the project must also provide the modelling, documentation, testing and construction evidence required under the applicable Passive House criteria. This process remains separate from NatHERS ratings, NCC compliance, BASIX requirements and broader sustainability frameworks such as Green Star Homes.
Important Distinction
A project does not become a Passive House simply by adding more insulation, selecting high-performance glazing or installing a mechanical ventilation system. These measures must work together within a calculated and coordinated building strategy.
Not an architectural style
Not a NatHERS star rating
Not an NCC or BASIX pathway
Not an airtightness test by itself
Not a ventilation system by itself
Not certified merely because selected principles were used
Design Principles
Passive House performance does not come from one material or technology. It depends on five coordinated principles that shape heat flow, air movement, window performance and ventilation across the complete building envelope.
Principle 01
Insulation limits heat transfer between conditioned interior spaces and the external environment. Its required type, thickness and location depend on the climate, construction system and overall project energy balance rather than on a universal Passive House specification.
The insulation layer must be coordinated continuously around the relevant building envelope. Gaps, compressed materials, discontinuities and poorly resolved junctions can reduce the performance assumed in the design assessment.
Principle 02
Window performance depends on the complete assembly, including the glazing, frame, spacers, opening configuration and installation. Orientation, window area and solar exposure also influence the balance between useful solar gains, unwanted summer heat and conductive heat transfer.
Triple glazing is not an automatic requirement for every Australian project. The appropriate window specification should be established through climate-specific assessment and coordinated with shading, airtightness and thermal-bridge detailing.
Principle 03
Thermal bridges occur where materials, structural elements or junctions create a more direct pathway for heat to move through the envelope. Common areas requiring attention include slab edges, balconies, roof and wall junctions, structural penetrations and window installations.
These conditions need to be identified and coordinated during design rather than treated only as construction-site details. The objective is to minimise avoidable heat flow while maintaining structural, weatherproofing and buildability requirements.
Principle 04
Airtightness limits uncontrolled air movement through gaps and cracks in the building envelope. It must be established as a continuous and identifiable layer across walls, roofs, floors, openings, junctions and service penetrations.
Airtightness and insulation perform different functions. Insulation limits heat transfer through materials, while the airtight layer controls unintended airflow. Both must be designed, documented and constructed appropriately, with testing used to verify the completed envelope where required.
Principle 05
Once uncontrolled air leakage has been reduced, ventilation must be provided through a planned system that supplies and extracts air in a controlled manner. Heat- or energy-recovery arrangements can reduce the energy exchanged with outgoing air, subject to the climate, system design and applicable criteria.
Ventilation performance depends on more than equipment selection. Airflow rates, duct routes, intake and exhaust locations, acoustic considerations, installation quality, balancing and commissioning must be coordinated as part of the project.
Australian Climate Consideration
Solar control is not generally presented as a separate sixth Passive House principle, but it is an essential part of climate-responsive performance. Window orientation, glazing area, external shading and seasonal solar exposure must be assessed together, particularly where summer overheating, cooling demand or humidity management may govern the Australian design response.
Australian Climate Application
Passive House is a performance standard rather than a fixed architectural recipe. The same principles apply across Australia, but the envelope, glazing, shading, ventilation and mechanical-system response must be developed for the project’s climate and design conditions.
Australian projects may be governed by very different combinations of heating, cooling, solar exposure and humidity. A strategy suited to a cool-temperate location may not provide an appropriate response in a hot-dry or warm-humid region, even where the project is working toward the same underlying Passive House standard.
Climate-specific modelling helps the design team test how building form, orientation, window area, insulation, shading, airtightness, ventilation and building services interact. The objective is not to copy a standard construction system, but to establish a coordinated response that meets the applicable performance criteria.
Cool-Temperate Climates
Projects in cooler regions may place greater emphasis on limiting winter heat loss, coordinating insulation continuity and managing window performance. Solar access can be useful, but it must still be balanced against summer conditions and the risk of overheating.
Warm-Temperate Climates
Warm-temperate projects often need to balance modest winter heating needs with summer cooling and solar-control requirements. Window area, external shading, natural ventilation opportunities and mechanical conditioning should be considered together rather than as separate decisions.
Hot-Dry Climates
In hot-dry conditions, the design response may be shaped by strong solar exposure, large day-to-night temperature swings and significant cooling demand. External shading, glazing selection, envelope performance and controlled night-time strategies may all influence the project energy balance.
Warm-Humid and Hot-Humid Climates
Humid climates require careful attention to cooling, latent loads, moisture management and ventilation-system selection. Airtightness remains relevant, but it must be paired with an appropriate mechanical and envelope strategy rather than applied without regard to local humidity conditions.
Performance-Based Design
Passive House does not require every Australian project to use the same wall system, insulation level, glazing configuration or ventilation product. These decisions depend on the climate, building form, orientation, occupancy assumptions, construction method and intended certification pathway.
The appropriate response should be established through project-specific modelling and technical coordination. This allows the design team to assess the complete building rather than relying on generic product rules or imported cold-climate assumptions.
Performance Assessment
The Passive House Planning Package brings the building envelope, climate, ventilation and relevant building-services information into a coordinated energy balance that can be refined as the project develops.
PHPP is the planning and energy-balancing tool developed for Passive House projects and energy-efficient retrofits. It supports design development by assessing how building geometry, construction assemblies, windows, shading, thermal bridges, airtightness, ventilation and building services influence the performance of the complete building.
The model can be updated as drawings, specifications and technical details become more resolved. This allows the design team to compare options, identify influential decisions and understand whether the developing project is aligned with the applicable Passive House criteria.
Where formal certification is pursued, PHPP forms an important part of the supporting evidence. It does not replace construction documentation, airtightness testing, building-services verification or the independent certification process.
Coordinated Inputs
Building geometry and treated floor area
Wall, roof and floor assemblies
Windows, doors and solar shading
Thermal bridges and airtightness
Ventilation and heat-recovery information
Heating, cooling, hot water and relevant energy inputs
Design Development
Early testing of building form and orientation
Comparison of envelope and glazing options
Assessment of heating and cooling demand
Review of summer overheating risk
Refinement of ventilation and services assumptions
Evidence for certification where that pathway is pursued
Scope Boundary
PHPP is not NatHERS software, a building approval, a CFD study, a detailed thermal comfort assessment or an embodied-carbon tool. It provides the Passive House energy balance and supporting calculations, while formal building certification remains a separate independent review of the applicable model, documentation and project evidence.
Assessment & Certification
These terms describe different levels of project engagement. Applying selected principles, developing a PHPP-informed design and completing formal building certification are related, but they are not interchangeable.
Level 01
A residential project may draw on Passive House principles such as improved insulation continuity, airtightness planning, high-performance windows, thermal-bridge reduction and controlled ventilation without pursuing formal certification.
This can inform design decisions, but it does not demonstrate that the complete building has been assessed against the applicable Passive House criteria. The project should therefore not be represented as a certified Passive House.
Level 02
Where PHPP assessment forms part of the project scope, the building can be modelled and refined using coordinated information about geometry, climate, envelope assemblies, windows, shading, thermal bridges, airtightness, ventilation and relevant building services.
The assessment can help the design team understand the project energy balance and identify areas requiring further coordination. PHPP modelling alone, however, is not the same as independent building certification.
Level 03
Formal certification involves an independent review against the applicable Passive House Institute criteria. The appointed building certifier considers the PHPP model together with the required drawings, specifications, product information, construction evidence, airtightness results and relevant building-services documentation.
The project team should confirm the intended certification pathway and the certifier’s documentation requirements early. Modelling, technical consultancy, testing, commissioning and independent certification may be undertaken by different parties.
Important Distinction
A project should only be described as a certified Passive House once the applicable independent certification process has been completed. The appropriate responsibilities for design advice, PHPP assessment, construction support, testing, commissioning and certification should be agreed at the beginning of the project.
Project Suitability
Passive House may suit residential projects seeking clearly defined performance objectives, coordinated envelope design and a structured pathway from early modelling through to construction verification.
The pathway is most relevant where the client and project team are prepared to treat building form, glazing, insulation, airtightness, ventilation, junction detailing and construction quality as connected design decisions. It requires more than selecting higher-performing products after the principal design has already been resolved.
A project may apply selected Passive House principles without pursuing certification, or it may follow a more formal PHPP and certification pathway. The appropriate level of engagement depends on the project objectives, design stage, available documentation, programme and delivery team.
The Pathway May Be Relevant Where
Very low heating and cooling demand is a stated project objective
Envelope performance will be coordinated from an early design stage
Airtightness and controlled ventilation form part of the design strategy
Construction detailing and quality assurance can be closely managed
A documented modelling and verification pathway is valued
Project Considerations
The project budget must allow for the intended assessment and coordination scope
The programme must allow key design decisions to be reviewed before documentation is fixed
The architect, consultants, builder and specialist parties must be able to coordinate their roles
The construction team must understand the required envelope and services details
The intended certification objective should be confirmed early
A Project-Specific Decision
The standard should not be treated as automatically superior to every other residential performance or sustainability pathway. Its suitability depends on the project’s objectives, design constraints, budget, programme, procurement model and willingness to coordinate performance through design, documentation and construction.
Early Project Planning
Passive House is most readily integrated when the performance objective is considered while the building form, glazing, envelope and services strategy can still be influenced.
Early planning allows the project team to consider Passive House requirements as part of the architecture rather than adding them after the principal design decisions have been fixed. Building form, orientation, window area, shading and envelope geometry can all materially influence the project energy balance.
The pathway can still be reviewed later in design, but fewer options may remain available. Significant changes to glazing, construction build-ups, structural junctions or ventilation routes may then affect architectural coordination, consultant documentation and project programme.
Beginning early does not guarantee a particular cost or certification outcome. It can, however, preserve more design choices and help the team identify the modelling, technical information and specialist roles required before detailed documentation progresses.
Early Design Decisions
Building massing and external envelope area
Orientation and solar exposure
Window area, location and shading
Wall, roof and floor build-ups
Structural junctions and thermal-bridge strategy
Project Coordination
Airtight-layer location and continuity
Ventilation routes and plant space
Heating, cooling and hot-water coordination
Testing, commissioning and construction evidence
Responsibilities across the project team
Design Development
The level of Passive House assessment does not need to be identical at every stage. An early review may begin with project objectives, building form and preliminary assumptions, while later stages require more resolved envelope details, product information, junction analysis and services documentation.
Project Information
Passive House assessment relies on coordinated information about the building, envelope, glazing, shading and services. The level of detail required will depend on the project stage and intended pathway.
An early feasibility review may begin with preliminary drawings, orientation, building form and broad construction assumptions. As the design develops, the assessment requires increasingly resolved information so that the PHPP model reflects the proposed building rather than generic placeholders.
Where certification is intended, documentation requirements should also be coordinated with the appointed certifier. Product data, construction details, testing records and other project evidence may be required in addition to the design-stage information used for modelling.
Building and Site
Site plan and project orientation
Floor plans, elevations and sections
Building dimensions and internal zoning
Surrounding buildings, terrain and obstructions
Overhangs, screens and other shading geometry
Building Envelope
Wall, roof and floor build-ups
Insulation type, location and continuity
Window and door schedules
Glazing, frame and spacer performance
Junction details and airtightness strategy
Building Services
Proposed ventilation system and airflow strategy
Heating and cooling system information
Domestic hot-water assumptions
Duct routes, plant locations and service penetrations
Relevant technical data for proposed equipment
Project Objectives
Current design and documentation stage
Project programme and key decision points
Whether principles, PHPP assessment or certification are intended
Known consultant and construction-team roles
Available specifications, product data and supporting evidence
Information Develops with the Project
The initial review should use the best information available at the time. Assumptions can be recorded and refined as the design progresses, but decisions that materially affect the building envelope or energy balance should be updated in the assessment before they are incorporated into final documentation or construction.
Project Pathway
The pathway usually develops through progressively more detailed modelling, design coordination, documentation and construction evidence. The exact scope depends on whether the project is applying selected principles, using PHPP or pursuing formal certification.
Passive House assessment is most useful when it remains connected to the design process. Early assumptions can be tested while the building is still flexible, then replaced with more detailed construction, glazing, junction and services information as the project progresses.
Not every project will require every stage listed below. The agreed commission should identify which party is responsible for modelling, architectural coordination, specialist testing, services commissioning, construction evidence and independent certification.
Stage 01
The project team confirms the intended level of Passive House engagement, the current design stage, available information and whether independent certification is being considered.
Stage 02
Building form, orientation, glazing, shading, envelope strategy and likely heating, cooling and humidity conditions are reviewed before key design decisions become fixed.
Stage 03
Where commissioned, an initial PHPP model can test the developing energy balance and identify which envelope, glazing, shading or ventilation decisions may require further attention.
Stage 04
The design and model are refined together as construction assemblies, windows, shading, thermal bridges, airtightness and building services become more clearly defined.
Stage 05
Junctions, penetrations, insulation continuity, airtight-layer continuity and window installation details are coordinated with the architectural, structural and services documentation.
Stage 06
Where certification is intended, the appointed certifier’s requirements are confirmed and the documentation, product evidence, testing and construction records are planned accordingly.
Stage 07
The project team records the information needed to connect the assessed design with the building being constructed, including approved details, product data and relevant site evidence.
Stage 08
Airtightness testing and relevant ventilation or building-services verification are completed by the appropriate specialist parties. Required results and supporting records are incorporated into the project evidence.
Stage 09
Where pursued, the independent certifier completes the final review of the PHPP model, documentation, construction evidence, testing and other applicable requirements before determining the certification outcome.
Project Roles
The architect or building designer, Passive House consultant, structural and services consultants, builder, airtightness tester, ventilation commissioner and independent certifier may each hold distinct responsibilities. These roles should be confirmed for the individual project rather than assumed to form part of one consultancy appointment.
Construction Quality
PHPP describes the assessed design, but the intended performance also depends on how the envelope, openings, junctions and ventilation systems are documented, constructed and verified.
Passive House requires a clear connection between design assumptions and the completed building. Insulation continuity, airtightness, window installation, junction details and building-services penetrations must be resolved in the documentation and maintained through construction.
Verification does not mean that every construction task is performed by the Passive House consultant. Architects, specialist consultants, builders, trades, testers, commissioners and the independent certifier may each be responsible for different parts of the delivery process.
Envelope Continuity
The insulation layer and airtight layer perform different functions, but both must remain continuous across the relevant building envelope. Changes in construction system, internal corners, floor edges, roof junctions and concealed interfaces require clear and buildable details.
Openings and Junctions
Window and door performance depends on the complete installed condition rather than the product data alone. Frame position, fixing, perimeter sealing, insulation continuity and surrounding junctions must be coordinated with structural, weatherproofing and architectural requirements. Service penetrations also need a defined approach to airtight sealing.
Building Services
The ventilation strategy must be translated into coordinated equipment locations, duct routes, terminals and accessible commissioning points. Installed airflow performance and system balancing are separate from the design calculation and should be verified by the appropriately appointed specialist where required.
Project Evidence
Drawings, approved product information, site records, photographs, test reports and commissioning documentation may be used to demonstrate how the assessed design was delivered. The precise evidence required depends on the project scope and, where certification is pursued, the requirements of the appointed certifier.
Verification Point
A PHPP model records the project information and assumptions used for the assessment. It cannot by itself confirm that insulation was installed continuously, airtight details were completed correctly or ventilation systems were balanced as intended.
Testing, commissioning and construction evidence provide separate forms of verification. Where formal certification is pursued, these records are reviewed alongside the model and technical documentation by the appointed independent certifier.
Certification Terminology
The Passive House Institute maintains related certification pathways for buildings with different project conditions. The applicable standard should be confirmed according to the building, proposed works and current certification criteria.
Passive House is the principal building performance standard, while EnerPHit provides a pathway developed specifically for energy-efficient retrofits where existing conditions may prevent the full Passive House criteria from being achieved. PHI Low Energy Building is a separate certification standard for qualifying projects that do not meet all Passive House or EnerPHit requirements.
These terms should not be used interchangeably. Each pathway has its own applicable criteria, assessment requirements and certification outcome, and formal certification remains subject to review by an accredited Passive House Building Certifier.
Building Standard
The Passive House standard applies where the completed building can satisfy the relevant performance, airtightness, energy and quality-assurance criteria. It is most commonly considered for new buildings, although an existing building may sometimes achieve the full standard where the project conditions allow.
Certification requires assessment of the complete building rather than confirmation that individual Passive House principles or products have been used.
Retrofit Standard
EnerPHit is the Passive House Institute standard for qualifying retrofit projects. It recognises that existing orientation, structure, junctions, floor levels, heritage conditions and other fixed constraints can make the full Passive House criteria impractical for some buildings.
It remains a defined certification pathway rather than a general description for any energy-efficient renovation. The applicable assessment method and project requirements should be confirmed against the current official criteria.
Related Standard
PHI Low Energy Building is a separate certification standard for eligible buildings that do not fully meet the Passive House or EnerPHit criteria but are still assessed through the Passive House Institute framework.
It should not be presented as an informal or incomplete Passive House. It carries its own certification identity and must satisfy the relevant criteria for that standard.
Certification Classes
Certified Passive House and EnerPHit projects may also be classified as Classic, Plus or Premium. These classes consider the building’s renewable primary energy demand together with qualifying renewable-energy generation under the applicable methodology.
The classes do not replace the underlying Passive House or EnerPHit standard. Exact requirements should be checked against the criteria applying to the individual certification project rather than treated as general renewable-energy or electrification targets.
Related Residential Systems
Passive House may operate alongside Australian rating, sustainability and compliance systems, but each framework has a different purpose, assessment method and project outcome.
The systems below should not be treated as interchangeable. A project may require mandatory compliance, use a NatHERS assessment, consider a broader sustainability rating and pursue Passive House objectives at the same time.
The appropriate combination depends on the project location, building type, approval pathway, performance objectives and intended certification scope.
Building Performance Standard
Passive House is an integrated building performance standard centred on low heating and cooling demand, coordinated envelope design, airtightness, controlled ventilation, PHPP energy balancing and construction verification. Formal certification is available through a separate independent process.
Thermal Star Rating
NatHERS provides an Australian residential thermal star rating based on the predicted heating and cooling needs of a home. It considers the design, construction materials, orientation and local climate through accredited assessment software. A high NatHERS rating does not by itself demonstrate that a project satisfies the Passive House standard.
Operational Energy Rating
NatHERS Whole of Home assesses energy use across fixed household systems and appliances, including heating and cooling equipment, hot water, lighting, pools and spas, solar generation and battery storage. Its purpose is different from PHPP and it should not be described as a Passive House assessment.
Sustainability Framework
Green Star Homes is a broader residential sustainability rating and certification framework. It considers outcomes across energy, health and resilience within its own rating structure, while Passive House focuses more specifically on building energy demand, envelope performance, airtightness, ventilation and verification.
Mandatory Requirements
The National Construction Code establishes applicable technical requirements for Australian building work, while BASIX forms part of the residential planning and approval framework in New South Wales. Passive House is voluntary and does not replace the NCC, BASIX or other jurisdiction-specific approval requirements.
Occupied-Space Analysis
Thermal Comfort Modelling examines human comfort conditions across occupied spaces, time periods and operating scenarios. It may consider measures such as operative temperature, adaptive comfort or PMV and PPD. This is different from the whole-building energy balance developed through PHPP.
Framework Coordination
These frameworks do not always compete for the same role. A residential project may use NatHERS for thermal rating, Whole of Home for household energy assessment, NCC or BASIX for mandatory compliance and Passive House as an additional design and verification standard. The relationship should be clarified for the individual project rather than assumed from the framework names alone.
Cost and Programme
The time and cost associated with Passive House depend on the building, design stage, assessment scope, level of technical coordination and whether formal certification is intended.
There is no universal Passive House construction premium, assessment fee, project duration or payback period. Two projects of similar size may require very different levels of modelling, junction analysis, documentation and construction support depending on their form, climate, glazing strategy and delivery method.
A project considered from early design may allow performance requirements to be integrated into the architecture and consultant documentation. Where assessment begins after the design is substantially resolved, additional review or redesign may be required if the existing form, glazing, envelope or services strategy does not align with the intended pathway.
Formal certification also introduces independent review, evidence, testing and commissioning requirements that should be distinguished from the design and PHPP consultancy scope.
Design and Assessment
Current design and documentation stage
Building size, form and envelope complexity
Climate and heating, cooling or humidity conditions
Available drawings, specifications and product data
Extent of thermal-bridge and junction assessment
Number of design options and modelling iterations
Delivery and Certification
Envelope, glazing and ventilation strategy
Construction-system complexity and product availability
Experience of the builder and relevant trades
Testing, commissioning and site-evidence requirements
Independent certification scope and review stages
Design or product changes introduced after modelling begins
Project-Specific Scope
The likely assessment scope and programme can only be established after reviewing the available drawings, project stage, intended performance objective and certification pathway. Early scope clarification helps separate PHPP assessment, design coordination, testing, commissioning and independent certification rather than treating them as one undefined service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Passive House is a voluntary building performance standard centred on very low heating and cooling demand, a carefully coordinated building envelope, airtightness, high-performance windows, controlled ventilation and verified construction quality. Performance is assessed using PHPP together with supporting technical information and project evidence.
Yes. Passivhaus is the original German term, while Passive House is the commonly used English translation. Both refer to the building performance standard developed through the Passive House Institute framework.
No. Passive House is a defined building performance standard focused on energy demand, envelope quality, airtightness, ventilation and verification. Sustainable design is a broader field that may also consider water, materials, ecology, resilience, carbon and other environmental outcomes.
No. Passive House is a voluntary standard and does not replace the National Construction Code, BASIX or other state, territory, planning or building-approval requirements. Mandatory compliance and Passive House assessment may operate alongside one another.
NatHERS is the Australian residential thermal star-rating system. Passive House uses PHPP and includes separate requirements relating to energy demand, envelope performance, airtightness, ventilation and project verification. A high NatHERS rating does not automatically demonstrate that a building meets the Passive House standard.
NatHERS Whole of Home assesses energy use across fixed household systems, appliances and renewable-energy inputs. Passive House follows a separate framework centred on building energy demand, envelope performance, airtightness, ventilation, PHPP assessment and verification.
It may. Passive House is designed to reduce heating and cooling demand substantially, but it does not require every building to operate without mechanical conditioning. The appropriate systems depend on the climate, building design, occupancy assumptions and applicable assessment criteria.
Yes. Occupants can open windows where operable windows are provided. Controlled mechanical ventilation maintains planned air exchange without depending on windows being opened at particular times, but it does not prevent occupants from using them.
No. The appropriate window specification depends on the climate, orientation, glazing area, frame performance, shading, installation and complete building energy balance. Triple glazing may suit some projects, while another high-performance window solution may be appropriate for others.
PHPP is the Passive House Planning Package. It is used to develop the project energy balance and assess information relating to geometry, climate, envelope assemblies, windows, shading, thermal bridges, airtightness, ventilation and relevant building services. PHPP is an assessment tool, not the final building certificate.
Yes. A project may use selected Passive House principles or undertake PHPP-informed design without completing formal certification. It should not, however, be described as a certified Passive House unless the applicable independent certification process has been completed.
Formal building certification is completed by an appropriately accredited Passive House Building Certifier. The certifier independently reviews the PHPP model, technical documentation, construction evidence, testing results and other information required under the applicable criteria.
Potentially. Some existing buildings may be capable of meeting the full Passive House standard, while qualifying retrofit projects may instead consider EnerPHit. The appropriate pathway depends on the existing structure, orientation, junctions, project constraints, proposed works and current certification criteria.
Ideally, planning begins while building form, orientation, glazing, shading, envelope construction and ventilation routes can still be influenced. Later assessment remains possible, but fewer design options may be available and more substantial coordination or redesign may be required.
Related Knowledge
Explore the rating systems, sustainability frameworks and building-performance methods that may sit alongside Passive House while retaining their own assessment purpose.
Residential Thermal Rating
Understand Australia’s residential thermal star-rating system, including how a home’s design, construction, orientation and climate influence predicted heating and cooling loads.
Explore NatHERS →
Household Energy Assessment
Review how fixed appliances, heating and cooling equipment, hot water, lighting, solar generation and batteries contribute to the broader operational-energy assessment of a home.
Explore Whole of Home →
Residential Sustainability Framework
Explore a broader residential sustainability framework addressing Positive, Healthy and Resilient outcomes through its own assessment and certification pathway.
Explore Green Star Homes →
Occupied-Space Analysis
Understand the separate analysis of human comfort conditions across occupied spaces, operating scenarios and time periods using recognised comfort measures.
Explore Thermal Comfort Modelling →
Residential Gateway
Navigate residential energy performance, compliance, sustainability, accessibility, water and planning pathways according to the intended project outcome.
Explore the Residential Gateway →
Passive House Project Review
Send the available plans, sections, glazing information, envelope details and project objectives for an initial scope review. Certified Energy can help clarify the current design stage, the intended Passive House objective and the modelling or documentation needs that may require further consideration.
Where formal certification is being considered, the review can also help identify the specialist roles that may need to be coordinated across PHPP assessment, detailed design, airtightness testing, building-services verification and independent certification. The appropriate scope remains subject to the project information provided.
Last reviewed: June 2026. This page is maintained by Certified Energy as part of its Residential Sustainability Frameworks Knowledge Hub.
