Passive House Consultant and Passive House Certifier - Luc Plowman, Detail Green

The design and construction requirements of the Passive House standard are complex.

If you're an architect or building designer, the learning curve to deliver your first Passive House building is steep.

If you're keen to get involved but struggling to get your first residential or commercial project off the ground, today, you'll find out how a Passive House consultant and a Passive House certifier can help.

I talk to experienced sustainability engineer Luc Plowman, the director of Detail Green in Victoria. Luc shares his extensive knowledge gained from working on residential and commercial Passive House projects all around Australia over the last 10 years.

MORE INFORMATION

Find everything you need on the Renovation Collaborative website.

• PODCAST Key points summary, timestamps, and resource links
• FREE RESOURCES Full transcripts edited into clear Q&A.
• CPD Australian architects can find more information on CPD, and
• COURSES Eleven easy to read courses demystifying the entire home design and construction process.

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

KEY POINTS SUMMARY

To conclude today, I want to draw your attention to six main points.

1. The market for Passive House in Australia has grown exponentially since about 2015. It's really come on in the past few years as the number of built Passive House projects has increased, enabling more people to experience and understand it.

2. Enerfit is the Passive House tool for renovations. It's more challenging and expensive than new build because you need to replace windows and remove cladding to properly address the requirements, but everything is possible so it's worth investigating feasibility.

3. A Passive House Consultant is particularly helpful for a first time Passive House team. They do the Passive House scientific modelling on the PHPP program to inform the design through the entire design, construction and certification process.

4. A Passive House Certifier's role is to provide independent review and quality assurance. They don't get involved in the design process at all. They sit in the background and provide technical support at multiple stages.

5. Building a custom architectural home to the Passive House standard adds around 10% as a rough rule of thumb. Simple design solutions can cost less.

6. Building a commercial building to the Passive House standard is not much of an uplift in cost above typical construction in mild climates like Sydney. Luc forecast that Passive House would become standard practice for commercial in Australia over the coming years. From an owner's perspective, it's not much more expensive to build, delivering low running costs and a more robust building. From a user's perspective, it's a healthier, more thermally comfortable building and therefore a more desirable and productive working environment.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

00:00 Introduction

00:58 How did you get into working in sustainability and Passive House?

02:34 The Passive House standard is applicable to all building types – not just houses.

04:43 Enerfit is the Passive House tool for renovations and refurbs

08:19...