Passive House is built on quality worldwide
Worldwide certification criteria for windows and glazings to be presented at the 16th International Passive House Conference
Darmstadt/Hanover, 28 April 2012 – Passive Houses not only allow for major energy savings and superior levels of comfort, they also offer excellent design and building quality. Using high quality components is essential and helps prevent structural damage while increasing a building’s market value. In order to help clients and designers chose suitable components for their Passive House buildings, the Passive House Institute (PHI) issues certifications for Certified Passive House Components. At the 16th International Passive House Conference, to be held in Hanover, Germany from 2 – 6 May 2012, the Institute will present its new certification criteria for windows and glazings, adapted to all climates worldwide.
Certified Passive House Components – making Passive House planning more reliable
Designing and building high quality buildings requires extremely competent designers, tradespeople and component manufacturers. The large number of building components available on the market along with inconsistent performance rating schemes makes choosing suitable components a difficult task. In order to facilitate this task, the PHI has been certifying Certified Passive House Components for the past 15 years, thus providing independent, validated and comparable performance values for these components and guaranteeing their Passive House suitability.
Until recently, the criteria for these certificates were based on the Central European climate where the Passive House concept was developed. As the specific thermal requirements for Passive House suitable components vary with different climates, these criteria needed to be adapted to suit all climates – starting with the criteria for windows and glazings, which will be presented at this year’s International Passive House Conference.
Today, over 300 components have been certified according to PHI criteria. To make these components more visible and easier to find, the Passive House Institute has created the Component Database for Certified Passive House Components, accessible to the general public on the Institute’s website at www.passivehouse.com as of 5 May 2012.
Today, a large variety of certified building products and systems are available throughout Europe and an increasing number of components are being developed for the Asian and American market. With Passive House forming the basis for legal standards in many regions worldwide including the European Union, California and South Korea, it is hardly surprising that more and more producers of building materials and components are looking to have their products certified.
Training and certification of qualified Passive House professionals
With its Certified Passive House Designer and Certified Passive House Tradesperson schemes, the Passive House Institute has established two training programmes for highly qualified construction professionals – another key to ensuring excellent design and construction quality. Around 2,500 designers and a growing number of tradespeople have already been trained and certified according to these schemes. “These programmes enable planners and craftspeople to plan and build better buildings that meet future requirements such as the EU’s 2020 Energy Performance of Buildings Directive,” says Dr Wolfgang Feist, director of the Passive House Institute.
Leading Passive House trade fair for all
The framework programme of the 16th International Passive House Conference includes a Passive House components exhibition on 4 and 5 May 2012 where more than 100 exhibitors will present the latest products, building materials, technical systems and innovative solutions for energy efficient buildings and retrofits. Visitors will have an opportunity to learn about the latest advances and technologies at the accompanying manufacturers’ forum and PHI will provide visitors with independent consultancy on these components’ energy performance and quality. The Passive House Conference and Exhibition serve as the key information and exchange platform for Passive House experts and newcomers alike from around the globe.
16th International Passive House Conference and Exhibition
Conference: Friday & Saturday, 4 and 5 May 2012
Excursions: Sunday, 6 May 2012
Framework programme: from 2 – 6 May 2012
Venue: Hannover Congress Centrum HCC
Theodor:Heuss:Platz 1:3
30175 Hanover
www.passivehouseconference.org
The 16th International Conference is organised by the Passive House Conference and
proKlima - Der enercity-Fonds
Photo: Certified Passive House Components offer superior thermal comfort and living quality. Photo: Bettina Glaser, © Passive House Institute