Articles

A certified Passive House on a heptagonal block in Ballina, on the Richmond River. It was one of the first certified Passive Houses in the Northern Rivers, achieving an airtightness result of 0.08 air changes per hour at 50 pascals, and building it is why Scholten Group ended up distributing Pro Clima.

Service penetrations are consistently near the top of the list of air leakage paths, and unlike most leaks they are entirely preventable with about twenty minutes of work per building. Here is why penetrations leak and how to seal them properly.

Most membrane failures are not membrane failures. They are sequence failures: the right product installed in the wrong order, so that water arriving later has a path in. Get the sequence right and the detailing mostly follows.

Most Australian condensation guidance is written for cold climates. If you build in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast or the Northern Rivers, following it can make your buildings worse. Here is why, and what to do instead.

If you are specifying a wall wrap in Australia, the classification matters more than the brand. Here is what the AS 4200.1 vapour permeance classes mean and when each is required.

Condensation management was introduced to the National Construction Code in 2019 and significantly expanded in NCC 2022. For most residential builders it is now the provision most likely to be got wrong. Here is what the code actually requires.

Passive House buildings are known for their energy efficiency and sustainability, making them a popular choice for residential buildings. But can they be used for commercial and industrial purposes as well? The answer is a resounding yes.

Passive House building can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts associated with traditional building methods. By reducing energy consumption and incorporating sustainable materials and technologies, Passive House buildings can help to mitigate the environmental impacts of the built environment.

Passive House building is a sustainable and energy-efficient construction method that has gained popularity in recent years due to its ability to significantly reduce energy consumption and lower carbon emissions. Despite its benefits, there are still some misconceptions about Passive House building that may deter people from exploring this construction method.

Passive House buildings are designed to provide a comfortable indoor environment while also reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. But are Passive House buildings actually healthier than traditional buildings?

Yes, existing buildings can be retrofitted to meet Passive House standards, although it may require significant renovations and upgrades to achieve the necessary levels of insulation and airtightness. Retrofitting can provide significant benefits in terms of energy savings and improved indoor air quality.

Passive House buildings have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their high levels of energy efficiency and sustainability. These buildings are designed to consume very little energy while maintaining comfortable indoor temperatures, even in extreme weather conditions. But how do Passive House buildings achieve such high levels of energy efficiency?

Thermal bridge free construction is a building technique that focuses on minimising the number of areas where heat is lost in a building. This is particularly important for passive houses, where energy efficiency is a key goal. Thermal bridges are areas of a building where heat is lost, such as around windows, at corners, and at joints between different building elements. By reducing the number of thermal bridges, a building can be made more energy efficient, resulting in improved indoor comfort, lower energy bills, and a more sustainable building.

Passive houses are designed to be highly energy-efficient and comfortable, and the choice of windows is an important factor in achieving these goals. High-performance windows are specifically designed to be more energy-efficient than standard windows, and they play an important role in the overall energy efficiency of a passive house. In this beginner’s guide, we’ll take a closer look at high-performance windows, their benefits, the materials used in their construction, and the cost considerations of installing them in a passive house.

Thermal insulation is a critical component of passive houses, and it plays a key role in ensuring their energy efficiency and comfort. In this blog post, we will explore what thermal insulation is, how it is measured, what methods are used for testing it, and what benefits it offers. We will also discuss the various materials used with thermal insulation and the cost considerations involved.

Passive house construction aims to create energy-efficient and comfortable homes that consume a minimum amount of energy. To achieve this, passive houses must be built to strict standards that ensure proper control of four critical elements: water, air, vapour, and thermal. These four control layers are crucial in creating a well-insulated, airtight building envelope that prevents unwanted heat loss or gain, moisture buildup, and air infiltration.

Ventilation is a crucial aspect of building design, particularly in the context of passive houses. Passive houses aim to reduce the amount of energy required to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures, and proper ventilation is essential for this goal. Proper ventilation removes internal moisture, odors and harmful substances.

Passive House Certification is a guarantee that a building meets these Passive House standards in terms of comfort and high performance.

When building a new passive home or even an extension that meets the Passive House Criteria it is important to factor in the climate where the house is being built. This is called designing by climate and is a key criterion for meeting Passive Home Certification standards. So what does designing for climate mean?