Efficiency Now! Global Passivhaus momentum

The first in-person International Passivhaus conference since Covid-19 took place in Wiesbaden, Germany from 10-13 March 2023. The Trust and UK Passivhaus contingent were well represented. Here are our key takeaways from the jam-packed three day international gathering.

Efficiency Now!

Efficiency Now! was the theme of the conference, with a strong emphasis on how we can get there faster. It was inspiring and affirming to see monitoring data example after example demonstrating that Passivhaus newbuild and retrofit projects across the world deliver radical energy efficiency. There was a universal recognition of the need to reduce demand to help our global decarbonisation efforts, with the sombering news of global construction carbon emissions increasing by 4% between 2020-1. A plenary speech byJustin Bere from bere:architects reinforced this message, sharing detailed research showing the huge contributions that Passivhaus buildings can make in taking the pressure off a decarbonising grid and dealing with peak demand. The 25th birthday of PHPP (Passivhaus Planning Package software) was also marked, something that made Sarah feel nostalgic for previous iterations of the Excel spreadsheet!

Feeling very geeky to be feeling nostalgic for #PHPP 2007 fond times of working on my first #passivhaus projects ⁦@berearchitects⁩ @the_iPHA⁩ #26intPHC thanks for 25yrs of PHPP development! pic.twitter.com/RnuZpZP529
— Sarah Sandison Lewis (@SarahASLewis) March 10, 2023

Heidelberg: A template for Scotland

It was brilliant to share the news of the Scottish Government's recent decision to legislate for a Scottish equivalent to the Passivhaus standard with the international Passivhaus community during the conference.

Scottish equivalent to Passivhaus - news shared at 26 International Passivhaus Conference 2023

It was even better to be able to visit the Passivhaus district of Heidelberg during the Conference tours, to get inspiration for how Passivhaus could be implemented on a large scale in Scotland. Heidelberg’s Passivhaus district includes 7000+ Passivhaus homes, alongside a Passivhaus supermarket, cinema, builders’ merchant, hotel, fire station and numerous schools, and includes retrofits as well as newbuilds. It was incredible to experience Passivhaus as far as the eye could see! After mandating Passivhaus for all new builds in the Bahnstadt district, the City of Heidelberg offered proactive support to design and construction teams new to Passivhaus through a cost-effective dedicated support team, led by as single Passivhaus Designer.

What do all these buildings have in common?! #26IntPHC pic.twitter.com/VzyV2DvvR5
— Sarah Sandison Lewis (@SarahASLewis) March 12, 2023

Healthcare

Passivhaus healthcare buildings, including Frankfurt hospital, the Foleshill health care centre, and Exeter’s Extra Care scheme were exemplified during a marathon conference session. Ramboll's Ian van Duivenbode delivered a presentation on a potential Passivhaus children’s hospital in Cambridge, which would be an exciting UK development. We were struck with how perfect a match Passivhaus is with the healthcare sector, offering incredible indoor air quality, comfort, and energy bill savings. The NHS has just launched a Net Zero Building Standard, which could help catalyse a growing market for Passivhaus in the UK.

The tour of Frankfurt hospital was over-subscribed and did not disappoint!

The visit to Frankfurt Hoechst Hospital showed how impressive it is. Whilst we couldn’t see patient areas now the building is in use, we able to experience the calm and peaceful common areas whilst breathing in very clean air throughout. We also visited the three floors of technical installations including the ship engine based emergency generator. Our smaller completed Passivhaus building for the NHS at Foleshill in Coventry shows how Passivhaus buildings will be cheaper to own over the long term, and Frankfurt Hoechst Hospital will do the same.

Peter Ranken, Director of Sustainability, Tooley Foster

Retrofit on a massive scale

'Backpacker' installation of MVHR systems externally in OutPHit retrofit projects

Another key theme of the conference was how to scale up retrofit and how to make it quicker, cheaper, and less technically challenging. Various examples from the EU-wide OutPHit programme were shared, demonstrating innovative approaches including use of ‘backpacker’ panels externally, containing ventilation and services, as well as prefabricated insulated timber panels. We also learned of innovative funding mechanisms for retrofit, including that offered by Hesse region for EnerPHit projects. Closer to home it was great to see Alex Towler present Transition by Design’s work for Cambridge City Council on retrofit approaches and typical costs for 7 typical housing archetypes for the city.

The multiplier effect

When considering how we promote Passivhaus in our respective countries we were reminded of the power of each individual project in helping to get the Passivhaus word out there. Each project has a ripple effect and it was good to see this at work from Trikala in Greece to Latin America, including new shoots of interest and activity in Mongolia.

We also heard from Andrew Arifuzzaman of University of Toronto Scarborough about the market influence big university projects can have, introducing Passivhaus to top contractors, subcontractors, whole supply chains, as well as the thousands of students who get to experience Passivhaus first hand.

The multiplier effect is multiplied further when we see Passivhaus being rolled out on a super-sized scale, from the Winthrop Center skyscraper in Boston, the large-scale housing schemes in Heidelburg and Darmstadt as seen during the tours, as well as hearing from Austrian social housing provider Neue Heimat Tirol (NMT) with 5000 Passivhaus units in its housing stock.

Community

It was brilliant to be able to spend time with the large UK contingent at the conference (with at least 20+ PHT mmbers represented), many of whom were involved in delivering talks and presentations. Emma Osmundsen, formerly of PHT Patron Exeter City Living and now Waltham Forest’s Sixty Bricks, shared her insights from Exeter’s journey towards a Passivhaus leisure centre St Sidwell’s Point. Passivhaus Technical steering group member Kate de Selincourt spoke in a plenary of the conference and shared a timely reminder of the devastating health impacts of living in cold and damp homes and reminded us of the life-enhancing benefits of Passivhaus to transform people’s lives, to lift them out of fuel poverty and improved health outcomes.

We have come away feeling energised by re-connecting with those across the world who share our passion for Passivhaus. Whether discussing PHPP or construction detailing over a beer, listening to a seminar or joining a group Passivhaus tour, the atmosphere was friendly, informal, collaborative and supportive. We are united in our sense of purpose to help bring about Passivhaus ‘Efficiency Now!”. Prost!

That’s a wrap! #26IntPHC post conference beers 🍻 pic.twitter.com/bod676Ukit
— Sarah Sandison Lewis (@SarahASLewis) March 11, 2023

If you missed attending the International Conference, never fear because the UK Passivhaus conference is just around the corner! Save the dates: 16-17 October 2023, Edinburgh & online.