Passivhaus TrainingThe Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP) is a detailed spreadsheet available from the Passivhaus Institute for the design of buildings to the Passivhaus standard. The Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB) has adopted the standard and combined them into their proposed UK standard, the Carbonlite Programme. It is hoped that this will become a voluntary alternative to Building Regulations Part L compliance and also the energy element of the Code for Sustainable Homes. Conker support the Carbonlite Programme, having attended a number of modules of training culminating in the UK’s first two day course in London in the use of the PHPP. PHPP has been very successful in predicting the energy consumption of new buildings; thousands of Passivhauses have been monitored to ensure that the programme is accurate. Unlike the UK’s Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) which has never been accurately monitored against real developments. BRE recent study shows that houses built to SAP fall well short of the predictions in practice, therefore consuming far too much energy. Too much reliance is placed on installing high tech equipment, allowing the thermal fabric to be offset against an item such as a ground sourced heatpump. PHPP on the other hand works on the principle that the fabric insulation must be to the highest standard, before any equipment is designed in. Conker are looking forward to designing more Passivhauses.   |