Renovation Collaborative

How do you design a Passive House in Warm Temperate climates like Perth, Adelaide or Sydney?

In today's episode, I continue to investigate the design specifics for each of the four climate zones around Australia, where most of our population lives.

I talk to very experienced Passive House designer Ben Caine, the director of the award-winning practice Leanhaus Architecture in Perth. Ben’s architectural mission is to deliver well-thought-out, mindful, architectural homes to the passive house standard, at less cost than a typical architecturally designed home. Ben explains the Passive House design specifics for Warm Temperate, plus he shares ideas on cost savings and heaps of other information and insights from his years of experience to help you better understand Passive House.

Australian Architects can claim formal CPD hours for these podcasts.

MORE INFORMATION

Find everything you need on the Renovation Collaborative website.

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

• PODCAST Key points summary, timestamps and resource links
• FREE RESOURCES Transcript 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.

KEY POINT SUMMARY

1. Through his practice, Leanhaus Architecture, Ben delivers well-thought-out, mindful architectural homes to the passive house standard for a lower cost than a typical architecturally designed home. His practice proves that if you are open to finding efficiencies across design and construction, you can have a passive house or high-performance home without the additional cost.

2. Ben generally designs to the Passive House standard without going as far as certification for the simple reason that Passive House certification adds cost. However, it’s essential to note that during the first four years of Leanhaus Architecture, Ben and his team went to great lengths to model, test and optimize every design and understand the exact formula for success. They can now confidently deliver to the passive house standard without the extra cost.

3. The 5 Passive House design components for a Warm temperate climate are as follows:

• Windows are double-glazed and always operable. Windows should enable cross ventilation, purging any excess heat build-up, and connection to the outdoors to enjoy comfortable external temperatures during spring and autumn.
• The fresh air circulation system is an HRV
• Wall insulation can fit within a typical 90mm timber stud framed wall thickness. No under-slab insulation is required, but sometimes slab edges may require insulation.
• Only one layer of external wrapping is required; the vapour-permeable weatherproof membrane on the outside of the home is taped, sealed and made airtight. An additional internal membrane may be used to obtain certainty of airtightness, but it can be avoided in most cases to reduce costs.
• Removing thermal bridges is always essential.

4. Shading is critical, particularly from low-angle sun from the east and west and even from the south in summer. Passive houses retain heat effectively because they are well-insulated and sealed; therefore, the hotter the climate zone, the more shading is required.

5. Reverse cycle air conditioning systems are predominantly used for cooling. The heat load created in the house through cooking, showering, etc. is sufficient for heating. The air-conditioning system size is minimal, at 20 Watts per square metre or less. By contrast, for an ordinary house an air-conditioning contractor would typically provide 60 to 80 Watts per square meter. As an example, Ben has a 6 kW split system for his entire 240m2 house.

6. Australian passive house design is very different from passive house design in the extremely cold climates in Europe. Our sunny, comfortable climate allows us to live with an indoor-outdoor connection. People associate Australian architectural design and modern living with large expanses of glazing, particularly connecting to outdoor living spaces. Passive house design in Australia retains those big expanses of glass and the Australian way of living as much as possible. It maintains people’s expectations of what an Australian house should look like while exceeding expectations about health, comfort and energy efficiency performance.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

00:00:00 Introduction

00:04:54 What does your practice name ‘Leanhaus’ mean?

00:08:50 Are most of your projects Certified Passive House or uncertified high performance?

00:12:52 What sort of clients come to you looking for a Passive House / high performance home?

00:15:20 What is the warm temperate Perth climate like?

00:19:10 Are all houses built in Perth double brick construction?

00:22:59 What are the window design requirements?

00:31:10 What are the shading design requirements?

00:37:42 What happens if too much sun gets in and the house gets too hot?

00:41:57 What are the cooling / heating system requirements?

00:47:44 What are the airtightness wrapping requirements?

00:51:18 How do you choose which building wrap to use from the multitude of options?

00:53:10 What are the insulation requirements?

00:54:58 Are there any other considerations?

00:57:11 Can you provide any advice on products and materials suppliers?

01:01:20 In your experience what are the main barriers to Passive House?

01:04:23 How much cost does Passive House add to a project?

01:10:07 In your experience are there any problems with Passive House?

01:14:26 Key Point Summary

IN THE NEXT EPISODE

Next week, you’ll learn how to design a Passive House in a sub-tropical climate like Brisbane.

I talk to very experienced Passive House Designer Tiago Guerreiro, a director of the award-winning design and construction company, H4 Living in Brisbane.

H4 Living have been creating passive houses and high performance homes for over 10 years. Tiago shares the climate design specifics plus heaps of other insights from his years of experience to help you better understand Passive House design.

RESOURCE LINKS

Ben Caine, Leanhaus Architecture www.leanhaus.com.au

International Passive House Association www.passivehouse-international.org/

Certified Components Database www.database.passivehouse.com/en/components/

 Australian Passive House Association

www.passivhausassociation.com.au/

GET IN TOUCH

If you've got any comments or questions or there's any topic you'd like to know more about, please send me an email at [email protected].

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

How do you design a Passive House in a mild temperate climate like Melbourne?

In today's episode, I continue to investigate the design specifics for each of the four climate zones around Australia where most of our population lives. I talk to very experienced Passive House designer Andy Marlow, a director of the award winning environmental practice Envirotecture in Victoria and New South Wales.

In this episode, Andy explains the Passive House design specifics for Mild Temperate. Plus we talk more about Enerfit, the renovation and retrofit tool, and he shares heaps of other information and insights from his years of experience to help you better understand Passive House.

Australian Architects can claim formal CPD hours for these podcasts.

MORE INFORMATION

Find everything you need on the Renovation Collaborative website.

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

• PODCAST Key points summary, timestamps and resource links
• FREE RESOURCES Transcript 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.

KEY POINT SUMMARY

1. In terms of the five Passive House design components, mild temperate is very similar to cool temperate.

• Windows are double or sometimes triple glazed depending on the design.
• The fresh air circulation system is an HRV
• Stud framed wall thicknesses are typically 140mm to allow for more insulation, and insulation is required to separate a concrete floor slab from the cool earth temperature below.
• An internal wrap for air tightness and moisture control is usually required in addition to the exterior weather tight wrap, and
• Removing thermal bridges is always important.

2. The colour of the roof and walls is considered in the PHPP modelling and affects the design's performance. In cooler climates, dark coloured buildings perform slightly better than light coloured buildings. Dark coloured roof and walls will dry out faster which can be beneficial to reduce any moisture in the wall and roof structure. However, Andy noted that as a nation going forward into climate change and increasing temperatures, generally speaking, lighter coloured buildings are the best solution.

3. Passive House is a performance standard so buildings can be constructed from any material as long as they deliver the required results through the PHPP modelling. Andy references a Passive House that Envirotecture have completed made from straw bale.

4. Passive House certification costs around 3 to 8% extra, however the value it adds far outweighs the extra cost. Envirotecture prefer to build certified Passive Houses over uncertified high performance because of the rigorous testing on site. The quality assurance.

5. When renovating, the whole building must be upgraded to achieve Enerfit certification. Improvements must be made to the existing building where possible, but the new work will carry the existing. This is very different to the Australian National Construction Code in many parts of Australia which only requires the new work to be constructed to the current code requirements.

However, building is expensive and if you can't afford to upgrade the whole house, please don't let this put you off building your new extension to the Passive House standard. The new work needs to have an airtight door that separates it from the existing house and it won't be able to be formally certified. But if it's living areas where you spend most of your time, it will be well worthwhile and add substantial comfort and value.

And finally,

6. Enerfit Heritage renovations are definitely the most challenging. Most of the renovation work is done on the interior to retain the exterior character. Andy notes that you don't always need to replace the windows, particularly if they're beautiful character windows such as lead light stained glass. There are other solutions available.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

00:00 Introduction

01:01 How did you get started designing Passive Houses?

05:44 Who are your clients – what are the themes? And has that changed?

09:57 What is the mild temperate Melbourne climate like?

11:50 What are the mild temperate window design requirements?

12:50 What is the mild temperate fresh air system?

16:35 What are the mild temperate air tightness / building wrapping requirements?

18:38 Are building colours considered in the PHPP modelling?

21:14 Information about Enerfit – for renovations and retrofits

28:57 What are the barriers and misconceptions you are aware of?

31:32 How much does Passive House add to cost in your experience?

33:03 Are your projects predominantly un-certified high performance or certified Passive House?

34:47 Do you find that certification adds much more to cost?

38:11 Are there any problems after completion with Passive House that you are aware of?

41:17 Key Points Summary

IN THE NEXT EPISODE

Next week, you'll find out how to design a Passive House in warm temperate climates like Perth, Adelaide and Sydney.

I talk to very experienced Passive House designer Ben Caine, the director of the award winning practice Leanhaus Architecture in Perth.

Ben's architectural mission is to find solutions to reduce the additional costs of Passive House and make it more accessible for clients on all budgets.

Ben shares the climate design specifics plus heaps of other insights to help you better understand Passive House design.

RESOURCE LINKS

Andy Marlow – Envirotecture www.envirotecture.com.au

Envirotecture Project – Thornleigh www.envirotecture.com.au/thornleigh-passivhaus/

 Envirotecture Project – Straw bale house www.envirotecture.com.au/huffnpuffhaus/

 Envirotecture – Passive House: What’s it worth? www.envirotecture.com.au/passivhaus-whats-it-worth/

 Envirotecture – Little Pot of Gold www.envirotecture.com.au/little-pot-of-gold/

 Australian Passivhaus Association www.passivhausassociation.com.au/

GET IN TOUCH

If you've got any comments or questions or there's any topic you'd like to know more about, please send me an email at [email protected].

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

Passive House design is different in every climate zone.

Over the next four podcast episodes, I talk to Passive House designers in the four Australian climate zones where most of our population lives, to discover the key differences.

Today I start with Passive House design for cool temperate climates like Canberra and Hobart. I talk to Michael Tolhurst, the director of award winning practice Envelope Architecture in Canberra.

Michael clearly explains the Passive House design specifics for cool temperate. Plus he shares heaps of other information and insights to help you better understand Passive House design

Australian Architects can claim formal CPD hours for these podcasts.

MORE INFORMATION

Find everything you need on the Renovation Collaborative website.

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

• PODCAST Key points summary, timestamps and resource links
• FREE RESOURCES Transcript 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.

KEY POINTS SUMMARY

1. Passive House design for cool temperate climates has a focus on warming. Of the four Australian climate zones accommodating most of our population, cool temperate is the most extreme. In Canberra, winters regularly go down to less than -5 degrees Celsius and in summer can reach the 40s.

2. Using a compact building form makes the Passive House standard much easier to achieve in more extreme climates like cool temperate. However, if you want a more linear form because of your site or to capture views etc. The PHPP tool can be used to determine building form alternatives and compensate for heat loss in other ways.

3. Windows are generally triple glazed. The window glass area reduces as the climate becomes colder to reduce heat loss. However, it's still critical to have opening windows in all habitable rooms to get cross ventilation when needed. And shading is still very important to prevent too much heat gain.

4. The fresh air circulation system is a HRV, which stands for Heat Recovery Ventilation System. The HRV provides a constant supply of filtered fresh air and incorporates a highly efficient heat exchanger to retain heat from inside the house. Some additional mechanical heating, usually from a reverse cycle air conditioner, is generally required.

As a side note, Michael clearly explains how Passive House heating is generated from three sources:

i) Solar heat gain,

ii) Internal gains from occupants, showering, cooking and equipment, etc.

iii) Mechanical heating.

The air tightness and insulation in a Passive House very efficiently retains the heat inside the house.

5. An internal air barrier is required in a cool temperate climate zone and this is in addition to the vapour permeable external membrane used for weatherproofing. Heat energy moves from warm to cold, so in a cool temperate climate this is generally from inside the house where it's warm, through the building envelope to outside the house where it's cool.

Moisture is created inside the house by breathing, showering and cooking, etc. An air barrier such as a membrane is installed on the inside face of the wall to prevent moisture laden warm air from moving through the wall structure. This eliminates the risk of condensation and mould growth within the wall.

A HRV system continuously extracts that stale humid air from spaces such as kitchen and laundry and bathrooms. Building elements and construction details that create thermal bridges are either designed out or analysed and modified if necessary to ensure that surface temperatures never drop so low that condensation can form.

And my final point,

6. Insulation is increased. The standard wall solution is a 140mm timber stud frame to allow for the increased width of an R4 wall batt. If you're using concrete floor slab construction, it requires continuous insulation to reduce heat losses to the ground, as well as to the slab edge. Depending on the engineering requirements and the preferred flooring finish, the insulation can be either below or above the slab.

And finally, additional insulation in the roof is required, creating a completely insulated envelope.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

00:00 Introduction

00:55 How did you start designing Passive Houses

03:35 What are the typical construction materials used in Canberra?

05:12 Do your clients come looking for Passive House or do you have to persuade them?

08:01 What is the cool temperate climate like and what are the design objectives?

10:57 Does Passive House design have to be a box form?

13:34 What are the window requirements in a Cool Temperate climate?

18:58 What window opening types do you use for Passive House?

21:35 Do you need window shading?

22:37 What sort of additional heating systems do you need?

25:43 Do you need an HRV or an ERV system?

32:42 What are the insulation requirements?

33:54 What are the thermal bridging requirements?

37:28 What are the building wrapping requirements?

39:59 Do your potential clients have any concerns about Passive House?

43:26 Are there any problems with the Passive House system?

46:12 Key Points Summary

IN THE NEXT EPISODE

Next week I'll be on holidays and hopefully so are you.

I'm taking a three week break in the podcast over Christmas and I'll be back on Tuesday 14th January 2025 and we'll get straight into Passive House design for a mild temperate climate zone.

I talk to one of the early Passive House designers in Australia, Andy Marlow from Envirotecture. Andy shares the climate specifics plus heaps of other insights to help you better understand Passive House design.

RESOURCE LINKS

Michael Tolhurst, Envelope Architecture, Canberra www.envelopearchitecture.com.au

Envelope Architecture Instagram www.instagram.com/narrabundahaus

Australian Passivhaus Association www.passivhausassociation.com.au/

Zehnder www.fantech.com.au

GET IN TOUCH

If you've got any comments or questions or there's any topic you'd like to know more about, please send me an email at [email protected].

How do you build a Passive House?

In this episode you'll find out about the rigorous testing and photographic documentation of evidence that has to happen on site to guarantee that Passive House buildings deliver what they promise.

I talk to very experienced Passive House builder Matthew Carland from Carland Constructions in Melbourne.

Matthew openly shares everything that happens on site. You'll learn why he believes that Passive Houses are actually easier to build than typical homes. Plus heaps of other information to help you better understand Passive House construction.

And let me tell you, if you still aren't convinced about the quality and value of the Passive House standard, in this episode, you'll find out how remarkable it really is.

Australian Architects can claim formal CPD hours for these podcasts.

 

MORE INFORMATION

Find everything you need on the Renovation Collaborative website.

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

• PODCAST Key points summary, timestamps and resource links
• FREE RESOURCES Transcript 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.

KEY POINTS SUMMARY

1. Involving the builder during design is critical for keeping the project on budget. PHPP is used to test and find a balance of the best design and product options that meet the Passive House standard. And so when you include the builder's cost advice during PHPP design stages, you can effectively balance performance and cost to get the optimal outcome.

2. Passive House projects are easier to build than typical houses because of the high level of communication and collaboration. A specific outcome (Passive House certification) must be delivered and everyone wants to get it right. It's a shared goal. Everyone involved cares about what they do and works together.

3. The main difference between Passive House construction and typical construction is airtightness. Successful building wrapping is about getting prepared and thinking ahead. Once you understand, it's not that difficult, but there is extra time and cost involved. To wrap a standard house internally, it takes about three or four people an extra week.

4. Passive House certification gives you the unquestionable guarantee that what is designed is built. There is no other method on the market that will do that. There are multiple tests during construction to confirm that everything is built correctly, including blower door testing to confirm the air tightness, thermal imaging to confirm the insulation is installed correctly, and visual inspections and photographic documentation of evidence to confirm the right products and installation methods have been used.

5. To get started as a builder, do the Passive House Trade course. After that, building wrap suppliers will show you how to use their products and all the other information you need is available online. In addition, Matt offers building tours and shares all his secrets on social media so you can find these links in the show notes.

And finally,

6. I'm gathering a complete list of Passive House products and suppliers used by everyone that I talk to through this season to help everyone trying to get started. This list will be available on the Renovation Collaborative website Free Resources page after the final episode of the season and that's episode 11.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

00:00 Introduction

01:04 How did you get into building Passive Houses?

04:20 Is it preferable to involve the builder during the design process?

09:11 What are the main construction processes in a Passive House that are different to typical construction?

13:18 What are the key challenges in making a building airtight?

17:28 How do you prevent other trades damaging or not maintaining the airtight layer during the build process?

19:08 How much extra time does it take to wrap a house?

20:10 What happens in a blower door test?

25:45 Can you tell us about constructing renovations using Enerfit?

30:55 What are the challenges with installing insulation?

32:43 What happens on site for Passive House certification?

35:57 How did you work everything out for your first Passive House build?

38:23 Can you tell me the Passive House products you use?

41:55 Do you have any problems using windows from overseas?

43:12 What types of Passive house problems come up after construction completion?

46:16 What maintenance is required?

IN THE NEXT EPISODE

Next week we move on to the next step in the process:

Know your climate zone.

Passive House design is different in every climate zone. Over the next four episodes, I talk to Passive House designers in the four Australian climate zones where most of our population lives to discover the key design differences.

First up, I cover Passive House design for cool temperate climates like Canberra, Hobart and Launceston. I talk to Michael Tolhurst, the director of the award winning practice Envelope Architecture in Canberra. He shares the specifics of climate design plus heaps of other insights to help you better understand Passive House design.

RESOURCE LINKS

Information

Carland Constructions Instagram www.instagram.com/carlandconstructions/?hl=en

The Mindful Builder Podcast www.instagram.com/themindfulbuilderpod/

Australian Passivhaus Association www.passivhausassociation.com.au/

Products and Materials

Pro Clima www.proclima.com.au

BINQ www.binq.com.au

Logikhaus www.logikhaus.com.au

Zehnder www.fantech.com.au

PassivTech www.passivetech.com.au

GET IN TOUCH

If you've got any comments or questions or there's any topic you'd like to know more about, please send me an email at [email protected].

Passive House windows are not like the typical windows that we are used to in Australia. They require double glazing and sometimes triple glazing, and they open and close in different ways.

Glass windows and doors are an integral part of building design, functionality and energy efficiency and they always take a large portion of the budget. So it's critical to know what you're working with before you get started.

In today's episode, I talk to Paul Gerrard, the owner of Energy Efficient Windows, about the uPVC windows he manufactures for Passive Houses and high performance homes all around Australia. You'll learn:

• The different window and door types that can be used in a Passive House,
• The answers to your questions about UPVC window frames,
• Plus heaps of other practical info to help you understand how windows work in a Passive House.

Australian Architects can claim formal CPD hours for these podcasts.

MORE INFORMATION

Find everything you need on the Renovation Collaborative website.

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

• PODCAST Key points summary, timestamps and resource links
• FREE RESOURCES Transcript 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.

KEY POINTS SUMMARY

1. Passive House windows are different to the typical windows that we're used to in Australia. The main Passive House options are tilt and turn windows, lift and slide doors and hinged swing doors. These opening types comply with the airtight requirements. They lock the entire perimeter of the window and really compress the seals.

2. Passive House windows need to be double or triple glazed. The option that's correct for your climate zone will be determined through your PHPP calculations.

3. The window frame material is also part of the window energy equation, not just the window glass. It needs to be insulated and airtight and thermal bridge free, meaning that the heat energy can't transfer through the window frame from inside to out, or outside to in.

4. uPVC windows are the most cost effective Passive House window option. Other options include timber thermally broken aluminium and timber aluminium composite.

5. The window brand and type you choose doesn't need to be a certified component through the German Passive House Institute. As long as the required data on the window glass and the frames is available, the PHPP calculations can be balanced with everything else in the house to achieve the Passive House standard.

6. A few facts about uPVC windows:

• uPVC doesn't off gas like a vinyl floor.
• It has a very long lifespan.
• It won't break down in the sun because it contains a special tropical mix for the hot Australian climate.
• It's 100% recyclable in bushfire areas,
• It can go up to BAL40 in bushfire zones and
• It's unaffected by coastal salt air environments.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

00:00 Introduction

01:06 Can you give us some background about Energy Efficient Windows?

01:43 What types of windows do you manufacture at EE Windows?

02:41 How are Passive House Windows different to standard windows?

03:45 What types of window can be used in a high performance building?

04:28 What are the challenges of installing triple glazing?

06:00 Do flyscreens get used on Passive Houses?

06:34 How does uPVC affect heat transfer through the frame?

09:19 Does the brand of Passive House windows you select have to be a certified component?

10:36 Can you tell me more about uPVC?

14:50 Can you provide any advice on Passive House window installation?

17:51 How does the cost of uPVC Passive House windows compare?

20:12 Are there any other concerns with uPVC windows?

IN THE NEXT EPISODE

Next week I speak to very experienced Passive House builder Matthew Carland from Carland Constructions in Melbourne.

Matthew shares his insider knowledge about what happens on site while constructing a Passive House. Plus you'll hear heaps of other insights based on Matthew's years of experience.

RESOURCE LINKS

Energy Efficient Windows

Paul Gerrard www.eewindows.com.au

International Passive House Association

www.passivehouse-international.org/

Certified Components Database www.database.passivehouse.com/en/components/

Australian Passive House Association

www.passivhausassociation.com.au/

GET IN TOUCH

If you've got any comments or questions or there's any topic you'd like to know more about, please send me an email at [email protected].

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 Passive House can be used for prefabricated buildings

09:15 You offer two services: Passive House Consultant and Passive House Certifier

10:21 How does your Passive House Consultant service work?

14:44 How does your independent Passive House Certifier service work?

16:41 What are the pros and cons of getting Passive House Certification vs high performance (uncertified)

19:15 What is the thermal envelope?

21:02 What is PHPP?

22:37 Do all products have to be certified Passive House components?

23:37 Passive House includes all energy use, and energy supply source.

25:02 How do you work with Architects and Building designers to help them with PHPP?

26:11 Airtightness – what does is mean in comparison to standard construction?

28:30 WUFI – moisture study to determine condensation issues

31:13 Is Passive House acknowledged by the NCC as a replacement for any energy assessments?

32:37 What are the concerns slowing uptake of Passive House in Australia?

35:12 How much cost does Passive House add to residential buildings?

39:02 Does Passive House have any problems over the long term?

40:46 Passive House in a hot, arid, tropical climate zone - design considerations.

44:55 Passive House in Commercial and other non-residential – Why is passive House being embraced by the commercial sector. How does it fit with other rating tools?

48:18 Air conditioning in commercial – how is it different in a Passive House standard building?

50:37 How much cost does Passive House add to non-residential buildings?

52:25 For anyone looking to engage a Passive House Consultant or a Passive House Certifier – where would they start?

54:01 Key Points Summary

IN THE NEXT EPISODE

Next week you'll find out about Passive House windows and how they're different from the typical windows we're used to in Australia. I talk to Paul Gerrard, the owner of uPVC Window manufacturing business Energy Efficient Windows in Brisbane.

RESOURCE LINKS

Luc Plowman, Detail Green, Victoria www.detailgreen.com.au

Prefabricated / modular Passive House buildings

Carbon Light, Victoria www.carbonlite.com.au

Eclipse Passive House, New South Wales www.eclipsepassivehouse.com.au

Arkit, Victoria www.arkit.com.au

International Passive House Association

www.passivehouse-international.org/

Certified Components Database www.database.passivehouse.com/en/components/

Australian Passive House Association

www.passivhausassociation.com.au/

Energy Efficiency tools and rating systems

WELL www.v2.wellcertified.com/en

Green Star www.gbca.au

NatHERS www.nathers.gov.au

Basix www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/development-and-assessment/basix

NABERS www.nabers.gov.au

Living Building Challenge www.living-future.org.au/living-building-challenge

GET IN TOUCH

If you've got any comments or questions or there's any topic you'd like to know more about, please send me an email at [email protected].

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

How do you design a Passive House?

In today’s podcast episode you'll get a clear understanding of how a Passive House works and the process to put one together.

I talk to architect Alexander Symes, the director of the highly awarded environmental architectural practice Alexander Symes Architects in Sydney.

Alexander's architectural mission is to advance sustainable architecture, and in today's interview, that is absolutely what he does. He openly shares his incredible knowledge to empower everyone to move forward with their passive house project.

If you're an Australian Architect, you can claim your formal CPD hours for these podcasts. Jump on to the Renovation Collaborative website for more information.

MORE INFORMATION

Find everything you need on the Renovation Collaborative website.

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

• PODCAST Key points summary, timestamps and resource links
• FREE RESOURCES Transcript 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. 

KEY POINTS SUMMARY

1. There are five design components that the passive house standard uses to achieve its outcomes of energy efficiency and indoor air temperature and quality:

• Thermal insulation: This is about keeping the warmth in during winter and the hot out during summer.
• High-performance windows: These are for thermal insulation.
• Air tightness: This is about sealing your building so there are minimal gaps where the heat energy can get in and out.
• Heat recovery ventilation system: This brings filtered, fresh outside air into your home and evenly distributes it without losing the thermal efficiency of everything else you're doing.
• Thermal bridge-free construction: This stops heat energy transfer through materials from outside in, or inside to out.

2. You also need mechanical heating or cooling but only a minimal system. A passive house requires much less energy to cool or heat it than a very leaky house where you will constantly be running the air conditioning.

3. You can open the windows when the external conditions are right and the temperature and the relative humidity outside are pleasant. Opening the windows, feeling the natural breeze, and hearing the birds outside are essential to a healthy home. The heat recovery ventilation system will remain running.

4. What is the difference between a passive house and a passive solar or climate-responsive design?

• Traditional passive solar design (in the southern hemisphere) is about orientating the glazing primarily to the north to enable sun or shade into the house to passively warm or keep it cool, depending on the season. In addition, climate-responsive houses are deliberately open to optimise cross ventilation and don't seal very well.
• In future climate scenarios, there will be extreme heat peak days, day on day on day. Mechanical heating and cooling will be essential. Climate-responsive houses are not well sealed, so they can't run efficiently.
• The advantage of the Passive House standard is that you can seal it all up and run a very efficient air conditioning system to maintain thermal comfort. The passive within passive house means it looks after the temperature for you with minimal input.

5. You can achieve the health, comfort and energy benefits of a passive House without going as far as formal certification. However, it's essential to understand that the certification process is necessary for QA (and we will talk more about this in the next episode). In a non-certified 'High Performance' home, the insulation, windows and heat recovery ventilation system are the same, but the airtightness requirements are lower than the strict passive house standard.

6. How does the airtightness of the passive house standard compare with the typical Australian home?

• 15-20 air changes per hour: The average Australian house. This means that with all the doors and windows shut, all the air in the house could change over or escape to the outside/ come in 15 to 20 times in a single hour.
• 6.0 air changes per hour or less: A heat recovery ventilation system (fresh air circulation system) is required to avoid mould.
• 3.0 air changes per hour: Alexander considers this a 'high performance' building.
• 1.0 air change per hour or less: Enerfit - Passive House renovation/ refurbishment standard.
• 0.6 air changes per hour or less - The Passive House standard.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

00:00 Introduction

01:06 How did you get into designing Passive Houses?

03:53 What are the five Passive House design components?

09:08 You also need mechanical heating and /or cooling in a Passive House. How do they work together?

12:53 Can you open the windows in a Passive House?

14:47 What is the difference between Passive House and passive solar / climate responsive design?

22:05 What are the steps to design a Passive House and who is required on your team?

27:26 Is it better to have the builder involved during the design process rather than going to tender?

29:08 Does the builder need to have completed the Passive House training course?

30:28 What input does the Passive House Designer provide on site around airtightness?

33:52 How does the airtightness of a Passive House compare to a typical Australian house?

35:14 Can you explain more about Enerfit (the Passive House tool for renovations and refurbishments)?

36:58 In your experience what are the main concerns clients have about Passive House?

38:02 Are there any potential problems or issues that might occur?

39:41 What would you suggest to any designers who have completed the Designer Course and are trying to get up to speed?

40:25 Do you have any other advice for anyone attempting their first Passive House?

41:55 Key Points Summary

IN THE NEXT EPISODE

Next week, I talk to experienced Passive House Consultant and Passive House certifier, Luc Plowman, the director of Detail Green environmental consultancy in Victoria.

If you are thinking about your first passive house project, you'll find out how a passive house consultant can help you work through the challenges. You'll also learn how to work with a Passive House Certifier and get your project formally certified. Plus, you’ll hear heaps of other insights about residential and commercial Passive House projects based on Luc's years of experience.

RESOURCE LINKS

Alexander Symes Architects

www.alexandersymes.com.au

Other references in the podcast

Australian Passive House Association

www.passivhausassociation.com.au

Jason Quinn, Sustainable Engineering, New Zealand,

www.sustainableengineering.co.nz

Smart Plus Academy

www.smartplusacademy.com

GET IN TOUCH

If you've got any comments or questions or there's any topic you'd like to know more about, please send me an email at [email protected].

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

What's it really like in passive house?

Today, you are going to find out.

In this first episode, I let passive house speak for itself through the experience of 5 passive house owners from different climate zones around Australia. Most of them are home owners, but my final guest is from a commercial building, because passive house delivers incredible benefits for all building types, not just houses!

In today's episode, my 5 guests explain:

• What made them decide to build a passive house,
• Their concerns before they started,
• What they now love most about their passive house, and
• How it has affected their lifestyle.

The interviews bring to light surprising information and sweep away all misconceptions and scepticism.

One thing to note:

You’ll hear in the interviews that some guests live in Passive Houses, and some live in Passive House style high performance homes. The high performance homes incorporate all the components, testing and outcomes of a Passive House, but have not sought formal certification.

You’ll find out more about the pros and cons of formal certification in Episode 4 with the Passive House consultant and Certifier Luc Plowman from Detail Green

If you’re an Australian Architect you can claim your formal CPD hours for these podcasts.

MORE INFORMATION

Find everything you need on the Renovation Collaborative website.

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

• PODCAST Key points summary, timestamps and resource links
• FREE RESOURCES Transcript 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. 

KEY POINTS SUMMARY

1. Passive House delivers genuine health and comfort benefits. The temperature is always stable and pleasant. It's quiet and calm inside the house. There's no mould and the filtered air keeps dust, dirt and pollen and all other pollutants out of the house.

2. It's low maintenance. Because the windows can stay shut, the dirt and dust build up slower and there are no insects and spiders, so there's a lot less cleaning. The bathrooms can stay dry and fresh and your towels are dry within a few hours.

3. You can still connect with the outside like any typical home. You can open the windows whenever the weather is comfortable outside, or just to hear the birds sing, feel a breeze or talk to the neighbours.

4. Passive Houses require a specialised system to duct filtered outdoor air throughout the house. This is called a HRV or an ERV depending on your climate zone. It's silent and you can't feel it. The air is just trickling out at the ceiling level. You also need some air conditioning to fine tune the temperature to a small degree or for a minimum amount of time. You're not running an air conditioning unit on full for hours at a time.

5. There are substantial energy use and running cost savings. The HRV or ERV energy use is negligible at about 80 watts, so if you had to compare that to something, it's probably like a computer monitor. Savings for a large home are in the thousands of dollars a year.

6. The Australian National Construction Code Energy requirements for houses would have to be some of the lowest in the Westernised world. All my guests could not understand why anyone in the industry could turn their back on the science and evidence of Passive House and continue to build in this outdated way.

If you'd like to see some more information about the houses that we've talked about today and the Bob Marshman commercial building, you can find YouTube video links below.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

00:00:00 Introduction

Residential

00:01:30 GUEST 1. Michael Tolhurst, Envelope Architecture, Canberra - Passive House

00:11:49 GUEST 2. Ben Caine, Leanhaus Architecture, Perth – Passive House / high performance home

00:28:17 GUEST 3. Paul & Regan, Energy Efficient Windows, Brisbane – Passive House/ high performance home (Designed by H4 Living)

00:37:38 GUEST 4. Ralph, Brisbane - Passive House / high performance home (Designed by H4 Living)

Commercial

00:43:06 GUEST 5. Phil Diver CEO, CTC Bob Marshman Building, Brisbane – Passive House

01:10:50 Key Points Summary

IN THE NEXT EPISODE

In the next episode, we'll get into Understanding the Passive House basics.

I'll be focusing on design and you'll learn the key components that make Passive House work so much better than standard construction. I'll be talking to architect Alexander Symes, the director of award winning environmental design practice Alexander Symes Architects in Sydney.

RESOURCE LINKS

Residential Passive House

Guest 1.

Michael Tolhurst, Envelope Architecture, Canberra (His own home) www.envelopearchitecture.com.au

Video about Michael’s home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXI6nKg-hu8

Guest 2.

Ben Caine, Leanhaus Architecture, Perth (His own home) www.leanhaus.com.au

Video about Ben’s home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBdh6F-VLSc

Guest 3.

Paul Gerrard, Energy Efficient Windows, Brisbane www.eewindows.com.au

(Home designed by H4 Living) www.h4living.com.au

Guest 4.

Ralph (Home designed by H4 Living), Brisbane www.h4living.com.au

Commercial Passive House

Guest 5.

Phil Diver CEO, Construction Training Centre, Bob Marshman Building, Brisbane https://ctc.qld.edu.au/bob-marshman/

Passive house consultant: John Moynihan, Ecolateral www.ecolateral.com

Videos about CTC Bob Marshman Building

Living Laboratory Part 1 and Part 2 https://ctc.qld.edu.au/bob-marshman/

GET IN TOUCH

If you've got any comments or questions or there's any topic you'd like to know more about, please send me an email at [email protected].

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

In this podcast season, I talk to Passive House owners and experts all around Australia to find out what Passive House is all about and get to the bottom of all of the misinformation.

Over ten weekly podcast episodes, you'll learn:

• What it's really like to live and work in a passive house building,
• What a passive house is and how it's different to standard residential buildings,
• The key players you need on your project and what they do,
• The differences in Passive House design across each Australian climate zone and finally,
• How to get started.

As you'll find out, Passive House makes complete sense and really is the smart solution for our changing world.

This podcast season creates a comprehensive resource of valuable insights, practical information and solutions to help the industry and the community.

If you want to understand Passive House and have all your questions answered join me every Tuesday for Season 2

Australian Architects can claim their formal CPD hours for these podcasts.

MORE INFORMATION

Find everything you need on the Renovation Collaborative website.

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

• PODCAST Key points summary, timestamps and resource links
• FREE RESOURCES Transcript 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. 

PODCAST SEASON PROGRAMME

Step 1. Understand the Basics

E02: What’s it like in a Passive House building?

• Five owners tell their story - Residential & Commercial

E03: How to Design a Passive House

• Alexander Symes, Alexander Symes Architects, Sydney www.alexandersymes.com.au

E04: Passive House Consultant & Passive House Certifier

• Luc Plowman, Detail Green, Victoria www.detailgreen.com.au

E05: What are Passive House windows?

• Paul Gerrard, Energy Efficient Windows, Brisbane www.eewindows.com.au

E06: How to Build a Passive House

• Matthew Carland, Carland Constructions, Melbourne www.carlandconstructions.com

Step 2. Know your climate zone

E07: Passive House design: Cool Temperate

• Michael Tolhurst, Envelope Architecture, Canberra www.envelopearchitecture.com.au

E08: Passive House design: Mild Temperate

• Andy Marlow, Envirotecture, NSW & Victoria www.envirotecture.com.au

E09: Passive House design: Warm Temperate

• Ben Caine, Leanhaus Architecture, Perth www.leanhaus.com.au

E10: Passive House design: Subtropical

• Tiago Guerreiro, H4 Living, Brisbane www.h4living.com.au

Step 3. Get Started

E11: How to get started with Passive House

Alexia Lidas CEO, Australian Passivhaus Association www.passivhausassociation.com.au

• Key learnings from the season
• Where to find support, courses & resources
• Passive House accommodation you can stay in
• Passive House buildings you can visit
• Australian suppliers of Passive House equipment (PDF list)

GET IN TOUCH

If you've got any comments or questions or there's any topic you'd like to know more about, please send me an email at [email protected].

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

Are you pondering taking a very large home loan to renovate, build or buy a new house?

If the size of it is making you hesitate, you're not the only one.

In today's episode, I speak to a financial adviser and get a second opinion on inflation, interest rates and what everyone is spending on home loans in 2024-2025. Plus, you'll find out how to work out the right amount to borrow for your situation and how much is too much.

I talk to highly respected financial adviser Tim Ward from Ward and Co. Wealth in Brisbane.

MORE INFORMATION

Find everything you need on the Renovation Collaborative website.

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

• PODCAST Key points summary, timestamps and resource links
• FREE RESOURCES Transcript 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. 

KEY POINTS SUMMARY

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

1. Interest rates are remaining fairly steady. We are at the end of the interest rate rising cycle. However, another rise is not out of the question because inflation still remains high.

2. Australians are taking out higher mortgages than ever before. You are not alone. Ten years ago, the average Australian mortgage was around $600,000 to $700,000 across major capital cities. Now we're starting to see seven figure mortgages across major capital cities for new entrants to the property market.

3. A financial adviser can help you determine the level of home loan debt that's affordable for your personal situation. This can include budgeting, cash flow management, and stress testing to ensure that you can tolerate a level of interest rate rise comfortably.

ADDITIONAL ADVICE FROM TIM WARD

Steps to help you work out the right amount to borrow

The best process to do this is to reverse engineer what you can afford. These steps will ensure that you can live within your means and do not unknowingly force yourself into undue financial pressure.

Step 1. Most importantly, don't use the maximum borrowing capacity afforded to you by the bank.

Step 2. Create a budget with all your non-discretionary and discretionary items. Non-discretionary are things that you have to pay, like rates, utilities, phones, insurances. Discretionary items are things that you choose to pay for entertainment, for quality of life and lifestyle.

Step 3. See how much is left over for paying off your home loan.

Step 4. Stress test your affordability of the loan and this means if interest rates increase 2- 3% from current rates, can you still afford them?

How much is too much to borrow in 2024-2025?

In Australia, the typical cost of housing as a percentage of gross income has been around 25% to 30%. How much is too much? The answer is definitely not one size fits all.

As a general guide, if your home loan repayments are higher than 30% of your gross income, you're more likely to struggle with financial stress. If you're on a high income, you may be able to go over this 30%, but Tim advised that 30% is a good general benchmark.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

01:01 Can you tell us what is happening with home loans, interest rates and inflation?

03:38 You said that inflation was sticky – what do you mean by that?

04:10 What size mortgages have you been seeing over the past few years?

09:11 How do financial advisers help people to make the right decision on loan size?

15:01 How do financial advisers help people secure their investments over the long term?

16:07 If people are considering getting advice from a financial adviser, how do they start?

17:02 How do financial advisers general charge?

RESOURCE LINKS

Tim Ward, Ward & Co Wealth

www.wardandco.com.au

GET IN TOUCH

That brings us to the end of Season 1. Renovate or Sell in 2024-2025. I really hope that the information from the podcasts has helped you start moving forward.

If you've got any comments or questions or there's any topic you'd like to know more about, please send me an email at [email protected].