Complete list of technical literature
Most of the technical literature and project reports in the following categories are available for downloading as PDF files. These are indicated with
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Please note that all publications listed, unless marked with (EN), are available in German only; the titles of these publications have been translated here for your information only.
The International Passive House Association (iPHA) is working to translate the most important findings into English and make them available through Passipedia, the online Passive House resource.
New builds / residential buildings
- Peer-reviewed article:
"Are the energy savings of the passive house standard reliable? A review of the as-built thermal and space heating performance of passive house dwellings from 1990 to 2018"
The article deals in particular with the monitoring results of completely recorded settlements, which the Passive House Institute accompanied with careful research approaches. The core statement of the study is that the Passive House standard has been functioning as projected for many years and that there is no relevant 'performance gap' (gap between the expectation and the actual measured result).
Authors: David Johnston, Mark Siddall, Oliver Ottinger, Soeren Peper and Wolfgang Feist
The article is available for free reading.
- Peer-reviewed article:
"Durability of building fabric components and ventilation systems in passive houses" – Feist et al
- The Passive House standard can be applied to the whole range of residential, commercial, and special-use buildings, whether new builds or a retrofit. Thousands of Passive Houses have already been built for diverse purposes, in a variety of climate zones using different construction methods. The very first prototype was a terrace house with four residential units. It was built in Darmstadt between 1990/1991. This building, with typical masonry outer walls, concrete floor slabs, and a wooden green roof is a high-quality example of very energy-efficient construction. All relevant energy flows through the building envelope were accurately recorded over a period of more than 25 years. This data confirms that the energy consumption over the entire period is as consistently low as planned.
This article examines in detail how the construction method has affected the indoor climate, indoor air quality and the durability of all components. In-depth analyses evaluate the maintenance cycles representative for this type of building. The principal characteristics of the components and the ventilation system after 25 years of operation were determined. The results are groundbreaking for the Passive House concept: proving the construction method is not only effective in significantly reducing energy demand but above all, it is also highly durable and exceptionally low-maintenance.
Authors: Wolfgang Feist, Wolfgang Hasper, Passive House Institute, Rainer Pfluger, University of Innsbruck
The article is available for free reading.
- "Climate Neutral Passive House Estate in Hannover-
Kronsberg: Construction and Measurement Results"– A report detailing the design, construction, and monitoring results one of the first Passive House developments, Hannover-Kronsberg Passive Houses (Germany).
This publication is a combination of the CEPHEUS (Cost Efficient Passive Houses as European Standards) reports Nr. 18 and Nr. 19 . The Stadtwerke Hannover commissioned the combination in the framework of the European project Promotion of European Passive Houses (PEP) .
Download ( pdf 4,54 MB)
- Climate-neutral Passive House estate in Hannover-Kronsberg, Germany (32 terraced houses), German only
Overview of contents - Multi-storey building in Hamburg Pinnasberg, Germany. (Special feature: 11 floors, study of the stairwell shaft), German only
Overview of contents - North-facing Passive House in Frankfurt (Grempstraße), Germany. (Special feature: comparison of energy use in south/north-facing buildings, distribution losses), German only
Overview of contents - Monitoring: Passive House with seasonal solar storage in the ground under the floor slab, German only
Overview of contents - Monitoring of Passive House city district of Bahnstadt Heidelberg
Download ( pdf 3.79 MB)
- Energy efficiency of the Passive House Standard: Expectations confirmed by measurements in practice - report 2015
Overview of contents
- Determination of the heat loss coefficient (HLC) of a Passive House - report 2016
Overview of contents
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
New builds / Non-residential buildings
- Passive House Quality, Police Administrative Building – July 2017, short version
As an overall evaluation, it can be stated that a functioning energy-efficient administrative building was realised, in which a high level of comfort has been verified. This was achieved with very low energy use on account of the extremely high quality building envelope and adapted building technology. The appropriateness of monitoring was again evident from the potential for improvement that was still available. The Passive House Standard once more has proven to be an easily implementable and practicable standard. It offers an excellent tried and tested solution for future building requirements, today.
Authors:
Søren Peper, Wolfgang Hasper, Dr. Oliver Ottinger, In collaboration with: Tim Huyeng, Florian Gressier
This report was commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Energy,
Transport and Regional Development in Hesse, Ref. I 7 Energy Efficiency, Energy Consultancy.
Download short version ( pdf 1.35 MB) ( Download German Version ( pdf 9.4 MB)
- Passive House school in Riedberg (Frankfurt, Germany), German only
Overview of contents
- Passive House factory building by SurTec (Zwingenberg / Bergstraße, Germany), German only
Overview of contents
- Guide for energy-efficient educational buildings
Overview of contents
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
Residential retrofits
- Peer-reviewed article: "Retrofit with Passive House components"
Ever wondered how the detailed requirements for PHI's retrofit standard "EnerPHit" were defined? The Passive House Institute (with external co-authors) published a paper in the renowned Energy Efficiency journal. It describes the outcomes of the extensive research that led to this cost-optimal building energy standard. You can learn how EnerPHit addresses thermal comfort, indoor air quality, climate protection and hygrothermal performance. The authors present five international built examples, including measured energy consumption, costs and solutions. The data confirms very low energy consumption in EnerPHit buildings (in a range of ¼ to 1/8 of the original values).
Authors: Zeno Bastian, JürgenSchnieders, William Conner, Berthold Kaufmann, Laszlo Lepp, Zack Norwood, Andrew Simmonds
The article is available for free reading. - Sustainable refurbishment of selected neighborhoods in Innsbruck
COMPARISON OF MEASURED AND CALCULATED ENERGY DEMAND AND ASSESSMENT OF THE RESULTS (SINFONIA)
Overview of contents
- Step by step refrofits with Passive House components - 2016
Download ( pdf 3,88 MB) Flipbook
- Energy efficiency of the Passive House Standard: Expectations confirmed by measurements in practice - report 2015
Overview of contents
Please note that the following materials are available in German only. Further English language resources can be found on www.passipedia.org.
- Rretofit Handbook: Retrofitting with Passive House Components
Download ( pdf 8.10 MB) (in German) - Refurbishment of two apartment blocks in Ludwigshafen, each with 12 flats: Existing Passive House buildings: Hoheloogstraße (with focus on air quality, thermal bridges)
Overview of contents (in German) - Refurbishment with Passive House components - Tevesstraße Frankfurt a.M. (comprehensive description of initial state, refurbishment and final outcome)
Overview of contents (in German) - Energy-efficient refurbishment of buildings with a factor of 10: Jean-Paul-Platz 4 in Nuremberg
Overview of contents (in German) - Economic evaluation of two refurbishment projects with documentation of the costs charged: Hoheloogstraße and Schlesierstraße in Ludwigshafen
Overview of contents (in German) - Energy-efficient refurbishment of a historic warehouse with interior insulation of sprayed-on cellulose
Overview of contents (in German) - Study of fresh air exchange and air quality in refurbished accommodation units with conventional ventilation through windows and with controlled ventilation
Overview of contents (in German)
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
Cost-effectiveness
- Study of Cost-optimised Standard for Social Housing in Mexico: Passive House (EN)
Overview of contents - Cost-effectiveness of Thermal Insulation Measures in Existing Buildings 2005, German only
Overview of contents - Evaluation of Energy Requirements for EnEV (German Energy Savings Ordinance) and for funding by KfW (German Development Bank) in View of Rising Energy Prices 2008, German only
Overview of contents - Economic evaluation of two refurbishment projects with documentation of the costs charged: Hoheloogstraße and Schlesierstraße in Ludwigshafen, German only
Overview of contents - Study – Energy, CO2 and cost savings through the use
of plastic windows with different glazing
In comparison to the single glazed aluminium windows in the climate of New Delhi, India –
Short study of the Passive House Institute on behalf of ALUPLAST INDIA – report
December 2016
Download ( pdf 1,45 MB)
- Study – "smartwin compact – Economic optimum in the regions of Europe" – smartwin compact is a cost-effective and energy efficient window produced by the pro Passivhausfenster cooperative. The window, first place winner of the 2014 Component Award in the timber-aluminium category, comes in double, triple, and quadruple-paned varieties. This study uses the smartwin compact as the basis of an economic analysis investigating which of the three window variants makes for the most cost-effective option in each of a variety of climates. The study takes investment costs as well as energy costs over the life-cycle of the window into account.
Download ( pdf 7,92 MB)
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
Windows
- Windows in a step-by-step retrofit – In practice, windows and façades are rarely retrofitted at the same time, even though doing so would save costs, reduce thermal bridges and optimise solar gains. There are many reasons why retrofits are done in a step-by-step manner. Ideally, windows and façades should always be retrofitted simultaneously whenever possible. If this is not the case, the following tips can help.
Download ( pdf 2,52 MB)
- Hochwärmedämmende Fenstersysteme: Untersuchung und Optimierung im eingebauten Zustand
Anhang zum Teilbericht A (Bauphysikalische Untersuchungen und Optimierung des Baukörperanschlusses), German only
Download ( pdf 3,54 MB)
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
Heating load
- Heating loads in Passive Houses, validation through measurement (IEA Task 28 "Sustainable Solar Housing"), German only
Download ( pdf 11,04 MB)
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
Airtightness
- Permanence of airtightness concepts in Passive Houses, field measurements (IEA Task 28 "Sustainable Solar Housing"), German only
Download ( pdf 7,18 MB) - "Integrating wood beams into the airtight layer" - A study on airthight connections involving wooden beams that pass through the airtight layer of a building, especially in retrofit projects. The airtightness of OSB boards and their applicability as an airtight layer was also analysed. This study took place within the framework of "3EnCult" (Efficient Energy for EU Cultural Heritage), an EU-funded research project.
Download ( pdf 5,34 MB) - "Airtightness measurement of high-rise buildings" Due to the strong wind and thermal effects on high-rise buildings, special rules must be observed for blower door measurements. The standards, EN 13829 and ISO 9972, do not provide sufficient information for the blower door measurement of such buildings. Depending on the height of the building, pressure differences occur, which are not negligible for the measurement. The requirement of the PH standard to not exceed a deviation of the pressure difference of 10% within the building envelope at any point, can no longer be met. This publication presents practical tips for the measurement of high-rises.
More
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
Ventilation
- Energy-relevant assessment of home ventilation units with moisture recovery, German only
Download ( pdf 998 KB) - Kitchen Exhaust Systems for Residential Kitchens in Passive Houses: Guidelines
read more
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
Air quality
- Air change rates in extremely airtight buildings with controlled home ventilation (IEA Task 28 "Sustainable Solar Housing"), German only
Download ( pdf 3,56 MB) - Extended monitoring: Energy consumption, air quality and humidity in basements, German only
Download ( pdf 5,32 MB) - Study regarding outside air exchange and air quality in refurbished apartments with conventional ventilation through windows and with controlled ventilation, German only
Overview of contents
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
Planning guidelines for Passive House indoor swimming pools
- The energy demand of indoor swimming pools can be reduced significantly by consistently applying the high energy efficiency approach of the Passive House concept. This not only contributes to climate protection but also entails savings for the financial resources of a municipality. These guideline documents summarise the main research findings and provide recommendations to support the design, construction and long-term operation of highly energy efficient indoor swimming pools.
The publication was funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, DBU).
Guidelines | Checklist ( (
zip 29 KB))
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
Basements
- Influence of basement insulation on moisture concentrations in basements, German only
Download ( pdf 1,83 MB) - Influence of basement insulation on moisture concentrations in basements, German only
Download ( pdf 5,32 MB)
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
Heat transmission losses
- Dynamic characteristics and heat transmission losses of panel heating systems
Download ( pdf 2,44 MB)
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
Planning Monitoring
- Monitoring of planning and construction in a selected project: Energy efficient detached house in Königsfeld (IEA Task 28 "Sustainable Solar Housing")
Download ( pdf 4,09 MB)
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
Heat supply
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
Embodied energy
- Study – "Optimum glazing in the regions of Europe considering the embodied energy" – It is evident, that the
U-value of glazing will decrease by increasing the number of panes and low-e-coatings, so the transmission losses through the glazing will decrease (just as the cooling load in cooling climates). At the same time, the
g-value decreases too, so the solar gains are decreasing as well. In addition, the embodied energy increases with the overall thickness of the used glass, inert gas and the numbers of coatings.
The task of this study was therefore to determine an overall energy balance (transmission losses, solar gains and embodied energy) over the life cycle of a glazing to carry out the best option in terms of the overall energy balance for the regions of Europe.
Download ( pdf 1,18 MB)
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
Energy efficiency
- Energy, CO2 and cost savings by using highly energy-efficient plastic spacer bars in comparison to aluminium and stainless steel spacer bars in different climates
Study by the Passivhaus Institut on behalf of SWISSPACER, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
Report: Junei 2017
Author: Dr.-Ing. Benjamin Krick
Download ( pdf 1,0 MB)
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
Educational building | kindergarten | sports hall
- Guide to energy-efficient educational buildings
read more
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
Hospitals
- Baseline study - implementing the Passive House concept in hospitals
Many of the 2,080 hospitals in Germany and others all over the world require retrofitting. Evaluations of consumption statistics show that hospitals are among the buildings with the highest energy consumption. To evaluate and tap the savings potential of retrofits and energy efficient new builds, the State of Hesse financed a study into the basic considerations when implementing the Passive House standard in hospitals. The study was especially timely for the construction of a new-build hospital, the Frankfurt Höchst Clinic.
Due to the demanding and consistent 24-hour use, as well as the higher temperature required in patient rooms, the Passive House Standard is particularly valuable for hospitals. The study also shows that if the energy demand is calculated using conventional methods, almost half of the future energy demand remains overlooked.
Conventionally built hospitals are often already equipped with ventilation technology. From there it is only a small step to installation of a controlled ventilation system with heat recovery in the buildings. Furthermore, the baseline study showed that despite the higher indoor temperature and the higher air change rate of the controlled ventilation system, the heating demand can be limited to 15 kilowatt hours per square metre of treated floor area per year (kWh/(m²TFAa) by using appropriate measures.
Lighting, hot water generation, a ventilation system and heating and cooling are among the highest consumers of energy in hospitals. Depending on the equipment, the sterile supply, magnetic resonance imaging equipment and computer equipment are also responsible for a high percentage of energy demand. Using existing technology, the demand for heating, lighting, ventilation, computer equipment, cooling and hot water generation can be reduced significantly.
Several processes in a hospital produce waste heat. It is undeniable that this waste heat should be used for other processes; for example, in the heating system via a heat pump. The investigation shows, however, that priority should be given to optimisation of the processes that produce waste heat.
Authors: Oliver Kah, Kristin Bräunlich, Tanja Schulz, Passive House Institute
Read more
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
Other topics
- Insulation aprons as an alternative for foundations
Overview of contents (in German) - Thermal Bridgues Catalogue – In order to speed up the Passive House planning process and to reduce the costs and time needed for thermal bridge calculations, the Passive House Institute evaluated approximately 1.200 thermal bridges. The outcome is a catalogue with Ψ-values and fRsi factors for different connections.
Short version | Full version (available only to iPHA members)
Further technical literature on this topic is available for purchase here.
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Retrofits with Passive House components -
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Overview of contents
(in German)