EmpCo Policy
The European Union’s EmpCo Directive has been in effect since September 27, 2026. EmpCo stands for “Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition.”
The goal of the new directive is to better protect consumers from misleading and unclear claims regarding environmental impacts, as well as from greenwashing, in advertising and communications.
1. Passive House Institute and Passive House
1.1 The Passive House Institute has been conducting research on high energy efficiency in buildings since 1996. The goal is to significantly reduce the energy consumption of buildings and thereby cut CO₂ emissions to protect the environment. At the same time, highly energy-efficient buildings offer a high level of indoor comfort.
The Passive House Institute is a research institute only. It does not build or sell any houses itself.
1.2 The Passive House Institute has defined three building standards: Passive House, EnerPHit (for retrofits), and PHI Low Energy Buildings. These three standards are based on building physics criteria whose combined effect results in a building with low energy consumption and high living comfort at the same time, both in winter and in summer.
These criteria are thoroughly evaluated during the building design process, for both residential and non-residential buildings.
1.3 The Institute brings together three networks: IG Passivhaus, Passivhaus Austria, and the international Passive House Association (iPHA). These networks support the Passive House Institute in disseminating knowledge about high energy efficiency and building standards, and they are committed to fostering collaboration among all stakeholders.
1.4 Passive House, EnerPHit, and PHI Low Energy Building
The three building standards—Passive House, EnerPHit (for retrofits), and PHI Low Energy Building—are highly energy-efficient, as they have been proven to significantly reduce energy consumption compared to buildings constructed in accordance with minimum legal requirements.
The sustainability and energy efficiency of these three building standards have been scientifically proven in numerous studies. Here are a few examples:
Passive House concept for new construction and energy-efficient retrofits
This study scientifically demonstrates the energy efficiency and reliability of the Passive House concept based on many years of experience and statistically validated measurement results of actual energy consumption data.
The analysis included measurement data from over 1,800 new apartments built to the Passive House standard as well as approximately 170 apartments that were retrofitted with Passive House components.
In practice, the Passive House concept has been proven to consistently result in very significant savings in heating energy—approximately 90% compared to older buildings and, on average, about 80% compared to the legal requirements for new construction.
Study on the energy efficiency of the Passive House standard (PDF)
Passive House Non-Residential Buildings
Recreational pool “Bambados”
Monitoring data for the “Bambados” recreational pool in Bamberg, Germany, shows that this Passive House indoor pool has significantly lower energy consumption compared to pools built to the statutory building standard (study in German):
Monitoring report for the “Bambados” recreational pool (PDF, in German)
Retrofits
SINFONIA
The EU project SINFONIA demonstrated that the apartment buildings in Innsbruck, Austria, after undergoing an energy-efficient retrofit using highly energy-efficient components had a reduced energy consumption by approximately 80 percent compared to their pre-retrofit state.
ANNEX 71
As part of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Annex 71 project, the Passive House Institute conducted a scientific study of the energy-efficient retrofitting of apartment buildings in Gießen, Germany. The study measured a reduction of more than 70% in heat consumption, demonstrating the success of the comprehensive energy-efficient retrofit.
Additional benefits include a significant improvement in the indoor environment, such as higher surface temperatures and better air quality in the apartments.
Final report on the retrofit project in Gießen (PDF, in German)
Additional research reports from the Passive House Institute can be found on the Institute’s website and in the Passipedia knowledge database.
2. Physical Principles underlying building standards
The three building standards defined by the Passive House Institute—Passive House, EnerPHit (for retrofits), and PHI Low Energy Buildings—are based on the principles of building physics.
The five principles of these standards are:
- Very good thermal insulation of the building
- Passive House windows
- Ventilation system with heat recovery
- Airtightness
- Prevention of thermal bridges
For each of the five principles, the Passive House Institute has defined specific building physics parameters tailored to the respective standard: Passive House, EnerPHit (for retrofits), and PHI Low Energy Building. The higher the energy efficiency of the building standard, the more stringent the requirements.
These parameters are transparent and verifiable. They are published in detail on the Passive House Institute’s website:
3. Certifications
The Passive House Institute certifies both buildings (under the Passive House, EnerPHit, and PHI Low Energy Building standards) and components for highly energy-efficient construction and retrofits.
3.1 Certifications of buildings
As already explained in point 2, the criteria for the Passive House, EnerPHit (for retrofits), and PHI Low Energy Buildings standards are based on physical, transparent criteria, which are published in detail here:
3.2 Certification of building components
The Passive House Institute offers independent testing and certification of building components, including windows, doors, ventilation units with heat recovery, products for ensuring a building's airtightness, systems for shower water heat recovery, etc.
The certification ensures that the building components meet the stringent criteria for efficiency, comfort, and hygiene. The criteria for certification are published in the Passive House Database.