Short Course
Certified Passive House Designer

Clare Parry, Jessica Hogg, Johanna Trickett and Marcus Strang

Clare Parry is a specialist in Passive House, with skills ranging from design through to certification. She is currently the Principal Sustainability Consultant at Grun Consulting - experts in ESD for town planning, multiple rating tools including LEED, Green Star and the Living Building Challenge, and energy ratings including NABERS & CBD. Grun Consulting also offers Triple Bottom Line consulting for organisations, including application of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework.

Jessica Hogg has experience working in the sustainable development industry in both the United Kingdom and Australia. A qualified mechanical engineer with a background in building services, she is experienced in dynamic thermal modelling for energy and carbon emission calculations, as well as comfort assessments and the use of different sustainability rating tool frameworks. Jess is also a qualified Green Star Accredited Professional as well as a Certified Passive House Designer and analyses the thermal performance of façade systems and completes feasibility studies for low and zero carbon technologies.

Johanna Trickett is an architect and sustainability professional who not only recognizes the many challenges but also the many opportunities in creating a more sustainable built environment. Her professional qualifications include a Bachelor of Architecture, Passive House Designer accreditation and a Master of Science in ‘ClimaDesign’, which in combination allows her to approach projects with an interdisciplinary design and engineering perspective. Johanna has worked in various architectural and sustainability roles in Australia and Germany, with various roles, including Project Architect, ESD Advisor, Lead ESD Consultant and Project Leader. Having worked in two countries and on multiple international projects, Johanna has developed a keen interest in the communication of ESD concepts across national borders and across multiple project disciplines.

Marcus Strang is a specialist sustainability engineer and experienced Certified Passive House Designer, having had the opportunity to work on many Certified Passive House buildings in Australia. His expertise is in refining building energy performance, analysing thermal envelope junctions and fenestration details, as well as identifying interstitial and surface moisture risks using hygrothermal modelling tools. Marcus’s interests encompass holistic systems design, building physics, passive design optimisation and natural building materials. Currently, also a PhD Candidate specialising in the Passive House Standard and mass timber design, which he sees as a fundamental step for striving towards net-zero carbon emission buildings and a thriving, vibrant society.

Learning Objectives for Module 1:

• define the Passive House Standard
• calculate the energy balance of Passive House buildings, considering transmission and ventilation losses as well as solar and internal heat gains
• outline the principles of designing Passive House buildings
• specify the performance characteristics of opaque envelope detailing, including insulation, airtightness and thermal bridging
• specify Passive House window systems, including performance assessment and fitting details
• summarise the fundamentals of thermal comfort during the summer
• understand the issues used to calculate Primary Energy consumption, including electrical energy in Passive House projects

Learning Objective for Module 2:

• outline key indoor air quality issues assured in Passive House buildings
• understand mechanical ventilation with heat or energy recovery including system design, detailing, sizing and layout
• summarise space heating and hot water generation and distribution options for Passive House buildings
• highlight important principles of cooling and dehumidification for summer comfort
• complete the basics of economic efficiency calculation and profitability of deep retrofit measures
• describe information to be considered in invitations to bid, construction site management and quality control
• outline key information and support for occupants of Passive House projects
• successfully complete exam style exercises, designs and multiple-choice challenges

More detail on the learning targets can be obtained by going to http://www.passivhausplaner.eu/upload/Appendix_I_learning_targets_EN_DE_2016.pdf.  

This course is suited to qualified and experienced professionals in a building-related discipline.  There are no pre-requisites to become a Passive House Consultant although knowledge of building construction and building design is an advantage.

The Passive House Introduction short course is useful preparation before commencing the Building Designer/Consultant course and internationally accredited exam.

You will be provided with a licensed copy of the PHPP software and manual, Passive House Institute training manual and exam preparation material. Bring to class a calculator, a range of coloured pens, highlighters and note taking material.

You will need a laptop with MS Excel, but not on the first day. Your teacher will advise on which days the laptop is required.

A useful reference book that you can choose to purchase prior to the course and bring with you is The Passivhaus Designer’s Manual: A technical guide to low and zero energy buildings, Christina J. Hopfe and Robert S. McLeod.

This course is aimed at building designers, architects, engineers, contractors, builders and teachers who wish to expand their skill areas towards the international energy efficient standards associated with Passive House construction.