As interest in better performing buildings, and Passive House specifically, is ramping up rapidly in Aotearoa NZ we are starting to see dubious Passive House claims being made more frequently (and more complaints about incorrect claims coming our way).
Be mindful: if your build has not reached Passive House certification, then you cannot claim it as Passive House.
Further to this, confusion over the term Passive House is also increasing. In the media we are seeing the terms “Passive House principles” and “Passive House techniques” used with increasing frequency.
The Passive House Standard is an as-built standard, not a set of principles, just as the Building Code is a set of standards to comply with – so if you’re unsure of how to use the terminology, simply substitute the term “Passive House Standard” with “The Building Code”. In this way, you would never say “Building Code techniques”, and neither would you do so for Passive House. Problem solved!
It is vital to protect the integrity of the standard and the value proposition of Passive House by always using clear and accurate terminology. This also protects the interests of our members, the wider Passive House whanau, and consumers.
Please refer to the members code of conduct for more details about accurate terminology – and remember that inaccurate claims leave the parties involved open to legal challenge as the term “Passive House” has consumer law protection as set out in our free downloadable guide “Claiming the Passive House standard”
