Monthly Archives: September 2023

How do I refer to my project?

Education, Passive Houses, PHINZ, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

PHINZ has created a short guide to help with terminology when talking about projects that our members and other Passive House professionals undertake.

While PHINZ is focused on the Passive House standard, and other PHI standards, we know that not all projects are certified Passive Houses and that conversations regarding better performing buildings often seek to make comparisons.

This guide includes additional terms, common in the construction industry, to guide these conversations. The terms themselves and how they are used are not governed by PHINZ. We have included them in this guide to provide context, and to help members, sponsors, clients and journalists on Aotearoa’s journey towards the Passive House standard.

The guide is free to access on the downloads page or directly by clicking on the image below.

Please share the guide widely to support clarity around how we all refer to projects and understanding of what a Passive House project is. Greenwashing does no one any favours.

We also encourage Passive House professionals and others to read “Claiming the Passive House Standard” available on the downloads page. This covers legal aspects of false claims relating to use of the term “Passive House” which is protected in consumer law.

Share this:

PHINZ & APA joint statement regarding SPPHC

APA, PHINZ, SPPHC, , , , ,

The South Pacific Passive House Conference has been held annually and alternated between being hosted in New Zealand and Australia.

As the Australian Passivhaus Association (APA) and Passive House Institute New Zealand (PHINZ) grow, it has been recognised by both organisations and marketplaces that the time has come for annual conferences in each location.

This brings great benefits to the operations of each Association with the move to an annual conference leading to greater continuity of service to members and a stronger voice in our respective marketplaces. Additionally, it enhances our abilities to manage budgets and resources while allowing us to better cater to the needs of sponsors and manufacturers. 

Over the last ten years, the Australian and New Zealand Passive House Associations have been working together to share the location of our annual South Pacific Passive House Conference. This has been instrumental in supporting both markets to grow and connect with each other – and we are thankful for the close relationship fostered between the associations through activities such as these.

Both organisations remain committed to supporting one another and fostering a collaborative environment between the nations. As such, we continue to explore further opportunities for fresh collaborations in the future such as events, research and advocacy projects. 

Discounts will remain in place for each organisation’s respective members to attend the other’s conferences and, wherever possible, the organisations will plan ahead to ensure the conference dates do not clash. In addition, we are actively seeking opportunities to extend the benefits of each other’s membership offerings, with items such as mutual registration to monthly webinar access being arranged.

The APA will hold its next conference in Melbourne in May of 2024 with Aluplast confirming that they will be the principal sponsor of the event. The APA Board has also approved the ongoing name for APA’s Annual conference will be Thrive. This announcement demonstrates our intentions for PH in Australia. PHINZ intends to hold its conference in August / September of 2024.

Many thanks,
Alexia Lidas, CEO – APA  & Murray Robertson, Chair – PHINZ

Share this: