Passive House

Passive house benefits include:

• Significantly reduced energy use for heating and cooling (75-90% reduction)
• Consistent indoor comfort with stable temperatures year-round
• Improved indoor air quality through balanced, filtered ventilation
• Lower operating costs over the building’s lifecycle
• Smaller, more efficient HVAC systems
• Enhanced building durability due to controlled air and moisture movement
• Reduced carbon emissions and support for decarbonization goals
• Strong resilience during power outages and extreme weather
• Increased property value and marketability

A CPHC is a certified professional qualified to optimize and deliver buildings that meet rigorous Passive House performance standards, through practical design guidance, energy modeling, and certification support. CPHC certification is issued through recognized Passive House organizations and is widely accepted for Passive House and PHIUS certification pathways.

SOCOTEC has CPHC-certified consultants who provide practical design guidance, energy modeling, and certification support to help project teams achieve high-performance, compliant, and cost-effective Passive House buildings.

CPHDs are design professionals, typically architects or designers, trained to integrate Passive House principles directly into building design. They focus on envelope performance, system coordination, and energy modeling to ensure Passive House targets are met from early design through construction.

At SOCOTEC, our team includes CPHD professionals who work closely with architects and engineers to deliver coordinated, high-performance Passive House projects.

Passive House certification is third-party verification that a building meets stringent energy performance criteria established by either PHIUS (Passive House Institute US) or PHI (Passive House Institute). Certification confirms the building achieves exceptional thermal performance, airtightness, and energy efficiency.

SOCOTEC supports the entire certification process, from early design guidance and energy modeling to on-site verification and final documentation, ensuring that performance targets are achieved efficiently and with confidence.

PHIUS offers climate-specific standards adapted for North American conditions, while PHI uses universal European standards. Most passive house consultant NYC and passive house Boston projects use PHIUS certification, which accounts for regional climate variations across the United States.

Passive House certification follows a structured, performance-driven process:

1. Early design coordination with a certified Passive House consultant
2. Energy and enclosure modeling to establish performance targets
3. Detailed design review addressing insulation, windows, HVAC, and ventilation
4. Construction-phase verification including airtightness testing
5. Final documentation and certification review by the Passive House Institute or PHIUS

SOCOTEC’s PHI passive consultants and verifiers ensure that design intent translates into real-world performance.

Passive House buildings typically have lifespans exceeding 100 years due to superior building envelope construction, moisture control, and durability. The high-performance materials and careful detailing that meet Passive House standards contribute to exceptional longevity compared to conventional construction.