20th International Passive House Conference

The 20th International Passive House Conference will take place on April 22nd-23rd in Darmstadt, Germany. The Passive House is now 25 years old. To celebrate this, the International Passive House Conference is returning to Darmstadt, the city in which this success story began. The anniversary will also serve as an occasion for a review, with the presentation of results relating to the durability of the individual building components of the first Passive House.

When the first Passive House was built in Darmstadt 25 years ago, this was an experimental project. Today, the resulting standard for energy efficiency has become an integral part of construction activity; the reliable heating energy savings of up to 90 percent has confirmed itself for tens of thousands of residents. This Standard is also regarded as the ultimate benchmark for public buildings in a growing number of towns and cities – whether in Frankfurt, Brussels or New York. At the same time, Passive House is already meeting EU requirements for future climate-neutral construction.

In addition to the presentation of long-term results, buildings combining efficiency and renewable energy and thus meeting the criteria for the Passive House Plus or Passive House Premium classes will be presented. As for building components, home ventilation will be one of the focal points. This year’s “Component Award 2016” will also be presented in this context. The main regional focus this time will be on North America, China and warm climate zones.

The lecture programme at the Conference will be supplemented with a series of workshops and excursions to Passive House buildings in Darmstadt and its surroundings – including the world’s first Passive House that was built in the Kranichstein district 25 years ago. Leading manufacturers of Passive House components will demonstrate their newest products at the accompanying specialists’ exhibition.