Getting a build to passive house standard: All you need to know

Should we take a self-build or reno straight to a passive house standard? We consult the pros

Architect Paul McNally explodes preconceptions about passive housing bumping into architectural aspirations in this passive house on College Road in Cork c.2022. Carpentry by SouthWood Joinery, lights by Bob Bushell Interiors.

Is the gold standard for energy efficiency a regulation-pleasing, Nearly-Zero-Energy-Build (NZEB)? Surely, the truly future-proofed home, one that won’t need its fabric re-fluffed as sustainable demands flex, is a passive build?

By 2050 our entire housing stock is expected to be carbon-zero (housing in Ireland currently accounts for 40% of our carbon emissions). What this will mean going forward is increasingly stricter energy standards for both new and existing buildings of all kinds. From 2030, in line with these sustainability goals, all new buildings must be zero-emission buildings (ZEB). This means they must not produce any carbon emissions on site. They will not include fossil fuel central heating (only 5% of new homes were fitted with boilers last year).