PHN’s research on Passive House cost, performance, and policy, and the reports from others that inform it. Newest first; each links to the full report.
On this page: PHN reports · Reports from others
PHN reports
| Year | Report | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Energy Standards Comparison Study, Task 2: Multifamily Residential BuildingsRead online | How Passive House lowers energy use in multifamily buildings across climate zones 1 to 7. |
| 2023 | Energy Standards Comparison Study, Task 1: Methodology and Modeling ParametersRead onlineDownload PDF | The method for comparing Passive House with the codes and standards in use across the US, with RDH Building Science. |
| Stepping Up to Passive: Policies We WantRead onlineDownload PDF | Four steps for adopting Passive House codes, so market confidence, professional skill, and the product supply chain are in place before baseline codes change. | |
| Safe at HomeRead onlineDownload PDF | How all-electric multifamily Passive House buildings deliver climate resilience, with cost analysis showing they can be built at or near the cost of conventional buildings. | |
| 2022 | Policy That WorksRead onlineDownload PDF | Which Passive House policies are in place across North America, how they work, and which succeed. |
| 2021 | Is Cost the Barrier to Passive House Performance?Read onlineDownload PDF | First costs for sixteen multifamily buildings, by Bronwyn Barry. |
| 2019 | Policy Resource GuideRead onlineDownload PDF | Experts on the programs that have done most to accelerate Passive House adoption. |
Reports from others
| Year | Report | From | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Blue Ribbon Commission on Climate Action and Fire-Safe Recovery: Final RecommendationsDownload PDF | Los Angeles Blue Ribbon Commission, with UCLA | Recommends high-performance building standards such as Passive House for rebuilding after the January 2025 Los Angeles fires. |
| 2023 | Appendix B, California ResultsDownload PDF | Emu Passive | Results for the 11 California projects in Emu’s study of building standards. |
| 2022 | Scaling Up Passive House Multifamily: The Massachusetts StoryDownload PDF | ICF and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center | How incentives before and after construction grew multifamily Passive House in Massachusetts. |
| 2021 | Multifamily Passive House: Connecting Performance to FinancingDownload PDF | Building Energy Exchange, with NYC HPD, Bright Power, the Community Preservation Corporation, and Steven Winter Associates | Operating data from six multifamily Passive House buildings against conventional peers: savings that can offset added construction cost. |
| Decarbonizing HomesDownload PDF | RMI | Health gains for low-income communities from high-quality electrification, Passive House among the means. | |
| 2019 | PHPP V9.6 Validation using ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 140-2017Download PDF | Remi Charron Consulting, for Passive House Canada, Passive House California, New York Passive House, and PHI | Tests PHPP against ASHRAE 140, so building officials can accept it for code compliance. |
| 2018 | Pursuing PassiveDownload PDF | Building Energy Exchange | Phased deep-retrofit strategies for an occupied New York City building. |
| 2017 | Framework Guidelines for Energy Efficiency Standards in BuildingsDownload PDF | UN Economic Commission for Europe | Guidelines for transforming buildings, framed on the Passive House approach. |
| The Passivhaus Standard on Tall Residential BuildingsDownload PDF | FXCollaborative | A feasibility study of a high-rise mixed-use Passive House building. | |
| 2016 | Accelerating Market Transformation for High-Performance Building EnclosuresDownload PDF | Pembina Institute | The early Passive House market and its policy, and the lessons learned. |
| 2015 | Passive NYCDownload PDF | Building Energy Exchange | Passive House opportunities, resources, and barriers in New York City. |
Know of a report that belongs here? Tell us at info@passivehousenetwork.org.
