Scotland's Highland Council Considering the Passivhaus Standard for Schools, Nurseries and More

The Highland Council, the local government that oversees the vast Scottish Highlands, is considering building its new schools, nurseries, and even some housing to the Passivhaus standard. The first Passivhaus project to take part in this program could be the renovation of the new 3–18 Tain Academy campus. Property chairman councilor Ben Thompson supports building to the standard for the Tain academy and hopes that housing in the Highlands will be built to Passivhaus, as well. “But it’s crucial that it should fit with funding criteria and that we train and upskill the Highland workforce accordingly,” he told The Press and Journal.

Finlay MacDonald, the Council’s head of property and facilities management, appears to be more cautious and hopes to first see how other local governments in Scotland fare with respect to the adoption of the Passivhaus standard, particularly Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Edinburgh, which has set the ambitious target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030, announced in 2018 that three schools will be renovated to meet Passivhaus standards. In the city of Glasgow, which also aims to be carbon neutral by 2030, the first Passivhaus development opened its doors to occupants in 2019 and announced earlier this year that a significantly larger Passivhaus project will be built east of the city’s center.

The Press and Journal has more.