The Passive House Institute Releases New Tool to Facilitate First Steps of Retrofitting

The planning phase is perhaps the most integral part of any deep renovation project. It is when all the important decisions are made, and it can help create a roadmap for success by setting overarching objectives and performance goals while clearly articulating every step of the project from day one.

To help support building owners during this critical stage in the project, the Passive House Institute (PHI) has released the Decision Support Tool, a web-based tool that provides guidance on energy-efficient renovation and allows users to compare a multitude of retrofit concepts as they apply to the project underway. The Decision Support Tool makes it easier for teams involved in the construction process to find the best-suited retrofit concept for their building early on in the planning phase. It also helps to support one of the primary goals of the outPHit project, which is to facilitate rapid deep energy retrofit solutions.

The Decision Support Tool is now available in English and can be used free of charge.

Proper sequencing, good communication, and team cohesion are three of the best tools to ensure a successful deep energy retrofit, and each step in any retrofit must be well coordinated. The outPHit project partners have developed the Decision Support Tool in addition to guidelines and tools on various aspects of energy efficiency in renovation to support those wishing to renovate with an overview of the possible approaches. This provides owners as well as architects and planning experts with an initial overview of possible refurbishment approaches for the building in question during the initial planning phase.

“With the variety of options for energy-efficient retrofits, those involved are often spoilt for choice. This is precisely where the Decision Support Tool comes into play, as it presents possible directions for the specific building right from the start. This makes it easier to decide on the next steps in the renovation process,” explains the Passive House Institute’s Jan Steiger, project coordinator of outPHit. “Highly efficient components also used in building modernization make it possible to achieve the EnerPHit standard, the efficiency standard for renovations with Passive House components,” Steiger continues.

The tool only requires very general and easy to access information about the building such as construction year, basic floor plan, orientation, and construction method. Users can also indicate the importance of energy efficiency, sustainability, and costs within the framework of the renovation project. The Decision Support Tool then presents various conceptual solutions for energy improvements and their respective effects, as well as further information on how to improve building performance and efficiency. The tool’s results thus provide a basis for further planning with energy consulting experts.