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Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
These two books are the perfect starting place to help you get to grips with one of the most vitally important aspects of our society - our homes and living environment.

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Events and Courses: Any first hand experience of PassivHaus designer courses?

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    • CommentAuthorRobinB
    • CommentTimeJan 3rd 2012
     
    Oh right I thought SF was a place to stay! As I mentioned the Skills Fund are only funding basic skills at the moment. They don't consider this basic.
    RobinB
    • CommentAuthormarktime
    • CommentTimeJan 10th 2012
     
    Robin, what is your current status on the course? Have you completed?
    • CommentAuthorRobinB
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2012
     
    Sitting in Dublin having just finished day two of eight (spread over these three months). Very good - lots that I know already, but very interesting nonetheless. I've had to go and buy a calculator - we're working our way through the formulae in the PHPP spread sheet manually so we know what's really going on. Nice bunch of people, 22 men and only 2 women - wonder if that's typical.

    No beer yet.

    RobinB
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2012
     
    I have a calculator with me where ever I go, one day I shall learn how to use it. :wink:
    • CommentAuthorRobinB
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2012
     
    The calculator is the hardest part so far. All the right numbers, but not necessarily in the right order.
    • CommentAuthormarktime
    • CommentTimeJan 12th 2012 edited
     
    Thanks, Robin. Someone I know well is weighing up the advantages of having acreditation for his (one man band) practise.
    • CommentAuthorRobinB
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2012
     
    .. and I find that the whole exam is done using manual calculations, without reference to the PHPP spreadsheet.
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2012
     
    Get a pencil with a rubber on the end, much better than a pen I find when doing calculations.
    When I 'just type' the equations into a spreadsheet I find I make many mistakes (well more than normal), but laying them out on paper really is a much better way.
    • CommentAuthorRobinB
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2012
     
    Good (rubber) tip, thanks!
    • CommentAuthorRobinB
    • CommentTimeJul 3rd 2012
     
    Posted By: marktimeRobin, what is your current status on the course? Have you completed?

    Just want to share the happy news that I am now a "certified PassivHaus consultant" I couldn't quite believe it - it's taken three months from exam to getting the result. Half of us came out of the exam feeling we didn't have nearly enough time to complete the exam, and I'd resigned myself to not passing but seems like we didn't do too badly after all.
  11.  
    Congrats Robin, now get out there and start making it pay for itself!
    • CommentAuthormarktime
    • CommentTimeJul 3rd 2012
     
    Well done Robin.

    Be interesting to know what you excelled in, design or calcs?
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeJul 3rd 2012
     
    :bigsmile:
    • CommentAuthorRobinB
    • CommentTimeJul 3rd 2012
     
    Design mainly! But I do like the way you can do lots of "what ifs" quickly (once you've got all the data in!) using the PHPP and, even if you don't want PassivHaus it is very useful to see how you can trade one thing for another to make best use of the budget.

    One day of the course was spent on "financials" e.g. if you can borrow money at a given percentage over x years and spend it on for example better windows with a lifespan of y years you can see your break-even point and make compelling argument for getting a bigger mortgage to improve your building spec.

    I'm more sold on PH now than at the beginning of the course. I think the aim of designing out the need for a "normal" heating system, thereby freeing up that part of the budget for insulation etc. is very worthwhile. However in situations where you're never going to get to that stage, perhaps due to the shape of the building, I think their are sound reasons for stopping short of the mark.

    If only I'd known what I know now four years ago when we were planning this house! After each section of the course I came home shaking my head at the thermal bridges, the lost opportunities... I'm just starting to dream up a small retirement house for the future.

    Thanks for your congrats, and unfortunately they don't let you take the exam papers out of the exam so I couldn't get them for you SteamyT.

    RobinB
  15.  
    Hi Robin, just read this thread now and feel embarrassed that I missed you in Dublin as I see a few of your whispers here. I went through a mad busy patch and probably didn't visit the forum as much as I'd like, if you're back this way pick up the phone! I like alcohol and getting a Passive House nerdy fix so I wasn't avoiding you! Well done on the exam! Who was lecturing?
    Good news is we'll probably double our turnover and build 25 Passive Houses this year, so Passive House seems to be recession proof!

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