Certified Passive House Designer / Consultant study plan

Reproduce from memory the Passive House certification limits (heating demand, primary energy, airtightness, overheating frequency) and state which apply to retrofit vs new build

Explain the three heat-transfer mechanisms through the envelope and calculate U-values for a homogeneous layer stack and for a layer with a repeating metal fastener

Sketch five typical thermal-bridge details (balcony slab, window reveal, floor slab at foundation, roof parapet, partition junction) and annotate the insulation continuity line

Quantify the difference between a point thermal bridge and a linear thermal bridge in PHPP input terms and identify which psi-values dominate a typical detached house

Set up a personal reference sheet of certification criteria and U-value reference values for your climate zone

Design an airtightness concept that names the airtight layer on every building element and shows how it is carried across each junction

Interpret a blower-door result: convert n50 to the PHPP-relevant infiltration rate and explain which leak locations explain a given n50 value

Compare frame construction types (timber, aluminium with thermal break, PVC, composite) by frame U-value and by installation thermal-bridge penalty

Select glazing for a given orientation using g-value, Ug and solar-control trade-offs, and justify the choice for south vs west facades

Detail a window installation that minimises the installation psi-value, including the sill, the reveal and the connection to the airtight layer

Calculate the effect of external movable shading, overhang geometry and fixed fins on summer solar gains for a south and a west window

Size a ventilation system for a defined dwelling: derive supply and extract air volumes from occupancy and from the minimum hygienic air-change rate

Explain heat-recovery efficiency, frost protection strategy and the difference between a central and a decentralised unit with heat recovery

Lay out a duct network that keeps pressure drop low: justify duct routing, silencer placement and the position of the unit inside or outside the thermal envelope

Identify the indoor-air-quality parameters that Passive House certification checks and how a ventilation concept addresses humidity, CO2 and pollutants

Calculate the design heating load using the PHPP method and explain why the peak load, not the annual demand, sizes the generator

Size the domestic hot water system for a defined occupancy and compare storage losses for an internal vs external cylinder

Compare heat generators (air-source heat pump, ground-source heat pump, district heat, pellet boiler) on primary-energy factor, seasonal performance and suitability for a low-load house

Explain how the primary-energy renewable (PER) factor changes the choice of generator and which factors you must look up rather than assume

Work through a full PHPP verification: enter climate, areas, U-values, thermal bridges, ventilation and gains, then read heating demand, primary energy and overheating frequency

Run a sensitivity analysis: change insulation thickness, window quality and airtightness one at a time and record the effect on heating demand

Distinguish useful solar gains from overheating risk and use the summer-verification outputs to decide whether shading or night ventilation is the better fix

Explain the difference between heating demand, heating load and delivered energy, and where each appears in certification

Identify the most common PHPP input errors that cause a failed verification and describe how each is caught in review

Reconcile a certification result against the economics: compute simple payback of an envelope upgrade versus a heat-pump upgrade

Write a commissioning sequence for the ventilation unit covering air-volume measurement, filter check, frost-protection test and handover documentation

Build an inspection checklist that verifies the airtight layer at the stages when it is still visible (pre-cladding, pre-plasterboard)

Describe the certification process end to end: documentation package, verifier review, on-site checks and the conditions attached to a certificate

Explain how construction supervision catches thermal-bridge and airtightness defects, and what evidence a certifier expects from site photographs

Plan the blower-door test: timing, preparation, which penetrations are temporarily sealed and how results are documented

Review all seven domains against a self-written syllabus and flag the three weakest areas with specific gaps

Re-derive the certification criteria and the PHPP verification logic without notes, then check against your reference sheet

Practise interpreting a written project description and deciding which certification class it would achieve

Explain the roles of designer, certifier and site supervisor in a way you could present to a client in two minutes

Revisit the five thermal-bridge sketches from week 1 and correct any errors you now spot

Complete two full-length timed practice sets under exam conditions and score them by domain

For every wrong answer, write the correct reasoning in one sentence and link it to the relevant PHPP input or construction detail

Drill the numeric skills that appear most often: U-value, psi-value penalty, ventilation air volumes, heating load and primary energy

Rehearse explaining a construction detail and a PHPP result aloud, as you would in a scenario-based question

Finalise a one-page formula and criteria sheet you can review in the last days before the exam