Passive house, photo credit: Kingdom Home Builders, 2018

Build a Passive House

How to get Passive House certification

Passive House certification is a quality assurance process that determines whether a project meets all of the requirements of the Passive House standard.

It confirms that the building has been designed to achieve high levels of occupant comfort and energy performance.

The primary criteria for achieving Passive House certification:

Space Heat Demand: Maximum 15 kWh/m²a or heating load maximum 10 W/m²
Air Tightness: Maximum 0.6 ACH @ 50 Pa (pressurizing and depressurizing)
Total Primary Energy Renewable (PER): Maximum 60 kWh/m²a

Learn more about the Passive House standard and certification process .

Passive House in Rezoning

All rezoning applications submitted after May 1, 2017, will be required to meet near zero or low emissions buildings. This requirement can be met by constructing to the Passive House standard.

Passive House in Zoning

We are continually working to remove barriers within the regulatory framework to facilitate Certified Passive House designs.

Applicants are required to meet the Passive House standard and successfully certify the project as a Certified Passive House in order to be eligible for related relaxations.

Benefits of a Passive House

A Passive House produces very low operating emissions relative to standard buildings and creates:

High air quality levels
Even temperature distribution
Low noise levels
Reduced heating and cooling costs

Single-family residential
Relaxations in RS Zones

Conditional relaxations are available for Certified Passive House projects in various zones. These include relaxation of:
- Height
- Rear yard setback
- Building depth
These allowances exist to accommodate Certified Passive House features such as increased thermal insulation that result in a thicker building envelope.

For more information on what conditional relaxations are available for homes and the permit application process, refer to the Passive House relaxations - guidelines for residences in RS districts (96 KB)

Applicants may also consult the relevant regulation and the related Zoning By-law administration bulletins related to passive design.

Passive House trained staff

Ask if any of our Passive House-trained development planners, project coordinators, project facilitators, or inspectors are available to be assigned to your project.

Larger Projects

Conditional relaxations are also available for larger certified Passive House projects in various zones.

These allowances exist to accommodate certified Passive House features such as increased thermal insulation that result in a thicker building envelope.

For more information on what conditional relaxations are available for homes and the permit application process, refer to the Passive House relaxations - guidelines for larger projects (124 KB)

Conditional allowances for larger projects

Refer to the following list of conditional allowances pertaining to other building types and the corresponding Zoning By-law section.

Conditional allowances	Zoning bylaw
Allow floor area exclusion for increased insulation	Zoning By-law, Section 10.33
Allow green walls to project into required yard	Zoning By-law, Section 10.7.1
Allow floor area exclusion for venting skylights, opening clerestory windows, or other similar features	RS, RT, RM, C-3A and I-C3 District schedules in Zoning By-law, Section 4.7.2 (or 4.7.3) (or 4.7.4)
Allow increase in building height for venting skylights, opening clerestory windows, or other similar features	Zoning By-law, Section 10.11.1
Relax building height regulations for roof-mounted energy technologies and to provide access to green roofs	Zoning By-law, Section 10.11.1
Relax side yard and overhang requirements for fixed external shading devices	Zoning By-law, Section 10.7.1

Applicants may also consult the relevant regulation and the related Zoning By-law administration bulletins related to passive design.

Passive House trained staff

Ask if any of our Passive House-trained development planners, project coordinators, project facilitators, or inspectors are available to be assigned to your project.

What is a Passive House?

Passive House Explained in 90 Seconds from Hans-Jörn Eich on Vimeo.

The Passive House standard:

Results in a more comfortable, quiet, and healthy home
Is an effective means of meeting our Zero Emissions Building Plan targets

Passive Design Toolkit

This toolkit outlines passive design practices fundamental to achieving the Passive House standard criteria in Vancouver.

Online resources, training, and case studies

Passive House standard
Passive House Canada is an online resource that supports the Passive House standard, relevant training, membership, case studies of existing projects, and access to services such as Passive House certifiers. Find more resources from Passive House Canada:
- A Developer’s Guide to Passive House Buildings (1.95 MB)
- Passive House project map
Passipedia is managed by the International Passive House Association, and acts as a comprehensive knowledge base for Passive House projects around the world.
Resources and training
- Guidelines for Blower Door Testing for Passive Houses (from GreenBuild, August 2015) (608 KB)
- Passive House training courses are available from various individuals, institutions, and companies. Courses are offered across Canada and include:
  - One Day Introduction to Passive House Design and Construction
  - Passive House Design and Construction Course
  - Passive House 5-day trades course
- Passive House Resource Library (Harmann Consulting)
- BCIT Discount Passive House tradesperson course