A new report shows that the capital cost uplift of Passivhaus standard buildings can be as low as 2%
The report, co-authored by the Passivhaus Trust, Currie & Brown, and Elemental Solutions, draws on previous modelling of Passivhaus capital costs compared with current building regulations.
Jon Bootland, chief executive of the Passivhaus Trust, commented: “Cost is often cited as the chief barrier to delivering Passivhaus homes and buildings.
“This new, updated independent research shows that the uplift in capital cost is negligible.”
Passivhaus cost uplifts reached a maximum of 5%
The modelling suggests that Passivhaus costs from the current regulations for a semi-detached house are between 3% and 5% (£4,900-£8,500 per house), whilst mid-rise flats have an uplift of just 2% (£4,100-£5,300 per flat).
The smaller cost uplift for flats highlights how the Passivhaus standard rewards efficient building geometry.
This means that experienced teams can achieve more cost-effective Passivhaus design through form factor optimisation, in addition to savings from simplification of glazing design and building services.
Wider benefits of delivering buildings to the Passivhaus standard
The report also explores some of the wider benefits of delivering to the Passivhaus standard.
Firstly, the reduced heating demand translates into running cost savings, and certified Passivhaus buildings have been shown to reliably close the performance gap.
Additionally, other benefits include:
- Significant improvements in health and wellbeing
- Increased cost certainty due to detailed early design prior to tender
- Lower maintenance costs
- Reduced voids in tenancy
- Reduced defaults on rent payments
- Potential reduced utility connections for developers through reduced peak demand
“Passivhaus delivers lower running costs and greater confidence in real-world performance, helping to close the gap between designed and delivered energy use,” Bootland explained.
“Wider benefits include comfort, health and indoor air quality, resilience to changing energy prices and climate risks, and improved design coordination and delivery certainty.”
Passivhaus costs are likely to reduce further
As national standards become more demanding, the capital cost difference between Passivhaus and minimum-compliance homes is likely to reduce.
Further research coming in 2027 will analyse real-world construction cost data, comparing Passivhaus with the Future Homes Standard and new Scottish regulations.
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