Australian Passivhaus Association

What Australian Passivhaus Association does

The Australian Passivhaus Association (APA) is a not-for-profit membership-based peak body founded in 2013 and registered as a charity (ABN: 64 164 995 082) that educates, promotes, and supports the delivery of Certified Passivhaus buildings in Australia. The organization operates as the country's primary advocate for the international Passivhaus standard, a performance-based building framework grounded in five technical principles: airtight construction (≤0.6 ACH @ 50 Pa), super-insulated envelopes, heat recovery ventilation (HRV), high-performance glazing, and thermal bridge reduction. The Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP) is the associated deterministic energy modeling software used for design verification and certification.

APA generates revenue through four primary streams: tiered membership subscriptions, certified training courses (Certified Passivhaus Designer, Certified Tradesperson, One Day Introduction, DesignPH, Mastering Passivhaus Certification, and On-Demand Short Courses), conference and event registrations led by the annual THRIVE Passivhaus Conference (250-300+ attendees, $1,150-$1,290 + GST), and sponsorship from building product manufacturers. The association serves architects, designers, builders, tradespeople, property developers (e.g., build-to-rent groups like MODEL), and government stakeholders, with a community of 50,000+ newsletter subscribers, 2,700 people trained annually, and regional chapters providing local engagement.

Following the appointment of its first full-time CEO Alexia Lidas in July 2022, APA professionalized from a volunteer-based organization to one with 6.5+ FTE staff executing a 2023-2026 'Scaling Impact' strategic plan. The association is actively influencing the National Construction Code (NCC) 2028 update and secured regulatory recognition in the ACT as an official compliance pathway, marking a shift from advocacy to embedded regulatory standing.

Name

Australian Passivhaus Association

Legal name

Australian Passivhaus Association

Website

https://passivhausassociation.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Australian Passivhaus Association is a not-for-profit peak body founded in 2013 that educates, trains, and certifies building industry professionals across Australia in the Passivhaus energy efficiency standard, while advocating for its adoption in the National Construction Code.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Adelaide

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: APA generates revenue through membership subscriptions with tiered benefits including access to member portal, resources, marketing toolkits, climate data, sample documentation, and networking opportunities.
2. Education and Training Courses: Revenue from Certified Passivhaus Designer courses, Certified Tradesperson courses, One Day Introduction to Passivhaus, DesignPH courses, and On-Demand Short Courses. Early bird promotions offered.
3. Conference and Events: THRIVE annual conference revenue from registrations (Members $1150, Non-Members $1290), Practical Training Days ($350-450), site tours, and fringe events including networking boat cruise.
4. Sponsorship: Conference sponsorship tiers including Principal Sponsor, Gold Sponsor, Bronze Sponsor, and trade show exhibitor fees from building product manufacturers and suppliers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Australian Passivhaus Association (APA) is a not-for-profit peak body that educates, promotes, and supports the delivery of Certified Passivhaus buildings in Australia. It offers membership programs, certified training courses (Designer, Tradesperson, introductory and advanced levels), the annual THRIVE conference, certification support, and a public project register. Its work covers advocacy for the Passivhaus Standard within Australia's National Construction Code and the broader building industry.

Product overview

The Australian Passivhaus Association (APA) is a not-for-profit membership organization that educates, promotes, and supports the delivery of Certified Passivhaus buildings in Australia. APA offers a comprehensive portfolio of education and certification programs including the Certified Passivhaus Designer Course, Certified Passivhaus Tradesperson Course, One Day Introduction to Passivhaus Training, DesignPH Theory to Practice, Mastering Passivhaus Certification Training, the Passivhaus Incubator mentorship program, and On-Demand Short Courses. The organization hosts the annual THRIVE Passivhaus Conference (Australia's largest Passivhaus event) and Practical Training Days for hands-on skills development. Additional offerings include the Passivhaus Project Register directory of certified buildings, Passivhaus Certification Services, Publications and Books, and access to the Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP) software. APA serves as the primary advocacy body for high-performance building standards in Australia, supporting the building industry through training, certification, events, and technical resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• APA Membership Annual membership subscription that gives building industry professionals access to the Glue Up member portal, working groups and committees, climate data, sample documentation, marketing toolkits, and member-exclusive events.
• Certified Passivhaus Designer Course

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 90% energy savings for heating and cooling compared to conventional buildings
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BondorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2025Bondor is Australia's leader in complete thermal building solutions and lightweight architectural panels. They are a Gold Sponsor of THRIVE 2025 and provide insulated sandwich panels that contribute to meeting Passivhaus standards through airtight construction and continuous insulation.
• BINQ WindowscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2025BINQ is Australia's largest high-performance window manufacturer with facilities in Melbourne. They are the Principal Sponsor of THRIVE 2025 and provide training on window installation in high-performance buildings.
• Pro ClimacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2025Pro Clima provides airtightness and weathertightness patented building systems. They supply trainers and wrapping materials for Practical Training Days and are a Bronze Sponsor of THRIVE 2025.
• MODELcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2025MODEL is an Australian build-to-rent group that uses Passivhaus as a core pillar of its decarbonisation strategy. They delivered a keynote presentation at THRIVE 2025 on attracting sustainable finance for Passivhaus-led developments.
• Cairn (Ireland)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2025Irish homebuilder with 1,750+ Certified Passive House units under construction. Stephen O'Shea presented on lessons from the largest Passivhaus development in Europe at THRIVE 2025.
• Architype (New Zealand)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2025New Zealand architectural practice specialising in Passivhaus buildings. Tim Ross presented on Passivhaus multi-unit housing projects in NZ including Toiora Cohousing and Leith Street Student Accommodation.
• Passive House Institute (PHI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2025International body that developed the Passivhaus Standard and the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP). APA operates under the international Passivhaus framework and provides PHI-certified training.
• Glue Up (Member Portal)coreTechnology or Integration · 19 June 2025Glue Up platform powers APA's member portal for networking, event registrations, resource access, and member communications.
• EvissaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2025Evissa provides Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) and presented at THRIVE 2025 on using SIPs to achieve Passivhaus standards.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA): Australia's broader sustainability rating body operating the Green Star scheme. Competes for sustainability mindshare and policy influence with APA, particularly on building code reform and developer engagement.
• NABERS: Australian government-backed building performance rating system used widely across commercial real estate. Represents an alternative pathway for decarbonisation signalling that competes with Passivhaus for developer and institutional attention.
• International Passive House Association (iPHA): The global network of Passivhaus organisations connecting national chapters worldwide. APA is a member affiliate and benefits from iPHA's international reach, making iPHA a strategic umbrella peer.
• Passive House Institute (PHI): The German-origin international body that developed the Passivhaus Standard and the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP). APA operates under PHI's framework and delivers PHI-certified training, making PHI the natural upstream incumbent and standards-setter.

Emerging players

• Passive House Accelerator: A media and events-driven community promoting Passivhaus adoption broadly. Comparable as a community-engagement and content channel, though less certification-focused than APA.

Direct peers

• Passive House Canada: Canadian national association for the Passivhaus standard providing education, certification, and advocacy. Directly comparable to APA in scope, model, and stage of market development.
• Passive House Institute New Zealand (PHINZ): The New Zealand equivalent of APA, delivering PHI-aligned training, certification, and advocacy for Passivhaus buildings in NZ. Closest geographic peer model, with similar membership, training, and conference offerings.
• Passivhaus Trust: The UK-based membership body promoting the Passivhaus Standard across Britain. Operates a similar membership-plus-training-plus-events model and is a directly comparable national peak body in a more mature Passivhaus market.

Regional players

• Passive House Institute US (PHIUS): US-based organisation that has developed a climate-specific variant of the Passivhaus standard (PHIUS+) and offers its own training and certification. Comparable mission with a localised technical approach, illustrating the strategic question of standard adoption.
• New York Passive House (NYPHA): US regional Passivhaus association operating in the New York market. Comparable in terms of training and advocacy scope, illustrating a city-level chapter model that informs APA's own chapter strategy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australian-passivhaus-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Australian Passivhaus Association