Passivhaus Trust

What Passivhaus Trust does

Passivhaus Trust is a UK non-profit organization that serves as the official UK affiliate of the International Passive House Association (iPHA), promoting the adoption of the Passivhaus building performance standard. Founded in 2010 and registered as a private company limited by guarantee without share capital, the Trust is headquartered in Bognor Regis, United Kingdom, with a small team of 18 employees. Its core mission is to slash energy use in buildings - which account for 35% of global energy consumption - by propagating a rigorously defined standard based on superinsulation, airtight construction, thermal bridge-free design, high-performance windows, and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR).

The Trust's product portfolio is centered on certification, training, and advocacy. Core products include the Passivhaus Learning Hub (passivhaus.uk), globally recognized Certified Passivhaus Designer/Consultant and Tradesperson certification programmes (with 8,000+ Designer and 4,500+ Tradesperson certificates delivered worldwide), the EnerPHit retrofit standard, endorsed third-party training courses, and PHPP/DesignPH performance modeling tools. Event-led offerings include the annual UK Passivhaus Conference, Summer Open Days with 25+ projects, Client Clubs for housing providers, and the UK Passivhaus Awards. The Trust also runs sector-specific campaigns targeting educational buildings, social housing, retrofit, and high-rise applications.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid of membership fees (patron and standard tiers), training and certification course fees (typically £85-£725+VAT), event tickets and sponsorships, and publication sales including the Good Practice Guide. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on strategic training partners (Coaction, BE-ST, Passive House School), industry body partnerships (RIBA, AECB, SCOSA), and direct engagement with local authorities, housing associations, developers, universities, and self-builders across the UK. Customer outcomes are anchored by high-profile case studies such as Camden Council's Agar Grove (345 affordable Passivhaus homes), City of York Council's 600-home program, and London School of Economics' Firoz Lalji Global Hub retrofit.

Name

Passivhaus Trust

Legal name

Passivhaus Trust

Website

https://passivhaustrust.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Passivhaus Trust is a UK non-profit and the official UK affiliate of the International Passive House Association (iPHA), promoting the Passivhaus high-performance building standard through certification, training, events, and advocacy for built environment professionals, local authorities, housing associations, and self-builders across the United Kingdom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Building Standards & Certification

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

Keywords

• Sustainable building certification
• Passive house training
• Energy efficient construction
• Building performance standard
• Low energy retrofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Bognor Regis

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

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: The Passivhaus Trust generates revenue through membership fees, offering different tiers including patron memberships. Members receive benefits such as event discounts, access to resources, and networking opportunities.
2. Training and Certification: Revenue from certified training courses, designer/tradesperson certification exams, and endorsed third-party courses. Course fees range from free introductory sessions to £300-£675 for multi-session contractor courses.
3. Event Tickets and Sponsorships: Revenue from the annual UK Passivhaus Conference, training events, and partner events. Sponsorship opportunities are available for major events.
4. Publication Sales: Revenue from technical publications including the 'How to Build a Passivhaus: Good Practice Guide' and other guidance documents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

The Passivhaus Trust is an independent, non-profit organisation and the official UK affiliate of the International Passive House Association (iPHA) that promotes adoption of the Passivhaus standard in the UK. Its core offerings are paid certified training programmes (Passivhaus Designer/Consultant, Tradesperson, and Certifier), the online Passivhaus Learning Hub, member and partner events across the UK, the annual UK Passivhaus Conference, Open Days, Awards, and Client Club webinars aimed at architects, contractors, local authorities, and housing providers.

Product overview

The Passivhaus Trust (PHT) operates as a not-for-profit organisation promoting Passivhaus standards in the UK, functioning as the official UK affiliate of the International Passive House Association (iPHA). The organisation offers a portfolio of interconnected products and services: the Passivhaus Learning Hub as the central platform for training and resources; Certified Passivhaus Training programmes for Designer/Consultant, Tradesperson, and Certifier qualifications; Partner & Member Events delivering technical sessions; and campaign initiatives covering educational buildings, retrofit (EnerPHit), social housing, and high-rise sectors. Additional offerings include the annual UK Passivhaus Awards, the UK Passivhaus Conference, Passivhaus Open Days, training endorsement programme, and educational resources for children. Membership provides access to the member directory, discounted events, and exclusive resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Passivhaus Learning Hub Online platform aggregating Passivhaus training, guidance documents, technical resources, and on-demand learning content for professionals and individuals seeking to understand or implement Passivhaus standards.
• Certified Passivhaus Training Globally recognised certification programmes for individuals including Certified Passivhaus Designer/Consultant, Certified Passivhaus Tradesperson, and Certified Passivhaus Certifier qualifications, with 8,000+ Designer/Consultant and 4,500+ Tradesperson certificates delivered worldwide.
• Partner & Member Training Events Training and networking events ranging from introductory seminars to advanced technical sessions, including courses on Passivhaus design, retrofit delivery, PHPP software, thermal bridging calculations, and building performance.
• Passivhaus Training Endorsement Programme Endorsement programme that allows third-party Passivhaus courses to receive PHT stamp of approval after assessment confirming the course meets correct and suitable Passivhaus calibre.
• UK Passivhaus Conference The UK's largest Passivhaus conference, held annually and bringing together designers, researchers, manufacturers, and policy leaders, with sponsorship opportunities for partner organisations.
• Passivhaus Open Days Annual summer event with 25+ certified Passivhaus projects opening their doors to the public, allowing visitors to experience high-performance buildings firsthand.
• UK Passivhaus Awards Annual awards programme recognising excellence in Passivhaus design and construction across sectors including educational buildings, retrofit, self-build, and social housing.
• Residential Passivhaus Client Clubs Webinar series launched in 2026 for clients, developers, and housing providers committed to delivering resilient, high-performance Passivhaus buildings, expanding the existing Social Housing Client Clubs to include private housing projects.
• Passivhaus Trust Membership Membership programme with multiple tiers including patron memberships, providing members with event discounts, access to resources, networking opportunities, and visibility through the member directory.
• How to Build a Passivhaus: Good Practice Guide (Second Edition) Second edition (released June 2023) of the Passivhaus Trust's flagship technical guide covering essential topics for delivering Passivhaus and EnerPHit projects, with updated exemplar case studies and latest developments on grid decarbonisation, energy prices, embodied carbon, renewables, and retrofit.
• Curious Kids Educational Resources Passivhaus learning resources for children and young people, including videos, lesson plans, and activities developed during the Coronavirus lockdown period and maintained for ongoing education.
• Passivhaus Retrofit Programme (EnerPHit) Performance-based retrofit programme that upgrades existing buildings to deliver higher comfort, healthier indoor environments, and lower energy demand through EnerPHit certification, with guidance for homeowners, professionals, and housing providers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Buildings account for 35% of total global energy consumption - Passivhaus addresses this by slashing energy use from buildings
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Passive House Association (iPHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Passivhaus Trust is the official UK affiliate of iPHA, the global governing body for the Passivhaus standard. This partnership positions PHT as the recognized authority for Passivhaus in the UK, enabling access to international certification frameworks, resources, and the global Passivhaus network.
• Coaction Training CICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHT Patron Coaction (formerly Carbonlite) is the primary strategic training partner, offering certified Passivhaus training at multiple levels. The partnership enables PHT to reach more practitioners and engage in ongoing knowledge sharing and best practice promotion. Coaction offers Designer, Tradesperson, and Building to Perform courses.
• BE-ST (Built Environment - Smarter Transformation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership since June 2022 in Scotland. Collaboration includes activities at COP26, site visits, Passivhaus practical training, and a Passivhaus steel rig. BE-ST, in conjunction with Coaction, offers PHT-endorsed courses. The partnership leverages capability to further educational goals in Scotland.
• RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign Performance for Climate Action program partners with RIBA to integrate Passivhaus training into architecture schools at universities. The program aims to ensure next-generation architects understand high-performance building before entering practice. RIBA CPD programme for both new build and retrofit is also ongoing.
• SCOSAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Design Performance for Climate Action initiative alongside RIBA and Coaction, contributing to student education and awareness of Passivhaus in higher education.
• National Self Build & Renovation Centre (NSBRC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver biannual Passivhaus Workshops aimed at self-builders and designers in Swindon. The NSBRC venue allows participants to see models of windows, wall build-ups, and service installations while speaking to PHT member practitioners.
• Institute of CarpentersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership agreement signed in April 2026 to maximize partnering opportunities on knowledge, skills, and capabilities to facilitate mutual goals and objectives in the built environment sector.
• Home by MilestoneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership agreement signed in March 2026 to maximize partnering opportunities on knowledge, skills, and capabilities to facilitate mutual goals and objectives in the residential sector.
• Sustainable Development Foundation (SDF)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSDF is PHT's partner and host organization, managing the secure database for member data. Data is visible to SDF and its other partner organisations (Alliance for Sustainable Building Products, Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance, Good Homes Alliance, and Building Performance Network) but used only for PHT purposes.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• UK Green Building Council: Industry membership body advocating for sustainable built environment across the UK. Comparable to PHT in membership-driven advocacy, training, and policy engagement model, but with broader sustainability scope beyond Passivhaus-specific high-performance building standards.
• BRE Group (Building Research Establishment): UK-established building science and standards organization operating the BREEAM sustainability rating and broader construction research. It is comparable as an authority that shapes UK building performance standards and certification, but operates at significantly larger scale across multiple building sustainability dimensions.
• U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC / LEED): Operator of the LEED green building certification system — the most globally scaled building sustainability standard. USGBC parallels PHT's model of certification, training, and member-driven advocacy but at vastly larger commercial scale and broader sustainability framework.

Emerging players

• LETI (London Energy Transformation Initiative): UK volunteer-led climate action network producing energy performance guidance for buildings that overlaps with Passivhaus on operational energy and retrofit. LETI is a partial competitor shaping UK practitioner specifications and policy guidance, particularly in London, but without the certification and training infrastructure PHT operates.
• Architecture 2030: Non-profit driving building sector decarbonization targets and design guidance globally. It is thematically aligned with PHT's mission to slash building energy use, but focuses on carbon-based targets rather than a specific performance standard like Passivhaus.

Others

• Sustainable Development Foundation (SDF): PHT's operational partner organization that manages member data and hosts administrative functions. SDF sits in PHT's ecosystem of UK sustainable building non-profits (alongside Alliance for Sustainable Building Products, Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance, and Good Homes Alliance) and is comparable as a parallel UK sustainable built-environment non-profit.
• International WELL Building Institute: Operator of the WELL building standard focused on occupant health and wellbeing rather than energy. It is comparable as a parallel voluntary building certification scheme with similar training, certification, and professional accreditation models, but addresses a distinct occupant-focused outcome.

Direct peers

• International Passive House Association (iPHA): The global network organization of which PHT is the UK affiliate. iPHA coordinates Passivhaus affiliates worldwide, sharing the same standards-promotion, certification, and community-building mission as PHT but at a global rather than national scope.
• Passivhaus Institute: The global originating body for the Passivhaus standard based in Darmstadt, Germany. It owns the underlying building physics methodology, PHPP software, and international certification framework that PHT promotes in the UK — making it the closest functional peer in terms of mission, certification authority, and training delivery model.
• AECB (Association of Environment Conscious Building): UK membership organization for sustainable building professionals, sharing PHT's target audience of architects, builders, and self-builders. AECB runs the AECB Conference (co-marketed with PHT) and overlapping low-energy building training, making it the most direct UK-side peer in scope and member base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PassivhausUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/passivhaus-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/passivhaustrust
• Pinterestuk.pinterest.com/passivhaustrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Passivhaus Trust