Overview

Passive House buildings are energy efficient buildings that provide users with high levels of comfort and excellent air quality around the clock. They may not look any different from other buildings, but good planning, as well as careful execution of the details, is essential in the construction of such projects. This ensures that the high requirements for the building envelope and technology can be met. As a result, building professionals need additional expertise which can be acquired and substantiated with this Passive House Designer course. This course has been designed in partnership with Passive House Institute (PHI). For many years the Passive House Institute (PHI) has been providing the expertise necessary for energy efficient construction, holding many training courses worldwide on the subject of Passive House.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must be over 21 years of age. Applicants should have:

• An undergraduate bachelor degree 1st or 2nd class honours in any discipline level 8.
• Three years of relevant industrial experience or an ordinary bachelor degree or 3rd class honours undergraduate degree level 7.
• Five years of relevant industrial experience or a recognised professional qualification and five years of relevant industrial experience.

Candidates who do not meet the minimum entry criteria are encouraged to contact the programme's administrators to discuss eligibility through Recognition through Prior Learning (RPL) and may be interviewed to ascertain their suitability for the course. 

What you will Learn

Upon taking this course, the learner will become a competent Passive House designer/consultant by learning everything from how to define the thermal envelope to how to overcome frequent planning and construction challenges. This course will take the learner into the details of Passive House buildings to ensure that the desired energy savings are actually achieved and that the building will perform as planned! This is essential for the successful delivery of high-quality low-energy buildings, which is a requirement of Housing for All, Climate Action Plan and National Development Plan. Housing for All requires on average 33,000 new homes per annum, while Climate Action Plan requires on average 50,000 per annum retrofitted to 2030 and there is a skills shortage to achieve these targets. The course begins with an overview of the Passive House Standard, the certification requirements and the different elements you need to consider when designing and building Passive Houses. Then, students gain knowledge about the design of building envelops, ventilation strategies, building services and economics to achieve Passive House standard for both new building construction and retrofitting of existing buildings.

Learning Outcomes

1. Apply the principles of passive house design and passive retrofit
2. Effectively use the Passive house software planning package (PHPP)
3. Calculate the role and application of heat gain and climate on building performance
4. Calculate the role of building envelopes, air tightness and ventilation on building performance
5. Effectively complete passive house design with Building Information Modelling (BIM)

Assessments

• Continuous Assessment (60%)
• Department-based Assessment (40%)

Contact

If you have any questions about this course, please contact:

Micro-credentials Team,
University of Galway

Email: Micro-credentials

How to Apply

From the 1st April 2025, you can apply for this micro-credential through our Online Application Portal.

Learn more about our application process.

Apply here: Online Application Portal

When completing your application please make sure to select the following categories:

Academic level: Micro-credentials and CPD
College/Interest type: Micro-credentials/CPD Postgrad Level 9
Academic programme: Science & Engineering micro-credentials CPC15

You will need to manually enter the Module Name and Code under ‘Module Name’ on the second page of your application. Please copy the name and code below:

Passive House Designer - CE5103