This webinar focuses on the critical topic of “Green & Sustainable Buildings,” exploring the frequent gap between design intent, certification, and actual building performance. While architects, structural engineers, and mechanical engineers have been delivering designs in accordance with legal requirements and technical standards for years, the reality is that operational energy performance often deviates significantly from what is expected or certified.
Although the NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building) regulations are now a requirement across Europe, they frequently lack precise and enforceable energy consumption targets. In addition, actual measured consumption is rarely included in the certification process, which results in Energy Performance Certificates that may not reflect real building performance.
Energy designers today have the tools and knowledge to predict and optimize energy use. However, many projects still experience a large performance gap between simulations and real-world results. The Passivhaus certification and its underlying methodology provide a clear and effective response to this issue. Unlike conventional design and certification approaches, Passivhaus offers a structured framework that ensures quality, accuracy, and predictability from the earliest stages of design through to building operation.
During the webinar, a detailed presentation of the methodology will be offered, following six clear and practical phases that begin with the design process and continue through implementation, construction detailing, site supervision, quality control, certification, and, finally, building monitoring and user education. This end-to-end approach supports both technical performance and long-term usability.
To demonstrate how this methodology works in practice, two contrasting case studies from Greece will be presented. The first is a 6,500 m² new hospital building in Thessaloniki, while the second is the deep energy renovation of a 1960s single-family home of 150 m², which formerly served as the headquarters of the Hellenic Passive House Institute. Despite their differences in size and function, both buildings followed the same process from concept to construction and achieved excellent results in terms of energy efficiency, thermal comfort, and acoustic quality.
Finally, the webinar will showcase the research dimension of the Hellenic Passive House Institute. As an active partner in more than 15 EU-funded research projects, HPHI continues to lead and contribute to innovation in building performance, sustainability, and education. Selected insights and trends from these projects will be shared, offering participants a glimpse into the future of truly sustainable and verifiably high-performing buildings.
Find out more: How: Passive House Design Principles | Passive House Accelerator
