https://mosartgroup.com/insights Articles on Passivhaus, building science, retrofit and policy from Mosart. en-ie Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://mosartgroup.com/insights/why-build-to-rent-and-student-housing-choose-passivhaus https://mosartgroup.com/insights/why-build-to-rent-and-student-housing-choose-passivhaus Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT For a landlord who holds the asset for decades, the running cost is their problem. That fact is moving build to rent and student housing to Passivhaus. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-a-passivhaus-consultant-costs https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-a-passivhaus-consultant-costs Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Passivhaus consultancy fees vary widely, and day rates tell you little. What drives the cost, how fees are structured, and how to judge value. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-a-passivhaus-certifier-checks https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-a-passivhaus-certifier-checks Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT A Passivhaus certificate is only worth the independence behind it. What crosses a certifier's desk, what makes a project fail, and why you appoint one early. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/passivhaus-consultant-designer-architect-certifier https://mosartgroup.com/insights/passivhaus-consultant-designer-architect-certifier Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Four job titles, often confused, sometimes blurred. What a Passivhaus consultant, designer, architect and certifier each actually do on a project. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/how-to-prepare-for-the-passivhaus-designer-exam https://mosartgroup.com/insights/how-to-prepare-for-the-passivhaus-designer-exam Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT The CPHD exam is open book, about three hours, and set by the Passive House Institute. Here is how the people who pass comfortably actually prepare for it. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-a-phpp-consultant-does https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-a-phpp-consultant-does Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT PHPP modelling separates a building that looks compliant on paper from one that performs. What a PHPP consultant actually does, and when to bring one in. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/how-much-does-passive-house-certification-cost https://mosartgroup.com/insights/how-much-does-passive-house-certification-cost Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT There is no single price: certification fees depend on size, complexity, unit types and the state of your PHPP. The cost drivers and timeline, explained. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/phpp-vs-deap-and-sap https://mosartgroup.com/insights/phpp-vs-deap-and-sap Sun, 07 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT PHPP predicts real energy use; DEAP and SAP demonstrate regulatory compliance. Why a building can pass and still underperform, and when you need both. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/passive-house-grants-ireland https://mosartgroup.com/insights/passive-house-grants-ireland Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT What SEAI grants cover in 2026, why none of it applies to new builds, and how an EnerPHit deep retrofit can draw the same supports as any upgrade. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/common-passivhaus-certification-pitfalls https://mosartgroup.com/insights/common-passivhaus-certification-pitfalls Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The seven mistakes that most often derail Passivhaus certification, when each one bites on a project, and the cheap moment to fix it. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/why-building-shape-drives-heat-loss-form-factor https://mosartgroup.com/insights/why-building-shape-drives-heat-loss-form-factor Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The heat loss form factor compares envelope area to floor area. Why compact forms need less insulation, and why shape is free at feasibility stage. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-is-enerphit-retrofit-standard https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-is-enerphit-retrofit-standard Wed, 27 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT EnerPHit is the Passive House Institute's certified retrofit standard: 25 kWh/m²a heating demand or a component route, built around moisture-safe design. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/ice-box-challenge-ireland https://mosartgroup.com/insights/ice-box-challenge-ireland Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Mosart is designing the boxes for the Ice Box Challenge as it arrives in Ireland, demonstrating Passivhaus envelope performance in a public, hands-on format at Trinity College Dublin and the ZEB Summit 2026. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-irelands-new-a0-ber-rating-actually-measures https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-irelands-new-a0-ber-rating-actually-measures Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT From 24th May 2026, Ireland’s BER system moves to an eight-band scale with A0 as the new top tier for Zero Emission Buildings. This piece examines what the rating measures, where it falls short, and what it means for design teams. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/how-much-does-it-cost-to-build-a-passive-house-in-ireland https://mosartgroup.com/insights/how-much-does-it-cost-to-build-a-passive-house-in-ireland Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Irish benchmarks from the SCSI, UK research on the Passivhaus premium, the cost drivers that matter and why the gap closes on bigger schemes. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/why-councils-choose-passivhaus-social-housing https://mosartgroup.com/insights/why-councils-choose-passivhaus-social-housing Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lower tenant bills, fewer voids and a verified asset: the public-sector case for certified Passivhaus, with evidence from Irish and UK schemes. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/passive-house-windows-explained https://mosartgroup.com/insights/passive-house-windows-explained Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Why a Passivhaus window needs Uw of 0.80 W/m²K, how glazing, frame, spacer and installation psi add up, and how the right glass becomes a heat source. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/do-passive-houses-overheat https://mosartgroup.com/insights/do-passive-houses-overheat Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Passivhaus caps overheating at 10% of hours above 25°C. Why summer comfort is a design risk in any insulated building, and what controls it. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/passive-house-ireland-mainstream-feist-dublin https://mosartgroup.com/insights/passive-house-ireland-mainstream-feist-dublin Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Professor Wolfgang Feist opens three large-scale Passive House schemes in Dublin in a single day: Whitehaven, Pipers Square, and Cooper Square. Over 850 homes. A look at what the moment means for social housing and the Irish industry. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/passive-house-certification-step-by-step https://mosartgroup.com/insights/passive-house-certification-step-by-step Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT The full route from feasibility to PHI certificate: who does what, how long each review takes, the documents required and what certifiers reject. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/is-a-passive-house-worth-it https://mosartgroup.com/insights/is-a-passive-house-worth-it Wed, 06 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT An honest cost-benefit of building a passive house: UK premium research, Irish energy prices, comfort evidence, and the cases where it does not pay. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/thermal-bridges-and-psi-values-explained https://mosartgroup.com/insights/thermal-bridges-and-psi-values-explained Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT What thermal bridges are, how psi-values are calculated to BS EN ISO 10211, why default assumptions wreck PHPP results and when you need 3D modelling. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/airtightness-0-6-ach-explained https://mosartgroup.com/insights/airtightness-0-6-ach-explained Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT 0.6 air changes per hour at 50 Pa is the Passivhaus airtightness limit. What n50 measures, how it differs from q50, and how to build to it. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/how-to-become-a-certified-passive-house-designer https://mosartgroup.com/insights/how-to-become-a-certified-passive-house-designer Sat, 25 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT What the CPHD course covers, what it costs, how the PHI exam works, and what the credential actually does for your career in Ireland and the UK. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-is-a-passive-house https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-is-a-passive-house Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT What a passive house actually is: the five design principles, the certification criteria, the history since Darmstadt 1991 and the myths worth retiring. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-is-mvhr-and-do-you-need-one https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-is-mvhr-and-do-you-need-one Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT MVHR supplies fresh filtered air and recovers heat from the extract. How it works, the 75% efficiency rule, filters, commissioning and open windows. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/passive-house-vs-nzeb https://mosartgroup.com/insights/passive-house-vs-nzeb Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT NZEB is a regulatory minimum shown by calculation. Passive House is a voluntary standard verified by testing and independent certification. Compared here. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-is-phpp https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-is-phpp Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT PHPP is the Passive House Institute's energy model and the tool of record for certification. What it checks, why it predicts real use, when to start. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-is-a-u-value https://mosartgroup.com/insights/what-is-a-u-value Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT A U-value measures how fast heat flows through a building element, in W/m²K. Lower is better. Here is the maths, the targets, and why lambda matters. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/awaabs-law-social-housing https://mosartgroup.com/insights/awaabs-law-social-housing Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Awaab’s Law introduces legally binding timeframes for social landlords to investigate and remediate damp and mould hazards. This piece explains the legislation, what it requires, and what providers should do now. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/pipers-square-zero-emission-housing https://mosartgroup.com/insights/pipers-square-zero-emission-housing Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Pipers Square, 598 Passivhaus apartments in Charlestown, Dublin, demonstrates how zero-emission housing can be delivered at scale today, ahead of the EPBD’s 2028 and 2030 mandates. A look at the compliance and ESG case. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/whitehaven-passivhaus-milestone https://mosartgroup.com/insights/whitehaven-passivhaus-milestone Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Whitehaven, 255 social and cost-rental Passivhaus homes in Santry, Dublin, officially opens. Mosart reflects on delivering the project as Passivhaus Designer and installing 1,100 sensors for post-occupancy evaluation. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/niven-oaks-passive-house-at-scale https://mosartgroup.com/insights/niven-oaks-passive-house-at-scale Tue, 04 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Niven Oaks, 268 Passive House apartments in Santry by Cairn Homes, with Mosart as Passive House consultant. A look at delivering the standard across a large residential scheme, where early data suggests heating costs up to 40% lower than a typical new build. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/passive-house-momentum-uk-ireland https://mosartgroup.com/insights/passive-house-momentum-uk-ireland Tue, 04 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT The UK and Ireland Passivhaus Conference in Belfast signals a turning point: 600+ delegates, government commitment, and major housebuilders scaling up. An overview of the pipeline, the policy drivers, and what it means for the standard’s future. https://mosartgroup.com/insights/henry-mckinney-mosart-training-impact https://mosartgroup.com/insights/henry-mckinney-mosart-training-impact Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT Henry McKinney completed Mosart’s Certified Passive House Designer course and applied the skills on the Moville Passive House, a finalist at the Irish Construction Excellence Awards 2025. His experience shows what the training delivers in practice.