Certified Passive House Designer / Consultant online course - All-in package
Learn to design energy-efficient and cost-optimal buildings by implementing the Passive House principles in your projects and become a worldwide accredited Passive House professional.
10% EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT UNTIL 06. July 2023
Date
Module 1: 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 20 and 21. September 2023
Module 2: Self-paced + live Q&A on 04. October 2023
Module 3: Self-paced + live Q&A on 11. October 2023
Exam date: 02. November 2023
Time: 16:00 – 20:00 CEST
Prerequisite
Estimated Time
In total, you will need around 90 hours to complete the whole course (including the exam preparation).
The 3 modules that will fully prepare you to become a Passive House professional
Our 3 modules will take you step by step from getting a full understanding of the Passive House design and construction principles to learning how to use the software needed to implement all the knowledge in your future projects.
- Learn how to implement the Passive House design and construction principles for any type of building anywhere in the world
- Get fully prepared to successfully pass the Certified Passive House Designer/Consultant exam
- Master all functionalities of the PHPP software needed to create energy models for small residential projects

Proven professional process
A step-by-step process that will enable you to make any project meet the high requirements of the Passive House standard.
Real world examples and actionable advice
All design and construction principles are taught based on real-world case studies – from cold to hot climates.
In-depth feedback from industry experts
Hone your Passive House skills with feedback from the PHS experts, live sessions, and Q&A sessions.
MODULE 1: Passive House Design and Construction

The Passive House Design and Construction module is based on the latest material developed by the Passive House Institute (PHI) in Germany. You will learn which the Passive House principles are and how they are applied in designing and constructing Passive House buildings in any type of climate – from very hot to very cold climate zones. The module is practically oriented and all the Passive House principles are explained based on numerous case studies, ranging from single-family houses and multi-family residential buildings to office buildings. In order to solidify your learning, there will be interactive exercises.
The course is structured into seven 4-hour live online sessions. All live sessions will be recorded, so that you can rewatch them later while preparing for the exam or in case you were unable to join the live session.
Module 1 covers all learning targets of the PHI for the Certified Passive House Designer / Consultant exam.
What you'll learn in Module 1?
Overview of the Passive House principles, certification and comfort criteria
Insulation, airtightness and thermal bridge free design and construction techniques; suitable materials and construction systems and their effect on the heating and cooling demand
Choosing the right frames, glass panels and spacers; In-depth look at the placement and construction of the Passive House Windows and Doors and their components and efficiency
Design principles of the mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery; ventilation system components, distribution and operation
Design principles of the heating system in Passive House buildings; mechanical system’s distribution and operation
Design principles of the cooling and dehumidification system in Passive House buildings; mechanical system’s distribution and operation
Economics of the Passive House design and construction; cost and risk reduction; marketability
Understand what has to be checked on-site and how to check it to make sure the building will perform as planned. The certification procedure and requirements will be explained in detail.
Strategies for retrofitting to the EnerPHit standard
MODULE 2: CPHD/C Online Exam Preparation

This Certified Passive House Designer / Consultant Online Exam Preparation module is specifically designed to thoroughly prepare you for successfully passing the exam.
In this module, we will give you tips and tricks on how to approach the CPHD/C exam and how to prepare for it. We will go through a whole sample exam together and discuss all questions in-depth. Moreover, to solidify your learnings from Module 1, you will get to make a window detail, design a ventilation system, and design a whole Passive House building. The latest is part of the CPHD/C exam but don’t worry… you will get fully prepared for this exercise. At the end of the module, you will get access to more than 200 additional questions, similar to the questions you will get at the exam, to fully prepare you for successfully passing the exam.
The CPHD/C Online Exam Preparation module is self-paced and includes a live online Q&A session at which will be discussed all exercises and answered all questions regarding the CPHD/C online exam. Approximately 35 hours are needed to complete the whole module.
What you'll learn in Module 2?
In this lesson, we will explain to you what the exercises are, what is expected from you and show you some sample solutions of previous course participants. For the first exercise, you will have to draw a window installation detail. For the second exercise, you will design the whole ventilation system of a Passive House building.
The solutions of all course participants will be discussed at the live Q&A session.
Dimensioning the ventilation system of a Passive House building can be difficult. If not done correctly, there could be many problems such as not having enough fresh air in some rooms or even the whole building, if the system is oversized, your clients will have to pay much more than needed, etc. That’s why we will show you exactly, step by step, how to make all necessary calculations.
Exercise 32 of the Certified Passive House Designer / Consultant exam is to design a whole Passive House building. Even for the most experienced architects, this can be a very challenging task. In this lesson, we will fully prepare you for this exercise. For homework you will have to complete the exercise and at the live Q&A session, we will discuss your design and give you feedback on what has to be optimized, so that you can be fully prepared for the exam.
In this lesson, we will explain to you the whole CPHD/C exam and the type of questions that are included in the exam.
We will go together through a whole CPHD/C sample exam. In the video, we go through every single question and discuss the possible answers in detail.
The exam is only 3,5 and even for the most experienced professionals, it can be challenging. That’s why we will give you tips and tricks not only on how to prepare for the exam but also how to approach the real exam.
At the end of the module, you will get access to more than 200 additional questions, similar to the questions you will get at the exam, to fully prepare you for successfully passing the exam and becoming a Certified Passive House Designer / Consultant.
MODULE 3: Using PHPP in Passive House Design and Certification

During the Using PHPP in Passive House Design and Certification module you will learn how to use the PHPP for residential building design and certification. You will be guided step-by-step through all the relevant worksheets while learning how to minimize the potential mistakes and what data to use for the calculations.
We are firm believers in the learning-by-doing ideology. Therefore, the module is taught based on a sample project, where you will make preliminary and final energy calculations, assess the building heat loss and overheating in the summer, as well as the impact of the different design decisions on the building’s energy performance. At the end of the module, you’ll be familiar with all relevant functionalities of the software and you’ll be able to model your own residential Passive House projects. We will also show you how to work with designPH and optimize your PHPP workflow.
This is a self-paced module that includes a live Q&A session to clarify all your questions about the software. Approximately 20 hours are needed to complete the whole module.
What you'll learn in Module 3?
Introduction to using the PHPP and designPH software in Passive House design and construction
Explaining the folder structure of the PHPP software
Overview of the whole software
Making inputs for the opaque building envelope of the building
Learning to calculate the TFA of the building and make inputs for the thermal bridges
Making inputs for the windows and window components of the building
Entering shading objects
Entering all data for the ventilation system and the heating system of the building
Entering mechanical systems for cooling and dehumidification to meet the summer comfort requirenments
Making inputs for the Domestic Hot Water system, Electricity usage and Renewable energy production
Checking all inputs for any mistakes and whether all the comfort criteria are met
In this lesson, you will learn how to use the PHPP to optimize the design and how to choose the right components for any project using the PHPP so that the building meets the high comfort and energy efficiency criteria of the Passive House standard.
You will learn how you can use designPH to optimize the workflow with PHPP and minimize potential mistakes
Become worldwide accredited with
Passive House Institute (PHI) certification




We’ve got you covered!
Certification guarantee included
We know that the complete Certified Passive House Designer/Consultant Package will fully prepare you to successfully pass the exam. Therefore, we have included the certification guarantee.
What does the guarantee cover? If you complete all modules of the course, do all the exercises, and still don’t pass the exam, we will cover the exam costs for your second exam attempt.
We’ve achieved a 100% pass rate in 2021 – everyone who completed the full course in 2021 successfully passed the exam on the first go. Become our next success story!

Access (in full) to the best software for energy modelling on the market…
NEW: Passive House Planning Package (PHPP10)

Meet your course instructors
Learn from industry experts



Svetlin Dobrevski
Co-Founder, Passive House Certifier, Certified Passive House Consultant
Svetlin is Passive House Trainer, Consultant, and Certifier globally accredited by the Passive House Institute. He designed, built, and now lives in the first Passive House Classic in Bulgaria. Svetlin has been delivering Passive House Designer courses for over 10 years and he trained 250+ people from over 20 countries. He has 25+ years of experience in the building sector and worked on numerous Passive House projects all over the world. He was also a keynote speaker at the International Passive House Conferences in 2017 and 2018. In his spare time, Svetlin enjoys hiking in nature, fencing, and archery.




Anton Dobrevski
Co-Founder, Certified Passive House Consultant & Trainer, Leed Green Associate
Anton became one of the youngest Certified Passive House Consultants in the world at the age of 16. He is also an accredited Passive House Trainer by the PHI and a LEED Green Associate. Anton graduated with a Master’s degree in architecture at the Delft University of Technology. Currently, he is designing and consulting multiple Passive House projects all over the globe. Anton is a passionate advocate of the Passive House Standard and his aim is to make the Passive House Standard accessible to people all over the world. In his spare time, Anton enjoys music, karate, yoga, and traveling.
What our course participants say about the course:
Successfully completed by 300+ students from over 20 countries

Dmitry Yudin
Co-Founder D1 Construction
“I have filled a lot of the gaps in my knowledge. I have got, not only a lot of qualitative information but also a lot of practical experience from the instructors. It was very, very useful. I would recommend everyone to merge into the Passive House concept with the help of the Passive House School. Thanks a lot, guys!”

Mihai Toader-Pasti
Imagineer. Designer. Builder.
“Svetlin and Anton were amazing in teaching us a lot about Passive Houses in this intensive course. They not only made sure we understood the concepts, but they took time for us to know how to solve problems and do the exercises. They answered every question, more or less related to the course. It was great and I totally recommend this course.”

Dr. Jamal Alabid
Assistant Professor in the Institute of Sustainable Building Design
“The course is very interesting and covered most of the related design elements and principles that one needs to technically design and build at least a low energy building.”

Muslim Mohammed
Founder Passive House Iraq
“Passive House School is one of the best academic centers in the world to acquire more knowledge and learn about the Passive House Standard. Sincere thanks to the team for everything they thought me and for all the help.”

David Nikuradze
Managing Partner at Spectrum
“The course was great. It was very useful and helpful and covered all the design principles of the Passive House Standard.”

Gerardo Galaviz
Architect
“Very positive experience, all the lectures, and presentations were well-planned and coherent. I really enjoyed the online course. I thought it was well planned and laid out, easy for me to follow.”

Joakim Ho
Building Designer at Natural Matters Design
“I think the course was a great intro to PHPP and designPH. Svetlin and Anton are very knowledgable and together do a great job presenting the material.”

Paul Fenech
Mechanical Engineer - Crane Currency
“The course gives amazing insights to save energy. It was excellent, well presented and the tutors stopped to answer all questions. Anton and Svetlin are very experienced.”

Edel Regan
Architect M.R.I.A.I. F.R.I.A.I.
“The Certified Passive House Designer online course was very good and informative.”

Basem Al Manzalawy
Director at Nepras Dubai International
“The course was perfect and I got lots of useful information.”
Certified Passive House Designer / Consultant online course
10% EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT UNTIL 06. July 2023
REGISTRATION CLOSES IN:
The complete CPHD/C course package will prepare you to become a worldwide accredited Passive House professional and teach you to implement the Passive House principles in your projects. The complete course package includes:
All-in package
Included in the package:
- Complete course - Modules 1, 2, and 3
- CPHD/C exam ticket and accreditation
- Certification Guarantee
- PHPP Software (lifetime license)
- Access to Passive House professional community
- Access to the course recordings
- Workbooks and handouts
- Live Q&A sessions
€1997 excl. tax
€1797 excl. tax
Join the waitinglist

Book a free discovery call
Want to learn more about the course and see whether it is a good fit for you?
By the end of this discovery call, you will have a clear understanding of the next steps you can take in your professional development to start designing and constructing Passive House buildings. We’ll be happy to honestly answer any questions you might have about the course, and about whether it’s right for you or not.
Find a time on Anton’s calendar to schedule your call today. Looking forward to speaking to you soon!
Want to learn more about the course and see whether it is a good fit for you?
By the end of this strategy session, you will have a clear understanding of the next steps you can take in your professional development to start designing and constructing Passive House buildings.

Frequently Asked Questions
This course is for anyone who wants to gain in-depth knowledge about the Passive House Standard and become a Certified Passive House Designer / Consultant, whether you are an architect, building designer, engineer, contractor, builder, policymaker, salesperson, teacher, or in general a professional working in the building design and construction industry.
The course is also suitable for (future) homeowners who don’t have any experience in the field but want to learn more about Passive House. However, if that’s your case, sitting the final exam is not necessary if you do not plan to work in the building sector.
Anyone can take part in the course and the exam.
There aren’t any requirements for taking part in the Certified Passive House Designer / Consultant online course. We’ve had a wide variety of course participants, ranging from professional architects and structural engineers to Bachelor students, investors, builders and even homeowners (who had zero knowledge about designing and constructing buildings).
No prior knowledge is required for this course. It is ideal for anyone willing to learn about the standard and/or to make their first step into the Passive House industry.
Only if you have zero experience with the design and construction process of buildings, we recommend you start with the Passive House 101 online course.
All attendees will get 3-month access to the course recordings. This way everyone will be able to fully prepare to successfully pass the CPHD/C exam.
Even after completing the whole course, you still don’t pass the exam, the exam guarantee will cover the exam costs for your second exam attempt, i.e. we will cover the costs for the exam ticket for your second attempt.
To qualify for the certification guarantee, you have to complete the whole course and finish all exercises:
- Before the exam, you have to have watched and/or participated in all lectures. If you couldn’t take part in any of the live sessions, you can still qualify for the certification guarantee if you rewatch the recordings of the live session.
- You have to complete all exercises – this means you have to send all exercises to us to check them. Sometimes it happens that some of the exercises are incorrect or incomplete. In this case, we will ask you to remake these exercises and send them to us again. After submitting the revised exercises, you will be eligible for the certification guarantee.
DISCLAIMER: Any additional costs, apart from the costs for the exam ticket and the accreditation fees, will have to be covered by you.
Both titles are equal in terms of qualification with reference to the Passive House relevant knowledge. The requirements for attaining this certificate and for renewal are also the same. The only difference between Certified Passive House Designers and Consultants depends on your background, as far as Designers come from highly relevant fields. Consultants, on the other hand, can come from any background. Normally, Passive House Designers work in planning offices on the concrete implementation of the Passive House Standard, while Passive House Consultants usually contribute to its dissemination through their work as researchers or speakers, or as decision makers in government authorities.
A clear classification is not always easy due to the diverse educational qualifications, professions and the legal provisions relating to buildings worldwide. For this reason, the Passive House Institute has specified two possibilities for classification as a “Certified Passive House Designer”:
- Providing proof of an educational qualification which enables you to plan buildings or technical building systems independently. This educational qualification should have reached a certain level (e.g. diploma or bachelor’s degree) and have been attained in a specialized subject that primarily involves the planning of buildings or building services systems.
- Providing proof of membership in an institution, whose members are entitled to provide planning services that are subject to approval by a building authority (e.g. Chamber of Architects).
You qualify for the Designer title if you have the following educational qualification:
- Architect or interior designer
- Civil or timber construction engineer
- Building physicist
- Building and energy technology engineer
- Building contractor
- Master carpenter
- Certified technician for structural engineering, building construction, heating plumbing and ventilation technology or supply technology
If you have the following educational qualification, you qualify for the Consultant title:
- Degree in (analytical) chemistry, electrical engineering, or manufacturing engineering
- Engineering degree in environmental technology and resource management
- Construction industry environmental safety technician
- Environmental engineer
- Gas, plumbing, and ventilation systems technician
- Woodwork technician
- Certified technician for electronics
- Energy consultant
- Architectural draftsman
- Geometrician
- Woodwork technician for window installation
- Managing director
- Property sales manager/estate agent
- Economist
Note: You just have to provide a copy of the proof to your course/examination host or assessing body. The attained Consultant title can be changed into the Designer title if such proof is only obtained and submitted later on (e.g. taking an examination during training). If no proof is submitted, the Consultant title will be granted upon successful qualification.
The Certified Passive House Designer / Consultant certificate is valid for 5 years. After that the certificate can be renewed in two ways:
- By submitting project documentation, it is possible to renew a certificate at any time, even if your certificate has already expired some time ago (for this you need to be the PH desdigner/consultant of a building that gets certfiied).
- You can also renew your certificate through credit points for continuing education by attending events, conferences, and additional courses. Here you can check out our courses for which you can get additional credit points to renew your certificate.
You don’t need any prior knowledge and experience with any software.
The whole course is conducted remotely and all materials are shared via the internet. Therefore, you should have a good internet connection. Speeds of 3 Mbps are required for the live sessions and 16 Mbps for the final online exam.
For the exam, you will need to supply your own PC or Mac computer (Linux can’t be used for the exam). Moreover, you will need colored pencils and a scientific calculator. If you don’t have one, we would recommend you get the Casio fx-991 ES PLUS C.
For Module 3, you will need to have Microsoft Excel (paid; free trial available) or OpenLibre (free) in order to be able to work with the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP).
All the slides and course material from the ‘Passive House Design and Construction’ module will be provided in a downloadable pdf format with additional notes which you can then print and use during the preparation for the exam.
During the ‘CPHD/C Online Exam Preparation’ and the ‘PHPP workshop’ modules, we will share with you multiple handouts and booklets with exercises in PDF format.
You will get the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) with a unique personal registration number. The PHPP is also required by the PHI to register for the exam.
All materials that we will share with you during the course, you can use at the exam as far as they are printed. Digital materials are not allowed at the exam.
We will give you access to all course materials from Module 1, 10 days before the course starts.
You can bring any printed course material and notes to the exam. Digital materials are not allowed.
At the Certified Passive House Designer / Consultant online course, we will give you additional resources, such as summaries of all formulas that are covered in the course and summaries of the Passive House requirements which you can also use at the exam.
We also advise you to bring markers or colored pencils for the design exercise, as well as a (scientific) calculator with spare batteries. If you don’t have one, we would recommend you get the Casio fx-991 ES PLUS C.
You can earn the international designation of “Certified Passive House Designer / Consultant” in one of two ways: by taking the Certified Passive House Designer Exam or by submitting project documentation.
If you want to submit project documentation, you have to document a certified Passive House, EnerPHit retrofit or PHI Low Energy Building where you exercised full responsibility for the building design and the project planning with the PHPP. Submission of a project documentation can be used to earn or renew the certificate for one person per building.
After successfully passing the exam, you will get the Certified Passive House Designer / Consultant certificate issued by the Passive House Institute (PHI) in Germany.
After completing the whole course, we can also issue a certificate of completion stating the total course hours.
Yes, the course is officially accredited by the Passive House Institute (PHI).
Also, the Certified Passive House Designer / Consultant title that you will acquire after passing the exam, is accredited and valid worldwide.
Yes, please get in touch with us and mention in which module you are interested in.
In total, you will need around 90 hours to complete the whole course.
Module 1 is structured into seven 4-hour live online sessions. All live sessions will be recorded, so that you can rewatch them later while preparing for the exam or in case you were unable to join the live session.
The CPHD/C Online Exam Preparation module (2) is self-paced and includes a live online Q&A session at which will be discussed all exercises and answered all questions regarding the CPHD/C online exam. Approximately 15 hours are needed to complete the whole module.
Module 3 is a self-paced module that includes a 4-hour live Q&A session to clarify all your questions about the software. Approximately 15 hours are needed to complete the whole module.
After the course is finished, to prepare for the exam, depending on your schedule, you can budget about 1 hour every day during the time between the course and the exam, or you can schedule a few longer sessions each week. In total the exam preparation will take you around 30 hours. Either way, the course is designed to immerse you in the learning process, while still fitting into almost anyone’s busy schedule.
No, it doesn’t matter which timezone you are in. You can take this class from anywhere in the world. Also, the material at the course covers design and construction strategies for all climate zones.
All live lessons are recorded and the lessons from Modules 2 and 3 are pre-recorded, so you can watch them around your own schedule.
If you can’t join most of the live sessions, then we will give you the opportunity to schedule a 1-on-1 call with Anton and/or Svetlin to discuss any questions that you have. And this, of course, will be for free…
Module 1 is structured into seven 4-hour live online sessions. All live sessions will be recorded, so that you can rewatch them later while preparing for the exam or in case you were unable to join the live session.
All the video lessons from Module 2 and 3 are pre-recorded, allowing you to watch them whenever is best for you. For each Module, there will be a 4-hour live Q&A session which will be also recorded.
You’ll get many of the benefits of learning in-person but from the comfort of your own home with the flexibility of your own hours.
Yes, the class is taught completely online, allowing you to take it from anywhere. Even though it’s online, it will still feel like you’re in a classroom and part of a vibrant group of students: You’ll be interacting with peers, getting feedback, and learning with hands-on projects.
You’ll get all the learning benefits of an intensive in-person program, but from the comfort of your own home.
Students and iPHA members get a 10% discount.
If you are an iPHA Member, please send an email to team@passivehouseschool.com with a link to your iPHA membership to provide you with a discount code.
If you are a university student, please send your proof of enrollment to team@passivehouseschool.com from your student email address.
Note: These discounts cannot be combined with other offers and discounts.
If you cancel your reservation for any reason, we will refund your full payment. However, this is only possible up to 14 days before the start of the course, as there are only limited spots available.
We know that life is busy. There’s probably never going to be a perfect time. We also know that we all crave to broaden our horizons, gain new knowledge and lead the industry.
We’ve designed this course to fit into almost anyone’s busy schedule, so you can easily immerse yourself in the learning process.
Yes, even if you have a full-time job, or are a full-time student, or have family obligations. If you commit to yourself, we think you’ll be surprised by just how much you can learn and improve in two months. If you’re interested, we say go for it!
Otherwise, the course runs a few times per year, so there will be future opportunities. You can subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on upcoming courses and discounts.
You will receive a receipt for your purchase which is tax compliant and can be used for claiming business expenses. For this, you have to enter your business details and VAT number (if applicable) on the checkout and you will receive your receipt via email after enrolling in the course.
If you live in a country where an invoice is required by law, the platform we use for our courses (teachable) will issue an invoice in PDF format for your purchase. If an invoice is not required by law, you will receive a receipt for your purchase.