Post occupancy evaluation of Passivhaus homes

Rachel has completed a research PhD with the University of Bath. The Decarbonising of the Built Environment Department within Architecture and Civil Engineering has been set up to bring together a range of disciplines to tackle carbon emissions in buildings 

Rachel worked in conjunction with the Passivhaus Trust and WARM Low Energy Practice undertaking post occupancy evaluations of certified Passivhaus homes. The purpose of the research is to test the theory that there is no performance gap in homes built to the Passivhaus Standard. Both space heating in winter and overheating in summer will be considered.

Two papers have been published on space heating demand in Passivhaus homes and the other on overheating risk.

Rachel continues her research, supporting the Passivhaus Trust as a Policy and Research associate working on various campaigns to promote Passivhaus in the UK. 

Rachel has been lead author on the following policy papers published by the Passivhaus Trust 

Passivhaus  Compared to the proposed Future Homes Standard 

Passivhaus and Embodied Carbon 

Passivhaus : an alternative for the Future Homes Standard 

Futures Homes Hub : Contender Specifications for the Future Homes Standard