Passive House Australia · The 2026 count
The Australian Government's Your Home guide still tells readers there are 25 certified Passive Houses in Australia.[1] In March 2024 the Australian Passivhaus Association put the figure at around 70,[2] and in October 2025 the ABC was still reporting about 70.[3]
We counted. The Passive House Institute's own building database lists 149 certified buildings in Australia as of 10/10/2026.[4] Seventy-six of them are in Victoria. Certifications have grown from 6 in 2019 to 33 in 2025, yet in 2025 a certified home was still fewer than one in every 4,500 homes finished.[4][5]
If you are planning a new home in Melbourne and the words "passive house" are on your brief, those numbers matter. They tell you how small the group of proven builders and designers is, why the label gets used loosely, and what to ask before anyone calls your house certified.
At a glance
- Australia has 149 certified Passive House buildings, about six times the figure still on the government's Your Home site. PHI database, our count
- Victoria holds 76 of the 149, more than every other state and territory combined. PHI database, our count
- Certifications rose from 6 in 2019 to 33 in 2025, a fivefold rise in six years. PHI database, our count
- In 2025, Australia finished more than 4,500 homes for every certified Passive House home. In Victoria it was about 2,700. PHI database and ABS, our analysis
- The association's own register lists 87 certified projects, so no single public list holds the full picture. APA register, our count
Four labels, and only three of them are certified
"Passive house" can mean a certified building or simply a design approach, and only certification is checked by an independent assessor and an airtightness test on the finished building.[6] The Passive House Institute certifies three standards, each with fixed limits.[7] Everything else is a description, not a result.
| Passive House (Classic, Plus, Premium) | EnerPHit | PHI Low Energy Building | "Built to Passive House principles" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | The full standard, mostly for new buildings | The retrofit standard for existing buildings | A step below the full standard | A design intent with no fixed test |
| Heating demand limit (kWh/m²/yr) | 15 | 15 to 35, set by climate | 30 | None set |
| Airtightness limit (air changes per hour at 50 Pa) | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | None set |
| Independent certifier and blower door test | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Certified in Australia (PHI database) | 127 | 12 | 10 | Not counted |
| Best for | A new home where comfort and running energy are the brief | Deep renovation of a home you are keeping | Sites where the full standard is out of reach | An early conversation, not a promise |
Verdict: if certification matters to you, write the standard and class into the brief at the start, because it cannot be added at the end.
Victoria builds half of them
Victoria has 76 of Australia's 149 certified buildings, 51 per cent of the national total. New South Wales has 42, and every other state and territory has 11 or fewer. The Northern Territory has none.[4]
| State or territory | Certified buildings | Share of national total |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | 76 | 51% |
| New South Wales | 42 | 28% |
| Western Australia | 11 | 7% |
| Australian Capital Territory | 10 | 7% |
| Tasmania | 4 | 3% |
| Queensland | 3 | 2% |
| South Australia | 3 | 2% |
| Northern Territory | 0 | 0% |
Heating and cooling are a large part of the story. Together they account for around 40 per cent of household energy use in the average Australian home,[8] and a standard built around fixed heating and cooling limits speaks directly to that.[7] Victoria has also required 7-star NatHERS homes since 1 May 2024,[9] which is the code minimum and a separate thing from Passive House certification.[6]
Certifications have grown fivefold since 2019
Australia certified 6 buildings in 2019, 19 in 2023, 26 in 2024 and 33 in 2025.[4] The 2026 count stands at 13 so far, with the latest certification listed on 03/08/2026, and listings tend to arrive months after a building is signed off.
Australia certified 33 Passive House buildings in 2025, more than in 2014 to 2020 combined.
| Year | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certified | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 19 | 26 | 33 |
The association reads the same trend. "Passivhaus in Australia has moved well beyond its pioneering phase," its chief executive, Stalin Chakrabarty, told Indesign in June 2026.[10]
Still fewer than one in 4,500 new homes
Growth from a small base is still small. In calendar 2025, the 33 buildings certified that year held 38 homes, against 173,122 homes completed across Australia in the same four quarters.[4][5] That is one certified home for roughly every 4,560 finished.
Victoria's rate is higher: 20 certified homes against 54,249 completions, or about one in 2,700.[4][5] For comparison, the UK's Passivhaus Trust counted more than 2,250 certified homes in early 2025.[11] Worldwide, the Passive House Institute reports more than 55,300 certified units.[12]
There is no rule forcing the pace. The National Construction Code is set to see no further residential changes until mid-2029, outside essential quality and safety measures,[13] and in August 2026 the association was arguing against a proposal to make energy performance optional altogether.[14]
Why the published numbers disagree
No single list is complete. The Passive House Institute database holds 149 certified Australian buildings; the association's register holds 87 certified listings.[4][15] Both are voluntary, and listing is up to each project team.
| Source | Date | Certified count |
|---|---|---|
| Your Home (Australian Government) | Undated, still live | 25 |
| Australian Passivhaus Association, via The Fifth Estate | 05/03/2024 | about 70 |
| Australian Passivhaus Association, via ABC News | 30/10/2025 | about 70 |
| APA project register | 10/10/2026 | 87 |
| Passive House Institute database | 10/10/2026 | 149 |
The real total is higher than 149. At least five certified projects on the association's register, in Sheffield and Blackmans Bay in Tasmania, Mount Martha, Bulimba and Glenroy, have no matching listing in the institute's database.[15][4]
Counting homes rather than buildings needs care too. The 149 buildings hold 505 units, but 311 of those sit in just two Victorian buildings: a 159-unit school and 152 units of student accommodation.[4] Of the 149, 137 are detached houses.
Melbourne and the regions split almost evenly
Of Victoria's 76 certified buildings, 38 are inside the Greater Melbourne boundary and 37 are in regional Victoria, with one listing giving no town.[4] Gippsland, including the Cape Paterson eco village, and the Macedon Ranges account for many of the regional ones.
| Area | Certified | Where, standard and year certified |
|---|---|---|
| Boroondara | 3 | Hawthorn (multi-unit, Classic, 2025), Canterbury (Classic, 2024), Camberwell (Plus, 2022) |
| Mornington Peninsula Shire | 2 | Dromana (Plus, 2026), Merricks North (Premium, 2026). The register adds a Passivhaus Plus home in Mount Martha |
| Surf Coast Shire | 5 | Torquay (Classic, 2025), Jan Juc (Classic, 2023), two in Anglesea (Low Energy Building, 2025), Bellbrae (EnerPHit, 2016) |
| Bayside | 1 | East Brighton (2019) |
| North East Victoria | 3 | Beechworth (2020), Tawonga South (2020), Waldara near Wangaratta (2023), all to the full Passive House standard |
Both Mornington Peninsula certifications landed in May and June 2026, and one is at Premium, the top class.[4]
The tested homes beat the airtightness limit comfortably
Certified homes are tested, not modelled. Across the 63 register listings that publish a blower door result, the median is 0.46 air changes per hour at 50 Pa,[15] well inside the full standard's limit of 0.6.[7] The four best results on the register range from 0.12 to 0.16.
What to ask before anyone calls your home certified
- Decide on certification at briefing, not at handover. The standard and class shape the design, the window order and the build sequence.
- Ask which standard and class. Passive House Classic, Plus or Premium, EnerPHit for a renovation, or Low Energy Building are different targets with different limits.[7]
- Ask for the certifier's name. Certification is checked by an accredited certifier independent of the design team.[6]
- Look up past work in the database. Search the Passive House Institute database by town or state before you commission anyone.
- Plan an early blower door test. Testing before linings go on, when leaks can still be fixed, is far easier than chasing them at the final test.
- Walk through one. The International Passivhaus Open Days run 13 to 15 November 2026, with 45 projects expected to open nationally and visitor registrations opened on 12 October.[16]
We designed the Anglesea Passive House on the Surf Coast, certified by the Passive House Institute as a Low Energy Building in 2025. It opens for the Open Days on Friday 13 November, 10am to 4pm. To visit, register with the builder, Aphi Projects, at info@aphiprojects.com.au. If you are weighing up certification for a new home, our Passive House architect service in Melbourne starts with that conversation.
Frequently asked questions
How many certified Passive Houses are there in Australia?
The Passive House Institute database lists 149 certified buildings in Australia as of 10/10/2026: 127 to the full Passive House standard, 12 EnerPHit retrofits and 10 Low Energy Buildings.[4] At least five more certified projects appear only on the Australian Passivhaus Association's register, so the true figure is a little higher.[15]
Which state has the most Passive Houses?
Victoria, with 76 certified buildings, followed by New South Wales with 42.[4] Victoria's total is larger than all other states and territories combined.
Is a 7-star home the same as a Passive House?
No. Seven stars is the NatHERS minimum Victoria has required since 1 May 2024, and it is a design-stage rating.[9][6] Passive House is a voluntary standard with fixed limits on heating, cooling and airtightness, checked against the finished building.[7]
Is passive solar design the same as Passivhaus?
No. Passive solar design is a method built on orientation, shading and thermal mass, while Passivhaus is a certified standard; good passive solar design makes certification easier to reach.[6]
How much more does a certified Passive House cost in Australia?
There is no single figure. One Australian practice puts the premium at 5 to 15 per cent over an already high-performing, architect-designed home, and wider against a volume-built home.[6] The ABC reported a builder's estimate of around 20 per cent.[3]
How do I check whether a house is certified?
Ask for the certificate and the certifier's name, then search the Passive House Institute database, which lists certified buildings by country, town and date of certification.[4] The Australian Passivhaus Association register is a useful second check.[15]
How we did the numbers
Inputs: every Australian listing in the Passive House Institute building database (155 listings, 149 marked certified), read through the database's public search on 10/10/2026; all 99 listings on the Australian Passivhaus Association project register, read on the same day; ABS Building Activity, Australia, June 2026.[4][15][5]
Method: we counted certified buildings by state, standard and year of certification. Greater Melbourne uses the ABS Greater Capital City boundary, which includes the Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Ranges. The 2025 ratio divides homes completed in the four 2025 quarters (seasonally adjusted, summed) by homes in residential buildings certified in 2025. Register listings were matched to the database by town to find register-only projects.
Limits: both lists are voluntary, so 149 is a floor. Certification dates lag completion, so the 2026 count is partial. Summed seasonally adjusted quarters approximate, but are not, the ABS original annual total. Town matching can miss a project listed under a different place name. The criteria limits quoted come from the institute's published criteria document.
Data to 10/10/2026. Analysis by Webomaze for Zen Architects. 113 sources reviewed, 16 cited below.
Use this data
Free to use with credit and a link to this page (licensed CC BY 4.0). Download the summary dataset (CSV).
Media contact: Luke Rhodes, Zen Architects, info@zenarchitects.com, (03) 9417 5309.
Sources
- Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Your Home: Passive House, Page marked updated 2025; count undated. https://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/passive-house
- The Fifth Estate, Banks looking to Passivhaus for ESG, 300 government staff trained: here's the growth story for PH in Australia, 05/03/2024. https://thefifthestate.com.au/innovation/rating-tools/banks-looking-to-passivhaus-for-esg-300-government-staff-trained-heres-the-growth-story-for-ph-in-australia/
- ABC News, Grand Designs Australia: passive house pros and cons, 30/10/2025. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-30/grand-designs-australia-passive-house-pros-cons-ryan-rye-cave/105790082
- Passive House Institute, Passive House building database, Australian listings (country filter AU), queried 10/10/2026, Live database, queried 10/10/2026. https://passivehouse-database.org/
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Building Activity, Australia, June 2026 (total dwellings completed, seasonally adjusted, Australia and Victoria), 07/10/2026. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/building-and-construction/building-activity-australia/latest-release
- Maxa Design, Passivhaus in Australia: Separating the Data from the Debate, 11/08/2026. https://www.maxadesign.com.au/resources-page/2026/8/6/passivhaus-in-australia-separating-the-data-from-the-debate
- Passive House Institute, Criteria for the Passive House, EnerPHit and PHI Low Energy Building Standard (Tables 1, 3, 4 and 5), Revised 25/03/2015 (document marked draft). https://passipedia.org/_media/picopen/phi_building_criteria_draft.pdf
- Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Your Home: Heating and cooling, Page updated 2026. https://www.yourhome.gov.au/energy/heating-and-cooling
- Victorian Government (energy.vic.gov.au), Energy efficiency building standards, Page updated 09/10/2026. https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/for-households/energy-efficiency-building-standards
- Indesign, THRIVE 2026: Passivhaus in Australia, 15/06/2026. https://www.indesignlive.com/articles/thrive-passivhaus
- Passivhaus Trust (UK), News release: Passivhaus homes in the UK, 20/02/2025. https://www.passivhaustrust.org.uk/news/detail/?nId=1397
- Passive House Institute / iPHA, International Passive House Association: about (certified units worldwide, as of 07/2026), 07/2026. https://passivehouse.com/en/ipha/ipha/
- Master Builders Association of NSW, Residential rules frozen until mid-2029: builders get 3.5 years certainty, 23/10/2025. https://www.mbansw.asn.au/media/industry-news/residential-rules-frozen-until-mid-2029-builders-get-35-years-certainty
- Australian Passivhaus Association, Media statement: Weakening building standards won't fix productivity. Building better homes will, 13/08/2026. https://www.passivhausassociation.com.au/news/weakening-building-standards-wont-fix-productivity-building-better-homes-will
- Australian Passivhaus Association, Australian Passivhaus Project Register (99 listings read 10/10/2026), Live register, read 10/10/2026. https://passivhausassociation.com.au/project-register
- Australian Passivhaus Association, International Passivhaus Open Days 2026, Read 10/10/2026. https://www.passivhausassociation.com.au/international-passivhaus-open-days-2026