What is PHPP used for?
PHPP—the Passive House Planning Package—is an energy-modelling tool used in Passive House design and certification workflows. It helps project teams examine how decisions about the envelope, windows, shading, ventilation, internal loads, and systems may affect the design before construction. It is a planning and modelling tool, not a substitute for design coordination, construction quality, testing, or a certification decision.
What information should a Philippine project team prepare?
Start with the information that describes the project, the way it will be used, and the assumptions that are already known. A preliminary model can work with provisional inputs, provided the team labels them clearly and identifies what still needs confirmation.
1. Site and climate context
- Project location and the climate data or climate file being considered.
- Orientation, site exposure, surrounding obstructions, and nearby shading.
- Rain, humidity, and solar-exposure questions that may affect envelope and system decisions.
2. Geometry and building form
- Floor areas, storeys, zones, adjacencies, and the building’s basic geometry.
- Drawings, sketches, or a model that show the current design stage.
- Any areas or boundaries that are still changing.
3. Envelope, windows, and shading
- Preliminary wall, roof, floor, and other assembly descriptions.
- Window sizes, orientation, glazing and frame assumptions, and opening areas.
- External shading, overhangs, fins, screens, and solar-control assumptions.
- Thermal-bridge or junction information where it is available.
4. Occupancy and operation
- Expected occupancy, schedules, and the building’s intended use.
- Lighting, equipment, and other internal-load assumptions.
- Operating patterns that could change cooling demand or comfort expectations.
5. Ventilation, cooling, and hot water
- Proposed ventilation approach, outdoor-air assumptions, filtration, and operating schedules.
- Cooling and dehumidification assumptions, if already defined.
- Domestic hot-water and other major energy-use assumptions within the modelling scope.
- Items that remain open because the mechanical design is not yet selected.
Which assumptions need extra attention in a hot-humid climate?
The Philippines has a tropical and maritime climate with relatively high temperature, high humidity, and abundant rainfall, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). That context means a project team should discuss solar control, rain exposure, moisture management, ventilation, cooling, and dehumidification alongside the thermal envelope.
A checklist does not prescribe one assembly or mechanical system for every Philippine project. Instead, it helps the team ask whether each assumption is documented, climate-aware, and suitable for the project’s actual use and site.
How should a team label its information?
Separate inputs into three groups:
- Confirmed: supported by current drawings, schedules, specifications, or a documented project decision.
- Provisional: a working assumption used to compare options while design is still developing.
- Open: information that needs a decision, measurement, technical review, or coordination with another discipline.
This simple labelling prevents a provisional value from being mistaken for a project result. It also gives the modelling conversation a clear list of next questions.
Can PHPP start before the design is complete?
Often, modelling can support design decisions before every detail is final. The useful starting point depends on the project stage and the questions the team wants to answer. Early modelling should make uncertainty explicit and should be updated as geometry, assemblies, windows, shading, ventilation, cooling, and operating assumptions become more definite.
What PHPP does not do
PHPP does not by itself guarantee a cooling-energy result, prove construction quality, replace site inspection, or certify a project. A project team still needs coordinated design, appropriate documentation, testing where applicable, and the review required for its chosen verification or certification pathway.
Where can a Philippine project team begin?
For a project-specific conversation, review AllClimate’s PHPP energy modelling service. Teams considering broader building-performance decisions can also explore Passive House consulting. If you want to build internal capability, review the training courses page and confirm current availability through the official pathway.
Frequently asked questions
What is the first thing to prepare for PHPP modelling?
Start with the project location, current geometry, orientation, intended use, and the design documents that show what is confirmed versus provisional. Then gather envelope, window, shading, ventilation, cooling, and internal-load assumptions.
Does PHPP need a completed design?
Not always. PHPP can help a team compare decisions while design is developing, but the appropriate starting point depends on the project stage and modelling question. Early assumptions should be labelled and revisited as the design changes.
Does PHPP certify a building?
No. PHPP is a modelling tool used within Passive House design and certification workflows. It does not replace construction quality, testing, documentation, or the applicable verification and certification review.
Should Philippine projects include humidity and cooling questions?
Yes. Philippine projects should discuss the local hot-humid context, including solar exposure, rainfall, humidity, ventilation, cooling, and moisture-management questions. The exact design response depends on the project.
Technical source notes
Climate context: PAGASA, Climate of the Philippines. Passive House standard and certification context: Passive House Institute, Building certification. Service pathways and terminology were checked against AllClimate Passivhaus’s entity source of truth. Last reviewed 2026-11-09.