THE next steps for the proposed Scottish Passivhaus equivalent legislation were discussed at a recent reception at the Scottish Parliament.
The event was sponsored by Alex Rowley MSP and attended by MSPs from across the political spectrum, including housing minister Paul McLennan, as well as representatives from Scotland’s construction industry.
The reception was hosted by the UK Passivhaus Trust and Built Environment – Smart Transformation (BE-ST) and included talks, films and a chance for MSPs and attendees to ask questions about Passivhaus and the Scottish equivalent proposals.
In January 2023, zero carbon buildings minister Patrick Harvie MSP announced the Scottish Government’s intention to introduce Passivhaus equivalent energy efficiency targets into Scotland’s building standards. The policy is due to go out to consultation this summer and adopted as legislation in December.
Alex Rowley, Scottish Labour MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, is a long-term supporter of the Passivhaus standard. His member’s bill, the Proposed Domestic Building Environmental Standards (Scotland) Bill, formed the basis of the policy adopted by the Scottish Government.
He said, “The Passivhaus equivalent policy offers a long-term ‘spend to save’ approach that will help address Scotland’s fuel poverty crisis, help future-proof housing stock, and tackle our climate emergency. It was fantastic to bring together fellow MSPs, local authorities, housing associations and representatives from the Scottish construction industry to explore positive ways to take the policy forward.”
The event also saw the Passivhaus Trust set out its vision for how the Passivhaus equivalent policy could be delivered. Encompassing timescales, targets, certification and verification and training needs, the Passivhaus Trust will shortly be publishing a detailed breakdown of its recommendations.
Sarah Lewis, research & policy director at the Passivhaus Trust, added, “We have been impressed with the can-do attitude of the construction industry involved in delivering Passivhaus schools in Scotland. It is clear that Scotland is up to the challenge of the Scottish Passivhaus equivalent and we have identified many ways that we can support the Scottish construction industry through that transition.”
Caitriona Jordan, head of retrofit programmes at BE-ST, commented, “To deliver the Scottish Passivhaus equivalent, Scotland will need to upscale training of the construction industry and at pace. We can do this! Since March 2021 we’ve upskilled over 3,000 people in Passivhaus standards and the fabric first approach. It is possible to close the skills gap, train the workforce in Passivhaus and meet the needs for implementation of the new building regulations at scale. BE-ST will be ready to help make that happen.”
