FEIST WOLFGANG

Their core work

The Passive House Institute (PHI), founded by Dr. Wolfgang Feist, is the internationally recognized authority on the Passive House energy efficiency standard for buildings. They provide research, certification, consulting, and training services focused on achieving nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEB) through rigorous building physics and quality assurance. Their H2020 work centers on transferring Passive House knowledge to the construction workforce, developing self-inspection tools for building quality, and making zero-energy buildings affordable at scale.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

PHI's H2020 involvement spans 2015–2020 with a consistent focus on energy-efficient buildings, but the emphasis shifted from specification compliance and workforce training (Built2Spec and Train-to-NZEB, both starting 2015) toward affordability and market readiness of zero-energy buildings (A-ZEB, starting 2017). The keyword data — concentrated in the later period — highlights growing attention to knowledge dissemination through Building Knowledge Hubs, consulting services, and reaching decision-makers beyond technical specialists.

PHI is moving from technical standards development toward making zero-energy buildings commercially accessible and training the broader construction ecosystem to deliver them.

How they like to work

PHI participates exclusively as a partner, contributing deep technical expertise in building energy performance rather than leading consortia. With 42 unique partners across 12 countries from just 3 projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia — typical for Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) that dominate their portfolio. This makes them a reliable, low-friction expert partner who brings credibility and Passive House methodology without demanding project leadership.

PHI has built a broad European network of 42 partners across 12 countries through just three projects, reflecting their involvement in large multi-country consortia focused on building energy performance and construction training.

What sets them apart

PHI is the originator and global reference point for the Passive House standard — arguably the most proven and rigorous energy efficiency standard for buildings worldwide. Unlike academic partners who bring theoretical research, PHI offers a complete ecosystem: certification criteria, planning tools (PHPP), component certification, and a global network of trained professionals. For any consortium working on building energy performance, PHI's involvement adds immediate technical credibility and access to the Passive House practitioner community.

Highlights from their portfolio

• A-ZEB
  Largest funding share (EUR 308,475) and most strategically important — directly addresses the cost barrier that prevents zero-energy buildings from reaching mainstream markets.
• Train-to-NZEB
  Established Building Knowledge Hubs across Europe to upskill construction workers and decision-makers on NZEB, creating lasting training infrastructure beyond the project.