About the package
The Passive House movement is changing the way Australians build houses and commercial buildings. Smart Plus Academy’s Complete Passive House Tradesperson Certification Package is designed for builders and trades professionals who want to take part in this construction revolution while doing their bit to help fight climate change. The package combines all the study components you need to gain a deep, working knowledge of Passive House construction, plus the examination components necessary to achieve internationally recognised certification. Upon completion of this course, you will have a strong foundation to construct Passive House dwellings.
The Complete Passive House Tradesperson Certification Package is designed to support you fully across your certification journey. Before the course begins you’ll be given access to course materials, and our PaLaMa pre-course will bring you up to speed with the underlying concepts of Passive House. You will receive the highest level of teaching support during the main course and be encouraged to review course materials at your own pace. We then help you to get ready for the exam with preparation and useful tools like our Passive House formula sheet. Our students have a certification success rate of more than 95 percent, and our certification guarantee means you don’t pay for your exam unless you achieve certification in the Building Envelop specialisation or/and as a Building Services Passive House tradesperson. Terms and conditions apply.

Course Content
Learning objectives
Passive House Basics
- Overview of Passive House principles and certification
- Health and comfort considerations
- Economics of Passive House design and construction
- Quality assurance and building certification
- Sustainable construction and design
Building Envelope Specialisation
- Airtightness and weather- and vapour-control systems
- Thermal-bridge-free construction
- Materials and approaches for creating the thermal envelope
- Construction detailing
- The properties, components and installation of windows
- Retrofit of existing structures
Building Services Specialisation
- Design, components, distribution, and operation of heat-recovery ventilation systems
- Techniques and strategies for managing heating and cooling
- The use and optimisation of domestic hot water systems
- Ventilation, heating and cooling of existing buildings
Fees
Passive House Tradesperson All-in-package
- Certification GUARANTEE If you don’t pass, you get your exam fee back.*
- PaLaMa Preparation Course
- Certified Passive House Tradesperson Course
- Passive House Tradesperson Exam Prep Course
- Passive House Tradesperson Exam
- Webinar Support BEFORE the course
- Webinar Support AFTER the course
- Discount $344**
PaLaMa Preparation Course
- Passive House Language & Mathematics Prep-Course
- Equivalent to half-day session to prepare you for the certification course
- Prime yourself to get more out of the certification course
Passive House Tradesperson Course
- Live ONLINE Passive House Tradesperson Course (4 days)
- SPA homework 1 hour per day
- 30 mins of SPA exercises per day
- Access to homework readings, exercises and recordings until the exam***
- Workbooks and handouts****
- SPA formula sheet*****
Passive House Tradesperson Exam Prep Course
- ONLINE Passive House Tradesperson Exam Preparation (2 days)
- One mock-up exam in PDF format
- Access to course recordings***
- Relevant handouts for the exam***
Passive House Tradesperson Exam
- Certified Passive House Tradesperson EXAM (3 hours)
- Listing as a certified Passive House professional on the international PHI website for 5 years******
* Applicable only to students who have completed all training modules and subsequently failed three exam attempts. Terms and conditions apply.
** Fees must be paid in full 30 days prior to course start date to qualify for package discount.
*** Recordings are based on live sessions in which Smart Plus Academy teachers answer student questions in class. You can watch and re-watch the sessions in your own time, when and where it suits you. Access for up to 6 months (90 days before and 90 days after the course starts).
**** Workbooks including additional explanatory notes are provided in printed form, with free delivery available across Australia. Handouts and exercises are provided as downloadable PDFs to allow students to print and complete them multiple times if desired.
***** Smart Plus Academy’s ‘formula sheets’ condense the key teachings and algorithms of the Passive House approach into a simple format, greatly assisting at exam time.
****** Applicable only to students who have completed all training modules and subsequently failed three exam attempts. Terms and conditions apply.
******* Upon successful completion of certification exam.
Dates
Please scroll to the right to see all the details
COURSE | ONLINE EXAM | |
---|---|---|
07.02.2022 – 28.02.2022 (every Mon) 09:00 – 17:00 AEDT (GMT+10:00) + homework | Tue, 08.03.2022 | CLOSED |
05.05.2022 – 13.05.2022 (every Thu and Fri) 09:00 – 17:00 AEDT (GMT+10:00) + homework | Thu, 19.05.2022 | CLOSED |
25.07.2022 – 02.08.2022 (every Mon and Tue) 09:00 – 17:00 AEDT (GMT+10:00) + homework | Mon, 08.08.2022 |
* Due to COVID-19, the final exam may not be provided in the face-to-face format.
Smart Plus Academy:
Australia’s leading provider of Passive House education
The best sustainability course for the building industry.
Knowledgeable teachers that inspire and engage with local knowledge in live online sessions
Certification guarantee and Australia’s highest first attempt pass rate
Teachers
Course teacher are Daniel Kress, Julia Kiefer and Alex Slater, with at least two teachers present for each course. Q&A sessions are conducted by either Daniel Kress or Julia Kiefer.
Course details
Prerequisites
The Passive House Tradesperson Certification course is intended for professional builders, tradespeople and owner builders hoping to gain Passive House certification. The teaching and coursework involved are at a level roughly equivalent to high school or a trades course. There are no academic prerequisites, but potential students should be self-motivated and able to undertake independent study and material review.
Materials Required for class
This course is conducted remotely with students participating and accessing study materials via the internet. It is the responsibility of students to ensure they have an adequate data connection. Speeds of 3 MBPS are required for coursework and 156 MBPS are required for the final exam. Students need to supply their own PC or Mac computer with Microsoft Excel installed. Other materials required include: a scientific calculator and a black A4 two-ring binder. It is recommended that students have coloured pens, post-it notes, and web camera and microphone capabilities in their device.
Materials provided for class
In addition to having access to live online sessions, students will be given access to session recordings in which Academy founder Daniel Kress and lead teacher Julia Kiefer explain Passive House principles and answer questions. Students can watch and re-watch these as required, at a time that suits them. Workbooks including additional explanatory notes are provided in printed form, with free delivery available across Australia. Handouts and exercises are provided in a downloadable PDF format to allow students to print and complete them multiple times if desired. Both workbooks and printed handouts will be required for the final exam.
Passive House Planning Package Software (PHPP) is essential for exam registration. Each student undergoing the exam must have a personal PHPP registration number.
Is this course for you?
Smart Academy Plus offers a range of courses for designers, tradespeople and the wider Passive House community. This course is specifically designed for people working in the construction sector, including builders, site supervisors, carpenters, bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, window installers and thermal insulation installers.
Access
The Complete Passive House Tradesperson Certification Package runs over four days, during which time students have live access to teachers. Teachers will also be present during the exam. Students are further supported via pre-recorded and printed materials including session recordings, webinars, online introductory courses, downloadable homework exercises and mock exams.
Your Journey with us
Our approach to Passive House education involves
supporting students before, during and after their studies
and ensuring each individual proceeds at a pace that is right for them.
Here’s how your Passive House journey might take shape:

















What our students say
How it works
Save on your course fees and receive a certification guarantee by booking The Complete Passive House Tradesperson Certification Package now.