The 29th International Passive House Conference will take place in Innsbruck in 2027!
Under the theme “Energy Efficiency Unites,” the conference emphasizes that only through high energy efficiency can a socially responsible, sustainable energy transition succeed. The conference brings together experts from around the world to discuss this topic. The call for papers is now open. Bernd Steinmüller is participating in the conference as a member of the scientific advisory board.
Energy-efficient refurbishment – Now!
Energy efficiency is a “game changer” for the energy transition. It has therefore been a key topic at many International Passive House Conferences. Bernd Steinmüller serves as a member of the scientific advisory board for these conferences.
To underscore the importance of the topic of energy efficiency, the Passive House Institute (PHI) also launched the international campaign “Energy Efficiency Now!” in 2022: Passipedia. The campaign’s logo features a 70-year-old, award-winning residential building that was exemplarily renovated by Bernd Steinmüller (see campaign image of the street and follow-up articles below).
Renovate, but Do It Right was the specific theme of the Passive House Conference 2024. In Session 2, Passive House and Sustainability, B. Steinmüller reported on 15 years of experience and measurement results in non-residential construction; in Session 12, he spoke about “energy efficiency” and “mini-split heat pumps” in residential construction (see Sources).
The 28th International Passive House Conference took place in Essen on April 24–25!
Under the motto “Toward Transformation Through Energy Efficiency!” and with the goal of climate-friendly, sustainable construction and renovation, the conference brought together experts from around the world to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Passive House Institute and 35 years of the Passive House! The conference demonstrated how climate protection, maximum energy efficiency, low costs, and social acceptance go hand in hand to create attractive living spaces worldwide. As a member of the scientific advisory board, Bernd Steinmüller moderated the session on “Affordability.”
Passive House Awards
Award 2021: B. Steinmüller was awarded the PASSIVE HOUSE AWARD and the NRW Special Prize in 2021 for the Passive House Plus renovation of the above residential building (see prize photo, east side of garden). In the laudation it says: “Through the gentle handling of the building fabric, he has managed in a special way to preserve the character of the building and its surroundings. In addition, he has shown that the passive house standard can be implemented with reduced technology, sustainably and economically.” Thanks are also due to the architectural firm Wispler from Paderborn, which made the renovation a success with commitment and expertise. See also Poster-Hamm, Press Release, finalists, Interview with CSM-Alumnus Bernd Steinmüller in German , as well as following article “Fit for the future”.
Pioneer Award 2012, B. Steinmüller was awarded the international PASSIVE HOUSE PIONEER AWARD (Youtube, Recording International Passive House Conference 2012, German) … for pioneering work in the 1970s (see also Passipedia-Historical-Review).
Bernd Steinmüller Explains Sustainable Building Energy Concepts
In the special issue “Building Concepts” of the magazine Gebäudeenergieberater 07-2021 (German), Passive House pioneer Dr. Bernd Steinmüller explains under the title “Fit for the Future – Sustainable Energy Turnaround in Existing Buildings” how Passive Houses-Plus differ from mere “Plus-Energy-Buildings”.
He uses the built example to illustrate how the Passive House Plus concept can be implemented in an ecologically, economically and socially sustainable way even in existing buildings, how building owners, tenants, climate benefit, how renewable energies are efficiently used and how building resilience is increased (see also Interview with CSM alumnus Bernd Steinmüller in German).
More than 10 years of measurement data show that the concept works not only in theory, but also in renovation practice with high accuracy and is a key to sustainable buildings and independence from fossil energy. (Cf. also measurement data in English Poster-Hamm)
Sustainable Construction
In September 2021, the 25th International Passive House Conference “Key to Sustainable Building” took place with numerous expert lectures, trade exhibition, competition for energy-efficient buildings, excursions and workshops – largely “virtual” due to COVID.
BSMC was one of the active supporters with Bernd Steinmüller on the conference advisory board and two lectures as well as two competition entries (Poster Awarded Passive-House-Plus Hamm, Passive-House-Plus-Poster-Aachen). The lecture Modernisation to Passive House Plus/Premium Standard (15 min, in German with English Subtitles) demonstrates by means of a current example how the energy demand can be massively reduced even in existing buildings, how the use of renewables can be massively increased, and that Passive House standards show the way forward here, while previous legal norms and subsidy standards are misleading and therefore need to be greatly improved. The lecture on dark droughts (13 min, in German with English subtitles) underlines that passive house technology is indispensable for sustainably tackling the supply problem and that it offers a “double dividend” in winter, which is more important today than ever before.
Passive House on Tour in Paderborn & Detmold
Passive House on Tour 2025 started with a visit to Paderborn and Detmold on 21 February. The focus is on insulation, refurbishment, built projects … from Aachen to Detmold.
After an ‘insulation workshop’ in Paderborn in the morning, the renovation and modernisation of a single-family house into a multi-family house to passive house premium standard was visited in Detmold in the afternoon.
Passive house pioneer Bernd Steinmüller gave an introduction and reported on project experiences from 50 years of scientific and practical experience.