New Zealand isn’t cold enough for a passive house

New Zealand’s climate leads to especially accessible passive house buildings due to our relatively mild climate We can achieve very comfortable environments with only a small investment, unlike in other parts of the world where temperatures vary from deep sub-zero temperatures to the high 40s. In the North Island it is particularly easy to attain warm comfortable temperatures 20-25 degrees right through your house year around (summer AND winter) as the climate is so mild. If you use a certified passive house designer in the early concept design stages, when most energy savings can be achieved, it becomes the most economical way to achieve the most benefits. The passive house concept has climate data which defines 19 different climate zones based on NIWA data.

Here in New Zealand, and that data is used to design in each zone, so you are designing precisely for your climate. NZ building code has 3 zones for the entire country. ( for example, wellington and the bay of plenty are defined as being in the same zone in the NZBC.)