Passive House Institute and US Green Building Council

Sustainable architectural design is constantly evolving as humans pursue the desire to balance the built environment and its ecological impact. Several organisations such as the Passive House Institute and the US Green Building Council have developed certification criteria and guidelines to design, build and operate energy-efficient buildings. This chapter is not intended as an exhaustive review but to define and discuss the principles to design buildings to the Passivhaus Standard and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), giving the reader a better understanding of their core values.These are voluntary building certifications that recognise the design and construction team and the owners on pursuing energy-efficient buildings that go beyond the national standards helping to minimise energy use and CO2 emissions. The Passivhaus prioritises the energy-efficient design by addressing the energy demands and thermal comfort. LEED looks at several aspects during the design, construction, and operation of a building to develop eco-friendly solutions. While both certifications are different in their approach to sustainable building and energy-efficient design, they share the same goal to improve the quality of life of building occupants while minimising its impact on the environment.