designPH is an interactive and graphically oriented input interface developed by the Passive House Institute. It is a plugin for SketchUp that provides a 3D modelling interface which works hand in hand with the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP). designPH enables you create and edit 3D models in SketchUp, assign U-values to surfaces, assign properties to window elements, assign thermal bridges, assign a climate region to enable heat balance calculations and export designs to PHPP.

 

After modelling and assigning necessary properties to various surfaces, the plugin provides an automatic analysis of the design by inferring element types and area groups. While this analysis runs, designPH also provides a preliminary simplified energy balance which allows you rule out poor performance design options early and refine the design before exporting.

 

Designs are exported to PHPP because designPH cannot confirm if you have reached Passive House standard; however, it will help you achieve a design that is capable of achieving the standard.