The Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland has warned that introducing a Scottish equivalent of the Passivhaus standard for new builds must not negatively impact the overall delivery of affordable housing.

CIH Scotland expressed “serious concerns” that the Scottish government’s proposal for all new builds to meet the equivalent of Passivhaus energy efficiency standards could undermine its target to build 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.

The Passivhaus Trust estimates that the extra cost of building to this standard is between 4% and 8%, a figure that has decreased since 2018 due to improvements in the assurance process, skills, and the supply chain.