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Passive House Institute (PHI) Certified Ventilation Systems (>600 m³/h)
Trusted Performance for Sustainable Buildings
Passivhaus Institut
At Systemair, we strongly support rigorous third-party certifications that demonstrate the energy efficiency and reliability of our ventilation systems. Among these, the Passive House Institute (PHI) certification plays a role in certain markets, particularly for large-scale, energy-conscious building projects.
The PHI certification evaluates the performance of air handling units (AHUs) with air volumes exceeding 600 m³/h, assessing their suitability for Passive House and low-energy buildings. While we generally recommend the Eurovent certification for air handling units, Systemair also offers selected configurations of our Geniox AHUs, as well as products from SAVE and Menerga, certified to PHI component standards, to meet the specific needs of customers requiring PHI compliance.
What is the PHI Certification?
The Passive House Institute is an independent body headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany. It certifies building components to meet the standards of the Passive House building concept — known for exceptional energy efficiency and indoor comfort.
For large ventilation systems (>600 m³/h), PHI certification includes minimum requirements related to:
Specific Energy Demand: ≤ 0.45 Wh/m³
Heat Recovery Efficiency: ≥ 75% for the entire unit
Air Leakage Rate: ≤ 3% relative to average flow
Thermal Comfort: Supply air ≥ 16.5 °C at −10 °C outdoor temperature
Coefficient of Performance (COP): ≥ 10
Declared Acoustic Performance
Certification is awarded per configuration and involves unit testing by PHI auditors, either in-house or in authorised laboratories.
Systemair’s Position on PHI Certification
At Systemair, we acknowledge the relevance of PHI certification in select markets. However, we approach this certification strategically to ensure long-term value and avoid duplicative efforts for our industry and customers. While specific configurations of our AHUs are PHI certified, we emphasise a broader industry benchmark: Eurovent Certified Performance.
Comparison Table: PHI vs Eurovent Certified Performance
| Feature | Eurovent Certified Performance (AHUs) | PHI Certification (Ventilation Units > 600 m³/h) |
| Scope | Entire product range and all variants | Selected configurations only |
| Testing Method | Independent lab testing with model box and real-unit tests | Factory unit testing, no model box tests |
| Random Unit Selection | Yes (units randomly selected during factory audit) | No (units built for test allowed) |
| Energy Label | Yes – A+ to E scale | Not available |
| Certification Validity | Max. 13 months (renewed annually) | Indefinite until re-audited |
| Minimum Design Criteria | No (but Benchmark scheme is in development) | Yes (e.g. heat recovery, leakage, SED) |
| Factory audits | Annual, per factory | One-off, upon request |
| Software audit | Regular, ongoing | One-off |
| Market perception | Widely recognised across the globe, trusted benchmark | Niche, high-end |
| Certification strength | High (performance-focused and transparent) | Medium (design-focused) |
Why We Prefer Eurovent Certified Performance
Systemair strongly supports Eurovent Certified Performance as the industry benchmark. It offers:
Global comparability of performance data across all product variants
Third-party transparency, with rigorous testing protocols
Annual factory and software audits, ensuring ongoing quality and compliance
Energy labelling, enabling clear performance classification
Consistency, across our global AHU platform (e.g. Geniox series)
While PHI certification meets demand in some regions, Eurovent remains our preferred certification programme for AHUs, as it better supports planners, consultants, and specifiers with verified, real-world performance data across entire ranges.
PHI-Certified (Ventilation Units >600 m³/h) Systemair and Menerga Products
| Brand | Certified Products |
| Systemair | Geniox, Topvex (selected configurations) |
| Menerga | Resolair, Adconair (selected configurations) |
For markets where PHI certification is required, our teams can advise on certified or standard-compliant configurations