Microsoft have had the facility to add custom buttons on a ribbon (toolbar) in Excel for some time. Tim Martel and the AECB have teamed up to create one for PHPP which speeds up common tasks and extends what PHPP can do. No special PHPP is needed. All tools are compatible with  earlier versions of PHPP: 9.3, 9.1 and 8.5 as well as 9.6.

Embodied CO2

The PHPP already has quantities of 75% of the materials of the building, this button makes it relatively straightforward to obtain lifetime CO2 using an extensive list of hundreds of EPDs. The calculation is for the full lifetime Embodied CO2 suitable for design stage estimates of RIBA 2030 challenge (though an official RICS calculation requires more). Read more 

Daylight Factor

This exports window information to a daylight factor spreadsheet by Mark Siddall of LEAP. It helps you plan window sizes which give enough daylight without over-provision. Good windows have 5x the heat loss of a good wall so it is important not to over size them.

Window Tool

  • Saves you a lot of time calculating the d-reveal
  • enters many rows of data from the style you have chosen: dimensions, ‘1’s and ‘0’s and name, quantity, d-reveal and d-over
  • advanced formulas allows you to change the width of the whole window, width of the pane, frame selection frame dimensions without having to update the d-reveal
  • can also enter the blue highlighted panes as multiples, you can have any number of identical panes in a row. Still allows you to have multiples of the entire window

PAS 2035 Improvement Option Evaluation

  • calculates simple payback and carbon cost effectiveness for each measure individually and packages
  • uses typical minimum and maximum costs, you can also add your own costs
  • menus to help you easily select materials and entries
  • works out the U-values you need if you want to specify a target U value

Carbon cost effectiveness is the cost in £/tonne for a measure or package including the capital cost and the savings over the life of that measure
Read more

More Buttons

  • easier selection of climate region, shows what counties are in what region
  • you only need to know the county that the building is in.
  • library of typical constructions to start from (R-values for the US version)
  • build your own library of constructions
  • enters lambda value from a library of common lambda values (R-values/inch for the US version)
  • lambda 90/90 vales & link to BBA certificates, have your own custom lists
  • Orientation on Areas tab gives a simple way to work out bearings of each wall, draws outline of building as a crosscheck (if you have entered wall lengths)
  • Absorptivity works on the Areas tab allows quick entry of the wall shading, Absorptivity and Emissivity, gives absorptivity and emissivity of a range of common materials
  • enters different window styles quickly, in mm or m, calculates the d-reveal, and enters the other info
  • advanced formulas option can accommodate changes in window or pane dimensions when calculating the d-reveal
  • alternative to the window tool, calculates the d reveal
  • advanced option can accommodate changes in window or pane dimensions
CheckPHPP
  • runs through a standard check for PHPP and gives you a list of what is OK and what needs attention
UpdatePHPP
  • makes the same changes to a list of PHPPs, or you can use it for data entry
  • calculates retrofit costs and savings using Net Present Value (see also PAS2035 Improvement Option Evaluation)
  • links to rates of master PHribbon list, allowing you to update results automatically if you change the rates in the master list
  • Variants version calculates this for many options at a time, Step by Step is similar for incremental retrofits         Read more
Summarise
PHPPs
  • helps you make a list of results for recent PHPPs just by selecting the file name
  • you can select a whole series of file names at once in a block
  • useful to summarise a large development where you have many individual PHPPs for different blocks
Certifier
Export
  • creates the summary certifiers need to send to the Passivhaus Institute
Unprotect/
Protect
Sheets
  • ‘Unprotect sheet’ unprotects the current sheet if you want to add notes
  • ‘Protect sheets’ protects all the sheets in the PHPP, while still allowing you to use the “+” to unhide rows or columns (from version 3.12 onwards)
Thermal Bridges
  • Thermal bridge library for around 70 of the most common domestic thermal bridges

Updates in current version 3.13

Embodied CO2

  • C3/C4 double counting problem resolved. Where wood fibre insulation is used this correction reduces the end of life spike a little. It is not only corrected for new calculations, pressing “Summarise” searches for and corrects the problem in your existing spreadsheets of this format (since 3.08).
  • EPD for BDA generic brick updated as expired, new update added. Their new figure is 1/3rd higher.
  • Replaced some ICE figures for concrete with a single EPD that covers full life, and also the ICE figures a little out of date
  • Electricity factors changed to “Steady progression” used for RICS assessments
  • Knauf rockwool Rocksilk EWI slab 105kg/m3 added
  • Option to view Embodied CO2 calcs including Stage [D]: Recycling, Reuse, Recovery potential which is more realistic for timber
  • B4 replacements title corrected and B4 per replacement column formatted as others.
  • A5 figures from EPD now included and user can decide how to distribute those between individual entries. Doesn’t change the total figures.

Updates

Version 4.0 has an update is for the End of Life calculations. While version 3.13 handles the majority of cases very well, refinements would improve the result in a couple of situations. One of those is where EPDs have have their own End of Life (EoL) scenario, and that happens to match the mix of recycling/incineration/landfill defined for the UK (or your country). Another is where “100% scenarios” were written into the EPD, allowing any combination to be chosen. Essentially the effect of these changes will be a small improvement that slightly lowers the emissions.

This version 4 is virtually ready, it was going to be released on 21/4/21 however testing has shown there is an issue with the Embodied graph in some spreadsheets so we are delaying until that is resolved. Realistically that means at least till Saturday 24th, that is also likely to be when a new training video could be ready.

Other updates that are pencilled in for the future are:

  • Renewable Heat Incentive has been extended to 2022, add to PAS2035 Improvement Option Evaluation
  • Add Smart Energy Guarantee to PAS2035 Improvement Option Evaluation
  • Embodied CO2 in PAS2035 Improvement Option Evaluation to include AECB economic appraisal methods
  • German Ökobaudat Embodied CO2 data entries to be added to PHribbon.
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