Germany’s Passivhaus Institut has released a new version of the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP), the software used to design Passivhaus buildings. The new software, PHPP version 8, is said to be suitable for all climates, including those with cooling and dehumidification requirements.

According to Passivhaus founder Dr. Wolfgang Feist, the latest PHPP spreadsheet program “keeps pace with new developments in the field.”

“Comparative studies with dynamic building simulations have shown that the revised algorithms in PHPP 8 not only work for Central European locations but also deliver excellent results for cold, warm-temperature, hot-humid climates,” the Institute said.

The new software also makes a greater accommodation for renewable energy. In addition to solar hot water covered in previous versions of PHPP, this one also includes calculations for photovoltaic systems, heat pumps and geothermal.

Later in the year, designPH, a new planning plug-in, will be released. The SketchUp-based tool will allow designers to model their buildings in three dimensions.

PHPP 8 can be ordered online from the Passivhaus Institut or from one of the U.S. distributors listed on the web site: Four Seven Five in Brooklyn, N.Y.; Passive House Academy in Brooklyn, N.Y.; or Small Planet Workshop in Olympia, WA.

Upgrading from an earlier version of PHPP is $175; for new users it’s $225.