The German definition of the passive house standard is strongly related to the air-heating (AH) concept, while this concept is not explicitly connected with the Norwegian definition (NS 3700 standard). As AH presents an opportunity for space-heating (SH) simplification, the AH potential is here investigated in the Norwegian context. The questions of the required AH temperatures, of the temperature distribution between rooms and the influence of losses from ventilation ducts are investigated using detailed dynamic simulations (here using TRNSYS). This is done using a typical detached house typology, both considering different building construction materials as well as different climate zones (Oslo, Bergen and Karasjok). Simulation results present the potential and limitation of the AH for this common building typology but also enable to derive guidelines for the proper design of AH systems in Nordic conditions. For example, the standard SH design conditions (STD) appear to be the most severe conditions in term of AH temperatures and uneven temperature distribution between rooms.