Passive House Tradesperson Course (CPHT)

It's been awhile since I've set foot in a classroom but the 4.5 day EMU Passive House Tradesperson Certification course wasn't all textbooks and memorization. We were able to put the principles we were learning about in the lecture into practice with hands-on modeling. Friendly competition challenged our team to build air sealed and well insulated mock ups that were tested for effective construction overnight. Team Chipmunk (our team) came…


Passive House Tradesperson (CPHT) Training in Santa Barbara

It's beyond my expectations to say the least. Initially I was debating between LEED BD+C certification or Passive House Tradesperson Certification (CPHT) and I'm glad I made the right choice. The biggest fear as builders is that can we realistically take what we learned and apply it to our project? Can the materials be cost efficient and acceptable to the homeowners? Oftentimes, various on-site challenges require us to rely on…


How Buildings Are Key To Fighting Climate Change

In this video, we dive into the pivotal role buildings play in the battle against climate change. Buildings, as they stand, are both victims and culprits in the climate crisis, being poorly equipped to handle climate impacts and also being massive contributors to carbon emissions. Provided by The Passive House Accelerator. The four steps are sequential in the actual construction or renovation of a building, but the reality is that…


We need your help to Advocate for Passive House | City of Berkeley Residents

City of Berkeley is hosting a meeting to consider adding other 'green certifications' to the list of those required to be met by all City of Berkeley owned buildings. Currently it's LEED Silver only. The proposal is to do a study for which other standards to include. If you are a Passive House supporter and resident in the City of Berkeley please consider attending the meeting on Wednesday September 27th…


Certified Passive House Designer/Consultant (CPHD/C) training, Santa Barbara

On June 26 - 30, the Tri-County Regional Energy Network (3C-REN), in collaboration with the Passive House Network, hosted a five-day in-person Certified Passive House Designer/Consultant (CPHD/C) training at Santa Barbara Community College. Situation on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the LEED Platinum classroom building was a perfect location for discussing Passive house concepts. 14 students completed the week. All indicated that they plan to take the CPHD/C exam…


CALIFORNIA MCM RE-ENVISIONED: PH IN WARM CLIMATES

Our May Project Showcase presentation by Graham Irwin will explore the remodel and Passive House retrofit of a Mid Century Modern home in Sunnyvale, California. The project leveraged a decade of Passive House best practices and detail development in California, along with numerous high-value architectural approaches. The formerly cramped, uncomfortable, dark, and noisy home is now filled with glare-free daylight, connected with the landscape, and constructed to meet the world’s…


Missing middle housing designs

See the Zoning Holiday Design Competition results sponsored by Passive House California (PHCA) and the Passive House Network (PHN), many of them following the international Passive House principles. Explore these designs for missing-middle housing, designed to take advantage of Builders Remedy. SEE THE PROJECTS More information about the Zoning Holiday.



I participated this Fall in a Passive House Boot Camp hosted by Emu in Santa Barbara

Los Angeles based design-build commercial contractor, participated this Fall in a Passive House Boot Camp hosted by Emu in Santa Barbara. During this 3-day conference, multiple Steady employees were not only exposed to Passive House concepts in the classroom but for the field as well. Participants were given the opportunity to build "test pods”, utilizing Passive house recommended materials and techniques. At the end of the conference, Passive house techniques…



Passive House Webinar replays available on Passipedia (free for PHCA members)

Did you miss a live Passive House webinar presented by the International Passive House Association (iPHA)? iPHA Webinar replays are now available for all our members on Passipedia for free! You can now rewatch all the great presentations from 2021 and 2022 at your own leisure. Over time, the replay offerings will be continously expanded to bring you all the great content from the iPHA webinars. AVAILABLE WEBINARS


USGBC-LA | Sustainable Innovation + Community Awards 2022 – SUBMIT YOUR PASSIVE HOUSE PROJECT by 10/23

Submissions for awards to be presented at the 2022 USGBC-LA Green Gala are now open. Submit your team's projects! Now submit by midnight, Sunday, October 23rd Please consider submitting your Passive House or EnerPHit project located in Southern California to our friends at the USGBC-LA. We are proud to be a part of such an amazing community that is committed to making Southern California a more sustainable region for all--and it is…