The “Yeti Cooler” Building | Passive House In California (presented by EMU)

This session explores how Passive House principles are being applied across California’s diverse climate zones—from foggy coastlines to hot inland valleys and desert regions—to create buildings that are energy-efficient, healthy, and climate-resilient. Participants will learn how Passive House design significantly improves indoor air quality through continuous, balanced ventilation with high-performance filtration, making it especially beneficial in areas impacted by wildfire smoke and urban air pollution. The session also highlights how Passive House buildings provide exceptional resistance to heat waves by maintaining thermal comfort with minimal mechanical cooling, thanks to airtight construction, advanced insulation, and passive shading strategies.

In addition, the presentation will cover how Passive House enhances resilience to wildfires, including limiting smoke infiltration through airtight envelopes. Importantly, Passive House is currently being evaluated as an alternative compliance pathway to California’s Title 24 energy code, offering a rigorous, performance-based framework that aligns with the state’s decarbonization and zero net energy goals. Case studies will illustrate successful implementations and the policy potential of Passive House to support a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable built environment in California.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe how Passive House strategies improve indoor air quality through airtight construction and high-efficiency ventilation systems, especially in areas affected by pollution and wildfire smoke.
2. Analyze the role of Passive House design in enhancing building resilience during extreme heat events and heat waves through passive cooling, insulation, and envelope performance.
3. Identify wildfire-specific design measures within Passive House construction that reduce smoke infiltration and ignition risk, contributing to occupant health and building durability.
4. Evaluate how Passive House is being considered as an alternative compliance path to California’s Title 24 energy code, and how it aligns with the state’s energy efficiency and climate goals