Why We Need Passivhaus in Hot Climates – It’s not just for the temperate north.

By Passive House California , June 27, 2022 - Member News

This article was published in June 2022 by Lloyd Alterby Lloyd Alter on Treehugger. One of the many myths about the Passive House or Passivhaus standard of building is it was designed for temperate Germany and is not really suitable for really cold or hot climates. The Passivhaus concept is a particularly tough sell in hot climates, especially in places with big diurnal swings in temperature, where one would traditionally design…

EpiPHany Corner | Achieving Your Vision for a High-Performance Home

By Passive House California , June 24, 2022 - EpiPHany

The following is true for the design and construction of any home or building, but particularly important when your vision includes high-performance: The elements of high-performance include energy efficiency, indoor air quality, comfort, durability, and — resilience to extreme heat/cold, wildfires/smoke, and power outages. Historically, the process of building a custom home on a particular parcel has been a bit like a relay race. The potential homeowner would have an…

International Passive House Open Days

By Passive House California , June 23, 2022 - News, Project Tours

Are you enthusiastic about the Passive House concept and its advantages? Then take part in the Mid-year International Passive House Open Days and motivate others to join the movement by sharing your knowledge and experiences! The 2022 Mid-year International Passive House Open Days will take place this weekend, from June 24-26. Find a local project via our world map! You will be able to check out the participating Passive House…

An investigation into policies driving Passive House adoption in North America (Passive House Network)

By Passive House California , June 23, 2022 - News, Press Release

“This is an overview of the existing policies in place that were designed to accelerate Passive House adoption across the U.S. They are based on the input received at an informal gathering convened by PHN on November 6, 2020, where we gathered representatives from across North America to share information regarding policies in place in their specific regions. (This report was updated in April 2022 to include new measures and…

PODCAST | Passive House 101 with Jay Gentry by Home Green Homes

By Passive House California , June 22, 2022 - Member News

What you need to do is to talk to somebody that understands it all, that can look at and understand what’s going on in your home and help you decide what aspirational approach or what would be possible, and then back down as necessary. And you’ll get the best possible result. Passive House (Passivhaus) represents today’s highest energy standard for building performance with the promise of reducing the operational energy…

Putting the Punk into Passive House

By Passive House California , June 1, 2022 - News, Passive House 101

Can Passive House design and construction help achieve a Solarpunk future where people can thrive? In this first video of a four-part series, Zack Semke summarizes what the scientists are telling us about climate change today and pushes back on the fifth form of climate denialism: climate doomism or, "it's too late". Join in this exploration of the climate crisis, the clean energy transition, and how buildings will play a…

Passive House | Building Criteria Update

By Passive House California , May 30, 2022 - News, Passive House 101, Uncategorized

Coinciding with the launch of the English PHPP 10, the Passive House Institute has published updated building criteria, which define the requirements for certification relating to the Passive House, EnerPHit and PHI Low Energy Building standards. Among other things, the calculation of the limit values now takes into account the boundary conditions of a specific building. This applies to the primary energy demand of densely occupied residential and office buildings…

EpiPHany Corner | Three Tips for Achieving High-Performance Buildings

By Passive House California , May 26, 2022 - EpiPHany

Today, “High-Performance” generally refers to: Maximum Energy Efficiency; Physical and Emotional Comfort; Healthy IAQ; Resilience; and ultimately, Zero Net Energy; Zero Net Carbon. The Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) and the recently introduced PH Ribbon (integrates embodied carbon) make it possible to deliver the owner’s targets for high-performance. The three-legged stool of Early planning, Envelope first, and Aspirational goals are critical to achieving desired performance on time and on budget with…

My Green Building Conference & Expo (MyGBCE)

By Passive House California , May 24, 2022 - News

Passive House California (PHCA) attended the 21st Annual My Green Building Conference & Expo (MyGBCE) organized by the USGBC Los Angeles at Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC). It was a community-focused and in-person featuring educational demonstrations, informative speakers, committee showcases, workshops, interactive presentations, a live musical performance, and art! Video | Passive House 101

PHPP 10 in English Now Available

By Passive House California , May 20, 2022 - News

The energy demand of a building can be reliably calculated using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP). The Passive House Institute has developed the 10th version of the PHPP, which is now also available in English. PHPP 10 contains helpful new add-ons and features for the energy balancing of highly efficient buildings. FIND OUT MORE

The global Passive House Platform

By Passive House California , May 10, 2022 - News

Passive House stands for healthy, comfortable living and impressive energy efficiency, regardless of the regional climate. Within the last several years, Passive House has rapidly increased in popularity, with over 33,000 units certified according to the strict Passive House Institute certification criteria representing a total floor area of 3,000,000 m² TFA (as of 01/2022). Many of these quality-assured examples are included in the Passive House database, which documents more than 5,250…