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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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…



EpiPHany Corner | The Natural Order of Decarbonization

First, we acknowledge the extremely important success of the Decarbonization Coalition (buildingdecarb.org) in their efforts to drive the electrification of the built environment. As a result of their work, over 50 California cities/counties have committed to phase out natural gas in new buildings. The Decarbonization Coalition’s traction with municipalities and other entities is advancing the conversation to include all four of the imperative factors that will enable the decarbonization of…


Are you considering becoming a Certified Passive House Designer/Consultant?

Hybrid On-Demand Certified Passive House Designer/Consultant (CPHD/C) Training — An Opportunity for California Professionals Passive House Network’s Certified Passive House Designer/Consultant (CPHD/C) course is the premier training program for Passive House building professionals. Supported by a 25+ year history of global technical leadership by the Passive House Institute, and over 7 years of successful nationwide instruction by the Passive House Academy. This course is specifically designed to teach the international Passive House…


The Keys to Successful Passive House Implementation

Imagine buildings so well constructed they need virtually no heating or cooling and can cut normal utility bills by 50%–80%. Now imagine these buildings are also so airtight there is almost no air leakage or outside street noise, yet they provide healthy, fresh, filtered air throughout the day whether windows or doors are open or not. Moreover, these buildings are not dark boxes with tiny windows, but light, bright, spacious…