Passive House Certification Revealed | PHCA Community Meeting

By Passive House California , February 20, 2025 -

This presentation provides an overview of certifying a Passive House building with the Passive House Institute. The process isn’t as complicated as you might think. However, there are essential requirements that must be met. This presentation covers those requirements and includes suggestions for making the process run as smoothly as possible. Learning Points the benefits of certification the client/architect/consultant/builder/certifier relationships the certification timeline certification documentation requirements keys to a successful…

PHCA Community Meeting | Design Competition Q&A

By Passive House California , February 20, 2025 -

Designers, enthusiasts, and curious minds—submitters and non-submitters alike—this is for you! With just weeks left to submit to the California Rebuilds Passive House Design Competition, join us for an open Q&A session led by Ken Levenson, Executive Director of the Passive House Network. His extensive expertise in Passive House strategies will help steer the discussion. This is your chance to fine-tune your ideas and tackle any roadblocks head-on. Not submitting?…

PHCA Community Meeting | Liquid Applied Intelligent Membranes: The Latest for High Performing Buildings

By Passive House California , February 20, 2025 -

Intelligent Membranes joins us to provide an overview of the role of liquid-applied solutions in enhancing airtightness and sustainability in construction. This session will examine their product range, including the airtight membrane "Passive Purple," the flexible waterproof membrane "THE GOAT," and the A2-rated intumescent fire-retardant paint "FRED." We'll discuss how these materials support easier application, improve building performance, and meet the requirements of Passivhaus standards. Presenter: Adam White is the…

Understanding Stone Wool (Mineral Wool) -Solutions for Thermal, Fire, and Sound Control

By Passive House California , February 20, 2025 -

The net energy savings realized in a properly insulated building are well understood. However, as design professionals strive to maximize thermal resistance, yet reduce mass in the wall assembly, insulation is increasingly being positioned in both the stud wall and the exterior side of the building envelope. This split insulation concept has introduced a number of design issues and concerns; particularly as relates to fire resistance, moisture management, and wall…

“Fire Resilient Envelope & HVAC Design” | PHCA Community Meeting

By Passive House California , February 20, 2025 -

As wildfires become increasingly frequent and devastating in California, building resilience is paramount. This presentation delves into critical aspects of fire-resilient envelope and HVAC design. We’ll explore how achieving superior airtightness through meticulous envelope detailing, robust exterior walls with insulation and fire-resistant cladding, ember-resistant unvented crawlspaces and foam-free, unvented roof strategies significantly enhance a home’s ability to withstand wildfire threats. Finally, we’ll address considerations for HVAC-related openings, outlining strategies to minimize vulnerabilities.…

Windhorse Orchard: a Living Building Challenge and Passive House Renovation

By Passive House California , January 27, 2025 -

This project in Sebastopol is nearing completion and we are excited to share some of the highlights with you. Kristin Nichols (Building Designer/Homeowner) and Spencer Dobrovolny (Builder) will present the project from their unique perspectives. We will dive into the design and construction processes of this exciting project.  We will look at what challenges we faced, how we approached these challenges, and share our successes and where we think we…

“It Takes A Village: Lessons Learned From Passive House Training And Community Engagement” | Community Meeting

By Passive House California , August 26, 2024 - Community Meeting, Webinar

Description Since moving to Colorado in 2017, Emu Passive has become the main provider of hands-on Passive House training for Builders and Tradespersons across the US. A key lesson learned by Emu from taking Passive House training to local communities is the importance of connecting people to one another during the workshop as well as to the local “high performance ecosystem” after the training. Presentation Elements: Emu’s integrated Passive Design/Build™…

Electrification and the Grid | Community Meeting

By Passive House California , June 23, 2024 - Community Meeting

Concerns are often raised about how the growing movement toward electrification of buildings and transportation will impact the electric grid and the utilities’ ability to supply affordable, reliable power to its customers. However, the utilities in California are putting into place plans to support the state’s goals for carbon neutrality by 2045, and to meet the challenge of a clean energy future. Energy Codes and how buildings are designed to…

“17 Mile Haus: A Passive House Design Journey”

By Passive House California , February 21, 2024 - Community Meeting

Passive House design is receiving heightened interest across the country due to growing awareness of the impact of buildings on carbon emissions. This presentation will look at how Passive House is applicable here in California, using a project located on Pebble Beach’s storied 17 Mile Drive. Join us to learn about the evolution of this design, the details that support how it performs, plus a look at the impact of the…

Selecting & Sourcing High-Performance Building Products | PHCA Community Meeting Recording

By Passive House California , January 2, 2024 - Community Meeting

Recording of Passive House California (PHCA) Community Meeting | January 2024 Source 2050 is a multi-vendor marketplace offering over 500 envelope, fenestration, and mechanical solutions for Passive House projects. Our product specification filters allow designers to find the best solutions for their projects and then share them with the build team. Contractors and installers can then purchase those products directly and be sure that they will be delivered on time…

Selecting & Sourcing High-Performance Building Products | PHCA Community Meeting

By Passive House California , December 21, 2023 -

Source 2050 is a multi-vendor marketplace offering over 500 envelope, fenestration, and mechanical solutions for Passive House projects. Our product specification filters allow designers to find the best solutions for their projects and then share them with the build team. Contractors and installers can then purchase those products directly and be sure that they will be delivered on time as efficiently as possible. Our team will discuss how we work…