Passive House News Roundup:

November, 2023

Where did November go? With all the great Passive House happenings, this month has flown by, so we’re taking a moment to look back and celebrate all the great Passive House news that happened during the month of November. Here’s the rundown:

  • At the beginning of the month, we held a great Symposium on the renovation of Rubin Hall. If you missed the fun, no worries! You can watch a recording of Restoring the Past, Protecting the Future: Decarbonizing Historic Skyscrapers here.
  • Can you believe that the International Passive House Open Days happened only a few weeks ago? We had a record number of buildings participate this year, showing that the enthusiasm for sustainable, comfortable buildings is catching on more than ever. The next International Passive House Open Days will take place on June 28-30th, and we can’t wait to add even more buildings to your list of must-see destinations.
  • The Passive House Accelerator podcast released a bunch of great bonus episodes recorded at the 2023 Passive House Network Conference. Listen to the recordings and relive the conference experience here.
  • We published Phase I of our Energy Standards Comparison Study. Read about what this is and why we’re so excited about it on our blog, and download the report here.
  • The Boston Globe published a fantastic article on Winthrop Center in Boston, Massachusetts, the largest Passive House office building in the world. Our Executive Director, Ken Levenson, shared his thoughts with the reporter. You can read them here.
  • A recent report from Yale Program on Climate Change, UC Santa Barbara, and Rewiring America discovered that 60% of Americans prefer an all- or mostly-electric home. That’s why we took a look back at RMI’s report on Beneficial Electrification in our recurring blog series, The Weekend View. Read more and find out why electrification and Passive House go hand-in-hand.
  • It’s Ken again! Our Executive Director gave a presentation on how energy efficiency can drive property value at a realtor conference. You can read more about his talk, “A Shifting Proposition: Energy Efficiency Driving Property Value,” in this article.
  • This article from Building Design + Construction outlines 8 strategies for multifamily Passive House design projects, showing a spotlight on Stantec’s work, including one of their projects that won a Climate Specific Design Award during the 2023 PHN Conference.
  • Our friends at Emu Passive published a first-of-its-kind analysis of building and energy standards, including the addendum Appendix B: California Results, which focuses on 11 single-family homes built to PHI Passive House standards in a variety of climate zones throughout California. You can learn more, read the press release, and download the reports here.

Things aren’t slowing down during the month of December. We’re kicking this month off with a very special PHN Presents to learn more about Emu Passive’s recent report. Join report author and Emu Co-Founder Enrico Bonilauri for a presentation on the report findings and a Q&A discussion led by PHN Executive Director Ken Levenson. All are welcome to this free event. Register now!

All this great news proves that there’s no better time than now to join in the building revolution and become a CPHD. Our flexible training will make sure you’re prepared for the exam and designing Passive House buildings in no time. Courses begin on January 18th, but you can register now for immediate access to materials. Learn more and buckle up, because there’s no chance we’re slowing down.