Press Release July 31, 2023 Passive House Massachusetts signs letter of intent to join the Buildings Action Coalition to support United Nations’ Initiative on High Performance Buildings Passive House Massachusetts (PHMASS) has signed a letter of intent to join the Buildings Action Coalition (BAC) in partnership with the Enniscorthy Forum, other coalition members, and the United Nations Environment... Source ..read more

Earlier this month, Mayor Wu and others gathered to break ground for Phase One of The Bunker Hill Housing Redevelopment, the largest Public Housing Redevelopment in Boston’s history – with all 15 buildings set to be built to the Passive House standard. From the beginning, the first building and the full redevelopment were planned to set the project on a path to net-zero carbon emissions by... Source ..read more

The report confirms the low incremental cost for multifamily projects to achieve Passive House and provides data showing how Passive House projects can be healthier and more comfortable than traditional buildings. Key points include: Read the full report here. Source ..read more

The report was conducted with support from the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Massachusetts (HBRAMA), who held a press conference of their own this past month at the State House. The press conference generated a lot of sensational headlines, the actual report paints a better picture. Key points from the report: With that said, the report was still lacking in many areas and seemed to... Source ..read more

Over 200 attendees gathered in the BSA Space in downtown Boston for our first in-person Symposium in three years. Together we celebrated our collective work over these last several years turning Massachusetts from a state playing catch-up to one that is now a leader in Passive House policy, incentives, construction, and innovation. Maggie McCarey, Energy Efficiency Director at the MA Department of... Source ..read more

This past month, PHIUS held their annual Passive Projects Design Awards in Chicago to highlight buildings across the country that are pushing the envelope for passive house – and several local projects won big! This includes the best overall winner 425 Grand Concourse in New York, a mixed use and mixed income tower with over 270 units of affordable housing. While an out of state project... Source ..read more

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) has released the final draft of the state’s new building codes as required by last year’s Climate Act. The result is an updated Stretch Energy Code and a new Specialized Municipal Opt-in Code (the “Net-Zero” Code) that are expected to begin going into effect in January. The Specialized Code is a set of net-zero building standards designed to... Source ..read more

The Boston Globe recently highlight Nick Falkoff’s work at Auburndale Builders and the Studio for High-Performance Design & Construction (StudioHPDC). The video features Nick discussing the need for more carpenter and tradesperson training – and how StudioHPDC is filling that gap. For more information on the Studio’s new High-Performance Building for Carpenters course, go here: https://studiohpdc. Source ..read more

On June 24 th, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) released draft code language for its Stretch Energy Code and Specialized Municipal Opt-in Code: Summary Document Explaining the Stretch Energy Code and Specialized Opt-in Code Language Residential Low-Rise Stretch Energy Code and Specialized Opt-in Code Language (red-line of applicable code sections) Commercial and Other... Source ..read more

The Sponsors of Mass Save have officially announced the launch of a new incentive program for 1-4 unit residential buildings. The program is aimed at driving residential new construction toward high-performance, all-electric homes. They are offering incentives up to $40,000, as well as technical assistance to support builders, developers, and homeowners in the construction of new homes that will... Source ..read more