Credit: Paramount/Showtime The Curse, A Review By Ken Levenson I first watched The Curse in January, and I’m still trying to figure it out. Passive House is a central element of the show, if a bird-killing object of desire. The show also stars Nathan Fielder as Asher and the now two-time Academy Award-winning actress Emma Stone as Whitney. They are newlyweds setting out, with show co-creator Benny Safdie as Dougie, to launch a successful influencer/development career with a new kind of values-driven reality home-building show called Fliplanthropy set in Española, New Mexico. Española i ..read more

The ICC Board has Spoken: Let’s Ignore Them and Get to Work The recent International Code Council (ICC) board decision to strip decarbonization measures from the model building code is a complete dereliction of duty in service of corrupting fossil fuel industries and their supporters. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has issued a concise takedown of the disgraced board’s actions. While the board claims to work in service of model codes and standards, these actions prove otherwise. It’s up to us. So, what’s next? To paraphrase Fredrick Douglass, powerful interests d ..read more

All Eyes on Spring Training After Winter CPHD Cohort Sets New Record Certified Passive House Designer Students Enroll in Record Numbers, Learning the Principles of Passive House Design Across the Country.   On April 18th, a new cohort of students will formally begin their studies in the Certified Passive House Designer (CPHD) course, hosted by the Passive House Network (PHN). They’ll follow in the footsteps of this year’s Winter Cohort. Nearly 60 students strong, it’s the largest cohort PHN has enrolled since the organization was founded in 2011. Created for architects, engineers, consul ..read more

The scope of services needed to complete building certification by a building Certifier can vary widely depending on project specifics and the experience of the project team. It’s critical that when setting out to achieve certification the range of possible services is considered and decided upon: core services, additional services, and contingencies. Having a clear outline of the scope can help consumers when speaking with several potential Certifiers. We encourage Passive House customers and Certifiers to use these templates to clarify the process and the fees associated with the work. Con ..read more

Are you Ready for Reimagine Buildings ’24? Reimagine Buildings ‘24, the global online conference that gives you the knowledge, connections, and inspiration you need to make buildings, is right around the corner, and we’re excited to share two opportunities to connect with our local Chapters and meet up with your fellow resilient buildings enthusiasts in person! Join New Jersey Passive House for a Happy Hour viewing and discussion at Newark Local Beer, located at 538 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102. The meetup goes from 6-9PM local time. Passive House Pennsylvania will also be hosting a watch p ..read more

Better Buildings in Your Jurisdiction: An Example of Passive House Policy Language As an organization dedicated to advancing science-based methods of creating a healthier, more sustainable world, we can’t help but get excited about other organizations doing the same. The more forces we have working to ensure we meet our climate goals, the faster we can lower our carbon emissions and deliver a safer, healthier future for all. That’s why we’re excited about the work that Climate Action California is doing. Climate Action California is an organization working to hasten the end of the climate cri ..read more

A Note from the Executive Director When I helped co-found the organization that would become PHN over a decade ago at a kitchen table in Marin County, California, the promise of Passive House was palpable. Making that promise real has been all our work across our regional, national, and global Passive House communities and your Network. We have shifted expectations. Yet, despite significant accomplishments, we’re only scratching the surface. Let’s face it: the world is a riot of noise and distraction, and what gets attention is bling like Teslas and solar panels. Oh, how I sometimes wish Pass ..read more

The Weekend View: PHI Path to Certification for Multifamily Projects In less than three weeks, the new building energy code mandating Passive House multifamily will be in effect in Boston and other municipalities across Massachusetts. This is great news for Massachusetts residents who want healthy, comfortable indoor living conditions year-round while also ensuring their buildings are as energy-efficient as can be, but what does it mean if you’re a designer or builder? If you’re feeling some hesitation about these new codes, our weekend throwback will help clear everything up. Earlier this ye ..read more

The Passive House Network Year in Review | 2023 It’s been a big year at the Passive House Network. The 2023 PHN Conference led to some incredible presentations, discussions, and connections, continuing to build on the momentum of the rest of the year’s programming, including Ask the Certifiers sessions, Passive House DEI, and Passive House Case Studies. We didn’t stop there. With the launch of two PHN reports and a policy brief—Safe at Home, Phase I of Energy Standards Comparison Study, and Stepping Up to Passive—we reaffirmed our commitment to conducting cutting-edge, comprehensive Passive ..read more

The Weekend View: Emu Video Series on Building Standards Reports We’ve spent lots of time this week diving into Emu Passive’s latest reports on building standards. Written by Emu Co-Founder Enrico Bonilauri, Building Standards and the accompanying addendum, Appendix B, California Results is a thorough analysis comparing the ability of 12 different building standards to deliver consistent performance on comfort, indoor air quality, durability, heating and cooling loads, and energy efficiency. The Appendix includes a closer look at 11 single-family homes built to Passive House standards in a va ..read more