New York Passive House Inc (NYPH) was founded in 2010 by a group of professionals who found the need for an energy-efficient built environment.

What started as an unofficial meetup of like-minded professionals has developed into a strong non-profit with members of diverse professional backgrounds. Today, NYPH leads the movement to promote the Passive House building energy standard in New York State and the New York City metropolitan area.

1. Our Vision:

Our vision is a carbon-neutral built environment for New York, centered around the broad adoption and implementation of Passive House, achieving healthy, resilient, and durable buildings for all.

2. Our Mission:

Our mission is to serve as the New York hub of Passive House through collaborative advocacy, policy initiatives, education, and resources.

3. Our Values:

Our values as an organization are to promote and practice collaboration, transparency, inclusion, diversity, equity, and open-mindedness.

4. The Challenge:

Climate change is the challenge of our time. In New York City, where the buildings sector is by far the largest contributor to climate change, officials have committed to achieving greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions of 80% by 2050.

  • As a coastal city, NYC is especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change with threats to infrastructure, the economy, and the health and well-being of its residents.
  • Because buildings are a major source of GHG emissions, there is an urgent need for better performance strategies, electrification, and materials with lower embodied carbon.
  • Given NYC’s aging building stock, there is an urgent need to increase the rate of energy retrofits.
  • NYC housing, both in new construction and existing buildings, does not offer consistent fresh air to ensure a healthy living environment.
  • Given the current state of the electric grid and the density of NYC, there is a critical need to expand renewable energy production.

5. Our Approach:

To achieve our vision, New York Passive House focuses on:

  • Supporting the Passive House high-performance building industry, including manufacturers, design professionals, builders, owners, and developers.
  • Deployment of technical solutions across all building types and all scales.
  • Policy that promotes health and equity in the built environment.
  • Challenges specific to NYC and its complex urban environment.
  • Building awareness regarding the significance of low-carbon building materials.
  • Promotion of research and collection of data on the performance of building
  • systems.
  • Expanding the knowledge beyond the building community to the general public.
  • Collaborating with community and non-governmental organizations with shared interests.

6. Our Affiliation:

NYPH is an affiliate of the International Passive House Association and our members enjoy access to the rich database of information provided to all iPHA members worldwide. We partner and collaborate with the Passive House Institute (PHI) to advance and support the Passive House methodology and Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) for all buildings in New York State.

As an inclusive organization, NYPH also recognizes PHIUS as an alternate approach to high-performance building, supports the work of all energy and carbon reducing building organizations, and collaborates to advance best building practices in New York State.