New Passive House Office Building in Frankfurt Now Certified

Visits to take place around the International Passive House Conference 2016 (Press Release, Passive House Institute, 21 January 2016) [caption id="attachment_6433" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo Credit: City of Frankfurt[/caption] Darmstadt, Germany. Curved façades, but a straightforward energy concept: a new office building in Frankfurt, Germany, clearly shows the potential of sustainable building design, with an architectural style that is not only elegant but also intelligent. The result is a 90 percent…


Sallan Foundation Snapshot: “Actively Passive” by Richard Yancey, Founding Executive Director of BEEx

This week, the Building Energy Exchange (BEEx)‘s Richard Yancey shared some of his insights regarding Passive House in the Sallan Foundation website’s Snapshot Column.  In the editorial, Yancey describes his inadvertent first visit to a Passive House. As he stepped away from the hot, noisy, and smelly NYC summer streets and into the building, Yancey describes his experience, stating, “The interior felt like an oasis; a refuge from the street noise and heat; a…


2016 Resolution: Irish County of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown Will Only Build Passive House Buildings

In the English-speaking world, it can easily be argued that Ireland and New York are Passive House Examples for the rest of the Anglophone World to follow.  It's not hard to see how the cold winters of Ireland and the old buildings of NYC would benefit from Passive House Institute (PHI)-certified new-builds and EnerPHit-certified retrofits.  Since knowledge-sharing is one of the best ways to grow a new industry, it's never a bad…


20th International Passive House Conference Back in Darmstadt for its Anniversary

International Passive House Conference Program Now Available Online (Press Release, Passive House Institute, 6 January 2016) 20th International Passive House Conference April 22-23, 2016 in Darmstadt, Germany Discounted Early Bird Registration Open Now - Reserve Your Spot Today! Darmstadt, Germany. The Passive House is now 25 years old; to celebrate this, the International Passive House Conference is returning to Darmstadt – the city in Germany, in which this success story began. On…


Green Building Advisor Presents: 10 Misconceptions about the Passive House Standard

[caption id="attachment_6239" align="alignright" width="300"] Passive House in British Columbia, Canada (Image Source: Green Building Advisor)[/caption] You probably already know that the international Passive House standard is the only building standard which delivers up to 90% reductions in building heating/cooling energy demands, paving the way to net-zero.  But if you are still having trouble explaining this German concept to your friends and colleagues, worry no more, as the Green Building Advisor has debunked…


World’s First Passive House Premium Now Certified

(Press Release, Passive House Institute, 3 November 2015) Darmstadt, Germany. One of the world’s most sustainable buildings stands in Bavaria: as the first of its kind, a mixed residential and commercial project in the town of Kaufbeuren has met the criteria for a Passive House Premium certification. With a heating demand of only 8 kWh/m²a, it is uniquely energy efficient. At the same time, a 250 m² photovoltaic system on…


World’s Largest Building Retrofitted to EnerPHit Standard Now Certified

Innsbruck University project open to public during International Passive House Days (Press Release, Passive House Institute, 27 October 2015) Innsbruck, Austria. A completely modernized university building in Innsbruck, Austria demonstrates the energy saving potential available with refurbishments. Through integrated planning, the heating demand of the building was reduced from 180 kWh/m²a to just 21 kWh/m²a. The project thus meets the criteria of the EnerPHit Standard for retrofits with Passive House…


Compete in the AIANY Committee on the Environment (COTE) Awards 2015

The AIANY Committee on the Environment (COTE) Awards recognizes results-oriented achievements in the urban context. Winning submissions demonstrate processes that culminate in beautiful, timeless, and measurable design. AWARDS SCHEDULE: August 5, 2015 - Launch October 9, 2015 - Submissions Due November 11, 2015 - Winners Announced December 7, 2015 - Winners Presentation ABOUT THE AIANY COTE AWARDS: The awards will further sustainable design in the architectural profession, make transparent lessons learned,…


Monitoring Confirms Energy Efficiency of Passive House City District

Press Release, Passive House Institute, 1 September 2015 Report on measurements in Heidelberg’s Bahnstadt project now available online   Passive House City District in Heidelberg, Germany (Image Credit: Passive House Institute) Darmstadt, Germany. The Passive House district of Bahnstadt in Heidelberg (Germany) has passed the test: according to a report on recent measurements, the values being strived for in relation to energy efficiency were met in full. In 2014, the…


FXFOWLE Awarded Passivhaus Grant

(Reposted from FXFOWLE.com) The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) awarded FXFOWLE a research grant to determine the viability of implementing the Passivhaus standard for tall residential buildings in New York. Working with an associated consultant team, and using an FXFOWLE residential project currently in design, the study investigates the detailed implications of adapting a typical sustainable tall residential building to meet the Passivhaus standard. The project…


First multi-unit residential building certified to Passive House Plus

Press Release, Passive House Institute, 4 August 2015 Housing complex in Innsbruck combines energy efficiency and renewables Photo Credit: Neue Heimat Tirol Darmstadt, Germany/Innsbruck, Austria. The combination of energy efficiency and renewables is the future-proof solution for all buildings, including multi-storey projects – this is demonstrated with a new build in Innsbruck: the apartment complex is the first of its kind to be certified as a Passive House Plus building. This…


NAPHN15 Conference & Expo – Register Before August for Best Price

There are many reasons to attend NAPHN15 October 1-2 in Vancouver BC.  It has the best Passive House program of any building conference in the Western Hemisphere - ever: http://naphn15.canphi.ca/schedule/.  No fluff.  No BS. Early bird ticket sale ends August 1st so don't wait and register here. 38 speakers confirmed - Passive House designers, builders, sustainability experts and policy advisors from around the world Keynote speaker - Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, Director for Centre…