On the impact of a warming climate on the energy demand for cooling and summer comfort

Assessment on cooling energy: We start with climates with significant heating demand (like Central, Eastern and Northern Europe, Canada; let’s call these “Northern Climates”): If there is significant warming … say +3 K or more … it might not be possible to maintain comfort during future summer months in buildings without active cooling. That would happen even in relatively mild places like Berlin, Paris or London. In Beijing this is…



Real Facts No.17 | Straw as insulation material

Anisotropic behaviour: The effect of anisotropic behaviour on timber is well from timber. If thermal flux is perpendicular to the fibre, the conductivity (λ) of softwood is around 0.13 W/(mK). In the direction of the fibre, the conductivity is about 0.29 W/(mK). In the process of straw bale production, the straw stalks are pressed into bales with a certain orientation. A high proportion of the stalks are oriented perpendicular to…


Passive House 2020 – Choose Your Future – A Virtual Conference

VISION Choose Your Future” is a call to action – to recognize the power of individuals to produce change and to build a movement; a call to not forfeit our influence over events but use it. [hr] Sign up as member of NYPH and use your unique discount code at checkout. [button link="https://www.nypassivehouse.org/product/professional-member//" bg_color="#ef4731" border="#ef4731" window="yes"]Join Us >[/button] [hr] Register for the Virtual Conference [button link="https://naphnconference.com/" bg_color="#ef4731" border="#ef4731" window="yes"]Register Now…


Call for Architects and Engineers/Network Covid-19

We are developing a grassroots network of architects, non-profit organizations, service providers, housing and real estate professionals, and engineers to make ourselves available for emergency response to the ongoing covid-19 crisis. Our goal is to support the significant efforts already being made by government and private sector professionals and we are looking for volunteers who can provide any level of support.  With a tremendous task upon New York City in…


NYPH will be moving some of our own events, both existent and newly planned, to virtual platforms

Dear NYPH community, In this very challenging time, we are all adjusting to this new reality and taking the necessary actions to move forward with our lives. Due to COVID-19, New York Passive House has begun to make appropriate adjustments to our programming and events. We hope that we can continue to provide you with our regular programming initiatives during this time from the safety of your homes. We are…


Utility Programs: NYSERDA`s Strategic Grant Funding, Policy Resource Guide 2019, by Bronwyn Barry

Workforce Development and Training, Policy Resource Guide 2019, by Bronwyn Barry, Passive House BB Between 2014-2016, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) initiated a workforce training and development program focused on subsidizing courses to promote a broad array of skills and services related to improving building energy efficiency. They contracted directly with fifty training providers who offered various specialty courses. Of the 20,407 people trained via…


Executive order 52 – STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY AGAINST ADDITION OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT EXPANDS THE SUPPLY OF FOSSIL FUELS IN NEW YORK CITY

WHEREAS, we face a clear global climate emergency, caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels; and WHEREAS, we all have a moral, economic, public health, and security imperative to act to protect our planet, fellow human beings, and future generations; and WHEREAS, we must act, and act together at every level, as individuals, as cities, and as a global community; and WHEREAS, climate action by cities can also address…


Green New Deal: Mayor de Blasio Announces New Energy Code excluding Section R408 Passive House

2020 NYC Energy Conservation Code holds new buildings to strict standards to implement Green New Deal & make New York Citythe global leader in sustainability New York–Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the passage of the 2020 NYC Energy Conservation Code following today's successful vote in the New York City Council. This updated energy code provides a new benchmark of sustainability and energy efficiency for all construction in the five boroughs.…


Committee on Housing and Buildings voted to delete Section R408 Passive House

On Wednesday, February 26, 2020 the Committee on Housing and Buildings voted 8-0 to eliminate Section R408 Passive House [divider] [button link="https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4277797&GUID=52C734F2-A45B-477B-8209-1D7C6EED8E49&Options=ID|Text|&Search=Intro+1816" bg_color="#ef4731" border="#ef4731" window="yes"]Intro 1816-A[/button] [hr] The proposed bill eliminates the very critical Section R408 Passive House as an alternative compliance path of the NYStretch Energy Code-2020. NYPH does not support the deletion of Section R408 Passive House. [divider] [button link="https://www.nypassivehouse.org/why-it-is-important-to-include-section-r408-passive-house-into-the-new-york-city-energy-conservation-code-nycecc/" bg_color="#ef4731" border="#ef4731" window="yes"]Why Support Passive House[/button] [hr]


Passive House tool PHPP validated by ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 140-2017

  In January 2019, the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) version 9.6 was evaluated in accordance with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 140, a comparative testing method for building energy programs. Passive House Institute (PHI) The validation tests consist of a series of carefully described sample case building plans. Results from modelling different test cases with the software being tested are compared to those of reference software results. The class II test cases,…


Virtually no other standard other than the Passive House Standard delivers low energy buildings that can meet our [80×50] goal

Green Light, The Rise of the Energy Efficient Building Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarships Journal Series Kate Nason 2018 [hr] A Standard that Empowers the Profession The following is a non-exhaustive list of the benefits associated with utilising the Passive House Standard in projects: Practice what we preach: Empowers architects to fulfil their obligation in climate protection and allow us to practice what we preach. Verification tool: Testing of the as-built-quality…