(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…
Environmental Law: Passive House Clarifications
In March of 2015, an article written by PHIUS, titled "An Introduction to Passive House Principles and Policy" was published in the periodical Environmental Law in New York. (here). Unfortunately PHIUS' explanation to policymakers was incomplete, potentially leaving the reader with false impressions. It largely wrote the international Passive House Institute's role out of the PHIUS narrative - in developing the Passive House Standard, introducing it to the US market, supporting it and…
Stevens Institute of Technology SU+RE House Passive House Wins Solar Decathlon 2015
Congratulations to our local Solar Decathlon Team at Stevens Institute of Technology for their award-winning project the SU+RE House - combining SUstainble + REsilient architecture practices to withstand the risks of storms and rising sea levels. The team came in first place yesterday (October 18, 2015) out of a total of 14 competitors in this year's competition. The two local teams--SU+RE House from the Stevens Institute of Technology and DURA…
New Passive House Classes Presented at Vancouver Conference
Criteria combining energy efficiency and renewables take immediate effect (Press Release, Passive House Institute, 7 October 2015) Darmstadt, Germany. Clearly-defined criteria for combining the international Passive House Standard with renewable energy sources are now applicable: the Passive House Institute's new guidelines for building evaluation have come into effect with the introduction of a new version of the planning tool PHPP at the >NAPHN15 Conference in Vancouver. Not only is certification…
Welcoming the New NYPH Board
Join NYPH in Welcoming our Newly-Elected 2015-2016 NYPH Board of Directors. NYPH Members voted for their top six candidates out of a pool of thirteen applicants. Want to be more involved and have the opportunity to vote? Become a member and enjoy the many perks of NYPH membership. The NYPH Board of Directors is comprised of thirteen professionals from around the Passive House world. This year, six positions were open…
Passive House + Perfect Energy Code = Enforceable High Performance for NYC
By David White New York City is currently planning changes to its energy code, including the energy performance requirements for city-owned buildings. NYPH, Urban Green, and the Mayor's Office all agree that to meet the city's carbon footprint reduction goals, we must make drastic cuts in building energy use. This means adopting a code for all buildings that requires such performance levels. However, this is not the most critical aspect…
Designing Sustainable Buildings Made Fun: Enhanced Planning Tool Released
English version of PHPP 9 to be presented at NAPHN Conference in Vancouver (Press Release, Passive House Institute, 16 September 2015) [caption id="attachment_5546" align="alignright" width="397"] Photo Credit: Passive House Institute / Cyrill Rückner, Oliver Rückner, Andreas Gäde[/caption] Darmstadt, Germany. The tried and tested PHPP tool for designing energy efficient buildings is available in a brand-new version. This upgrade not only allows reliable calculation of the energy demand in accordance with…
Passive House Residents Offer Insights into Buildings of the Future
Open days in November make visits to many projects around the world possible (Press Release, Passive House Institute, 10 September 2015) [caption id="attachment_5522" align="aligncenter" width="793"] Passive House Institute[/caption] Darmstadt, Germany. Low-cost, comfortable, sustainable – that's the future-proof formula for the buildings of tomorrow. During the International Passive House Days from 13 to 15 November, everyone will be able to see how this concept is already working, when several hundreds of…
Submit Your Project to the NAPHN Passive House Design Awards 2015
Apply to the NAPHN Passive House Design Awards 2015! These awards recognize individuals, companies and projects that are spearheading the Passive House movement in North America, celebrating the design and construction quality of Passive House projects as part of a continuing history of excellence in low energy design. The winners will be announced at the dinner at Bridge’s restaurant on October 1st, hosted by Lloyd Alter (purchase tickets here). Learn more and submit…
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…