Aim High | Exploring the Bright Spots of Passive House Policy

The adoption of the Passive House standard across North America over the past decade has not been uniform, linear nor without challenges, but its uptake is now accelerating rapidly. When the North American Passive House Network (NAPHN) looked closely at where the most activity and adoption was happening, it was surprising to find no alignment with where certification was readily available, nor with climates or regions where Passive House was easier or cheaper to build. What we found was that the Passive House ‘bright spots’ aligned directly with locations where policymakers and practitioners were actively cooperating and collaborating.

It was this discovery that led us to devote our inaugural Resource Guide to exploring the details and nuances of policies that specifically accelerate the adoption of Passive House buildings. A handful of experts were invited to write about specific programs that we identified as great examples of successful policy. These authors have written eloquently on both the evolution and finer points of these particular programs that are all generating exceptional results in order that we may all learn from their success.

NAPHN is grateful for the generous contributions made by Andreas Benzing, Chris Higgins, Matt Hutchins, Steve Mann, Sean Pander, Zack Semke and Stas Zakrzewski, and for the wise counsel, editorial support and firm guidance provided by Mary James. Thanks too to our NAPHN Sponsors, whose continued (and growing) support will enable us to produce additional Resource Guides in the near future.

I invite you to dig into the following articles and use them to replicate and scale these proven policies across the continent. We encourage, salute and celebrate these policymakers, and their colleagues who continue to find ways to partner with practitioners in their regions to “Build the World We Want.”

Bronwyn Barry, RA, CPHD
NAPHN Board President