Gov. Hochul Announces Federal Funding for Homes

NY State Governor

Awards Through New York’s Weatherization Stimulus Program Will Reduce Energy Costs for Low-Income Homeowners and Renters; Advance Governor's Target of Two Million Electrified or Electrification-Ready Homes by 2030 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $34 million in federal funding awards for over 1,000 homes to become more energy-efficient and climate-friendly. Awarded through the state’s Weatherization Stimulus Program, the funding will support electrification and electrification-ready upgrades that will lower energy costs and improve health…


Let’s save fossil energy! NOW!

Passive House Institute: #EfficiencyNOW shows ways towards independence from fossil fuels Darmstadt, Germany. The call of the hour is to save fossil energy. To achieve this goal quickly, the Passive House Institute has started the #EfficiencyNOW campaign. The research institute explains how each one of us can contribute towards becoming more independent of fossil energy, and ultimately phasing it out altogether. On Passipedia, the Institute provides guidelines on how to…


Empire Building Challenge

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Empire Building Challenge A New Era for High-Rise Buildings The Empire Building Challenge will spur economic growth and renewal in New York by attracting best-in-class manufacturers, solution providers, and entrepreneurs from around the world to help transform our existing building stock into the buildings of the future. Investing in the most promising novel approaches to retrofitting our tallest buildings will transform the high-rise building market and position the State as…


Check out the New York Passive House Podcast!

New York Passive House has published its first episode of the NYPH Podcast on Spotify and RSS.com on Tuesday, April 5. The first episode of the pod features Sarah Bayer and Matt Scheer of MAP Architects discussing the role sustainable building plays in their role as architects. Click here to listen


Blown-In Havelock Sheep Wool Insulation Is A Breeze

Installing blown-in (loose-fill) wool insulation at a professional level just got a whole lot easier. Havelock Wool is changing the game by offering blower rentals directly from Havelock. This is important because the blower they recommend most highly is not the standard model used by cellulose installers. The best part? The rental is free for the first 10 days (a refundable deposit is required.) Why Blown-In Wool? Sheep wool is a great…


THE CHESTNUTS ENERPHIT CASE STUDY – A SCALABLE APPROACH TO RETROFITTING

It is no secret that retrofitting an existing structure to a high standard is more challenging than building a new one. In part, retrofitting is challenging because of the diversity of obstacles faced by designers when considering insulation, airtightness, and thermal bridge mitigation strategies – every house is different. With unprecedented retrofit targets outlined by both Irish and UK governments, it is important to develop scalable retrofit approaches, that can…


EPA publishes Clean Air in Buildings Challenge

Guidance to Help Building Owners and Operators Improve Indoor Air Quality and Protect Public Health The “Clean Air in Buildings Challenge” is a call to action and a set of guiding principles and best practices to assist building owners and operators with reducing risks from airborne viruses and other contaminants indoors. The Clean Air in Buildings Challenge highlights a range of recommendations and resources available for improving ventilation and indoor…


Biden launches green buildings partnership with states, cities

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The Biden administration is launching a new partnership with two states and several cities aimed at reducing planet-warming emissions from buildings. President Biden is expected to announce the new "Buildings Performance Standards Coalition" during remarks at the U.S. Conference of Mayors on Friday. According to a White House fact sheet first shared with The Hill, the partnership will include 33 state and local governments that encompass 20 percent of the country’s…


Biden Administration Launches Effort to Improve Ventilation and Reduce the Spread of COVID-⁠19 in Buildings

FACT SHEET: Earlier this month, the Biden-Harris Administration released the National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, a roadmap to move the country forward safely and continue to fight COVID-19 as Americans get back to their more normal routines.  Today the Administration is launching the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge, a key component of the President’s Plan, that calls on all building owners and operators, schools, colleges and universities, and organizations of all kinds…



If your hospital suddenly feels more like an Apple store or greenhouse, biophilic design is why

Healthcare spaces are increasingly using nature as a way to make their buildings better for patients. Among a certain subset of designers, there’s a growing feeling that the more natural a space is, the better. So-called biophilic design, or design that integrates nature and natural processes, is making its way into the world of architecture and urban development. In architecture, biophilia is seen as a way to make people happier and…


NYC Enacts Legislation to Promote All-Electric Buildings

NYC is now the largest city in the U.S. to enact legislation relating to the electrification of buildings. On December 15, 2021, the NY City Council voted in support of Int. 2317A-2021, which effectively mandates the electrification of most new buildings by prohibiting the on-site “combustion of a substance that emits 25 kilograms or more of carbon dioxide per million British thermal units of energy.” Former Mayor Bill de Blasio, a…