Conference schedule

This workshop will review the technical and design aspects central to effective PHPP energy modeling for buildings in difficult, mixed climates. The presenters will give an overview of the PHPP’s cooling calculations, demonstrate the critical inputs and look at how to interpret and understand the model results. Using case-studies they will illustrate how designers can use the PHPP energy model to ensure good manual ventilation, effective window shading and how to control interior humidity. Real-world monitored results will be shared to illustrate common issues with some types of PH mechanical systems.

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This workshop will explore the non-residential worksheets in PHPP: Use Non-Res, Electricity Non-Res, IHG Non-Res. Other aspects for accurate modelling of non-residential buildings in PHPP will be covered. Case studies of simple and complex buildings along with exercises will support the participants learning.

This NAPHN Toolbox Training will focus on how to approach policymakers. NAPHN has identified that when Passive House practitioners connect to and support local, progressive policymakers, real progress happens. This workshop will provide an overview of the slides and grant template specifically developed for our chapters and members to engage with policymakers and local utility representatives. It will cover: 1. What to focus on when speaking to policymakers, using the NAPHN slide deck provided to all attendees. 2. How to apply for local funding to supplement CPHD and other PH trainings in your region, which in turn will build local expertise and expand local membership. For NAPHN Chapter Members only.

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This workshop draws lessons from thousands of Passive House buildings – and presents these lessons in the problem-solution format of “A Pattern Language” – with the intent of identifying patterns applicable to not only Passive House buildings but also Net Zero, Living Building and other high-performance standards. This is an advanced workshop focused on large buildings. Attendees should have achieved a Certified Passive House Consultant credential.

This workshop/course is a comprehensive technical review of the RESET Air for Commercial Interior and RESET Air for Core & Shell Certification Standards. Attendees will receive detailed training of both standards, helping them understand the importance of healthy indoor air quality (IAQ) preparing them for their RESET Air Accredited Professional status. The course is designed to thoroughly explore the technical application of the Standard as well as the history and intent of RESET Air. Lead by the author of the Standard, this is a robust and intense dive into the Standards for Data Providers, Monitoring Hardware and deployment guidelines.

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This workshop will address two tasks that take considerable time processing on large PH projects: building geometry takeoffs and lighting design evaluation. The goal of the workshop is to provide the participants tools for evaluating high-rise Passive House buildings that will reduce time and increase accuracy. Using Bluebeam, SketchUp Pro (2016 or higher), and Microsoft Excel, participants will be guided through the steps to model a high-rise building efficiently. Previous knowledge of Bluebeam, SketchUp Pro, and Microsoft Excel required and must have installed on computer.

Traditional hydronic design strategies are energy and carbon-intensive. This workshop will explore an innovative approach to using a low-temperature hydronic loop with case study detail for a proposed PH building in NYC. As well as looking at the energy and carbon emissions of DWH and the design optimization opportunities. Also included, is a review of the process for entering hot water piping into the PHPP to more confidently estimate piping heat loss at a very early stage in a project’s development.

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In this workshop we will share two ideas that reduce construction costs on the order of $1,000-$10,000 per dwelling unit while improving customer satisfaction, increasing water and energy efficiency and lowering long-term maintenance costs. Both ideas revolve around the concept of bringing back the core. (A core is the opposite of spaghetti-like plumbing and ductwork.) Please bring your plans, concerns and questions to this session so we can look at and discuss them.

Facades and curtain walls create the identity of a building. In order to reduce the transmission losses, achieve the highest thermal comfort and allow flexible concepts without impairing the architecture, it is necessary to be aware of any weak points and to mitigate the effects on the thermal performance. The workshop shows examples of how we can create buildings that achieve the highest thermal comfort in winter- and summer time and still perform with high efficiency , without any compromises in the design.

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Passive House is a whole building approach. For complex buildings with energy intensive amenities this means looking carefully also at all consumers withing the building and working towards overall high energy performance. This workshop will show examples and processes of how the Passive House concept is being applied to challenging building types - from initial research, to pilot projects, to developing general guidelines for future buildings.

It turns out buildings do not always perform the way we tell them to on paper or in an energy model. As Passive House is going bigger, we all need to take a hard look at the commercial scale MEP systems we are designing, installing and operating, to ensure we are on track to meet the energy and comfort targets for our projects. We need to start asking more questions: What is the actual building energy data telling us about large-scale New York City multifamily buildings (both passive and not)? How can we use the commissioning process to spot issues from design through operations? Plus more, commissioning is about asking the right questions and trying to fill in the gaps.

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This workshop, both hands-on and theoretical discussion, is an overview on making a complete and continuous interior and exterior air barrier, with a focus on addressing the common building sequencing concerns. Highlighting the methods and materials that both designers and builders can use to address these sequencing concerns. It will outline best practice for airsealing foundation to wall junctures, floor separations, wall to roof junctures, and common mechanical penetrations in both new build and renovation of wood construction.

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Universities are leading incubators of high performance and this 70,000 SF dormitory for Monash University in Melbourne, shows the way - as the largest CLT Passive House construction in Australia. The architect, owner, and builder, examine the design process, the challenges, and lessons learned, in making this transformative building.

Passive House may be an international standard but the best solutions are often local. Presentations and panel discussion will explore how architects and architecture are utilizing modern materials, global insights and evidence-based tools to provide exceptional design and performance - that don’t lose their sense of place and the unique qualities of region, climate and culture.

To meet carbon emissions targets in 2030 and 2050 Passive House simply isn’t enough - as the carbon emissions contribution embedded in making a building will still, typically, far outweigh its operational efficiency savings. To be sure we are optimizing climate action, embodied carbon must be accounted for and reduced, when making a Passive House building. See the research and practical tools that can help make it a reality.

Join us for open bar beer and wine, while mingling and networking with attendees and vendors.

Doors and Expo hall open

A panel discussion examines drivers of residential indoor air pollution and provides opportunities to improve health equity, including practical recommendations for moving up the ladder of healthier materials. What’s the role of public health research? What can recent studies tell us abut ventilation criteria for families and community? Strategies emerge to make the case for expanding the definition of high-performance to include human health. What’s the role of Passive House?

There are a few real estate developers out there leading the charge and actively trying to shape the future of the rental market by incorporating Passive House design. Learn about what it takes to invest in Passive House from both the developer and owner side, plus learn key aspects of how to build at market rate from those who are already pursuing it.

An ageless question has been: How to best sell Passive House? While everyone agrees that the name Passive House may be suboptimal, but they even more passionately believe that, short of government mandates, having a winning message is critical to enable widespread adoption. Short presentations and lively moderated panel discussion will breakdown three perspectives on this Gordian knot. Join the discussion.

Join us for open bar beer and wine, while mingling and networking with attendees and vendors.

Doors and Expo hall open

On Earth Day, 2019, NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio, highlighted the need to make our glass towers far more energy efficient. This session provides answers on how to go about it. Drawing on experience from glass curtain wall Passive House buildings in Europe and the U.S., the details, challenges and strategies to make the seemingly impossible, possible, are examined.

Building design is done in the context of an uncertain future: What’s the climate to be? Will occupancy patterns change? The physical environment surrounding the building? And what of maintenance, and future upgrades? The PHPP is a design tool that not only helps account for performance as initially intended but empowers the designers to stress test future scenarios. Join an investigation to some of the most significant variables in play and how best to ensure future resilience.

Multifamily mixed use affordable housing is a leading Passive House building typology. This session examines the design, construction and occupancy of a 58,000 SF building in Corona, Queens - with perspective not only provided by architect, consultant and engineer but also the building owner and the residents themselves. What were the surprises, challenges - how are building operations and how do these senior citizens like living there? Find out and ask questions.

Join us for open bar beer and wine, while mingling and networking with attendees and vendors.

Doors and Expo hall open

What were the early experiences and motivations that drove programs to explore Passive House? What advice would policymakers from these programs share with others looking for solutions? What worked, what didn’t and how can others succeed? What and where are other places/policies to get started with PH? Three presentations highlighting efforts in Vancouver, New York City and Exeter UK will illustrate the issues with a moderated open Q&A.

What are the target options for policymakers to set, for industry to meet? California uses a cyclical code for updates. NYC has proposed a carbon emissions cap, while British Columbia has a step code with a performance target. Both have end-goal targets. What needs to happen to make these viable for industry to reliably deliver on these targets. Are intermediary steps helpful? Join this moderated panel discussion, but note that questions from the audience will be limited to invited policymaker attendees.

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In 2018 New York State launched a flagship effort to revolutionize the way large buildings are renovated across the state - with the explicit goal of spearheading the creation of standardized, scalable solutions. Learn about the trip to Holland to learn about the Energysprong program there, that help kick-off this initiative, how it is being applied to projects, and what the next steps are - with presentations and panel discussion.

Passive House professionals and the Passive House Institute are constantly pushing the boundaries of conventional wisdom. We hear the constant refrain, “Sure, that’s a Passive House, BUT certainly, THIS can’t ever be one!” PHI senior scientist, Jessica Grove-Smith, unpacks the latest developments in building typologies, technologies and research that are pushing Passive House to the far corners of the building world.

As Passive House gains a foothold in nonresidential buildings, understanding the MEP considerations for special use groups becomes critical. Here, systems integration with projects ranging from an office building, to a community center, to a firehouse are considered.

Lunch to be served on the expo floor.

Two projects in development - the Earth Tower in Vancouver and the Center for Human Ecology at the College of the Atlantic in Maine - exemplify mass timber construction’s rapidly growing acceptance and welcome partnership with Passive House in potentially achieving more sustainable outcomes. What architectural and environmental advantages does mass timber provide? What are some of the concerns and challenges to ensuring that potential deep carbon reduction goals are met? What are the pitfalls and the possibilities? Find out about all this and more.

Cities suffer from an outdated commercial building stock, which should be upgraded for a host of reasons. While many amenities are typically reached for in the work - a logical addition should be Passive House performance and other low-carbon outcomes. This session examines a recently completed office building renovation in Brussels. Not only is low-energy performance a requirement but a host of sustainable solutions were achieved, all while making beautiful architecture. It can be done. Find out how.

Join us for open bar beer and wine, while mingling and networking with attendees and vendors.

Doors and Expo hall open

The 140,000 SF George Davies Centre at the University of Leicester, in the UK, brings together the colleges of Medicine, Psychology and Biological Sciences. It accommodates 2,400 occupants, theaters, research laboratories and teaching spaces. Passive House consultants will dive into the details and lessons learned, and how those lessons are being applied to other large scale projects. Get answers to your questions to help your next university project.

The cost of climate change destruction will be far greater than the price of mitigating it. Never-the-less, that individual projects must be cost effective and make good business sense. Two pros who are walking-the-walk show how. First, architects and engineers can make more cost effective decisions and make the upfront costs work. Second, there’s an overall business case to be made for Passive House. Find out how, ask questions and join the discussion.

Retrofits of existing wood and masonry houses are a core climate solution. In this session architects explain their experiences, processes, challenges and solutions to a variety of retrofit examples. Take lessons learned to your next retrofit project.

Lunch to be served on the expo floor.

As New York City pushes toward deep carbon emissions reductions, the need to unlock optimized savings in the existing building stock is critical. To achieve this NYC has instituted a high performance track in its Retrofit Accelerator program - providing resources for building owners to execute low-carbon renovation outcomes. Find out about the challenges and success, the resources and examples of implementation.

As tall Passive House multifamily buildings grow in number, architects grappling with complete systems integration are finding common struggles, opportunities and solutions. This session examines the intersection of architectural design, Passive House performance and MEP systems, and how things are progressing, for this dominant building typology.

Join us for open bar beer and wine, while mingling and networking with attendees and vendors.

Doors and Expo hall open

Space conditioning and domestic hot water are significant producers of building carbon emissions. Today, we can move away from fossil fuels with electrification and green grids, and toward higher efficiencies with heat pump technology. Heat pump utilization is rapidly growing in Passive House construction. Find out the latest developments in heat pump technology, the practical applications and how that technology is being integrated into Passive House buildings to optimize performance.

Working on a Passive House project can transform how professionals engage with each other, how they look at buildings, and how they measure critical metrics of success. This session dives into those relationships, the processes, and results: investigating what makes a successful team tick, why they can’t look back to the old way, and what lessons can be brought to the start of the next project, to make a beautiful, comfortable and low-energy Passive House building.

Find out how a low-energy First Nations church in Northern British Columbia was constructed with prefabrication - the high quality components, the systems, the struggles and the solutions. Then we take a close look at training, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance for a Pittsburgh library and find answers to the question - How’s it doing?

Lunch to be served on the expo floor.

Passive House is growing but lingering questions remain as to how and when can it break into the mainstream mass production market. Mass production not only represents the majority of new home builds, but opportunities for greater quality control and quality assurance. This session examines three perspectives of production building: sitck-built, panelized, and modular - with a panel discussion and Q&A. Help us find the way.

Densely populated coastal areas that might be described as “the usual suspects” have had an easier time building Passive House community than the rural areas between. With practitioners often separated by great distances building a supportive community can be daunting. How can these practitioners work together and connect across regions? How do we avoid a “zero-sum” mindset where natural allies see only competition? Training? Community building? Spread from Alberta to Montana and Colorado panelists will dive in and discuss, along with audience members facing similar challenges, these issues and strategies for success.

Join us for open bar beer and wine, while mingling and networking with attendees and vendors.

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At a pivotal point in your career or just starting out in the Passive House industry, get key questions answered by seasoned professionals who will share their knowledge and expertise. We will have approx. 6 Mentors with 8 minute mentoring sessions. Event Speakers TBD. Make sure to register through the EventBrite Link - click the “Read More” button.

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Passive House is relentlessly focused on energy and thermal comfort, but other technical aspects play important roles in determining ultimate success. This session looks at two of them. First: How do ADA regulations and related considerations affect planning, detailing, and critical component selection? Second: Passive Houses are famously quiet. The interior noises are of greater consequence and affect our sense of privacy and peace of mind. What are the challenges and strategies to ensure exemplary acoustic control from outside and inside.

Window differences are too often underappreciated for their impact on meeting Passive House goals effectively. Often lower performing windows and installation techniques are used that limit design options and risk discomfort and mechanical system inefficiencies. Yet with high quality and PHI certified windows, there is the possibility of not just greater performance, comfort and reliability, but greater design freedom. Find out the metrics, the strategies and the possibilities.

Lunch to be served on the expo floor.

While we can all agree that greater density generally means greater sustainability, achieving PER targets can be challenging for large and densely occupied Passive House buildings. This session takes a look at the PER budgets, and reviews specific measures to lower modeled PER. What are the challenges and solutions and what practical guidance can be provided for work going forward?

With spectacularly horrific building fires in the news - the ever persistent questions of fire safety and Passive House becomes more significant. Passive Houses are special but does that mean they have a unique relationship with fire prevention, spread and control? What are strategies to confront these issues in Passive House buildings. Where do we see the issue of fire and industry moving toward? A number of perspectives and aspects will be explored in this session.

Join us for open bar beer and wine, while mingling and networking with attendees and vendors.