The first time I learned about the Passive House rating system, was some time in the mid-1990s. At the time it was being developed in Germany and was primarily a Western European initiative. I remember thinking that it would be seemingly impossible to apply the same standards in the U.S. and certainly unachievable in commercial […]

Sustainable-building leaders had their chance to lobby for energy efficiency improvements and offered their takes on how to get there at a recent industry expo on Capitol Hill. Kiere DeGrandchamp, president of Gettysburg, Pa.-based High Performance Homes and one of four panelists at the Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Expo, said houses that reach […]

The Passive House Institute U.S. (PHIUS) has introduced climate-specific building standards for more than 1,000 more locations in North America, from major metros to rural areas. Passive buildings are generally those that are built so air-tight and energy efficient that little, if any, energy is needed to heat or cool the facility. The rating is […]