White House Announces Passive House Initiative

whitehousePresident Obama has announced a comprehensive plan to bring renewable energy and energy efficiency to households across the U.S.   Among the initiatives just announced is the establishment of a Passive House track by New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR)…”to encourage a significant increase in the energy efficiency of New York’s affordable housing stock”.  The White House press release goes on to say:

“HCR intends to work closely with NYSERDA to monitor the ongoing energy use intensity of any Passive House projects that may be selected for funding under the RFP, in order to provide valuable data to the market to accelerate the trend toward construction of Passive House certified affordable multifamily buildings.”

The HCR request for proposals can be found here.  Passive House is referenced under the section “c. Optional Green Building Program Participation (5points)” starting on page 58, along with Enterprise Green Communities, LEED, and the National Green Building Standard.   It states:

Passive House Institute Certification:

Projects may qualify in either the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS), or the International Passive House Institute (iPHI) programs. Certification shall be obtained under PHIUS+ 2015 Passive Building Standard – North America, or newer, based on the construction timeframe, or certified under iPHI protocols. The applicant shall submit a form of a receipt from PHIUS or iPHI that the project was accepted into their program, or submit a letter of agreement between the applicant and a PHIUS or iPHI certified Passive House consultant or designer (CPHC or CPHD) that includes oversight of the design and construction as necessary for pre-certification and final certification. The letter of agreement must be fully executed by the applicant and the CPHC or CPHD, and accompanied with the CPHC’s or CPHD’s certification from the US or International Passive House Institute. Final closeout of the project shall be contingent upon final certification from PHIUS or iPHI that their standard was met.

We look forward to developers taking advantage of this essential new option in sustainable affordable housing.

And if you are a developer interested in the program and have questions about Passive House resources available to you in New York State, please see our Resources Page and contact us at info@nypassivehouse.org.   We’re happy to help you!