North American Passive House Network & Building Energy Exchange Launch Online Education Pathways
North American Passive House Network (NAPHN) and Building Energy Exchange (BE-Ex) announced the launch of a new, coordinated on-demand Passive House training pathway for all industry stakeholders yesterday. This unique professional development pipeline provides short, introductory courses on critical Passive House principles and culminates in the Certified Passive House Designer (CPHD) training for building professionals across New York State and the US. These courses also range from introductory to advanced, and are available through on-demand learning platforms offered by NAPHN (here) and BE-Ex (here). The training platforms were made possible, in part, by the financial support of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
BE-Ex offers a one-hour introductory Passive House Primer and a suite of six technical modules that demystify the basic principles of Passive House design and construction, explain their benefits in the real world, and connect them to the broader context of building energy codes, climate policy, and real estate trends. Later this year, BE-Ex will also unveil a Passive House Primer for Construction Trades, providing a much-needed entry point for this critical set of stakeholders. Available live and on-demand, these training modules are suited for not only working practitioners like architects and engineers but also everyone from the general public to building owners, real estate agents, and builders.
"BE-Ex is pleased to bring our proven expertise in creating and delivering educational resources to our collaboration with NAPHN," said Richard Yancey, Executive Director of the Building Energy Exchange. "Our courses—ranging from introductory to advanced—offer much needed entry points for professionals of all backgrounds to enhance their knowledge and skills in the rapidly growing high performance building market."
Meanwhile, the courses offered by NAPHN present a more in-depth look at the science of Passive House through either an on-demand or a live online version of their landmark CPHD course. Making this vital course available on-demand has transformative implications for the industry. Additionally, NAPHN provides in-depth specialized technical modules on a variety of critical subjects – advanced courses that prepare participants to design high performance, energy efficient buildings that meet the needs of the future through globally recognized Passive House principles. "The new platform will support CPHD training across New York and across the US as well," said NAPHN Executive Director, Ken Levenson.
With these new courses, students can choose which level works for their training needs and can take a flexible self-paced approach to learning. The on-demand Passive House Primer and follow-on technical modules range from 30 minutes to one hour in length. The CPHD training takes place over 10-12 weeks with two live-online webinars and careful examination preparation. After successful completion of the examination, the Certified Passive House Designer certification serves as a clear indicator of technical knowledge and industry leadership. Student profiles include architects, MEP and structural engineers, facade, energy and sustainability consultants, contractors, developers, policymakers, regulators, and more.
"As we transition to a clean energy economy and work toward decarbonizing our existing and future building stock, it is critical to ensure that our workforce has the skills and training needed to participate in and support this transformation," said Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO of NYSERDA. "This online education pathway provides easily accessed courses for a wide spectrum of stakeholders – from skilled tradespeople to engineers and architects – to upskill or learn entirely new Passive House principles and be well-prepared to step into a good-paying clean energy job in one of the State's fastest growing sectors while helping us reach our climate goals."