Passive House Weekly October 17, 2022

October 17th, 2022

Please read on for a selection of Passive House happenings, articles, interviews, and developments. The featured project above is PHI Certified Ellis Passive House.

Do you have Passive House news that we should share in a future edition? Email us at: [email protected].

1. Passive House Week in Preview

WED: Not a Tradeoff—PH Efficiency & Embodied Carbon IRL

Dan Whitmore (Passive House Consultant), Skylar Swinford (Principal at Energy Systems Consultants) and Zack Semke (Director of Passive House Accelerator) join the Project Showcase with an examination of Passive House's impact on both embodied and operational carbon via two case studies. Do we really have to tradeoff embodied carbon savings and energy efficiency? Are we causing a short-term "carbon burp" when we build in Passive House efficiency into buildings that will trigger tipping points by 2030? When you combine the impacts of mechanical systems, PV, and actual marginal emissions factors on the grid, the answer may surprise you. Get the Zoom link

THUR: LAMILUX Comfort Solo Component Spotlight

Join 475's Lamilux Product Consultant Jeremy Latriano as he introduces the Comfort Solo Flat Roof Exit - a high performance roof access skylight from German supplier Lamilux. The Comfort Solo is engineered to provide roof access without sacrificing performance, and also provides an abundance of sunlight. Jeremy will discuss the various product features while also highlighting why the Comfort Solo is uniquely suited for high performance buildings in the US and Canada. Register here

NOW LIVE: Episode 109 of the Passive House Podcast

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Matthew interviews Enda McDonagh, Certified Passive House Consultant and principal at Montgomery Sisam Architects. Enda studied and worked as Architectural Technician in Dublin where he developed a passion for detailing. In 2010 he moved to Toronto, Canada where he has worked at Montgomery Sisam ever since. His portfolio includes projects for the education, supportive housing, and mental health sectors. Montgomery Sisam is currently working on an affordable housing development in downtown Hamilton. All 24 of the studio apartments are being built offsite and the whole building will be Passive House Certified. Listen here

THIS WEEK: Events In the Passive House Community

Passive House Institute
PHPP 10 - New things and what you always wanted to ask (Oct 17th)

Passive House Accelerator
Not a Tradeoff—PH Efficiency & Embodied Carbon IRL (Oct 19th)
LAMILUX Comfort Solo Component Spotlight (Oct 20)

#BS Friday LIVE
PreCon with Katrin Klingenberg (Oct 21)

THANK YOU to this week's Featured Sponsor

Visit Rockwool

2. Featured Article of the Week

Carroll Gardens sits just south of downtown Brooklyn and is well known for its artisanal shops, leafy residential streets, and historic brownstones, many of which are crying out for restoration. This Carroll Gardens townhouse was originally built in 1899 and had been in the same family for many years. Known as a “basement plus three”, the building was a single-family dwelling that included a basement, a garden or parlor level that sat slightly below grade, and then three stories above that. Continue reading

3. New Videos

Kevin Brennan and special guest Floris Keverling Buisman of 475 High Performance Building Supply joined Passive House Live, Construction Tech edition, to talk through moisture management lessons learned onsite. The presentation demonstrated the technique, technical, and technology needed to avoid condensation risk and bulk water intrusion.

Courtesy of House Planning Help and Ben Adam-Smith, we bring you the Ostro Passivhaus.

Architects Martin McCrae and Mhairi Grant made use of their design background and DIY skills to create themselves a stunning Passivhaus home. While the timber frame stick build was relatively quick to put up, completing the house was a labor of love that took place in spare time over several years. The result, however, was worth the wait. Their home is not only a great piece of modern architecture but it has been constructed with sustainable materials and meets the stringent Passivhaus standard. This video explains all the work that went in and provides tips for any self-builders about to embark on a project.

4. Upcoming Conferences

PhiusCon 2022: Emissions Down, Power Up! (Oct 25-28)
PhiusCon is coming home to Chicago Oct. 25-28 at the historic Palmer House. Last year, Phius set its sights on expansion with its motto “Emissions Down, Scale Up!” and despite the obstacles presented by COVID, shared that vision with a sold-out crowd in Tarrytown, New York. PhiusCon 2021 created a wave of momentum, and Phius is looking to carry that into PhiusCon 2022 as it builds for the future. And you can’t talk about building for the future without mentioning electrification, so Phius decided to put a charge into this year’s motto: “Emissions Down, Power Up!”

UKPassivhaus Conference 2022 (October 25-26)
The 2022 UK Passivhaus Conference will be a hybrid event (in-person in Exeter and online) on 25 & 26 October at the Exeter Corn Exchange. On both days, the Conference will include site visits to St Sidwells' Point, the UK's first leisure centre & public pool aiming for Passivhaus certification.

Passive House Massachusetts Symposium (Nov 16)
PHMass welcomes you to join them as they return to an in-person Symposium and Push the Boundaries of Passive House. Featuring presentations, case-studies, panel discussions, and networking, all in-person at the BSA Space in Boston. Early Bird Registration is now open!

International Passive House Association Conference 2023 (March 10-11)
The 26th International Passive House Conference will be held in the state capital of Hesse in 2023. #EfficiencyNOW will be the focal theme of the event. The Conference will demonstrate how buildings that use very little energy for heating and cooling can be supplied with renewable energy reliably and at scale, a timely topic. The Conference will take place in person in Wiesbaden from March 10-11, 2023. Simultaneously, online events will be available. The Call for Papers is open until 2 September 2022. The event will be held under the auspice of the Minister of Economic Affairs of the German state of Hesse.