Passive House Adoption & Codification a Growing Building Trend in 2024

Phius' Climate-Specific Approach to Passive Building Drives 2023 Successes and Paves the Way for Exponential Growth in 2024

CHICAGO, Jan. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Today, Phius, the smartest path to a zero-carbon environment, announced unprecedented growth in adopting passive building standards in North America, with a remarkable 52 percent increase in square footage Phius Certified in 2023.

The organization has now certified more than 13.7 million square feet of passive building projects optimized for adaptability and resilience, especially as climate change impacts the quality of life with severe weather, power outages, flooding, and fires. This growth, driven in part by the adoption of Phius standards into building codes, signifies a booming industry shift.

"As the demand for zero-energy innovation grows, influenced by climate-related events and an increased strain on power grids, we're seeing a mindset shift that calls for the mainstream adoption of passive building standards as code. Phius, optimized for adaptability and resilience, is the solution," said Executive Director and Co-Founder of Phius, Katrin Klingenberg.

Phius, a non-profit committed to decarbonizing the built environment, maintains a locally tailored, globally applicable passive house building standard used to certify the majority of all passive projects in North America.

Looking ahead to 2024, Phius anticipates a surge in the adoption of air sealing as a cost-effective measure to reduce air leakage in homes. The ongoing discourse on decarbonization, exploring nuances such as embedded versus operational carbon, is also expected to remain a focal point of discussions in the coming year.

The Phius Certified passive building trend will be bolstered by:

• Cities Adopting Phius into Building Codes & Incentives: Phius is included in the Qualified Allocation Plan in 18 states and regularly submits for adoption in building codes throughout the country.
• In 2022, Massachusetts adopted an Opt-in Energy Stretch Code, leading to 32 jurisdictions, including the City of Boston, adopting the Stretch Code in 2023.
• Additionally, in 2023, ASHRAE Standard 227P – Passive Building Design was released for public comment. This signifies passive building as one step closer to being formalized as a mandatory and code-compliant standard.
• Significant Expansion of Passive Building – New Cities and Project Types
• In 2023, Phius certified 58 projects, compared to 39 in 2022.
• Houston, TX is announcing its first Phius Certified project, Clutch City Passive, showcasing Phius' compatibility with diverse climate zones. Using Phius' uniquely climate-specific passive building principles, the project lends maximum comfort to occupants – especially in this humid region.
• Phius Brings Passive Building to Greenbuild 2024
• Phius and the U.S. Green Building Council are collaborating to bring Passive Building to Greenbuild 2024 attendees (Nov. 12-15 in Philadelphia), presenting a Phius-exclusive track, pre-conference summit, and pavilion of exhibitors. This significant partnership connects mainstream building with passive building for the first time.
• Retrofitting Existing Buildings to meet Phius Standards
• Phius CORE REVIVE paves the way for retrofitting existing buildings to achieve carbon reduction goals and avoid the embodied carbon impact of new construction projects. Discover the Retrofit Winner and Retrofit Honorable Mention from the 2023 Phius Passive Projects Design Competition.

Phius' mission is to create a built environment that supports the health of people and the planet. Simply put: zero is the goal, and Phius is the means. With membership growing to 1,372 in 2023, and more than 500 attendees welcomed at PhiusCon in Houston, the largest passive building certification program in North America is leading the country toward a more sustainable, resilient 2024 and beyond.

Visit www.Phius.org for more information. Images are HERE.

About Phius

Phius is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization committed to decarbonizing the built environment by making high-performance passive building the mainstream market standard. We train and certify professionals, maintain and update the Phius climate-specific passive building standard, certify and quality assure passive buildings, certify high-performance building products and conduct research to advance high-performance building.

Media Contact

Jennifer Karkar Ritchie, Phius, 1 205-354-8044, [email protected], https://www.phius.org

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SOURCE Phius