Incorporating Passive House Design & Construction Principles into Code Requirements and Best Practices

Passive design and construction principles and certification programs are a strong first step in ensuring that homes and buildings are energy efficient, green and high performance.  By incorporating these principles and techniques, builders, developers and owners can dramatically decrease energy consumption, maximize comfort and health, and incorporate natural lighting to reduce temperature fluctuations, improve indoor air quality and decrease air leakage.  All of these features and benefits create a significantly improved living or working environment.

NCBPA is leading efforts to increase the usage of Passive House design and construction practices in residential and commercial buildings across the state.  Passive House is widely-recognized as the most energy efficient certification program available in the U.S., but is infrequently used due to little recognition in the market and perceptions around the cost of garnering a certification.  NCBPA offers a Passive House Committee that meets monthly to discuss the program and connect professionals and companies interested in learning how to incorporate the program in their next project.

2020 Priorities

NCBPA’s 2020 priorities for incorporating Passive House design, principles and certifications into the North Carolina market include:

  1. Increasing minimum energy efficiency requirements in new construction schools and institutions in North Carolina by incorporating passive design principles and construction techniques.
  2. Improving consumer, architect, builder and developer education on practical uses for passive design and construction.  Click here for more information from NCBPA.
  3. Establishing incentives for multifamily affordable housing developers that build projects above the minimum energy efficiency standards available in the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit program.  NCBPA proposes to provide Qualified Allocation Plan points for unit-level verifiable energy efficiency, water efficiency and for certification and verification programs that include Passive House.
  4. Identifying rebate and incentive program opportunities for Passive House with North Carolina utility energy efficiency programs.
  5. Educating stakeholders on ASHRAE’s recent incorporation of passive design and construction principles in its standards.
  6. Identifying partnership opportunities with national and regional organizations that are interested in supporting this work.

How You Can Play a Role

Join NCBPA as a Member Company, Sponsor or Partner to begin participating in planning meetings, code development campaigns, events and policy advocacy to build the pathway!

NCBPA’s Role in Passive House

NCBPA leads efforts to incorporate Passive House into North Carolina’s built environment through these and other activities:

  1. Offering a Passive House Committee that meets monthly to discuss Passive House projects and collaborate on market development opportunities.
  2. Advocating for rebates, incentives and credit for Passive House certifications and principles in NCHFA’s low income multifamily construction program and from Duke Energy’s utility energy efficiency programs.
  3. Incorporating Passive House education into webinars, events and our 2020 conference.
  4. Advocating for the incorporation of Passive House principles and certifications into NC’s future building and energy codes as well as the pathway to Net Zero Energy New Buildings being developed by the association.
  5. Promoting Passive House projects from member companies to help educate and inform consumers, architects, builders and industry stakeholders.

Resources

For more information, visit these websites:

North Carolina Case Studies:

Articles and References: