What is Passive House?
Passive House is a building certification focused on dramatically reducing cooling and space heating from buildings through careful design and constructions practices. The reduction in energy needed to operate these buildings reduces the energy demand on the grid and prepares buildings to be climate-ready.
Passive House and the Massachusetts Building Code
As of November 2024, 48 Massachusetts communities had adopted the “Specialized” tier of building energy code, which requires Passive House certification for new multifamily buildings over 12,000 square feet. The number of communities that are adopting the Specialized code is only expected to increase. Development professionals must have the knowledge to navigate the new code, which will dramatically change the landscape of construction practices. Fortunately, professionals with experience in the development of early Passive House projects are sharing their expertise to help others create cost effective buildings meeting these stringent certification requirements.
Resources for the Development Industry
In anticipation of this industry shift, MassCEC has engaged the non-profit Passive House Massachusetts to develop educational resources that help development teams learn low-cost approaches to Passive House construction. Examples include customizable best-practices, lessons learned, and in-person and virtual training events.
Check out Passive House Massachusetts for videos, upcoming trainings, and other resources available now!