The Passive House standard will become the base building code for commercial construction, and is having influence in the residential arena, according to some industry observers.
Critics have questioned whether Passive House makes sense on certain commercial and institutional applications such as multi-family and college housing. If occupants are not committed to saving energy, they argue, the benefits of the standard could be negated. If residents leave lights on and windows open, for example, the premium to build to the standard would not pay off.
Nevertheless, proponents say building with continuity in the thermal barrier makes a building more likely to prove its value in the long run. Furthermore, up to 30% of greenhouse gas emissions could be eliminated is Passive House standards are implemented widely.
One advocate said there is an average premium of about 5% in construction costs—a figure that is likely to decline. In a possible sign of things to come, Massachusetts has already included PHIUS+2015 standards as an alternative compliance path to prescriptive requirements in the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code. Other states are expected to follow suit.
Related Stories
Seismic Design | Jun 28, 2016
ASTM International updates seismic risk standards
Expected to improve consistency of risk evaluation on commercial real estate transactions.
Codes and Standards | Jun 17, 2016
Feds publish framework for evaluating public-private partnerships
No single factor determines whether a project yields stronger benefit as a P3.
AEC Tech | Jun 17, 2016
Driverless cars could soon start impacting commercial, retail project design
Offsite parking and more space for valet parking lines are among the foreseeable changes.
Codes and Standards | Jun 17, 2016
Bay State moves toward single BIM protocol on state projects
Massport’s guidelines a step forward for integrated BIM initiative.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 14, 2016
San Francisco voters approve tougher affordability requirement on new housing development
Critics charge that the measure may backfire and actually reduce new affordable units.
Concrete | Jun 13, 2016
American Concrete Institute releases new Guide to Shotcrete
Includes information on application procedures, testing.
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 10, 2016
Top 10 health technology hazards include some influenced by space design
ECRI Institute’s annual list includes operational and workflow issues.
Codes and Standards | Jun 9, 2016
Supreme Court ruling could aid developers on properties containing wetlands
Unanimous decision allows landowners to take regulatory decisions straight to court.
Green | Jun 8, 2016
TD Bank Group's renovated Toronto office is first WELL-Certified project under WELL v1
The newly renovated 25,000-sf space achieved gold-level status.
Concrete | Jun 7, 2016
Concrete Institute publishes document providing concrete curing guidance
New curing monitoring techniques included.
