Posts tagged Phius CORE

Introducing The Spring Street Passive House: A Healthy Home Project By Kristof & Diane Irwin

For two decades, our work at Positive Energy has been driven by a single, powerful question: why aren’t buildings created to better support the people inside them? We’ve dedicated our careers to answering that question, moving from hands-on custom home building to the forefront of building science and MEP engineering. Now, we’re bringing that journey full circle by taking on our most personal project yet: our own family home, the Spring Street Passive House.

Architectural Design, Building Enclosure, Building Science, Dehumidification, Electrification, Embodied Carbon, Environmental Design, Filtration, Healthy Home, Heat Pumps, High Performance Homes, HVAC, Indoor Air Quality, Mechanical Design, Natural Building Material, Passive House, Phius, Plumbing, Solar, Ventilation, WildfirePositive EnergyJuly 3, 2025Spring Street Passive House, Resilient Design, Human-Centered Design, Columbia River Gorge, Positive Energy, MEP Engineering, Building Science, Diane Irwin, Kristof Irwin, Blue Heron Builders, Diagnostic Performance Testing, Forensic Building Science, Human and Planetary Thriving, The Building Science Podcast, Passive House Standard, Passivhaus, Fabric-First Approach, Phius Standard, Phius CORE, Phius ZERO, Thermal Control, Continuous Insulation, Thermal Bridge Elimination, Air Control, Airtight Construction, Blower Door Test, Balanced Ventilation, Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV), Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV), Radiation Control, High-Performance Windows, Triple-Glazed Windows, Optimized Solar Gain, Shading, WUFI Passive Software, Moisture Control, Occupant Health, Building Durability, Extreme Winds, Temperature Extremes, Wildfire, Air Quality, Geological Conditions, Soil Conditions, Foam-Free Enclosure, Embodied Carbon, All-Electric Design, Radiant Heating, Radiant Cooling, Air-to-Water Heat Pumps, Net-Zero Energy Building, Rooftop Solar Array, Thermal Comfort, Indoor Air Quality, MERV Filters, Acoustic Comfort, Psychological Security, Environmental Pollutants, Sustainable Housing, Building Decarbonization.

A Path for California Architects to Easily Achieve Title 24 and Achieve Beyond-Code Performance

California has long been at the forefront of energy efficiency in the United States compared to its 49 counterparts, with its pioneering Building Energy Efficiency Standards, commonly known as Title 24, Part 6, first adopted in 1976. These standards are not static. They undergo rigorous updates every three years, serving as a dynamic benchmark for building energy performance and a critical mechanism for reducing greenhouse gas emissions during construction and operation. This continuous evolution is a deliberate policy strategy by the California Energy Commission (CEC) to systematically integrate the latest energy-saving technologies and construction practices into the built environment.

Architectural Design, Building Enclosure, Building Science, Code, Electrification, Embodied Carbon, Heat Pumps, High Performance Homes, HVAC, Mechanical Design, Off-grid, Passive House, Phius, Solar, Wildfire, Title 24Positive EnergyJune 4, 2025Title 24, Building Energy Efficiency Standards, California Energy Commission (CEC), net-zero buildings, decarbonization targets, 2022 Energy Code, energy reduction, building science principles, MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) engineering, Title 24 compliance, beyond-code performance, Heat Pumps, Electric-Ready Requirements, Solar PV, Battery Storage, Ventilation Standards, 2025 Title 24 updates, demand flexibility, time-dependent valuation (TDV), mandatory measures, prescriptive approach, performance approach, Energy Design Ratings (EDR), EnergyPro, CBECC, EnergyPlus, climate zones, prescriptive requirements, insulation, fenestration, air sealing, moisture management, Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems, grid-interactive homes, high-efficiency HVAC systems, smart controls, Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs), Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs), water heating, LED lighting, Phius, passive building standard, net-zero building, quality assurance, continuous insulation, thermal bridge-free design, airtightness, high-performance windows and doors, balanced ventilation, passive solar design, internal heat gains, Phius CORE, Phius ZERO, Integrated Design Process (IDP), labor and expertise gaps, permitting and regulatory hurdles, contractor resistance, building science consulting, energy modeling, MEP system design, Code Compliance, Risk Management.

Phius Market Penetration in the US: A Comparative Analysis with Typical Code-Built Houses

The adoption of Phius passive building standards in the United States, while demonstrating a robust upward trend, currently constitutes a small fraction of the overall construction market, which is predominantly characterized by buildings constructed to meet minimum code requirements. Phius certified buildings offer substantial advantages over typical code-built houses, most notably in their superior energy efficiency, which translates to significant reductions in operational energy consumption and associated costs. Furthermore, these high-performance buildings provide enhanced indoor air quality, increased durability, and a greater level of resilience against extreme weather events and power outages. The number of Phius certified projects and the total square footage of these projects have been steadily increasing across the US, reflecting a growing interest in and adoption of these advanced building principles. Moreover, the integration of Phius standards into the energy codes of several states and municipalities indicates a growing recognition of their value in achieving ambitious energy efficiency and sustainability goals. This report aims to provide a comprehensive, data-driven analysis of the current market penetration of Phius standards within the US construction sector, offering a comparative perspective against conventional code-compliant building practices and assessing the implications for the future of sustainable building in the nation.

Code, Building Science, Electrification, Healthy Home, High Performance Homes, HVAC, Phius, Passive HousePositive EnergyMay 26, 2025Phius passive building standards, US construction market, code-built houses, energy efficiency, operational energy consumption, indoor air quality, durability, resilience, extreme weather events, power outages, Phius certified projects, square footage, sustainability goals, Phius certification programs, net-zero energy buildings, continuous insulation, airtight building envelope, high-performance windows and doors, heat- and moisture-recovery ventilation, minimal space conditioning systems, Phius CORE, Phius ZERO, Phius REVIVE 2024, deep energy retrofits, climate-specific standards, US building codes, decentralized regulatory framework, International Code Council (ICC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), model building codes, International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index, ENERGY STAR certification, building permits, single-family homes, multifamily projects, commercial buildings, market penetration of Phius, certification growth trends, energy savings, construction costs, indoor environmental quality, thermal comfort, natural disasters, factors influencing Phius market adoption, regulatory endorsement, decarbonization, training programs, professional certification, long-term cost savings, financial incentives, Qualified Allocation Plans, perceived higher upfront costs, familiarity with passive building principles, specialized materials, traditional construction practices, future outlook for Phius, zero-carbon built environment.

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