As of this morning, Phius is suspending their requirement that multifamily buildings certify with the DOE Efficient New Homes v2 program (formerly known as Zero Energy Ready Homes). Most items on the ENH checklist will still be required, but the certification requirement for projects covered by ENH v2 is paused indefinitely (projects covered by ENH v1 are unaffected by this change).
This is a welcome move that maintains the rigor of the Phius standard while removing unnecessary hurdles in ENH v2. Many of our members had reached out to let us know that they were concerned about the change from ENH v1 to v2, especially around source energy requirements. As soon as we heard, PHMass began robust engagement with Phius on how to resolve this issue.
We are grateful for Phius’ responsiveness and leadership here, and we look forward to a permanent resolution in the 2027 Phius standard update. As that update process and conversations with DOE move forward, PHMass will continue our outreach and involvement.
We are also grateful for the contributions and input of our members (particular shout-out to Andrew Steingiser and RDH Building Science, who went above and beyond to help us unpack the problem). Listening to members’ concerns, identifying potential responses, and advocating on your behalf are all critical parts of our mission to improve people’s lives through better buildings. We couldn’t do this without your support. If you’re not a member and want to help make this work possible, join us at https://phmass.org/corporate-membership/.
As always, we invite all members of the Passive House community, regardless of the standard they’re working towards, to let us know how we can help smooth the path to project success.
About the Author
Alexander Gard-Murray is the Executive Director of Passive House Massachusetts. He holds a DPhil in Politics and an MSc in Politics Research from Oxford. Before joining PHMass, he taught and researched energy and environmental policy at Harvard and Brown, and led policy research at the Greenhouse Institute. He can be reached at alexander@phmass.org.
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