Category: Uncategorized

Many of you will have read Aaron’s message by now and may have questions regarding our future plans.  I’m writing to reassure all of our members and followers that PHMass is on the brink of significantly expanding our mission. Aaron and I have served together for the last seven years and, working with our Board and many…

The report confirms the low incremental cost for multifamily projects to achieve Passive House and provides data showing how Passive House projects can be healthier and more comfortable than traditional buildings. Key points include: Examining 45 multifamily buildings in MA and NY, they found an average cost increase over traditional projects of just 3.5%. They…

This past month, PHIUS held their annual Passive Projects Design Awards in Chicago to highlight buildings across the country that are pushing the envelope for passive h ouse – and several local projects won big!   Best High-rise Multifamily & Best Overall Project Winner: 425 Grand Concourse | Bronx, New York Architect: Dattner Architects Builder: Monadnock Construction…

The New Stretch Code and the Specialized Opt-In Code The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) has released the final draft of the state’s new building codes as required by last year’s Climate Act. The result is an updated Stretch Energy Code and a new Specialized Municipal Opt-in Code (the “Net-Zero” Code) that are expected…

On June 24th, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) released draft code language for its Stretch Energy Code and Specialized Municipal Opt-in Code: Summary Document Explaining the Stretch Energy Code and Specialized Opt-in Code Language Residential Low-Rise Stretch Energy Code and Specialized Opt-in Code Language (red-line of applicable code sections) Commercial and Other Stretch Energy…

The Sponsors of Mass Save have officially announced the launch of a new incentive program for 1-4 unit residential buildings. The program is aimed at driving residential new construction toward high-performance, all-electric homes. They are offering incentives up to $40,000, as well as technical assistance to support builders, developers, and homeowners in the construction of…

From Energy News Network Passive house incentive programs from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and Mass Save have sparked the growth of high-performance multifamily buildings, with thousands more units in development. In the past year, families have moved into 257 affordable housing units in complexes built to the standard, and about 6,000 additional units are…