PROGRESSIVE POLICY AND RESEARCH: 300-level
SESSION 3
DATE // START TIME // ROOM NUMBER:
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 – 11:00am – Metro 2B
ABSTRACT:
Insights into the growth of Passive House in Europe and what lessons may be found in it for Americans.
SPEAKERS:
Tomas O’Leary, Founder, Irish Passive House Academy
Ken Levenson, Partner, Levenson McDavid Architects
Brian Phillips, Principal, IS Architects
David White, Principal, Right Environments
DESCRIPTION:
Passive House, the most rigorous voluntary building energy standard today, has been growing exponentially in Europe since its introduction fifteen years ago. It is now being considered for EU building codes. Entering the United States seven years ago with the construction of the first Certified Passive House in Urbana Illinois, Passive House is an incipient, yet fast growing presence on the American building scene from coast-to-coast – with dozens of buildings now Certified and even more in the design and construction pipeline.
Tomas O’Leary, founder of the Irish Passive House Academy will provide insight into the growth of Passive House in Europe and what lessons may be found in it for Americans. What have been the biggest catalysts for the fast growing acceptance in Europe? What have been the biggest impediments? How might a decade difference – between Passive House’s formative years in Europe and the U.S. – change the context of Passive House adoption in America? How can Americans better leverage what the Europeans have already done to help ensure success?
The three American panelists bring an understanding of the local construction, regulatory and financial realities facing Passive House here in the United States. David White, a mechanical engineer, Certified Passive House Consultant and Passive House instructor, is engineering building systems for a number of Passive House projects in the New York region. Brian Phillips, an innovative Philadelphia based architect has recently designed housing to meet Passive House and LEED Platinum standards. Ken Levenson, an architect, and a founding director of NY Passive House (a non-profit recently formed to promote Passive House locally) has two Passive House projects currently under construction.
Passive House may be a compelling standard, but what does its pathway forward look like?
