January 16, 2024
Lunch & Learn

Learn the benefits of water heating technologies, for example:

* Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions from the building sector by displacing natural gas and propane combustion water heating.
* Increase in electrical efficiency by replacing electric resistance water heaters.
* Utility bill savings with technology efficiencies and shifting consumption to times when renewable energy resources are abundant and electricity prices are lowest.
Become familiar with the various types of water heaters:
* Conventional storage water heaters offer a ready reservoir (storage tank) of hot water which is adequate for everyday use.
* Heat pump water heaters move heat from one area to another instead of generating heat directly to provide hot water, resulting in high efficiencies and significant cost reductions.
* Solar water heaters use the sun to heat water, reducing energy costs for homeowners.
* Tankless or demand-type water heaters heat water directly without the use of a storage tank.
* Tankless coil and indirect water heaters use a home’s space heating system to heat water.

Speakers: Sarah Cok, Consultant, Newport Partners

January 9, 2024
Lunch & Learn

High performance, net zero, and off the grid are all terms many have heard of and will hear more of in the future as the country works to reduce carbon emissions.  All-electric homes greatly reduce carbon emissions in comparison to homes using other fuel sources.  This course will:
* Cover the idea of constructing buildings with high energy efficiency, the primary goal of going 100% electric, the building’s sole source of energy.  Discussions and examples will also look at what can be done to existing buildings to make them all-electric.
* Identify current innovative high-performance technology options for all-electric homes such as HVAC and lighting systems in cold climates.
* Dive into the building envelope and the many methods that can be used to make home energy efficient, tight, and comfortable to live in.  No aspect of the home will be left untouched, as attendees examine steps and guidelines toward making all-electric homes as cost-effective as possible.

Speaker: Matt Evans, Newport Partners

October 25, 2023
Lunch & Learn

Various certification programs, incentive programs, and local energy codes require blower door testing to confirm tightness of the building envelope along with individual dwelling units. Successful air sealing programs begin at the design stage of the project and are then carried out through construction via the installing trade contractors. This module will review sample details that should be included in drawing sets to allow for proper air sealing, strategies observed on site of how to implement these details, and review issues seen on projects in efforts to avoid them on future jobs. Note that this module will focus on larger multifamily buildings that are built with Masonry and/or steel stud construction.these details, and review issues seen on projects in efforts to avoid them on future jobs. Note that this module will focus on 2-4 unit buildings (triple deckers, duplexes, etc.) are wood-framed.

Speakers: Michael O’Donnell, Principal Building Systems Consultant, CEM, Phius+ Verifier, Steven Winter Associates Inc.

AIA approval pending

October 12, 2023
Lunch & Learn

Various certification programs, incentive programs, and local energy codes require blower door testing to confirm tightness of the building envelope along with individual dwelling units. Successful air sealing programs begin at the design stage of the project and are then carried out through construction via the installing trade contractors. This module will review sample details that should be included in drawing sets to allow for proper air sealing, strategies observed on site of how to implement these details, and review issues seen on projects in efforts to avoid them on future jobs. Note that this module will focus on 2-4 unit buildings (triple deckers, duplexes, etc.) are wood-framed.

Speaker: Steve Klocke, RA, Principal Sustainability Consultant, Steven Winter Associates, Inc.

AIA approval pending

September 20, 2023
Lunch & Learn

Christina McPike and Kate Doherty talk about an adaptive reuse project—The Tyler—as an example of the collaborative process between a developer and Passive House Designer. They will discuss what it took to give this school a new life as 55+ housing while also getting it to Passive House level efficiency. The speakers will go through some of the intricacies of the EnerPHit program compared to new construction Passive House and some challenges they faced on this project with words of wisdom to other developers taking the leap into Passive House.

Speakers: Christina McPike, Director of Energy & Sustainability, WinnCompanies, Kate Doherty, Building Systems Consultant, CPHD, Steven Winter Associates

August 23, 2023
Lunch & Learn

Wood fiber insulation is now being produced in America. Learn how wood fiber insulation can help provide high performance above grade insulation products to create wind-tight, vapor-open assemblies offering stable, long-term R-values, improved temperature stability, and robust sound protection. A review of current insulation available today and an introduction to wood fiber insulation as a readily available alterative solution. A deep dive into current code compliant assemblies with the introduction of wood fiber insulation and how it fits into the wall assembly to provide a vapor open alternative. Finishing the session by discussing the current state of building materials carbon emissions impact and how Life Cycle Analysis help reveal impact areas that need to be addressed. Carbon sequestration can help dramatically reduce carbon emissions and wood fiber insulation offers can help.

Speaker: Scott Johnston, Senior Northeast Business Development Manager, TimberHP

June 7, 2023
Lunch & Learn

Learn all about exterior insulation, air barriers, and thermal bridging in this Lunch & Learn session. We will review basic envelope design & construction practices and look at several real-world examples of Passive House wall systems from various projects, highlighting successful elements and lessons learned. Key concepts include thermal and air barrier systems and thermal bridge mitigation.

Passive House Basics is a series focused on the simple concepts that make Passive House projects work – emphasizing common features and real-world examples to showcase how the Passive House standard delivers energy efficient, healthy, and comfortable places to live and work.

Speaker: Aaron Gunderson, CPHT, Executive Director of PHMass

May 17, 2023
6 – 9 PM

The Sponsors of Energize Connecticut in partnership with Connecticut Passive House are pleased to offer the Energize CT Passive House webinars at no-cost! Please see below to reserve your virtual seat and join us for this exciting and informative virtual webinar!

With cutting edge technologies like heat pumps, electric fireplaces, induction stoves and heat pump water heaters, the all-electric home is already the less expensive, decarbonized and more premium option for new construction. With the passage of the infrastructure Reduction Act (IRA) in August 2022, all electric technologies are getting a major boost in federal incentives for homeowners and builders that will further drive their adoption. This presentation will profile the benefits, costs and strategies around building all-electric and get an in-depth update about what the IRA will mean to both consumers and builders in the years to come.

Speaker: Tim McDonald, Onion Flats

The EPA has recently released the specification for a new certification label for homes and apartments built with key next-generation features that advance operational decarbonization. ENERGY STAR NextGen starts with ENERGY STAR Single-Family New Homes v3.2 or Multifamily New Construction v1.2, and adds connected space-conditioning heat pumps, connected heat pump water heaters, electric cooking, and electric vehicle charging capability. Come learn about how you can use this exciting new voluntary standard.

Speakers: Asa Foss, Energy Star Residential and Zachary Shadid, Energy Star Residential

January 26, 2023
Lunch & Learn

The Sponsors of Energize Connecticut in partnership with Connecticut Passive House are pleased to offer the Energize CT Passive House webinars at no-cost! Please see below to reserve your virtual seat and join us for this exciting and informative virtual webinar!

With cutting edge technologies like heat pumps, electric fireplaces, induction stoves and heat pump water heaters, the all-electric home is already the less expensive, decarbonized and more premium option for new construction. With the passage of the infrastructure Reduction Act (IRA) in August 2022, all electric technologies are getting a major boost in federal incentives for homeowners and builders that will further drive their adoption. This presentation will profile the benefits, costs and strategies around building all-electric and get an in-depth update about what the IRA will mean to both consumers and builders in the years to come.

Speakers: Joseph Wachunas, New Buildings Institute and Brian Stewart, Founder, Electrify Now

November 30, 2022
Lunch & Learn

Heat pump water heaters are becoming more available, efficient, and reliable than ever.  As with other heat pump systems, the design and installation practices have a major impact on system efficiency and performance and can affect customer satisfaction.  This module provides an overview of design and installation best practices and cover topics such as condensate management, proper sizing, and selecting the best installation location to enhance performance and customer satisfaction.

By the end of this module attendees will be able to:
• Understand heat pump water heating technology and applications
• Determine the most appropriate system size and configuration
• Recognize the signs of a quality installation
• Properly commission new installations

Featuring: Adam Romano, Principal Building Systems Consultant of Steven Winter Associates, Inc.

AIA CEU Approved
BPI Self-Report Approved

October 11 & 17, 2022

As new home envelopes have become more and more airtight, most in the homebuilding industry have come to understand that proper ventilation is critical. But how much air do we need and what systems should we install? This workshop will discuss the health impacts of ventilation, different ventilation rates and explore various ventilation systems: pros and cons, costs and benefits, and tips for installing the best systems for your project.

By the end of this module attendees will be able to:
• Understand the principles of air movement and ventilation
• List the ventilation code and standard requirements
• Identify various types of heat recovery ventilation equipment
• Recognize the occupant and building issues resulting from inadequate ventilation
• Develop a successful ventilation system upgrade/integration plan

Speaker: Scott Pusey, Principal Sustainability Consultant of Steven Winter Associates, Inc.

September 13, 2022

Join Connecticut Passive House, Connecticut Green Building Council, and Conscious Capitalism CT at a networking happy hour and tour of Hotel Marcel.

Bruce Becker of Becker + Becker will have some remarks about their hotel retrofit of the iconic New Haven building currently pursuing NetZero, LEED Platinum, and ENERGY STAR® certifications and is slated to become the first Passive House hotel in the United States. Becker and Steven Winter Associates team members will lead tours.

September 13, 2022 Lunch & Learn

Description: Air source heat pump (ASHP) design and installation practices have a major impact on system efficiency and performance and can affect customer comfort and satisfaction. This module provides and overview of the design and installation considerations as well as homeowner education to help ensure efficient air-source heat pumps and comfortable customers in cold climates.

By the end of this module attendees will be able to:
• Understand heat pump water heating technology and its applications
• Determine the most appropriate system size and configuration
• Recognize the signs of a quality installation
• Properly commission new installations

Speaker: Adam Romano, Principal Building Systems Consultant of Steven Winter Associates, Inc.

August 23 & 30, 2022

August 8, 2022

Residential electrification is a crucial step in the pathway towards widespread decarbonization, and with the recent advancement and increased availability of electric appliances now may be the best time to ditch the gas meter. In this module, we will explore the benefits of electrification, provide an overview of the considerations when going all-electric, and discuss a variety of technology options and best practices for incorporating heat pumps for both domestic hot water and space heating.

By the end of this module attendees will be able to:
• Summarize the benefits of building electrification
• Discuss the major considerations when electrifying residential homes
• Understand how heat pump systems operate and where they can be applied
• Describe the various options available for non-fossil fuel water heating

Speaker: Adam Romano, Principal Building Systems Consultant, Steven Winter Associates, Inc

July 13 & 19, 2022

Continuous insulation is an effective way to insulate building enclosures in order to increase thermal performance, reduce condensation risk, and improve building durability. Learn the importance of selection and application of continuous insulation materials, identify challenging details seen on construction projects and propose solutions on how these can be overcome, and describe the common approaches for continuous insulation installation on residential projects.

Speaker: Scott Pusey, Principal Sustainability Consultant of Steven Winter Associates, Inc.

March 24, 2022

Designed for builders, contractors, project managers, subs, and trades, this session provides an overview of Passive House details, explores the construction challenges unique to Passive House builds, and shares lessons learned from recent projects. Also important information for architects to hear.

Speakers: Nat Coughlin, CPHB, President of L.D. Russo Construction Ed Sople, LEED AP, Chief Operating Officer of Dellbrook JKS Aaron Gunderson, CPHT, Executive Director of PHMass

Speaker: Philippe Campus AIA, CPHC, CTPH Board Member

February 24, 2022

While multifamily Passive House projects are just getting off the ground in Connecticut, in other parts of the US and Canada they have been in existence for many years. This workshop explores lessons learned from many of these groundbreaking projects, showcasing what works, what doesn’t, what challenges they faced, and what innovative solutions can be used in projects here.

Speakers: Andrew Steingiser, CPHC, PHMA Board of Directors Monte Paulsen, CPHC PHI Building Certifier

This course will provide an overview of the Passive House building standard, including certification metrics, common design elements of buildings, history and growth of the standard, and results and impacts on energy use, carbon emissions, air quality, and occupant comfort. Examples of various building types will be presented and information on funding initiatives will be provided. Get your questions answered on what Passive House is, where it came from, and how it is expanding throughout the region.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn what the Passive House standard is, what the requirements and metric are, and why it matters.
2. Learn about the principles and common elements of Passive House buildings and impacts on energy use, carbon emissions, and health & wellness.
3. Learn about examples and case-studies of successful Passive House buildings of different types.
4. Learn about policies and funding initiatives impacting Passive House and how the region is growing

Presented by Aaron Gunderson, PASSIVEhouse Massachusetts

December 8, 2021 Lunch & Learn

Electrification is the buzzword du jour for decarbonization, and it’s pushing policymakers to rethink how they structure everything, from local codes, to energy models, to how they incentive programs focused on high performance buildings. Passive House has always provided a more careful accounting of ‘source energy,’ looking closely at which fuels power which appliances and HVAC equipment, noting that not all source energy is equal. This presentation will delve into how the international Passive House standard is structured to support both electrification and decarbonization. We’ll dig into the back end of the Primary Energy Renewables framework, seeing how these apply across a few regions. Lastly, we’ll look at how these renewable source energy factors work using a specific project as an example.

Learning Objectives:

1. How do electric grids differ across the U.S.?
2. Why do regional grids have different renewable energy capacities?
3. What is an electric utilization factor?
4. How does the Passive House energy model (PHPP) calculate electric energy use by local region, by season and by specific appliance use to make grid decarbonization easier?

Go into greater depth regarding the challenges and successful strategies employed to achieve the Passive House design criteria on significant projects in the Northeast. Topics covered include basic massing, shading and solar control; air barrier, weather barrier and thermal control layers; balanced ventilation, efficient heating, cooling and domestic hot water systems; models used to guide the design.

Objectives:
• Learn more about the Passive House standard, what it accomplishes, and common elements of Passive House buildings.
• Understand how Passive House provides an ideal path to achieving Net Zero Energy buildings.
• Understand how the building enclosure design is critical to meeting the Passive House certification criteria.
• Learn how mechanical systems design can work with envelope design to reduce energy loads.

Presented by Luke McKneally, CPHC, AIA, LEED AP who has over 20 years of experience practicing architecture, implementing renewable energy systems, and supporting energy efficiency – with a focus over the past 6 years on ultra-efficient Passive House design and construction. Luke is a licensed architect in MA, a USGBC LEED accredited professional, and a Certified Passive House Consultant. He currently works at ICF on the Multi-Family High Rise and Passive House incentive paths for the Massachusetts Residential New Construction Program (Mass Save), where he assists project participants to improve building energy performance. He has served on the board of Passive House Massachusetts, and is co-chair of the Medford Energy and Environment Committee.

Part 1 of the 4-Part Building Science Workshop series presented by Steven Winter Associates, Inc.

May 12, 2021

During the construction of Passive House buildings, the construction manager, contractors, and trades people are ultimately responsible for executing the design intent of the project. In this session we will identify ways to successfully construct the building envelope to achieve a well-insulated, airtight assembly. This will include a close look at details and photos of typical construction types, wall assemblies, innovative products and the good, bad, and ugly. This is planned to be an interactive training, so come prepared with questions and to discuss challenges faced when constructing high performance buildings.

Objectives:

• Brief review of high-performance design basics
• Review typical construction types along with sample details and photos
• Focus on common problem areas along with ways to avoid issues
• Look at new and innovative Passive House components.

CEUs: PHIUS CPHC | AIA/HSW

About The Speaker: Michael O’Donnell

Michael O’Donnell is a Principal Building Systems Consultant at Steven Winter Associates, Inc., with over ten years of energy efficiency and building science experience. He provides consulting, certification support, site inspections, and performance testing for primarily new construction multifamily projects in the New York City and Northeast region. Project types include Passive House (PHI and PHIUS), ENERGY STAR Multifamily High Rise, Enterprise Green Communities, and NYC Energy Code TR8 Inspections. He currently holds the Certified Energy Manager, Certified Passive House Tradesperson, PHIUS+ Verifier, and BPI Multifamily Building Analyst certifications. He has developed and delivered Passive House field training for Passive House Massachusetts and SUNY New Paltz’s Net Zero Carbon Training series funded by NYSERDA.

February 26, 2021

Passive House is the world’s most rigorous building energy performance standard, requiring a significant reduction in energy consumption while yielding other benefits such as superior comfort, durability, resilience, and health. It can play a major role in our energy future, contributing to our reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by moving away from fossil fuel combustion.

This virtual program is an introduction to Passive House, covering the core principles of Passive House standards and methodologies.

Presented by two Connecticut Passive House Board Members and Co-Founders:
Leonard Wyeth AIA, CPHD and CTPH President
George Penniman AIA, LEED AP, CPHD and CTPH Treasurer