Event: Advocacy Summit: Passive House as the Platform for Net-Zero, Electrification and Carbon-Free Buildings, March 10, Boston

Posted by: Allison Friedman // Rate It Green Admin

(For more information, see the event post in our MA Green Builders Group, or on our open green Building Calendar: https://www.rateitgreen.com/green-building-resources/sustainable-building-events/advocacy-summit-passive-house-as-the-platform-for-net-zero-electrification-and-carbon-free-buildings-march-10-boston/4275)

Citizen groups across Massachusetts are pushing for local bans on new fossil fuel infrastructure, policies to encourage building electrification, and create a Net Zero Stretch Code in an effort to dramatically reduce the climate impact of buildings. 

With a little over 2 million existing buildings and 500,000 new buildings anticipated before 2050, (with most of those in the next 10 years) Massachusetts has a difficult task ahead to address the ~40% of state greenhouse gases from our buildings.  

To get to net zero by 2050, we need to ensure new buildings are built to the highest energy efficiency standard, use all efficient electric heat pumps for heating, and add as much renewable energy on site as possible. We will also need to dramatically improve insulation and air sealing in existing buildings, get fossil fuels out of heating in existing homes, get the electric grid to 100% renewables and on-site solar added to suitable sites.

So how do we get there, and how does Passive House- the most energy efficient standard in the world- play into the transformation we need to make in Massachusetts buildings? Passive House is the foundation for net zero buildings. 

Passive House Massachusetts (PHMA), Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and the Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN) are co-sponsoring a meeting at the next PHMA monthly meeting on March 10th at 5:30 at the Boston Society of Architects Space. 

Learn what is different about Passive House buildings, how local and state policies can be used to promote Passive House, how Passive House complements electrification efforts, and how Passive House fits into a concept of net zero stretch code. Gather with other community groups to explore the synergies and potential partnerships between groups when focusing on dramatic reduction in climate impacts of new construction and existing buildings. 

Please note: attendees should complete the pre-event survey to aid in the disucssion.