Dive Brief: The Department of Housing and Urban Development has opened its first round of funding applications for the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, which will provide a total of $4.8 billion in direct loans and grants for HUD-assisted multifamily properties to fund green, energy-efficient and resiliency renovation projects. The housing agency published a set of guidelines and qualifications for potential applicants to the GRRP, including information on each of its “cohorts,”…
NEW YORK HOLDS THE TORCH FOR AN ALL-ELECTRIC BUILDINGS FUTURE
New York recently made history when it became the first state to pass ambitious legislation that will require most new buildings to be all-electric. The law, negotiated as part of the state budget deal, underscores the importance of tackling buildings in order to meet our climate goals and sets an important precedent for the rest of the country. Along the way, state leaders want to show how eliminating fossil fuels…
Why this NYC apartment complex will use a giant underground heat pump
Construction is underway on the 1 Java Street project in Brooklyn, New York. (David Joshua Ford) BROOKLYN, New York — The 200-by-600-foot property skirting the shoreline in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood is, for the moment, an enormous mud pit. Excavators scoop up whole chunks of earth, making room for concrete piles sprouting rebar strands. All the while, four blue drilling rigs trawl the site on skid-tracked wheels, boring holes into the…
N.J. will now target 100% clean energy, require all-electric cars by 2035, Murphy says
Less than a week after Minnesota joined 10 other states in setting lofty zero-emissions goals, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday that New Jersey will get more ambitious than most — aiming for 100% clean energy by 2035 instead of 2050. New Jersey will also look to follow California’s lead and require new cars sold in the state be all-electric in 12 years. But how exactly the Garden State will get there and what the associated costs…
NY Stretch 2023 code
The New York Passive House Local and State Policy Committee has been reviewing the draft NY Stretch 2023 code and submitting comments. We strongly encourage individuals to review the draft code and submit their own comments until August 30th through the NYSERDA link below. Review and Submit Comments Here You can also email your comments to george@nypassivehouse.org and we will include them with the Policy Committee comments. To achieve the carbon reduction goals…
Call for Papers is open now. Submit your abstract by September 2nd, 2022!
The 26th International Passive House Conference will take place in March 2023 in Wiesbaden, Germany. About The International Passive House Conference is the year's premium Passive House event, where about 1000 thought leaders and innovators from around the world gather. Here you will find a wide range of networking opportunities! Presentations, workshops and building tours allow you to share your experience with other professionals and to learn more about the latest Passive House developments. Furthermore, the…
Three Sustainable Design Questions for MAP’s Sara Bayer
Article courtesy of MAP Architects While the work of sustainable development is a year-round pursuit, Earth Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on our progress and advocate for more. So, we asked our Director of Sustainability, Sara Bayer, three quick questions to talk about where we stand. In the last couple of years we’ve signed the AIA 2030 commitment and won 7 NYSERDA Buildings of Excellence awards, what are…
Vancouver To Be Home To World’s Tallest Passive House Building
Canadian developer Brivia Group has selected downtown Vancouver as the location of its newest and most sustainable project yet. CURV, a 60-storey residential development between Burrard and Thurlow Streets, will be the world’s tallest passive house building – a modern, low carbon and energy efficient building that contributes to a healthier planet, mirroring the environmental ethos of the city of Vancouver. Passive House is the highest standard for energy efficiency in commercial…
Using Passive House to Fast-Track Building Electrification
A growing body of research tells us achieving deep carbon reduction targets of 75% or more will require electrification, including all furnaces and water heaters across the country, and powering those buildings with 100% renewable energy. Nationally, approximately 27% of the total natural gas consumption occurs directly in residential and commercial buildings. This has led policymakers in many U.S. jurisdictions to consider building electrification policies and incentives as a way to meet climate goals. And with research…
New York pension leaders back calls for less fossil fuel financing
(Reuters) -New York pension officials on Monday said they will support shareholder resolutions filed at major banks seeking quick cuts to the financing of new fossil fuel development, pushing climate issues to the fore of another springtime shareholder meeting season. Shareholders should support resolutions filed at Bank of America Corp, Goldman Sachs Group Inc and four other banks "in order to mitigate the systemic risks posed by unfettered climate change,"…
Biden launches green buildings partnership with states, cities
The Biden administration is launching a new partnership with two states and several cities aimed at reducing planet-warming emissions from buildings. President Biden is expected to announce the new "Buildings Performance Standards Coalition" during remarks at the U.S. Conference of Mayors on Friday. According to a White House fact sheet first shared with The Hill, the partnership will include 33 state and local governments that encompass 20 percent of the country’s…
Biden Administration Launches Effort to Improve Ventilation and Reduce the Spread of COVID-19 in Buildings
FACT SHEET: Earlier this month, the Biden-Harris Administration released the National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, a roadmap to move the country forward safely and continue to fight COVID-19 as Americans get back to their more normal routines. Today the Administration is launching the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge, a key component of the President’s Plan, that calls on all building owners and operators, schools, colleges and universities, and organizations of all kinds…






































