Christian Kienapfel Christian Kienapfel

Passive House: Enhancing Air Conditioning Performance (and more), Without Forcing Change

California can fast-track a guideline that reliably reduces heating and cooling energy demand up to 70% below the current Title-24 baseline: Passive House. Together, we can put this climate resilience standard onto builders’ and owners’ radar, simply by adding a voluntary Passive House alternate pathway into California’s Title-24. Without this extension, few will know that Passive House even exists.

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Christian Kienapfel Christian Kienapfel

Passive House Progress: U.S. Certification Data as of July 2024

Passive House Progress: U.S. Certification Data as of July 2024

"The Passive House Certification Gossip" reveals that we now have an impressive 2,152,780 square feet of certified Passive House space in the USA! That's a lot of comfortable living and working the eco-friendly, efficient way.

[published by the Passive House Institute]

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Christian Kienapfel Christian Kienapfel

Blow Away Inefficiency: Blower Door for Passive Homes!

Blow Away Inefficiency: Blower Door for Passive Homes

Are you in the process of building a new Passive House or renovating for EnerPHit certification? We're here to support you. Whether you require a single, one-time blower door test during your Passive House project or need help identifying air leaks after completing the building envelope, we're at your service. We can also assist with the final certification test for Passive House Institute (PHI).

Comfort First, Efficiency Always - Test, Seal & Save

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Christian Kienapfel Christian Kienapfel

Passive House SB9 & ADUs in CA's Milder Climates

Passive House SB9 & ADUs in CA's Milder Climates. Christian Kienapfel, architect and Certfied Passive House Design presented during the Passive House California Community meeting a single-family home per SB9 and an ADU in Los Angeles.

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Christian Kienapfel Christian Kienapfel

Cost-Effective Passive House Single-Family Homes in California

A Passive House designer and contractor in California is sharing insights from his experience constructing Passive House single-family homes. His detailed report and analysis, comparing Passive House construction to standard methods, were published in 2021 by the Passive House network.

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Christian Kienapfel Christian Kienapfel

ADDING HIGH PERFORMANCE TO LA’S HOUSING

Two ADUs designed by PARAVANT Architects and built to Passive House standards exemplify how evolving policies, and tastes, are reshaping the urban landscape of Los Angeles. Read the article written by Mary James on the Passive House Accelerator.

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Christian Kienapfel Christian Kienapfel

California Results | Report on Building Standards

New analysis finds Passive House designs for single-family homes will best protect Californians’ health, safety, and comfort from worsening impacts of climate change

Well-sealed, highly energy efficient green building design is barely scratching the surface of its potential in California

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Christian Kienapfel Christian Kienapfel

How Buildings Are Key To Fighting Climate Change

How Buildings Are Key To Fighting Climate Change.

In this video, Zack Semke dives into the pivotal role buildings play in the battle against climate change. Buildings, as they stand, are both victims and culprits in the climate crisis, being poorly equipped to handle climate impacts and also being massive contributors to carbon emissions.

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Christian Kienapfel Christian Kienapfel

STEEL - passive LA house

The Santa Monica, “passive LA house” project located in West Los Angeles, California was recently permitted and started construction.

The site is in very close proximity to the Santa Monica Airport and acoustical performance was beside indoor air quality, comfort and efficiency one of the owners’ considerations to build to the international Passive House construction standard. The home and ADU’ structural steel frame system with a rain screen curtain wall façade which is typically found in commercial construction projects

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Christian Kienapfel Christian Kienapfel

Spring Cleaning for Fresh Air System (HRV)

It was time for a major spring cleaning of the HRV (heat recovery ventilation) whole house continuous fresh air ventilation system. All filters were replaced and the heat exchanger core got a bath. Now the system is ready to tackle all the pollens in the air to help the ones with allergies breathe easy.

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