Utilities are charged by many States to transition the grid to all Renewable Energy generation. This is possible, BUT only if we start to design buildings that look specifically at HEATING Load reduction. This presentations shows exactly WHY this is an issue - even in sunny California - and offers alternate business model options for utilities to take charge of developing stored renewable energy to cover our winter seasonal shortfall.

1. Bronwyn Barry, RA, CPHD
California Public Utilities Commission
Sept. 7, 2017
THE PASSIVE HOUSE
Primary Energy Renewables
(PER) Framework
Building for an
All-Renewable Energy Future:
As Developed by:

2. 1. WHY Utilities should be
interested in Passive
House/Passivhaus
2. HOW the Passivhaus
Primary Energy Renewable
Framework is structured
3. WAYS to become involved…
AGENDA
IMAGE credit: Bronwyn Barry, Cornell Tech Passive House Tower, NYC

3. What’s in this for Utilities?
IMAGE credit: Chie Kawahara’s Twitter feed – Sept.1st, 2017
1. Stable Peak Load
predictions for both
summer and winter…

4. What’s in this for Utilities?
IMAGE credit: Allen Gilliland, One Sky Homes
2. Absolute energy targets for
buildings with predictably
reliable results
(NO PERFORMANCE GAP!)
PHPP kWh/a HP COP EST. ACT.
HEAT 2,596 3 865 849
COOL 1,533 3 511 594

5. Image Credits: Bronwyn Barry
What’s in this for Utilities?
(Works for large
buildings too)

6. APPLICABLE TO ART MUSEUMS
Image Credit: Andrew Michler

7. APPLICABLE TO APARTMENT BUILDINGS
SOURCE:
Image Credits: Bronwyn Barry

8. APPLICABLE TO RENOVATIONS
SOURCE:
Image Credits: Bronwyn Barry

9. APPLICABLE TO NEW MIXED-USE DISTRICTS
SOURCE:
Image Credit: Andrew Michler

10. APPLICABLE TO TALL URBAN INFILL
Image Source: Passive House Institute
Image Credit: Twitter feed of VArqitectos

11. What’s in this for Utilities?
IMAGE credit: Passive House Institute
3. Envisions a new business model for
seasonal renewable energy storage…
(more on this next.)

12. PROJECT EXAMPLE ( ONE OF MY OWN DESIGNS)
SOURCE: One Sky Homes ALAMO PASSIVHAUS

13. ALL ELECTRIC (INDUCTION COOKTOP & LED’S)

14. PROJECT STATS
Alamo - CA Climate Zone 12
HDD & CDD 2602 1578
Area & TFA 2968 SF 2342 SF
Net Annual Energy Use &
Production 10,707 kWh 12,767 kWh
PV 7.5 kW
Gas/Electric Split All Electric
Mech systems
Heat Pump,
HRV
Heat Pump
WH
NOMINALY THIS IS A PLUS ENERGY HOME…

15. ASSEMBLIES (hr.ft2.F/BTU)
ROOF/CLG: R-38
CODE REQ’D
R-46
WALLS: R-19 R-28
WINDOWS: U-0.57
FLOOR/SLAB: R-0 R-14
U-0.3
AS BUILT
AIR TIGHTNESS: 3 ACH n50 0.3 ACH
COMPARED TO 2016 T-24 CODE REQUIREMENTS

16. EUI = 9.5
-15000
-10000
-5000
0
5000
10000
PV
Production
HouseUse EV Charger Net +
kWh/yr
BY CURRENT ACCOUNTS MY NUMBERS LOOK GREAT!

17. BUT PRACTICALLY THIS HOME STILL NEEDS A UTILITY!

18. SOURCE: https://passipedia.org/certification/passive_house_categories/per#the_per_sustainability_assessment,
THE WHY (& HOW) OF AN ALL RENEWABLE ENERGY GRID
New DESIGN
incentives
needed

19. SOURCE: Illustration from ‘California’s All Renewable Energy Future’ by Bronwyn Barry
HOW PRIMARY ENERGY RENEWABLE (PER) IS STRUCTURED
Rejects the Net Metering
calculation of ‘ZNE’…
1. Assumes a future all-
renewable energy grid
2. Accommodates current
fossil fuel supply (and
disincents it slightly)
3. Focuses on Peak Loads
4. Accounts for short- and
long-term energy storage

20. SOURCE: Illustrations by Bronwyn Barry, info: https://passipedia.org/certification/passive_house_categories/per#the_per_sustainability_assessment
1. Total Demand
Reduction
Allocated by:
 Electricity
 Hot Water
 Heating
 Cooling
 Dehumidification
2. Seasonal Energy
Demand
3. Regional Grid
Renewable Supply
Accounts for:
 Wind
 Solar PV
 Hydro
~ Biomass
~ District Heat
4. Building
Site & Size
6. Renewable
Storage
kWh of:
 Short-term &
 Long-term energy
5. Regional
Peak Load
Incentivizes Load shifting
according to:
 Demand Type
 Daily Peak Use
 Seasonal Peak
7. Appliance
Energy Source
Incentivizes fuel
switching to electric
heat pumps
Accounts for:
 Local renewable availability
 Building size vs roof area
 Supply vs Demand balance
 Viable short- vs long-term storage
IDENTIFIES TIME & TYPE OF ENERGY USE (ALIGNS WITH TDV)

21. WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKEFOR CALIFORNIA

22. CALIFORNIA’SPRIMARY ENERGY RENEWABLE FACTORS

23. CALIFORNIA’SPRIMARY ENERGY RENEWABLE FACTORS

24. CALIFORNIA’SPRIMARY ENERGY RENEWABLE FACTORS

25. SOURCE: https://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/buildings/measuring-building-energy-use

✕
Renewables 3x better
site utilization
But non-Renewables
given equal status 
Previously ALL
Electric penalized!
DISCARDS OUTDATED UTILIZATION FACTORS

26. 15 kWh/m2yr
or 4.75 kBTU/hr.ft2
10 W/m2
or 3.2 BTU/hr.ft2
n50 < 0.6 ACH
(PER SLIDING SCALE)
Heating/Cooling
Demand:
or
Peak Heat Load:
Air-tightness:
Total Primary Energy:
Image Credit: Andrew Michler
Cooling Limits
adjusted for
Humid Climates:
SAME RIGOROUSHEATING & COOLING TARGETS

27. THREE RENEWABLE ENERGY CERTIFICATION LEVELS
Energy Supply from Renewable Resources
Final Energy Demand at the BuildingPER =
INCENTIVIZES:
1. Total Demand Reduction & Peak Load Shifting
2. Fuel switching to all-electric with heat pumps
3. Regional renewable grid efficiencies
4. Allows local and off-site renewable credits
5. Seasonal storage of renewables at utility scale
6. Urban density & equitable renewable credit for all buildings
SOURCE: https://passipedia.org/certification/passive_house_categories/per#the_per_sustainability_assessment

28. SOURCE: http://www.slideshare.net/harrmann/the-new-phpp-version-9-project-specific-cause-effect
APPLIEDTO A HOME IN PORTLAND, MAINE

29. BASIC PRINCIPLES
1. Manages ‘Loss’
1. Driven by:
Comfort
Quality
Durability
3. Credits renewables
separately
SOURCE: Image – California’s All Renewable Energy Future by Bronwyn Barry, CPHD
RENEWABLE
CREDITS ALLOCATED
BY
Projected Building
Footprint
Incentivizes large-scale
and micro-grid renewable
supply.
Off-site generation allowed
for Premium Tier.
Does not penalize commercial, tall,
shaded or urban infill projects with
no site generation capacity.
APPLIEDEQUITABLY ACROSS ALL BUILDINGS

30. BASIC PRINCIPLES
1. Manages ‘Loss’
1. Driven by:
Comfort
Quality
Durability
3. Credits renewables
separately
PRIORITIZES
DEMAND
REDUCTION
Renewable sources given
beneficial ‘Primary Energy
Renewable’ factors
Credits allocated to:
On-site generation
Off-site generation
Green Roofs
(Regional grid supply
factored into this
calculus.)
SOURCE: Image – California’s All Renewable Energy Future by Bronwyn Barry, CPHD
SUMMARYOF PRIMARY ENERGY RENEWABLE FRAMEWORK

31. “The mission of Passive House California is to educate the public
about the Passive House building performance standard to help create
healthy, comfortable, durable, energy- and resource-efficient buildings
and communities.”
COLLABORATING
WITH OUR ORGANIZATION
Passive House California

32. • Incorporated as California 501c.3
• Funded and driven by local members
• Managed by Elected Board of Directors
• Task forces led by members for event and projects
NATIONAL: North American Passive House Network
(NAPHN)
naphnetwork.org
INTERNATIONAL: International Passive House Association
(iPHA)
passivehouse-international.org
OUR
ORGANIZATION
STRUCTURE

33. • Building Community Professionals: Architects,
Engineers, Contractors, Energy Analysts
• Developers & Building Owners
• Policy Makers
• With National & International Influence
WHO
WE ARE

34. • JOBSITE TOURS
• OPEN HOUSE EVENTS
• PROFESSIONAL TRAININGS
• SPECIALIZED TOPIC WORKSHOPS
• ANNUAL CONFERENCE
• WEBSITE, NEWSLETTERS, PUBLICATIONS
EDUCATIONAL
FOCUS

35. CONFERENCES BUILDING CARBON ZERO
SAN FRANCISCO 2013 SANTA CRUZ 2014 PALO ALTO 2015

36. • Partnered with Laney College, Oakland Rotary and the
City of Oakland on affordable renovation
• Hosted Design Charettes with Faculty & Members
• Coordinated all Permit Documents & Energy Models
• Provided Contractor expertise and product sourcing
guidance to student builders
LANEY
PROJECT

37. PROFESSIONALTRAININGS WITH NAPHN
BASIC PRINCIPLES
1. Manages ‘Loss’
1. Driven by:
Comfort
Quality
Durability
3. Credits renewables
separately
SOURCE: Image – California’s All Renewable Energy Future by Bronwyn Barry, CPHDSOURCE: Xavier Guacher Twitter feed of Passive House Academy Class in LA at Gensler, LA
NEXT TRAININGS SCHEDULED FOR LA & SF IN LATE OCTOBER,
2017
MORE INFO: www.naphnetwork.org

38. OPEN HOUSE& JOBSITE TOURS
BASIC PRINCIPLES
1. Manages ‘Loss’
1. Driven by:
Comfort
Quality
Durability
3. Credits renewables
separately
SOURCE: Image – California’s All Renewable Energy Future by Bronwyn Barry, CPHD

39. PUBLICATIONSAND DATABASE DEVELOPMENT
Passive House Buildings
CALIFORNIA’S
ENERGY FUTURE
Published in 2016
32 Projects featured from
Northern, Central & Southern CA
3000 hard copies printed
Free E-Book:
http://passivehousecal.org/news/2016-passive-house-california-book

40. SOURCE: http://passivehousecal.org/news/2016-passive-house-california-book
GROWINGDIVERSITY OF PROJECT TYPES
RENOVATIONS ~40% OFFICE & MULTI-FAMILY ~5% NEW HOMES ~55%

41. SOURCE: http://www.passivehousecal.org/recent-member-projects
EXPANDINGWEBSITE DATABASE
65+ PASSIVE HOUSE
BUILDINGS CURRENTLY IN
CALIFORNIA
(2008 – 2016)

42. 2017 TRAININGS & WORKSHOPS
PHCA 2017 NET ZERO BUILDINGS via Passive House
C O M P R E H E N SI V E B U I L D I N G SC I E N C E TR A I N I N G
JAN. 22, 23 & 24 + FEB. 6 & 7th, LOSANGELES
JAN. 26 & 27th + FEB. 9, 10 & 11th, SACRAMENTO
INFO & REGISTRATION:
LEARN:
CLIMATESPECIFIC ENVELOPES
MECHANICALSYSTEM DESIGN
WINDOW SPECS& DESIGN
THERMALBRIDGECALCULATIONS
ENERGY MODELING BASICS
& more…
www.passivehousecal.org
Image Credit:
Handel Architects.
A RC HI TEC TS, EN G I N EERS,
BUI LDERS, DEV ELO PERS &
C O N S U L T A N T S
“Passive House makes sense as a phrase, but I think it is an ac vist no on – a transforma ve no on… This is
one example of how [we] can show the world a model that works in today’s reality...” – NYC Mayor, Bill de Blasio
P H C A J a n u a r y 2 0 1 7 S O U T H B A Y
OPEN HOUSE (AND JOBSITE) TOURS
INFO & REGISTRATION:
Visit thre e proje c ts using
Pa ssiv e Ho u se Bu ild in g
st r a t e g i e s t o a c h i e v e
re m a rk a b le c o m fo rt a nd
performance. Learn directly
from the owners, builders and
de signe rs a bout ma te ria ls,
d e t a i l s a n d m e t h o d s.
www.passivehousecal.org
A RC HITEC TS, EN G IN EERS,
BUILDERS, DEV ELO PERS &
H O M E O W N E R S
Saturday, JAN. 28th, 2017
2.00pm – 5.00pm
Sunnyvale &
LosAltos, CA
Toursare FREEand open
to the general public.
(Registration isrequired.)
CONSULTANT TRAINING OPEN HOUSE TOURS WORKSHOPS
WORKSHOPS
• Blower Door Testing
• Heat Pump Water
Heater Installation
• Partnering with City of
Berkeley & City of
Palo Alto

43. ATTEND OUR BIG EVENT (naphnconference.com)
SOURCE: http://www.naphnconference.com/
 2 DAYS of
WORKSHOPS
 2 DAYS of
PROGRAM
 4 PROJECT
TOURS
KEYNOTE:
Scott Foster, Director,
Sustainable Energy Division of
United Nations Economic
Commission (includes USA &
Canada.)

44. SOURCE MATERIAL:
 Passive House Institute: passivehouse.com
 ‘The PER Sustainability Assessment,’ Passipedia.org
 Andre Harrmann, CertiPHiers & Harrmann Consulting
 Bronwyn Barry, ‘California’s All-Renewable Energy Future’
RECOMMENDED READING:
https://passipedia.org/certification/passive_house_categories/per#the_per_sustaina
bility_assessment
https://passipedia.org/basics/passive_house_-
_assuring_a_sustainable_energy_supply/passive_house_the_next_decade
SOURCE: Image – Sunnyvale Low Energy Renovation –designed by Bronwyn Barry
THANK YOU
Bronwyn Barry, RA, CPHD
Email: info@passivehousecal.org
Website: http://passivehousecal.org
THANKS, FURTHER READING & CREDIT