California Moves Toward Passive House Compliance with AB 368
California AB 368 Passive House Compliance Could Transform Building Efficiency Standards On May 30, the passing of California AB368 Bill marks a significant milestone for the adoption of Passive House in the State, and across the Country. In a major……
Get Ready: Summer Building Science Presentations Are Here!
Emu’s Summer Presentations Calendar Join us this Summer for a great series of free in-depth webinars and in-person social events. Deepen your knowledge of building science and Passive House and building science, and network with other professionals across the U.S.……
Big Win for Passive House: Washington State Passes HB 1183
HB 1183: A Key Step for Passive House in Washington Washington State has recently passed HB 1183, a landmark bill aimed at supporting Passive House construction. This bill addresses major challenges in building energy-efficient homes by reducing barriers in local……
Xcel Now Reimburses 90% Of Emu’s Passive House Training
Xcel Energy Now Reimburses 90% of Training Fees for Emu’s Passive House Boot Camp Construction professionals in Colorado now have an incredible opportunity to advance their skills, thanks to Xcel Energy’s reimbursement program. Xcel is offering to cover 90% of……
Trump Executive Order Triggers Unintended Passive House Mandate
Little-Known Policy Set to Make Passive House Standard Mandatory Nationwide WASHINGTON — A Trump-era executive order on energy policy has unexpectedly set the stage for a sweeping transformation of U.S. building regulations. Due to an overlooked legislative trigger, the Passive……
Which is worse, metal through-wall flashing or a big ‘ole insulation gap?
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” This holds true for building science details as well. As best-practice research from Passive construction standards is making its way into mainstream building codes, there are some simple (yet elusive) mentality shifts……
Underperformance Of Tilted Glass Units
This is one of those cases where the label performance should not be taken at face value: U-value of glass units – if the glass is meant to be installed horizontal or with a tilt angle. The analysis shown here……
Energy Demand vs Load in Passive House | Monday BS
Do you use the terms “demand” and “load” interchangeably? Well… stop. 🙂 There is a subtle yet important difference, and the closer you get to Passive House level the more it matters! Join Emu Mariana for this week’s Monday B.S.……
The impact of thermal mass vs insulation | Monday BS
A common misconception, especially in the world of sustainable or “green” building, is the impact of thermal mass vs thermal insulation. A lot of this confusion comes from well meaning design movements like “Passive Solar” and earthships. Often, in single-family……
Anatomy of an ERV | Monday BS
Monday B.S. (Building Science) with Emu Mariana – Jan 10, 2022 Ever curious about these mysterious HRVs and ERVs that everyone in the Passive House world is always talking about? Tune in for a simple breakdown of this key element……
Thermal bridging of I-Joist vs Larsen Truss
I-Joist vs Larsen Truss: Does it make a difference for exterior high R-Value insulating? Many high-performance buildings, when addressing the issue of super-insulation, will opt for traditional 2×6 stud framing with an added layer of exterior insulation to help reach……
Construction Moisture Management: Catch Up or Lawyer Up
Moisture in buildings has become increasingly worrisome for construction professionals in recent years. American buildings are subject to a wide variety of defects related to water in its different forms – liquid, vapor and sometimes snow and ice. These range……