Quick Report on the Passive House Conference in Denver
As I sit here getting ready to head for the airport, a lot of thoughts about what I’ve experienced and heard here at the Passive House conference are swirling around my head. They haven’t really congealed into a coherent body yet, but I thought I’d write this quick report of the conference to give you a feel for how it went—and what you missed if you weren’t here.
As I sit here getting ready to head for the airport, a lot of thoughts about what I’ve experienced and heard here at the Passive House conference are swirling around my head. They haven’t really congealed into a coherent body yet, but I thought I’d write this quick report of the conference to give you a feel for how it went—and what you missed if you weren’t here.
First, the Passive House Institute of the US (PHIUS) folks pulled off a great feat by getting Joe Lstiburek (shown at left) to open the conference and Amory Lovins to close it. Two of my major heros in the energy and building science worlds!
Second, there was a lot of enthusiasm and excitement here. I don’t know what the actual number of attendees was but it seemed to be in the 400 to 500 range, and the folks I talked to were all really excited about the program.
Third, there are a lot of smart folks involved with Passive House and they’re doing a lot of interesting work. They’re trying to figure out how to handle latent loads in Louisiana with a building envelope that makes the sensible loads really small. They’re trying to understand what types of ventilation systems make the most sense. They’re pushing for PHIUS to adapt the standards to suit our climate zones and issues rather than Europe’s.
Overall, I came away really impressed by what I saw. I’ll write more about this soon, but for now, I’ll leave you with Amory Lovins’s TED talk on Reinventing Fire, which is the 20 minute version of the 45 minute talk he gave here yesterday.
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Thanks for the quick glimpse!
Thanks for the quick glimpse! Lkg forward to more!
Alison – I really wanted to
Alison – I really wanted to hear what Dr Joe had to say at the Passive House conference (since he is not an advocate of their methodology). Looking forward to a more in-depth review. The TED “talk” link was fantastic (as most are) and really underscores how the future could be if enough industrialists “get on board” and push past the entrenched status quo.
Had to post this since
Had to post this since Allison mentioned the exciting work being done in Louisiana! They the Citizens “Fighting Tigers” of Louisiana are trying to save themselves from the politicians again!
“Recap of what is at stake!”
I left out their links, not sure if leaving them in would violate blog rules. But anyone can google/bing LSES.org if you wish.
Louisiana solar could be in trouble! The LPSC is proposing changes to net metering, and the LDR is proposing changes to solar tax credits. Read the LSES response to the changes to net metering here. This LSES meeting will focus on these two important issues, and we need your input and support. LSES requests that our Solar Pros, especially, voice their opinions at this meeting. Be sure to visit the LSES website here and become up-to-date on these two issues.
What can you do to help?
• Join us at the meeting and let your voice be heard! We need to present a united front to the LPSC and LDR.
• Email emily@lses.org with your comments on the net metering changes by October 3rd! This will help us make our case to the LPSC.
• Sign the petition! LSES is preparing a petition aimed at the LPSC and the LDR where all of our members will be able to show their support for solar in Louisiana! This petition will be posted on the website by Monday.
•Become a member of LSES! The more members we have, the stronger our voice will be!