2016 Topics

Katrin Klingenberg - The PHIUS+2015 Standard and the humid world

The original Passive House principles were developed for Northern Europe and didn’t transplant perfectly to the broader climate zones in the USA.  But the Passive House movement has stepped up to the challenges presented by our different climate zones.  In 2015, Passive House Institute United States released a new, climate zone appropriate, building standard.  Thoughtfully researched and developed, Katrin Klingenberg will discuss how the standard is poised to change the way Passive House is perceived in humid climates. 

Robert Bean - The humid building and the uncomfortable human

Modern expectations of efficiency and comfort are often misunderstood and misaligned with reality, resulting in wasted energy and uncomfortable spaces. Robert Bean will explain how a greater understanding of human comfort can lead to more effective methods of heating, cooling and dehumidifying for thermal comfort and indoor environmental quality.

Dason  Whitsett- Effective daylighting strategies, energy efficiency and glazing placement for warm climates

Proper shading is a critical component of energy-efficient buildings in humid climates, yet many contemporary buildings ignore this important strategy. This presentation will present principals and modeling of different shading strategies and quantify energy savings utilizing the energy simulation software EnergyPlus.

Joe Lstiburek -The high performance building and the humid climate

For humid climate builders, guidelines and data addressing their specific climate needs is often hard to find or non-existent. Joe Lstiburek will outline best practice and building assembly for humid climate homes to help us understand the  'whats, whys and hows' of building in humid climates.