"The extraordinarily energy-efficient building method slashes climate pollution from homes, hospitals, schools, and high rises. Now it’s catching on in Massachusetts and elsewhere."

"Imagine a home so efficient that it could be heated with a hair dryer.

That’s the promise of a passive house, a design standard that’s becoming increasingly popular in the architecture community for its benefits to occupants and the climate.

In passive house buildings, an airtight facade prevents unwanted flows of energy between the interior and exterior — a marked break with typical structures that let heat in during the summer and leak it out during the winter.

“Passive house is the most reliable, cost-effective, and healthiest way to reach superb energy performance in architecture,” said Sara Bayer, the director of sustainability at New York City design firm Magnusson Architecture and Planning.

Some policymakers are taking notice."

Sarah Wesseler reports for Yale Climate Connections February 5, 2024. [2]