Passive House Institute US2017-06-20T09:48:52-04:00

Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) and BPC

PHIUS

Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) is the domestic version of an international certification program that is dedicated to dramatic reduction in the energy required to heat and cool American homes. PHIUS is one of the Passive House organizations in the US. PHIUS’s Passive House standards are the most rigorous Passive House Standards in the United States. Besides setting standards, PHIUS offers training, education and certification for home builders and home building professionals.

PHIUS, Passive House Homes and BPC

At BPC, we believe the energy efficiency aspect of PHIUS Passive House standards is perhaps the most important consideration for a truly sustainable home. But that is not all. A home built or renovated to PH standards will be not only exceptionally energy efficient, but also extremely comfortable, quiet, and safe. It will have also rate very high for indoor air quality.

At the heart of this program is a sophisticated spreadsheet-based analysis tool that allows for precise energy usage calculations, the accuracy of which has been proven by the construction of 25,000+ housing units, primarily in Europe but with a rapidly increasing number of homes in the US – and many more on the drawing boards or under construction.

BPC Built the Very First PHIUS Certified Passive House in Connecticut

BPC Green Builders built the first PHIUS certified home in Connecticut. The home is owned by Mike Trolle, co-founder and president of BPC Green Builders.

The home is also a multiple award winner earning:

The US Department of Energy’s Housing Innovation Award for “Custom Innovation on the Path to Zero Net-Energy Ready Homes”
The Connecticut Energy Challenge (sponsored by CT Clean Energy Fund) winner of the 2013 award for the Lowest Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index without Renewable Technologies The home has a HERS score of 35 (lower HERS scores are typically achieved by installing large solar arrays).

Read About This Home

Mike has written extensively about the house in his blog. The house is also the subject of a two-part article in the technical journal Energy Design Update*.

BPC Senior Staff Members are PHIUS Trained and Certified

Mike and Chris Trolle, co-owners of BPC, have completed the PHIUS Consultant training program, and Chris has been certified as a PHIUS Consultant. Jeff Girvalo, a BPC project manager, has taken the PHIUS Builder training program and is certified as a PHIUS Builder.

This training enables BPC to work with homeowners and architects to design and specify the details for the exterior thermal envelope of a new or renovated home, including high levels of insulation, minimal envelope air leakage, and elimination of thermal bridging, all of which allows for the dramatic reduction in size and complexity of a home’s mechanical systems, with commensurate installation and operational savings. All aspects of a home’s energy management and comfort systems are included within the Passive House planning package.

We encourage you to investigate this program at www.phius.org/alliance/home and to consider incorporating its aggressive performance standards into the planning for your new or renovated home. Here at BPC, we would like nothing better than to work with a homeowner or architect to build another cutting-edge Passive House here in Connecticut.

*Article posted with permission of Energy Design Update. Energy Design Update (ISSN 0741-3629) is published monthly by Aspen Publishers, 76 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10011. (212) 771-0600. To subscribe, call 1-800-638-8437. For customer service, call 1-800-234-1660. Permission requests: For information on how to obtain permission to reproduce content, please go to the Aspen Publishers website at www.aspenpublishers.com/permissions. Printed in the U.S.A. © 2014 CCH Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.

“We were surprised and delighted to find in Mike Trolle, of BPC Green Builders, a local builder who not only gave us the kind of house we wanted, but helped us figure out what that was in the first place. His ideas about what a house needs — and doesn’t need — were invaluable. He even helped us find an architect whose ideas were in sync with ours.”

Tom and Stacy, Westport, Connecticut

“We found your expertise in building science to be of great help in planning the project and in the selection of appropriate equipment and materials. BPC’s management of the subcontractors and communication with us always met our expectations. Moreover, BPC was conscientious and ethical in all aspects of the work. We would be pleased to recommend BPC without reservation.”

Christine and Monte, Bethany, Connecticut

“As architects, it has also been a sincere pleasure to work for Mike. He is an extraordinary client who has been able to utilize our skills and experience. The working relationship that we have developed is based upon trust and confidence, and has been tested by the realities and trials of construction.”

Thomas RC Hartman, AIA, Coldham Architects LLC

“BPC is in the forefront of this commitment. Our company has benefited from our professional and personal interaction with Mike and Chris Trolle. From client introduction to final walk through, the drive for total customer satisfaction is clear.”

Dean Demague, High Performance Energy Solutions