“Creating a Healthier, Low-Carbon Future”

Northeast Notifications

Spring 2022

We’ve been busy! Our last Quarterly Meeting featured a presentation focused on electrified hot water solutions for multifamily housing. If you missed it, a recording is available. Member projects include Seminary Hill Cidery in Callicoon, NY and Gallatin Passive House in Gallatin, NY. Ulster County’s Green New Deal program is leading the way, and we’re excited to be involved with Newburgh YouthBuild is recruiting for their job readiness program. We were an early supporter of this project and are working with organizers to help them incorporate passive building principles into their curriculum.

Quarterly Meeting

The Spring 2022 membership meeting was held on Thursday, March 10, 2022 via a Zoom call and we welcomed almost 40 people, one from as far away as the midwest. Presentations were given by Brendan Mangino, an Engineering Associate for Taitem Engineering in Ithaca, NY; and by James Moriarty, Vice President of Sustainable Comfort of Syracuse, NY. Did you miss out? The recording is available on our Youtube channel.

Our quarterly meetings bring together professionals from all across the U.S. and we could not make these events happen without support from sponsors. Thank you to our Spring 2022 event sponsor, NYSERDA! Becoming a sponsor is a great way to help your business reach hundreds of people in the passive building field. Want to become a sponsor? Learn more on the chapter website.

Save the date for our next meeting: Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Details TBD and we’ll be sure to post an announcement on the chapter website at www.phiusny.org.

Project Highlight: Seminary Hill Cidery

Seminary Hill is a 2-story, 9,350 SF building that houses an organic hard cider production facility, a tasting area, a commercial kitchen, and an event space overlooking the Delaware River Valley. The project is the first of its kind in the fermented beverage industry to achieve Phius passive building certification. Read more.

Certification type: Phius+ 2018
Location: Callicoon, NY
Architect: River Architects

Project Highlight: Gallatin Passive House

This home was built in answer to the clients’ priorities of energy self-sufficiency and a best practices approach to sustainable new construction. Built upon NORTH RIVER’s Flexhouse design model, the project incorporates simple extruded shapes and full-span structural design to permit future modification of the internal plan over the life of the house with minimal cost. Read more.

Certification type: Phius+ 2018
Location: Gallatin, NY
Architect: NORTH RIVER Architecture and Planning

Broader Community Updates

Passive Perfect: Passive House Construction in the Hudson Valley

Save the date and tune in Wednesday, 3/30 for Passive Perfect: Passive House Construction in the Hudson Valley.

Upstate House and partners will discuss the passive building construction standard (the most rigorous, energy-efficient set of performance-based building technologies currently available); highlight recent projects in the Hudson Valley; and examine the technology’s role in the roll-out of New York State’s ambitious climate goals. Learn more at www.upstatehouse.com.

Seminary Hill Orchard and Cidery Tour

Saturday, May 14, 2022, 10-3pm

Seminary Hill Orchard and Cidery, 43 Wagner Lane, Callicoon NY 12723

Join architect James Hartford and architect-turned-cidermaker Stuart Madany for a three-part tour to celebrate the first anniversary of a unique place in the foothills of the Catskills. You will learn about the passive building principles that guided the design of the Cidery and the holistic, sustainable practices in the orchard and in the cider-making process. Morning coffee, lunch, and a cider tasting are included.

Schedule:
10:00 Check- in, coffee, tea, and pastries available in Tasting Room
10:30 Module I – Passive House principles applied to Cidery
11:30 Module II – Design considerations for Cidery and tours of production space.
2:45 Lunch in Tent
1:30 Module III – Sustainable growing practices in the orchard and cider tasting.
3:00 conclusion of event

Local Community Updates

ULSTER COUNTY GREEN NEW DEAL
In April 2021 Ulster was the first County in New York State to publish their own plan for a Green New Deal, which set over 30 goals and targets for the County. These goals include transitioning the County to clean energy, creation of a green jobs workforce, and improving the County’s own buildings and transportation networks. The timeframe for these goals are laid out with three benchmarks: ‘immediately’, by 2025, and by 2040.

Some of the immediate goals for the plan have already been implemented, especially regarding renewable energy. A Solarize Ulster program is created that allows County residents to subscribe to community solar and provides a reduction in utility bills. The County has also created a 1.9 megawatt DC solar array in the Town of Ulster, which generates approximately 20% of the County’s electric usage. A second County led solar project is planned in Saugerties. The long term energy goal is for the County to meet 100% of its electricity needs through renewables by 2040.

Beyond renewable energy, the Ulster Green New Deal sets other goals of retrofitting and weatherizing 1000 homes per year by 2025, continuing to link communities in the County by walking and biking pathways, and providing all County residents access to zero carbon transportation. For this last goal the County has already started transitioning it’s fleet of County vehicles with the purchase of three all-electric public buses. The New Deal’s goals for retrofitting existing housing are ambitions, and the plan recognizes that a larger, trained workforce is needed. The Ulster Green New Deal has a long term economic vision for the County to grow as a center for business and innovation in new fields such as, “green design and construction, renewable materials, regenerative agriculture, water resource management, development and manufacturing of low waste product ecosystems, and more.”

Many of the Green New Deal’s goals have the chance at both near term and long term success and this includes targets for building out EV charging stations and providing universal broadband access in the County. These community improvements and County targets are worth keeping in mind for Passive House Professionals with projects in Ulster County. The County’s Green New Deal and information regarding progress on the plan is available at: https://gnd.ulstercountyny.gov.

NEWBURGH YOUTHBUILD
Rupco and LYNC have partnered with various organizations throughout the region, including Phius Alliance Hudson Valley, to facilitate Newburgh’s first Youthbuild program. Students can earn their high school equivalency as they receive job training and certifications. Youthbuild’s primary focus is construction, but Newburgh Youthbuild aims to offer career tracks in the medical field as well as a holistic, wraparound program that exposes students to mental health coaches and therapists, yoga, and other wellness activities, along with various other life skills.

Newburgh Youthbuild is still accepting applications! Please share with any Newburgh residents aged 16-24 without a high school diploma. Learn more at www.rupco.org/newburgh-youthbuild.

NYSERDA Updates

BUILDINGS OF EXCELLENCE

As part of the State’s effort to achieve a carbon-neutral economy, NYSERDA initiated the Buildings of Excellence (BOE) Competition in early 2019. The competition recognizes and rewards the design, construction, and operation of very low- or zero-carbon emitting multifamily buildings.

Check out NYSERDA’s profile on North Miller Passive House, an all-electric passive build retrofit in Newburgh, completed in June 2020.

BUILDING BETTER HOMES

In partnership with the New York State Home Builders Association and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, NYSERDA has established the Building Better Homes – Emissions Free and Healthier Communities program. This new first of its kind program will Partner with home builders and developers to advance carbon-neutral home and neighborhood development across the State. The benefits of carbon-neutral homes include:

A HEALTHIER indoor living environment by significantly reducing emissions—especially important for those suffering from asthma and allergies
A more COMFORTABLE home due to the improved insulation and air sealing that reduce drafts and keep the home at a more consistent temperature and reduced outside noises
CLEANER, more sustainable communities.

This new initiative is part of an over $30 million multi-year investment to decarbonize single family home new construction. NYSERDA will launch a second component of this program in mid-2022 with $10 million in funding, as a design competition, similar to its successful $40 million Buildings of Excellence Competition, which awards exemplary carbon neutral multifamily building designs. A third component of the program will launch in 2022 to build consumer demand by educating homebuyers on healthy and emissions free home construction. Learn more.

New York State News

ACTION ITEM: Low Embodied Carbon Concrete Leadership Act
In 2021, New York State passed the Low Embodied Carbon Concrete Leadership Act (https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/s542) – an important and leading piece of legislation to decrease greenhouse gas emissions from the leading source within the built environment, concrete. Passive House Alliance Hudson Valley was one of the signatories to the legislation’s memorandum of support which helped motivate Senators and Assembly members to pass that Act.

ACTION ITEM: Carbon Dioxide Removal Leadership Act
A new piece of legislation has been proposed in New York State this year, The Carbon Dioxide Removal Leadership Act (https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?term=2021&bn=S08171) – another important piece of legislation to draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. This Act needs your help to get passed. You can call your Senator and Assemblyperson, ask them if they’re familiar with the Act, and strongly encourage them to speak with their legislative colleagues to support and pass the Act. (And one week later, you can call them again to say the same thing…and the next week after that until the Act gets passed!)

We have one world to inhabit and one life to live in it. Let’s leave the world in a better state than we found it – for generations to come. Find my Assemblymember.

Phius Updates

Stay up to date with Phius trainings at www.phius.org/become-a-professional. Consider becoming a member to be the first to learn about new resources and training dates.

Phius MultiFamily Calculator with Al Mitchell

April 12, 2022 6pm ET/5pm CT
This webinar details the usage of the Phius MultiFamily calculator, so that you can accurately account for your internal heat gains, lighting and plug loads. The updated calculator is refined with updated formulas, built in definitions and guidance, and a new, fresh look. Come with questions, and hand in your old PHIUS+ 2015 in exchange for the state of the art unit!
https://phius1.zohobackstage.com/PhiusAllianceWebinarMultifamilyCalculatorwithAlMitchell

The Phius Developer’s Summit 2022 will look to serve as a gateway into the world of passive building for developers and real-estate professionals. The event will take place virtually April 26-28 with each of the three nights covering a specific topic.

Tuesday, April 26 – Single-Family Panel

Each panelist will present on creating Phius certified single-family homes, and how it is not only possible, but a viable model for developments that are healthier and more resilient than code homes. Phius Associate Director Lisa White will moderate.

Wednesday, April 27 – Multifamily Panel

Each panelist will share how and why creating Phius certified multifamily homes – large or small – is “just common sense” for their projects, their standing in the community and their relationship with tenants. Phius Policy Specialist Isaac Elnecave will moderate.

Thursday, April 28 – Financial Panel

Each panelist will speak about unique opportunities for projects seeking certification. Phius Executive Director and Co-Founder Katrin Klingenberg will moderate.

http://summit.phius.org/

PhiusCon Call for Abstracts

We have officially opened the Call for Abstracts for PhiusCon 2022 in Chicago! We need your help to electrify the crowd, and spread the word. Abstracts can be submitted here (https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/647ba4e083cb4e40814b3495b2b6280d)

Submissions are due by May 3. Emissions Down, Power Up!

Join Our Chapter!

Your participation as a member is vital to the strength and effectiveness of our organization. Membership provides you the right to vote, hold office, and earns you great discounts to Phius events- including informative webinars, attendance to the annual North American Passive House Conference, and professional training courses. Dues go to great advocacy and coursework development at the national level, and a portion goes to support our chapter events. Learn more on the chapter website.