The Benefits of Passive Building for Affordable Housing
As seen in Multi-Housing News
Our Director of Preconstruction Andrew Bourne and resident #PassiveHouse expert wrote an article on the benefits of Passive House in Affordable Housing for Multi-Housing News, which was published last week.
“The Passive House movement has accelerated under its own power in the United States, driven by increasing efforts to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and plants where energy is produced. With the passage of the $700 billion Inflation Reduction Act in August, Passive House is likely to move even further into the spotlight.
To date, the affordable housing component of the multifamily market has lagged behind. Hesitancy to employ passive building’s strict energy efficiency standards in affordable developments primarily lies in the added upfront cost, which typically ranges from 3 percent to 7 percent of the total project cost. A second challenge is the fear of the unknown. Affordable housing developers aren’t turning to Passive House techniques because their designers, contractors and other professionals are not experienced in using them.
The Inflation Reduction Act, which the National Housing Trust says provides $25 billion in funding for affordable housing, may be the boost needed to expand the use of passive building further into the affordable and workforce housing sector.
The cruel irony of the slow acceptance of passive building in affordable housing is that the myriad benefits of its energy efficiency standards resonate even more in these types of projects. The following discusses a few of these benefits.”
Click the link below to read the full article!