In collaboration with the Center for Sustainable Buildings Research and Slipstream, Precipitate is a part of a team conducting research on Passive House-certified multifamily projects to understand the potential costs, energy and carbon savings, and market barriers to such projects. Our research is funded by a Conservation Applied Research Development (CARD) Grant. Our goal is to determine the suitability of multifamily Passive House Projects for a new utility Conservation Improvement Program (CIP) focused on high efficiency, whole-building energy performance.

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Our work is concentrated on Market Analysis and Energy Modeling. We tested energy models in WUFI Passive of multi-family buildings at three scales in different parts of the state to assess the potential for energy savings if these projects are built to Phius standards.

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To better understand the factors that support or challenge Passive House projects in Minnesota, interviews were conducted across the building, design, and construction community, including market-rate and affordable designers and developers, code officials, housing authorities, utilities, and builders. Through these interviews, we identified the obstacles to Passive House including perceived incremental cost, supply chain issues, training and educational needs, and potential code issues. You can see Elizabeth and Imani presenting our findings at Phiuscon 2022.

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