The Passive House Network Announces Launch of Specialized Thermal Bridging Course


The Passive House Network (PHN) announced today the launch of the Thermal Bridging course, as an on-demand online training for architects, engineers and consultants working on Passive House residential and commercial building construction.

“Thermal bridge calculations are essential for delivering predictable building performance and cost effective construction,” said Sharon Gaber, PHN Managing Director. Gaber noted, “With this advanced course, architects, engineers and consultants can close the loop on making truly continuous insulation and be assured of high-performance that addresses occupant needs and our climate crisis.”

The Thermal Bridging course is available at any time, on demand, over a six month period. This availability allows students to access the lessons at their own pace, review calculations step-by-step as needed and master this critical aspect of Passive House design. The cost is $595. 14 AIA LU/HSW credits are available. Topics will cover:


  • Introduction & THERM setup
  • Assemblies
  • Junctions
  • Windows
  • Ground
  • Next Steps

The course was developed in collaboration with Ed May and BLDGtyp. Ed May, a BLDGtyp partner, stated, “For a building enclosure to provide predictable Passive House high-performance, the comprehensive consideration of thermal bridges is required. The course we’ve developed carefully takes students through that path, clarifies critical aspects, and provides the skills needed to close the loop, and support Passive House energy balance calculations.”

The course, Thermal Bridging, is part of a larger Passive House education pathway, that begins with introductory classes, including a suite of on-demand introductory topics offered by the Building Energy Exchange (BEEx), based in NYC, the core Certified Passive House Designer and Certified Passive House Tradesperson courses, and other specialized expert training.

“The courses in the training pathway are all organized to build on each other and support growing high-performance competency as we work to make buildings a solution to our climate, health, and social crises,” stated PHN Executive Director, Ken Levenson. “Our climate emergency demands nothing less.”

This course can be accessed at: https://naphnetwork.org/education/specialized/thermal-bridging-course/

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About The Passive House Network:

The Passive House Network (PHN), formerly known as NAPHN, is a high-performance building literacy program. We provide comprehensive, high-quality Passive House education to stakeholders across the building industry – from architects and engineers to builders and developers, to regulators and policymakers. We demystify the impact of design and construction choices, form knowledge-sharing networks, raise expectations, and transform how professionals fundamentally think and work.

PHN is an independent national non-profit educational organization affiliated with the International Passive House Association (iPHA) and the Passive House Institute (PHI), located in Darmstadt, Germany.

PHN has chapters based in New Jersey (http://www.njpassivehouse.com), Washington DC (http://www.naphnetwork.org), the Rocky Mountain Region (http://www.phrockymountains.com), Minnesota (http://www.passivehouseminnesota.org) and Pennsylvania (http://www.passivehousepa.org).

PHN supports the widespread adoption of the international Passive House design and construction standards, building science principles and protocols, as a critical response to our climate crisis – providing unparalleled effectiveness in mitigating climate disruptions and adapting to rapidly changing environmental conditions.

http://www.naphnetwork.org

About Passive House:

Passive House is an international building standard and methodology, applicable to buildings of all kinds from office buildings to hospitals, new-build and renovations, that results in a dramatic drop in operational energy use, and more comfortable and healthy occupants – meant to aggressively mitigate our climate crisis while providing resilient adaptation.

The Passive House Standard was developed by the Passive House Institute (PHI), an independent scientific research organization, located in Darmstadt, Germany, and includes specific requirements for energy use and comfort of occupants. The Passive House Standard is being successfully applied to thousands of buildings and millions of square feet around the world, from Boston to Beijing.

The Passive House methodology starts with reducing cooling, dehumidification, and heating loads by focusing, not on gadgets and active technology, but instead on fully integrated durable passive building components, such as proper continuous thermal-bridge-free insulation, continuous airtightness, high-performance windows and doors, and ventilation that includes a high-efficiency heat/energy recovery core, carefully calculated, and all integrated with the entire architectural process of design and construction. http://www.passivehouse.com http://www.passipedia.org

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