Passive House: Planning and Design Seminar
DISCLAIMER
Before purchasing, review the rules of your licensing or certifying entity. It is your responsibility to confirm this course meets your CE requirements. See the credit tab on the course page for details.
What’s Included: Full webinar recording, written course materials, expert instruction, a mandatory quiz, and a certificate upon completion.
Deliverability Timeline: All courses are generally available within 1-2 weeks after the live presentation.
CE Credits: AIA and/or LA/CES accreditation is available by request for courses recorded prior to March 11, 2026. All courses after that date include those accreditations by default, if applicable. With these accreditations, our courses qualify for credit in nearly all states for engineers, surveyors, architects, and landscape architects.
Learn more about the on-demand format in our FAQ or contact us at (715) 835-5900 or customerservice@halfmoonseminars.org
Agenda
Registration: 8:00 – 8:30 am
Morning Session: 8:30 am – 12:00 pm
Lunch (On your own): 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Afternoon Session: 1:00 – 4:30 pm
Introduction
Change everywhere
Passive House Roots in the US and Canada
The 1973 oil embargo and first efforts at energy efficiency
“Mass & glass” vs. improved envelope
Synthesis in first Passive House
Passive House Standard: Purpose, Principles and Development
Adoption of US energy efficiency standards
Passive House: voluntary, measured performance-based building energy standard
Overview of PH standard’s criteria
Common elements in achieving the criteria
Energy calculation tools: an introduction to tools and their functionality
Certifying agencies in US: PHI and PHIUS
CPHC training
Integrated design process
Architectural Elements of Passive Houses in our Climate
Size and form
The building envelope
• Super-insulated envelope
• No thermal bridges
• Airtight
Solar orientation
Summer shading and cooling strategies
Winter solar gain and heat retention strategies
Energy recovery ventilation
High efficiency mechanical equipment
High efficiency lights, fixtures and appliances
Integrating renewable energy technologies
Mechanical Systems in Passive Houses
Return to less reliance on active measures
• Effects of better envelopes
• Effects of internal gains
Attention to glazing percentage
Energy recovery ventilation
Dehumidification
Air distribution
Domestic hot water
Energy-efficient appliances
Passive Houses in Mixed Humid, mid-Atlantic
Limitations on design
Basement construction
Spec house
Modular houses
Zero and positive energy houses
Multi-family
Retrofits
Single family retrofit
Multifamily retrofits
Passive + Direct Current Microgrids to Facilitate Net Zero Energy
Questions
Credits
Professional Engineers
6.5 Continuing Ed. Hours
Architects
6.5 Continuing Ed. Hours (HSW)
6.5 AIA LU|HSW
Contractors
Non-Credit Continuing Ed.
Continuing Education Credit Information
This seminar is open to the public and offers 6.5 continuing education hours to professional engineers and architects (HSW) in most states. Educators and courses are not subject to preapproval in Virginia.
This event has been approved by the American Institute of Architects for 6.5 HSW Learning Units (Sponsor No. J885). Only full attendance can be reported to the AIA/CES.
HalfMoon Education is an approved continuing education sponsor for engineers in Florida, Indiana (License No. CE21700059), Maryland, New Jersey (Approval No. 24GP00000700), North Carolina, and North Dakota.
This seminar offers a non-credit continuing education opportunity to construction contractors; it has not been approved by any state contractor licensing entity for continuing education purposes.
Attendance will be monitored, and attendance certificates will be available after the seminar for most individuals who complete the entire program. Attendance certificates not available at the seminar will be mailed to participants within fifteen business days.
Speakers
Matthew Fine,
Peabody ArchitectsProject Manager at Peabody Architects
Mr. Fine has over 10 years of experience in project design, management, and production services. His responsibilities have ranged from conceptual design through contract administration to project closeout. Much of Mr. Fine’s knowledge and expertise centers on multi-family residential, mixed-use, urban infill, interior fit-out and adaptive re-use. Mr. Fine received his Bachelor of Arts in Architecture degree from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. As a LEED® accredited professional, he continually seeks to push sustainable and innovative building solutions while addressing the most basic, but often overlooked, role of architecture. Mr. Fine is a certified Passive House consultant (PHIUS). Previously, Mr. Fine served as director of ZA+Dpassiv, a division of Zavos Architects. He was the project leader of that firm’s very successful 2015 Weinberg Commons project, a Passive House retrofit of three 1950’s multifamily housing units. He also has experience in high-performance single family homes. He designed Arlington’s first Passive House in 2012, and two Passive House townhouses (Habitat Empowerhouse) in Ivy City 2014.
David Peabody,
Peabody ArchitectsPeabody Architects in Alexandria, VA
Mr. Peabody has led Peabody Architects, in Alexandria, Virginia, since 1992, designing more than 100 homes and additions. Witnessing and participating in the growth of sprawl in the suburban DC area through the ‘90’s led to awareness that the way building is done today is not sustainable, and a conviction that architects cannot sit on the fence on environmental issues. Since committing the practice to sustainable design in 2000, he has become increasingly active in issues regarding architecture and the environment, and he has made these issues central to the way the firm approaches its work. In 2004, he became a LEED accredited professional, and in 2009 he became a Passive House certified consultant– one of the first architects in the country to achieve this certification. Mr. Peabody earned his Master of Architecture degree in 1977 from Yale School of Architecture.
AIA Info
AIA Provider Statement:
HalfMoon Education Inc. is a registered provider of AIA-approved continuing education under Provider Number J885. All registered AIA/CES Providers must comply with the AIA Standards for Continuing Education Programs. Any questions or concerns about this provider of learning program may be sent to AIA/CES (cesupport@aia.org or (800) AIA 3837, Option 3).
This learning program is registered with AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product.
AIA continuing education credit has been reviewed and approved by AIA/CES. Learners must complete the entire learning program to receive continuing education credit. AIA continuing education Learning Units earned upon completion of this course will be reported to AIA/CES for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-AIA members are available upon request.
Course Title: Passive House: Planning and Design
Delivery Method: Live
Course Description: This 6.5 hour live lecture presentation examines the Passive House standard, purpose, principles and developemnt, architectural elements of Passive Houses, mechanical systems, retrofits, and unique design challenges in specific climate zones and conditions.
Learning Objectives:
Learning Objective 1:
Learners will be able to discuss the purpose and principles of Passive Houses, identify the common elements of Passive Houses, and their performance-based building energy standard.
Learning Objective 2:
Learners will be able to describe architectural elements of Passive Houses, including super-insulated building envelopes, air tight envelopes with no thermal bridges, solar orientation, energy recovery ventilation, summer shading and cooling strategies, winter solar gain and heat retention strategies, high efficiency mechanical equipment, high efficiency lights, fixtures and appliances, and integrated energy technologies.
Learning Objective 3:
Learners will be able to explain Passive House mechanical system strategies to achieve Passive House standards, including dehumidification, attention to glazing percentage, air distribution, energy-efficient appliances, and energy recovery.
Learning Objective 4:
Learners will be able to identify and address Passive House challenges in specific climate regions.
LUs: 6.5 LU Type: LU|HSW
Prerequisites: Familiarity with residential construction and HVAC principles
Advance Preparation: None
Program Level: Intermediate
Course Expiration Date: 05/06/2022
Complaint Resolution Policy:
Complaints regarding this course can be emailed to doug@halfmoonseminars.org or by calling (715) 835-5900. A HalfMoon Education representative will respond within 72 hours to resolve the complaint, which will include, but not limited to, access to another CE activity at no or reduced cost, or a full or partial refund. Each instance will be resolved on a case-by-case situation.