Author: Tim Eian

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Free April 21 PHMN Webinar: Residential VRF Systems for Passive Houses with Mike Schaefer

On April 21 at 5pm CST, Passive House Minnesota is co-hosting a webinar with Mike Schaefer of Mitsubishi about the concept of Passive & High-Performance homes and the application of Residential Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) Systems to meet their design and efficiency requirements. He will review the technology and advantages of Residential VRF Systems and their performance in cold climates, the process used to properly size cooling and heating equipment, and the benefits afforded by Residential VRF Systems.

Mike has been in the HVAC Industry since 2005 where he has worked on all levels including contracting, distribution and manufacturing.  Mike joined Mitsubishi Electric in 2014 and has held multiple roles including Commercial Area Manager, Residential Area Manager and was most recently part of Mitsubishi Electric’s Performance Construction Team which is focused on providing healthy, efficient and reliable mechanical solutions to the high performance building market. He is currently the Regional Sales Manager for the Chicago market. 

VRF for Passive House and High Performance Homes – Passive House Minnesota
Tue, Apr 21, 2020 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (CDT)

Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/807253349

You can also dial in using your phone.
United States (Toll Free): 1 866 899 4679
United States: +1 (224) 501-3316

Access Code: 807-253-349

Join from a video-conferencing room or system.
Dial in or type: 67.217.95.2 or inroomlink.goto.com
Meeting ID: 807 253 349
Or dial directly: 807253349@67.217.95.2 or 67.217.95.2##807253349

New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/807253349

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March PHMN Happy Hour cancelled

Hello everyone,

Due to concerns regarding COVID-19, we are cancelling our March 24th Happy Hour. Our leadership circle will also be taking extra precautions during this time—taking advantage of online conferencing tools or phone conversations instead of in-person meetings—as we continue working on a range of agenda items to further the adoption of passive house. 

Among our top priorities for 2020 is planning for an upcoming Certified Passive House Designer/Consultant training this fall as well as speaking events, practitioner and policy-related roundtables, and Passive House open houses. Undoubtedly, we will be considering which of these events can be offered as web conferences.

Please stay tuned for updates regarding future every fourth Tuesday happy hours and event offerings as we continue to assess this fluid situation.  

Thank you & stay safe out there,
Passive House Minnesota

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Leadership Circle vs. Happy Hour

One question many ask is whether to join Passive House Minnesota’s monthly leadership circle meetings, or come to a Happy Hour (or both). Here is how our events differ and how you can answer that question for yourself:

Join the Passive House Leadership Circle if you wish to actively participate in outreach and eduction, or otherwise volunteer for NAPHN. We ask that all leadership circle members are NAPHN members. 

The Happy Hour is Passive House Minnesota’s monthly public event. It’s a great opportunity to engage with like-minded people to network and exchange ideas and questions surrounding the Passive House building energy standard. Open to all. The next Happy Hour is tonight at 6:30pm at FairState Brewing Coop.

We list both events on our calendar.

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NAPHN 2020 “Choose Your Future” Conference

New York City, June 11-12, 2020. Learn more.

“Choose Your Future” is a call to action – to recognize the power of individuals to produce change and to build a movement; a call for us all to not forfeit our influence over events but to use it. Our time. Our money. Our emotions. Our brainpower. All of these are individual investments in future outcomes; in a future that is increasingly uncertain but still ours to shape through our actions, decisions and commitments. Passive House is a way for us to reliably invest in that future.

Accelerating climate disruptions and public policy initiatives are driving uncertainty about the future effectiveness of our investments today. The core mission of Passive House 2020 is to demonstrate and discuss how (and why) building owners, developers, and occupants are choosing Passive House to improve outcomes, minimize uncertainty and risk, provide more control, increase performance and enhance well-being.

There will be in-depth workshops for the two days prior to the conference and building tours the day after. Building owners, industry professionals, manufacturers, and policymakers will share how they leverage the international Passive House Standard, and choose their futures.

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January High Performance Homes Classes

Passive House supporter Larry Mayer is putting on four exciting and relevant training classes in January at the Maple Grove Community Center. We added all of them to the Passive House Minnesota calendar. Learn more and sign up for each class by clicking on the headlines below.

1) Introduction to Green Building Principles

  • For Appraisers & Lending Underwriters – Level 1 Design & Industry Overview
  • Monday, January 27, 2020 from 7:15 AM to 5:00 PM CST
  • 7 CE credits + 1 for passing test at end of day
  • $50 (typically $220) including lunch
  • Please visit northstarai.org to process your payment

2) Case Studies of Residential Green Buildings

  • For Appraisers & Lending Underwriters – Level 2 Case Workup Training
  • Tuesday, January 28, 2020 from 7:15 AM to 5:00 PM CST
  • 7 CE credits + 1 for passing test at end of day
  • $50 (typically $220) including lunch
  • Please visit northstarai.org to process your payment

3) Describing, Documenting, Valueing, Marketing, and Financing

  • For Realtors, Lending Loan Officers, Loan Underwriters
  • Wednesday, January 29, 2020 from 7:15 AM to 12:00 PM CST
  • 4 CE credits

4) High-Performance Homes Financing Rules

  • For Builders, Designers, Project Managers, Energy Assessors, Home Inspectors & Building Inspectors
  • Wednesday, January 29, 2020 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM CST 
  • 4 CE credits
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November Passive House Happy Hour

This month we are having another Happy Hour at Fair State Brewing Cooperative, 2506 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. Join us Tuesday, November 26th at 6:30pm.

Some of the recent Certified Passive House Tradesperson (CPHT) trainees will be there to share their experience, as well as Etienne Gubler of Siga.

Tim Eian of TE Studio will be there to talk about last week’s international Passive House Open Days as well as the first certified Passive House Plus building in Minnesota.

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Visit and experience a Passive House

With the help of TE Studio, its Clients and Partners, three Passive House open houses are offered in the metro area during the 2019 international Passive House Days. Saturday’s feature is St. Paul’s first certified Passive House project—one of only a couple of certified Passive House Plus projects in North America. This is followed on Sunday by recent crowd-pleaser “The Nordeast Nest“, and the third construction tour of Minneapolis’ carbon-neutral “Good Energy Haus“.

Experience all three November 9 and 10, 2019. Get your free tickets below.

Follow up the Passive House Days with your certified Passive House Tradesperson Training November 12-16. Click for details.

Lexington Parkway Passive House Plus
St. Paul, MN
Saturday, November 9 from 2pm until 4pm
> Free Lexington Pkwy PH Ticket

Nordeast Nest
Northeast Minneapolis
Sunday, November 10 from 10am until Noon
> Free Nordeast Nest Ticket

Good Energy Haus
Construction Tour # 3
Northeast Minneapolis
Sunday, November 10 from 2pm until 4pm
> Free Good Energy Haus Ticket