The new national organization, established by the Passive House Institute US to build the Passive House green building movement in North America, selected Hagerman to help realize its promotional and public education mission.
Portland, Ore.—Nov. 10, 2010—Sam Hagerman, President of local contractor Hammer & Hand, was elected President of the Passive House Alliance at the 5th North American Passive House Conference this past weekend. The Passive House Alliance (PHA) is a new national organization established by the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) to promote, market and educate about the Passive House building standard. Hagerman is joined on the PHA Board of Directors by such building industry luminaries as Kent Adcock, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Washington, DC.
“The Passive House Alliance represents the next logical step for the expansion of the most rigorous, building-science-based sustainable building standard,” says Hagerman. “The Alliance will fill a critical role in leading the promotion, marketing and consumer education necessary to bring the benefits of Passive House to a wider public.”
What Is Passive House?
A Passive House (or Passivhaus in Europe) is a structure that employs a simple set of building technologies to achieve tremendous energy efficiency; energy consumption is reduced by 90% compared to conventional buildings. The standard emphasizes simplicity over complexity. Unlike with LEED, Passive House projects do not chase a list of ‘green’ points. Instead the focus is on actual, measured energy performance. How much energy is required to build and operate a structure?
Passive House homes minimize energy losses and maximize passive energy gains by employing seven principles:
1. Super-insulate.
2. Eliminate “thermal bridges” (that allow heat and cool to travel through walls).
3. Make the building envelope airtight.
4. Use energy and heat recovery ventilation.
5. Use high performance windows and doors.
6. Optimize passive-solar and internal heat gains.
7. Model energy gains and losses using Passive House computer modeling.
The results are impressive. In Portland’s climate, all heating needs can be met by a single 1000-watt heater (equivalent to heating a home with a hair dryer). Lights, appliances, and building occupants provide all other needed heat.
About Sam Hagerman:
Hagerman has nearly 30 years of experience working as a carpenter, builder, and business owner. Hailing from a family of Montana ranchers, contractors and public servants, Sam learned carpentry at a young age. He moved to Oregon in 1984 to attend Reed College, and made the transition from carpenter to business owner in 1995 when he founded Hammer And Hand, Inc., the residential contracting firm that emphasizes sustainability in the built and work environments. His leadership has kept the company at the apex of technical innovation, craftsmanship, and quality. Hagerman and his company hold the full complement sustainable building affiliations and certifications and have built homes using a wide range of techniques, including rammed earth, straw bale, stucco, SIPS, cedar chip and clay slip, ICFs, and advanced framing. He is also an active leader in policy and code issues at the local, state and national levels.
About Hammer & Hand:
As a steward of Portland’s built environment since 1995, contractor Hammer & Hand helps the region’s people live better in their homes and businesses. The firm’s state-of-the-art remodels, historically accurate restorations and new homes of lasting craft and beauty give physical expression to its ethos of stewardship. This ethos guides Hammer & Hand’s sustainable building practices, honoring both the embodied energy and embodied narrative contained in every building. https://hammerandhand.com
About Passive House Alliance:
The Passive House Alliance (PHA) is a national non-profit organization created to support the Passive House building energy standard through public outreach, education, support of industry professionals and advocacy. Its membership includes planners, consultants, builders, architects, manufacturers and other individuals working to implement and promote Passive House building energy efficiency standards and construction in the United States. PHA is a closely aligned with the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS), the national training and certification agency for Passive House professionals, projects and products. The well-established Passive House Northwest (PHNW) will become the NW regional chapter of PHA, and a PHNW representative will serve on the PHA Board of Directors. http://phalliance.com
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