California can fast-track a guideline that reliably reduces heating and cooling energy demand up to 70% below the current Title-24 baseline: Passive House. Together, we can put this climate resilience standard onto builders’ and owners’ radar, simply by adding a voluntary Passive House alternate pathway into California’s Title-24. Without this extension, few will know that Passive House even exists.
In fact, September’s heatwave appeared to have “broken” air conditioners in schools across Los Angeles. Social media buzzed with parents demanding that Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) fix the units and be honest about the magnitude of disrepair. Some parents requested early school closures, while others highlighted the lack of cooling at home. Some LAUSD staff worried about workplace safety. No one discussed that the ACs were overwhelmed, that schools need to be insulated, or that this problem isn’t going to get easier.
Libraries often serve as “cooling centers,” yet for at least two days, Los Angeles’ Studio City Library was closed because its AC could not keep up. Angelinos in air-conditioned cars circled the library’s hot, busy parking lot in disbelief.
The green building community understands that ACs need our help to function properly. How can we explain this to our neighbors? How can California ensure that AC benefits everyone—in both new and old buildings—while remaining reliable? Just as importantly, how can we cool—and heat—without overloading the power transmission grid?
California was once a leader in energy-efficient buildings. However, as incremental Title-24 Energy Code updates trickle in, many other US states and Canadian provinces have blown past us thanks to their reach or step codes. These voluntary codes, usually offered in parallel with existing building codes, go ‘above and beyond’ without creating additional work. In contrast, California’s current reach codes and Green Building Code are interwoven with Title-24’s baseline structure. Without the either-or option that other states have offered, California inadvertently causes double work for those striving for higher performance buildings like Passive House.
This approach needs to change if California is to meet its carbon neutrality goal by 2045.
Architects, builders, and property owners often turn to building codes for guidance. Opt-in specialized codes, like those in Massachusetts, significantly improve efficiency, comfort, and resilience, often at costs comparable to traditional methods. They also allow owners and builders the flexibility to choose between advanced methods and conventional practices.
The Passive House Standard has guided several regions—including Massachusetts, Washington State, New York, Pennsylvania, City of Denver, and British Columbia—toward adopting modeling tools that consider shading, ventilation, and occupant comfort. These tools not only predict successful operation but also support design optimization. With its exemplary track record of accuracy, field verification, and cost-effectiveness, Passive House empowers socially responsible construction by ensuring optimal indoor temperatures, reduced heat islands, lower utility bills, and non-stressed power grids. The standards’ impact on pests, mildew, embers, and indoor air quality is equally effective. Passive Houses are “smoke-tight”, keeping out smoke, particulates, and allergens.
Please join Climate Action California, Passive House California, the USGBC-CA, and many others by joining our coalition here. Teach your neighbors that it’s not the AC, it’s the building.
(posted 10/24/24)
Authors: Susan Diana Harris, Brian Pearson
About the Authors
Named “Stylemaker” by the San Francisco Chronicle, interior designer Susan Diana Harris has been creating homes clients never want to leave since 2004. Now on Tongva land in Los Angeles, she’s dedicated to the creation of homes clients never have to leave—accessible spaces, big and small, designed for thriving in place, even amidst the challenges of the climate crisis. She is on track to be a Certified Passive House Designer in December 2024. Brian Pearson is co-founder of Studio Pear an Oakland CA based full service architecture firm.
