Challenges and Opportunities of Implementing Passive House Standards in Large Residential Projects in Massachusetts

8 pages•Published: July 23, 2025

Payam Bakhshi, Afshin Pourmokhtarian and John Cribbs

Abstract

The building sector contributes substantially to greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn exacerbates climate change in a positive feedback loop. As a result, there is an urgent need to improve energyefficiency of buildings to lower their environmental impacts. The Massachusetts Specialized Opt-In code, which includes Passive House as a compliance path, supports the State's goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting energy conservation. This paper examines the perception of industry professionals about implementing Passive House standards in large residential projects in Massachusetts as well as the cost impacts of implementing these standards. Through comprehensive literature review, case studies, and primary data collection via interviews with industry professionals, the analysis provides insights into the industry readiness and incremental costs associated with Passive House projects while explores the challenges and benefits of adopting these standards. The findings indicate that while there is an initial cost premium, typically ranging from 1% to 7.5%, the average cost increase is approximately 2.4%. Long-term savings and improved building performance make Passive House an attractive option for sustainable development. The study highlights the importance of industry experience and training in managing costs and achieving high-performance standards which underscores the need for continued education and collaboration among construction stakeholders. Additionally, the research underlines the critical role of policy and industry cooperation in fostering sustainable construction practices to ensure that the transition to high-performance buildings is economically viable and environmentally beneficial.

Keyphrases: construction cost, energy efficient, large residential projects, passive house, sustainable built environment

In: Wesley Collins, Anthony J. Perrenoud and John Posillico (editors). Proceedings of Associated Schools of Construction 61st Annual International Conference, vol 6, pages 352-359.

Links:	https://easychair.org/publications/paper/bkqd
	https://doi.org/10.29007/m799

BibTeX entry

@inproceedings{ASC2025:Challenges_Opportunities_Implementing_Passive,
  author    = {Payam Bakhshi and Afshin Pourmokhtarian and John Cribbs},
  title     = {Challenges and Opportunities of Implementing Passive House Standards in Large Residential Projects in Massachusetts},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of Associated Schools of Construction 61st Annual International Conference},
  editor    = {Wesley Collins and Anthony J. Perrenoud and John Posillico},
  series    = {EPiC Series in Built Environment},
  volume    = {6},
  publisher = {EasyChair},
  bibsource = {EasyChair, https://easychair.org},
  issn      = {2632-881X},
  url       = {/publications/paper/bkqd},
  doi       = {10.29007/m799},
  pages     = {352-359},
  year      = {2025}}

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