“…architects, engineers and builders have become fluent in new passive house construction… Now we must pivot… How do we deal with our existing housing, almost all of which is stick-built, under-insulated and often spread across communities with few resources for the needed deep-energy retrofits.”
Naomi Beal, executive director of passivhausMAINE
HAMILTON, Scotland–On November 3, as part of the United Nations’ COP26 climate conference in the U.K., Freeport, Maine-based passivhausMAINE joined several organizations from around the world in becoming International Centres of Excellence on High Performance Building.
The recognition comes, in part, because of the organization’s recent work to launch the retrofitMAINE initiative, which is collecting data on upgrading and retrofitting existing structures to make them more energy efficient. This data can be exported to other parts of the world with climatic and industrial similarities to Maine. According to Naomi Beal, executive director of passivhausMAINE, this data could be used to develop strategies, processes and materials that will make buildings more efficient and fight climate change globally.
Last week, Beal was at the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre outside of Glasgow–where this year’s COP26 conference is being held–to meet with representatives of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, which launched the International Centres of Excellence on High Performance Building program in 2018.
Beal’s organization was one of several signatories to be inducted this year. Those present at the signing included representatives from Northern Ireland’s South West College InnoTech Centre, EnEffect in Bulgaria, Passive House Canada and the Passivhaus Trust in the U.K. Other guests included Michael Matheson, Scottish government cabinet secretary for net zero, energy and transport, as well as Olga Algayerova, executive secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe and Scott Foster, director of the UNECE’s sustainable energy division. Representatives from the Building Innovation Hub in Washington, D.C., and the Building Energy Exchange in New York joined virtually.
The process of signing onto the project was conducted by Algayerova, while Foster made remarks to the assembled representatives.
The International Centres of Excellence on High Performance Buildings is a knowledge-sharing framework that connects organizations around the world and provides on-the-ground assistance for building owners and developers, architects, engineers, contractors and policy officials. As a member of the organization, passivhausMAINE will begin to share information, data and resources into the program and will also have access to valuable resources meant to help achieve tangible results in improving building efficiency.
In her remarks during the signing, Beal praised her home state for improving the efficiency of newly built structures, but pointed out the need to upgrade the half-million existing buildings which are largely low-efficiency.
The retrofitMAINE initiative, she said, “was developed with an understanding of this scarcity, both in resources and private-sector buy-in, but also in the systems, technologies, and approaches to retrofitting that will be needed in the future… We hope our research can be used to find these solutions in other parts of the world.”
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, or UNECE, is one of the five United Nations Regional Commissions working to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) was set up in 1947 by ECOSOC. It is one of five regional commissions of the United Nations.
UNECE’s major aim is to promote pan-European economic integration. UNECE includes fifty-six member states in Europe, North America and Asia. However, all interested United Nations member States may participate in the work of UNECE. Over seventy international professional organisations and other nongovernmental organisations take part in UNECE activities.
Ms. Olga Algayaerova, Executive Secretary of UNECE (left) with Naomi Beal, executive director of passivhausMAINE, at the UNECE International Centres of Excellence on High Performance Building signing ceremony outside Glasgow as part of the UN’s COP26 conference. November 3, 2021
Naomi Beal, executive director of passivhausMAIINE (center) stands with Olga Algayerova, executive secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (right) and Scott Foster, director of the UNECE’s sustainable energy division during the November 3 signing ceremony.
Signatories and delegates to UNECE’s 2021 Inernational Centres of Excellence in High Performance Building signing, part of the UN’s COP26 conference. At present are reps from South West College InnoTech Centre, EnEffect in Bulgaria, Passive House Canada and the Passivhaus Trust in the U.K., Michael Matheson, Scottish government cabinet secretary for net zero, energy and transport, Olga Algayerova and Scott Foster.
“By pursuing a high-performance buildings agenda we can improve not only energy efficiency, but also health, safety, affordability, comfort… indeed overall quality of life is enhanced. The agenda will also contribute to gender equality, which is an important objective of our energy sub-programme.”
Olga Algayerova, executive secretary of UNECE, speaking in 2018 at the founding of the International Centres of Excellence for High Performance Building
passivhausMAINE is a non-profit organization committed to decreasing carbon emissions, dependency on fossil fuels and costs for winter heating in Maine. It works to support the passive house industry and community in Maine, North America and internationally.
passivhausMAINE’s vision is for a more resilient and energy independent Maine. Through training, education and policy action, we support initiatives to build awareness for a Maine that operates entirely on renewable power. We seek to encourage passive house as the minimum building standard on the path towards 100 percent net-zero, net-positive and fully regenerative buildings throughout the state.