One Brooklyn
April 18, 2017
IN ADVANCE OF PUBLIC TRAINING AT BROOKLYN BOROUGH HALL, BOROUGH PRESIDENT HIGHLIGHTS BROAD SUPPORT FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF PASSIVE HOUSE DESIGN
BROOKLYN, NY, April 18, 2017: Today, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams continued his celebration of Earth Week by hailing the passage of a resolution at the Brooklyn Borough Board that called for the New York City building code to be adjusted to Passive House standards. Passive House is a recognized international standard for a building’s energy efficiency to reduce heating and cooling requirements by up to 90 percent and overall energy demand by up to 75 percent compared to conventional buildings, while also providing the most comfortable and healthy interior environment. Brooklyn is considered an innovation center for Passive House, with more than 35 projects completed or in progress, the largest concentration in the United States. The resolution, passed at the body’s April meeting, includes support for the City to investigate implementing Passive House Classic, Passive House Plus (net zero), and Passive House Premium (net positive) standards for new building construction and renovation applications across the borough. Borough President Adams applauded the board, a charter-mandated committee that comprises himself as chair, the council members for each district in Brooklyn, and the chairs of the borough’s community boards, for passing this progressive step toward greater energy efficiency.
“I applaud our Borough Board for taking a bold stand on energy efficiency and environmental protection,” said Borough President Adams. “Buildings across the city contribute to nearly three-quarters of greenhouse gas emissions, and we must be aggressive in retrofitting them as we work on our City’s shared goal of 80 percent emissions reduction by 2050. Adopting Passive House standards in the construction industry and in building maintenance, which should be implemented citywide, is exactly the kind of ambitious action that government policymakers should be working on to reduce our collective carbon footprint.”
“Thank you [Borough President Adams] for leading Brooklyn in a positive direction by educating and fostering energy saving construction,” said Theresa Scavo, chair of Brooklyn Community Board 15 (CB 15). “Energy costs are a burden on many homeowners and with New York Passive House construction these costs could be cut or eliminated.”
“New York Passive House applauds the Brooklyn Borough Board and Borough President Adams’ leadership in passing this resolution towards a healthy, vibrant, energy efficient city of the future,” said Andreas Benzing, president of New York Passive House. “Brooklyn leads Passive House development in New York and in North America, and this resolution proves its strong commitment to addressing climate change and building a truly sustainable city.”
Borough President Adams has advanced Passive House building standards as part of his use of the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process to push for more affordable housing across Brooklyn. Last month, responding to a land use application in Ocean Hill, he called for zoning map amendments that would facilitate construction of a mixed-use residential building with 67 affordable housing units and a new church space on the site of the existing True Holy Church. As part of the plans, Borough President Adams successfully pushed for the development to meet Passive House design and sustainability standards.
To increase the awareness and implementation of Passive House standards across Brooklyn, Borough President Adams will convene architects, designers, developers, and the general public for an information and training session on Monday, April 24th at 6:00 PM in the Courtroom of Brooklyn Borough Hall. The workshop, led by New York Passive House, will educate attendees how to save money on heating and cooling bills, create a healthier home with cleaner air, live more comfortably with better temperature control and sound reduction, and reduce a building’s carbon footprint.
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