Passive House Education
Passive House Education
What’s so cool about Passive House?
The built environment is facing a pivotal moment. As climate change brings more frequent and severe natural disasters, like wildfires, to our region, and energy demand in our homes and communities continues to rise, we are confronting compounding pressures that demand smarter approaches to how we design and build. The construction industry has the opportunity to meet these challenges by embracing resilient, energy-efficient, and sustainable building practices.
The Passive House building standards go beyond code requirements to prioritize extreme energy efficiency through design and construction techniques. This is achieved by optimizing passive solar gains, insulation, air tightness, and ventilation with heat recovery. At the same time, Passive House standards maximize home comfort, indoor air quality, resilience, and affordability.
Get certified as a Passive House Designer, Consultant, or Tradesperson
3C-REN has partnered with national organizations to bring Passive House Certifications to our region, with cohorts available throughout the year.
Choose your Training
Certification for Architects, Designers and Consultants
3C-REN is pleased to offer the Passive House Network’s (PHN’s) Certified Passive House Designer/Consultant (CPHD/C) hybrid cohort at no cost to residents and those who work in the counties of Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo. CPHD/C is the premier passive house professional training for architects, engineers, and building professionals, supported by the global technical leadership of the Passive House Institute.
The Pacific Cohort is offered four times a year, in the winter, spring, summer, and fall, and is a blend of self-paced on-demand modules and live online training sessions. This training takes approximately 8 weeks, followed by 4 to 5 weeks of exam prep. The course is structured to be flexible in timing and to help you arrive at the exam date fully prepared. From there you’re ready to begin designing and building according to the passive house standard.
Regardless of what type of projects you design – residential, commercial, institutional projects, or with new and retrofit construction – the Passive House standard can be applied.
Eligibility
This training is available at no cost to residents and those who work in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties.
Find your designation
The designation “Designer” or Certified Passive House Designer (CPHD) is reserved for architects, engineers, and similarly specialized building professionals or those who take responsibility for the building planning. The “Consultants” designation is for designers, real estate professionals, or those who do not take responsibility for the building planning. A more detailed definition can be found here.
Who should attend
The Certified Passive House Designer / Consultant course was developed for a wide range of student profiles including architects, MEP and structural engineers, façade, energy and sustainability consultants, contractors, developers, policymakers, regulators, and more.
Why attend this course
Gain a strong foundation in Passive House principles and their application to influence all your building projects, including single-family, multi-family, mixed-use, commercial, and industrial.
- Learn Passive House standards and calculations using Imperial units rather than metric.
- Develop the skills needed to calculate for high-performance buildings.
- Explore case studies of passive house buildings from a variety of projects and learn best practices and design tips for different conditions.
- Learn the core requirements for all certified Passive House designers and consultants so that you can take the certification exam.
- Learn how to use the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) software for residential building design and certification.
- Once you pass the certification exam, you’ll possess an internationally regarded professional credential demonstrating leadership in high-performance, low-energy building design.
- This training is accredited by the AIA for up to 59 LU/HSWs (CPHD + PHPP) + 12 PHI CEUs are available.
How to Apply
Space is limited. Registration is first come, first serve with limited equal spaces per San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. Confirmed registrants will be sent a link and an enrollment code to register with PHN’s training portal.
By registering for the Pacific Cohort, you commit 3C-REN to pay the training and exam fee on your behalf, valued at $2,295.
Complete the interest form ASAP to confirm your eligibility for the cohort.
Certification for Contractors and Tradespeople (Hands-on)
Passive Design/Build Boot Camp
3C-REN offers a hands-on Certified Passive House Tradesperson training and exam through industry-leading provider Emu Passive at no cost to contractors and tradespersons who are residents of, or who work in, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura County.
With Emu’s Pods, workshop participants learn to address on-site sequencing, window installation, and other Passive House-related challenges for four types of wall assemblies (both commercial and residential). They also get to try out different products in a brand-neutral environment, which is rare in construction training.
Builders, architects, and other building professionals, as well as hands-on homeowners who take Emu’s training, receive a thorough and practical overview of how to implement the Passive House standard through the integrated Passive Design/Build™ approach.
Boot Camp Format
- The Focus option includes four and a half days of in-person training. Two days of classroom training, two days of hands-on Passive Pod Workshop, and a half-day exam.
- The Flex option allows students to complete the first two days of material at home on their own time, before attending the final two and a half in-person days.
This training is scheduled for September 29–October 3, 2025. Visit our events calendar for location information.
Eligibility
The Passive House Tradesperson boot camp is available at no cost to people who live or work within San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, or Ventura counties. Priority is given to contractors and tradespeople who work actively in the tri-county region.
A limited number of spaces are reserved for people outside of the tri-county region, who may apply to attend, covering their own certification fees.
Who should attend
The boot camp model is intended for tri-county tradespersons, architects, and other building professionals interested in learning cutting-edge tools to create buildings that are healthy, durable, and energy-efficient. Homeowners, energy consultants, and other stakeholders can also benefit from the hands-on learning environment.
The principles and strategies taught are applicable to both commercial and residential projects, including retrofits!
Why attend this course
The international Passive House standard is widely recognized as the gold standard in building science. This boot camp pairs theoretical Passive House principles with a hands-on, tactile learning experience. Construction is an inherently complex process, videos and lectures can only go so far. Real understanding comes from doing, and this boot camp delivers exactly that.
- Learn how to manage moisture, eliminate thermal bridges, optimize air sealing, and apply climate-appropriate construction details
- Apply what you’ve learned while constructing and testing an Emu Passive Pod
- Get to know others in the field for personal growth, and career development
- Gain practical exposure and familiarity with high-performance building materials and strategies in a brand-neutral environment
- Be ready and qualified to be hired to work on Passive House, high-performance, and other green building projects
How to apply
Complete the application linked in the button below. By completing this form, you are confirming your ability and commitment to attend the multi-day training.
After completing the application, you will receive an intro phone call from a 3C-REN staff member to determine your eligibility. If eligible, Emu will contact you to finalize your enrollment.
Space is limited. Registration is first-come, first-serve with preference given to contractors and tradespeople in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties.
Complete the application ASAP to confirm your eligibility for the cohort.
Live and On-Demand Training for All
- Throughout the year, 3C-REN hosts many webinar trainings on Passive House building standards.
- To view our upcoming live trainings, visit our events calendar.
If you have any questions or need help, please email info@3c-ren.org.
Please apply or share this opportunity with your network or anyone who may be interested!