A Guide to the New Phius Website

In this week’s blog, Phius Associate Director Lisa White provides an in-depth look at some of the new features and databases featured on the new Phius website.

The new Phius website launched exactly one week ago, and the new Phius Portal launched (exclusively to Alliance members) the day before! 

We hope you find the new site not only shiny and beautiful but also an enhanced hub for all things Phius. I’m here to report on some of the new features and data we implemented to improve the user experience, expand awareness and accessibility to content, and continue charging forward in our mission to make passive, zero-energy buildings the mainstream standard.

First off, we have 3 brand new databases for policies, events and resources.  

• The Policies Database allows users to search for QAPs (Qualified Allocation Plans), Codes, or Incentive programs that reference or relate to Phius Certification (there are 31 total as of now). This allows project teams to quickly search for and connect with offerings in their area to reap the most benefits from Phius Certification. Each policy listing also contains a list of projects in our Certified Projects database that have utilized this policy.
   
• The Events Database showcases all of Phius’ upcoming educational offerings in one place. Users may sort by event type (webinar, training, conference, exam), the mode (in-person, self-guided, etc), the number of CEUs the event is worth, and more. There is also a toggle to find Alliance member-only exclusive events. This database also lists partner events that qualify for Phius Professional CEUs.
   
• The Resource Library is a centralized hub for all the resources previously scattered around the Phius site. It contains technical articles, blog posts, webinar recordings, calculators and tools, energy modeling protocols, tutorials, past presentation slide decks, and more. Users can sort not only by resource type but also by categories ranging from financing/incentives and building science to microgrids and embodied carbon. Also, Phius Certified Professionals seeking to maintain their credential can filter by CEUs offered for viewing past webinar recordings.

Our previous website contained databases for professionals, projects and products – all which have been expanded and improved!

The Certified Projects Database is vastly expanded in its functionality and data available. At the listing level, users can filter by project type, function, location, climate zone, status, etc. And in the single-project view, there is expanded data ranging from modeled and measured performance to enclosure details (structure, insulation types, thermal performance), details on mechanical equipment types, etc. Collecting this granular data allows each listing to function as a public resource for future project designs. It also allows us to create more detailed reports and more accurately pull statistics from our certified projects. At the listing level, there is a search function where users can search for keywords such as “Mitsubishi” or a developer that appears in the single-project view.

→ Check out this listing from Santaella Gardens which received certification last month
 

The Certified Professionals Database now contains a high-level location filter and professionals can be listed to service multiple states, provinces, or countries to more accurately reflect who is available for projects.

The Certified Products Database has been re-structured and reformatted to allow for filtering, which was absolutely critical for expansion and user experience as it now contains more than 900 unique window and door listings! This one is not yet formally launched, but keep your eyes peeled because it is coming soon.

You will also notice a new section on “Standards” which provides a dedicated space for our technical standards, separate from pages related directly to Project Certification. Here, you will learn about Phius CORE, Phius ZERO, Phius CORE REVIVE, Phius ZERO REVIVE, Phius CORE COMM and Phius ZERO COMM.

Now briefly on the Phius Portal…

As of this blog’s posting (April 14, 2022), the portal is only available to Alliance Members, but will soon be available to all the Phius constituents listed above. Read more here.

This is the portal for Phius constituents (Alliance Members, Certified Professionals, Trainees) to access their Phius-related content. Constituents can log in and edit their professional listing and project listing details for the databases described above. They can access member-exclusive discount links for events and training, view personal information such as their Alliance chapter affiliation, membership expiration date, professional credential expiration dates, CEU totals and renewal status. There is a “Member Login” button in the top right corner of the website which brings you to our recently launched Phius Portal.

Some FAQ we’ve received in the first week

Q: I could log into the previous website, why can’t I log in now?

A: As of now, only Phius Alliance members have Portal access. Alll active Alliance members received an invitation via email to set up their account. The account must first be registered through the invite link before logging in is possible. If you didn’t receive an invite, your Phius Alliance membership is likely no longer active. Please ensure your membership hasn’t expired before attempting to log in. Certified Professionals will receive their invite in a few short weeks. 

Q: I’m an active Phius Alliance member but my Portal Login won’t work

A: Be sure to check your past email for a message titled ‘Welcome to the Phius Portal’ to register your account. Your email must be registered to be able to login. If you are certain your membership is active and did not receive the invite, please reach out to jeber@phius.org to re-send the portal invite email.

Q: Where do I self-report my CEUs?

A: All Phius Certified Professionals can self report their CEUs with the event 5-digit code using the self report link at the top of this page. The link is also available in the Portal under “Past Events > Report Attendance.