James Ortega is the Certification Program Director for Phius.

After graduating magna cum laude from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, IL with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in May of 2015, Ortega began his professional career at Phius as assistant to the project certification manager and became a Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC®).

In 2018, Ortega became a licensed architect in the state of Illinois after passing the state’s architecture registration exams. The next year, Ortega became the Project Certification Manager where he provides design review and energy modeling services to evaluate project qualifications for Phius+ Certification. Ortega works closely with submitting CPHCs to provide feedback on questions pertaining to energy modeling and building plans. He also provides consulting services on static and dynamic energy modeling in WUFI Passive and THERM, and spearheads energy modeling deliverables on feasibility studies for projects interested in pursuing Phius+ Certification.

In addition to his main role at Phius, Ortega is a member of Phius’ Technical Committee which is comprised of building science and passive building experts from architecture, construction, government, and academia. The Committee’s expert technical input is critical to many of Phius’ programs, including project certification, verified window performance data program, verified building/panel system program, CPHC training curriculum, PhiusCon, climate-specific passive building standards and technical publications.