Phius Training Update: In-Person Courses, Opportunity in Massachusetts, and More

We have put together this blog to get you up to speed in the world of Phius training. There’s much to catch up on, including: highlighting upcoming in-person trainings, laying out the updated Phius Certified Consultant (CPHC®) training, presenting a significant opportunity for QA/QC professionals in the Northeast, and looking ahead to the rest of 2023.

Without further preamble, let’s dive right in.

In-Person Trainings

After being forced online the last several years, we have made it a point this year to start ramping back up our in-person training opportunities. The majority of our trainings will still be delivered online, but we want to make sure to offer the more immersive, hands-on opportunity of in-person training to those who are interested.

Coming up in just over a month is a Phius Certified Builder (CPHB) course in Freeport, Maine, April 5-7. The face-to-face instruction can be especially valuable during the builder training, as students can get an up close look at the techniques and examples provided by the instructors. 

For those on the other coast, we are also hosting a CPHB training in Olympia, Washington, March 15-17, so be sure to sign up soon to secure your spot. 

We also have CPHC and CPHB courses about to get underway in the next week at the Yestermorrow campus in Vermont, as well as tentative plans for additional in-person offerings later this year. Make sure you’re on our mailing list to be the first to hear about new Phius training courses!

Huge QA/QC Opportunity in Massachusetts

The State of Massachusetts recently adopted a new stretch code and opt-in stretch code that is likely to lead to a sharp increase in the number of projects pursuing Phius certification in the state.

What makes this change such a boon for passive projects is the requirement in the opt-in stretch code that all residential buildings above 12,000 square feet be certified by Phius or another passive house certification. Since Phius has more than 100 projects in Massachusetts and no other certification body has more than a handful, we expect the vast majority of large, multifamily projects in these cities to pursue Phius certification.

REMINDER: In order to work on multifamily projects pursuing Phius 2021 CORE or ZERO, verifiers must have the multifamily designation. Phius Certified Verifiers who meet the prerequisites can earn the multifamily designation by taking the Phius Certified Verifier Multifamily Designation Exam. Find more information here. 

With this rise in projects will come a similarly sharp rise in the need for Phius Certified Raters and Verifiers to work on them. Quality assurance professionals in Massachusetts can put themselves in position to take advantage by becoming a Phius Certified Rater or Verifier now – so when these projects start to come through, they will be ready.

Below are some upcoming Phius Certified Rater and Verifier training dates:

• March 13 - Phius Certified Rater Training
• April 10 - Phius Certified Verifier Training
• June 19 - Phius Certified Rater Training
• July 10 - Phius Certified Verifier Training

Click here to browse all Phius trainings. 

The regular stretch code is already in place in about 300 cities throughout the state, while the opt-in stretch code has been adopted by several of the largest municipalities in the state (with Boston potentially following soon). Get ahead of the curve by becoming a Phius Certified QA/QC professional!

New Streamlined Process for CPHC Training Registration

We have streamlined the registration process for CPHC training in order to make it easier for students to schedule the live instruction (formerly called Phase II) portion of the training.

Under the new system, trainees only need to register once (registration includes self-guided materials, live instruction sessions and exams). For those who registered for Phase I under the previous system, all you need to do is select one of the upcoming CPHC courses and you will be asked if you have already registered for Phase I or need to register for the full course. 

We understand the confusion that comes along with such a change, but we believe the new process will be beneficial for our trainees going forward. You are always welcome to contact us with any issues. 

Find an upcoming CPHC training course here. 

Looking Ahead

Coming up in just the next couple of weeks are a WUFI Passive for Beginners course starting March 6, as well as an Intro to THERM class that starts March 15. 

Early April brings a Phius CORE Prescriptive Path Workshop April 4, and WUFI Passive Advanced - Multifamily starting April 5. 

Looking to book your CPHC live instruction class for August or secure your spot in a November WUFI course? We’ve got you covered! Registration for most of the 2023 Phius trainings are currently live, so you can plan ahead at your leisure. 

You can browse our full database of events and trainings here. We look forward to seeing you in a class soon!