PhiusCon 2025: Onward & Upward

Onward and Upward. 

This somewhat corny “slogan” is one I use frequently at the end of our internal meetings and one that I believe was inspired by my long-time colleague and mentor, Graham Wright. And right now, it’s resonating with me louder than ever. 

Google says “Onward and Upward” can signify wrapping up part of a project and progressing to a next step, or to encourage future success – leaving unpleasantries behind and looking forward with optimism. While that fits, to me, it’s also:

• Onward - In the wake of a challenging political year, we press on. While we must take inventory of our new obstacles, we still charge forward where we can, with the things we can control. The lack of national leadership on energy and environment won’t slow us down. WE are the leadership.
• & Upward - Symbolizing growth on all fronts, from the organization itself to our reach and impact, scale and complexity of buildings we reach, and volume of constituents we are serving.

The timing of this PhiusCon 2025 was unique, as it closely followed the wrap up of a Policy Governance workshop with the Phius Board of Directors. Much of the focus of that workshop was on defining the “Ends” of our organization – essentially answering, “what do we want to be different in the world as a result of Phius’ existence?” We’ll speak more on that in a later blog, but this deep-rooted discussion provided a refreshed mental framework to take to PhiusCon.

"We have to make choosing passive a non-partisan no-brainer."

I have attended every PhiusCon since 2012. For me, the annual conference reignites our momentum and sense of purpose. A highlight is always reconnecting with the community. I’ve had the great pleasure of “growing up” with this group – soaking in their humility, intelligence, perseverance and dedication toward helping us achieve our mission.

This time around, the urgency behind our work felt more real than ever. We are now closer to 2030 than 2020; closer to 2050 than 2000. Despite national support and subsidies being swept out from under us, codes taking steps backwards, and renewable energy deployment slowing, we must stay focused. We need to focus on solutions that are simple, scalable and adoptable, while also gently pushing boundaries and keeping an eye on the next frontier. We need to extend our reach and messaging beyond building practitioners to illustrate the inherent value of passive building to healthcare professionals, appraisers, real estate agents, utilities, developers, insurance agencies, etc. Tapping into that next level can bring the change we hope to make and see. We have to make choosing passive a non-partisan no-brainer.

The technical breakout sessions that spanned the core conference leaned in that direction. They were far from the question of “can we really do this?” and instead were solutions-based presentations from practitioners who tirelessly paved the path. 

Teams spoke about streamlining various elements of their projects from unique financing models (such as providing stake in building ownership to trades), to writing specifications and more clearly defining scopes to alleviate stumbling blocks. There were themes of resilience, deep retrofits, holistic carbon emission assessment, climate adaptation and measured performance. And, it felt like everyone was kicking it into high gear more than ever before.

Steve Hennigan, CEO of Credit Human, closed out the conference with a thought-provoking presentation about how using a simple payback structure to push for building improvements is leaving a lot on the table. Instead, we must consider the escalating operational cost of buildings, which is a result of two compounding factors – building performance “decay” over time, and increasing electricity prices. Linear accounting does not truly capture the value of upfront efficiency investments. 

He argues that using those compounding factors, and a realistic building lifetime of 80-100 years, we should consider the total estimated cost to operate the building (at the net present value) as the amount “on the table” to upgrade the building performance. This will push even further with improvements, and create a larger divergence between what we’re doing and “business as usual”. 

On top of this great experience, it’s also always great to see PhiusCon through the eyes of a first time attendee. It serves as a reminder for a unique feeling that I may take for granted sometimes. Here are a few takeaways from new Phius team members that attended for the first time:

Rodrigo Barrios-Piedra | Phius Building Certification Associate: 

"As a first time attendee at PhiusCon, I was excited to see how enthusiastic everyone was to be there. It was great to hear professionals share their experiences from both the field and the office, and to see the  accomplishments and challenges that come with pushing these projects forward. It's clear that the work continues to grow, evolve, and gain recognition."

Sarah Klinetob Lowe | Phius Educational Content Manager: 

"While I had attended PhiusCon several times as a CPHC, this was my first time attending as a member of the Phius staff. It was a blast to experience the energy, dedication, and fun that the Phius staff have while hosting such a critical and impactful event for the Phius community."

Harsh Patel | Phius Staff Accountant: 

"The conference was a great experience, even to beginners in the building science space. The conference covered important topics and provided the opportunity to connect like-minded individuals."

David Colon | Phius Customer Service Lead: 

"As my first PhiusCon as a Phius employee, I have to say it was incredible to witness the excitement and energy from attendees coming together to expand their knowledge and share ideas within the passive building community."

And lastly, my Co-Director, Katrin, opened up in her jean jacket from 1989 (the year the Berlin Wall fell) talking about “Performance, Purpose, and the Power of Community” – reminding us that change is possible.