That was the message from experienced Phius Certified Consultant (CPHC®) Tom Boeman in our blog last December offering advice to younger professionals on how to be successful in the certification process. I really enjoyed that sentiment because it is absolutely true. Every successful Phius project is another piece of the puzzle that forwards the mission of building a zero carbon future together. If we had the time (and money), we would throw each of our CPHCs a rousing party for their individual successes!
To follow up on this survey of CPHCs for advice, we asked members of our certification staff to provide feedback on the good and not so good of what they see in the certification process. The hope is to provide tips that make reviewing projects easier, in turn expediting the review process. Better organization and clarity in submission to Phius not only benefits us, but also allows for us to review the project more effectively. With optimized submissions, our staff can provide more detailed feedback and advice on each project.
This list is not meant to be a list of complaints, but rather a collection of tactics and tricks from the best of the submissions we see to push the overall quality higher.
So here is a list of some key ideas to consider when preparing your submission to Phius:
Labeling and Organization
Consistent labeling of the assemblies in WUFI with the assemblies on the drawing set is super helpful. For example, if the slab is ‘F-1A: 4” Concrete slab on 6” EPS Insulation’, that same title or tag is used for the assembly in WUFI Passive and in the feedback form.
Please describe the location of specific files referenced in the feedback form. For example ‘Please see THERM Calculation in XXXX - Cool Passive Building - Really Good CPHC\3. Calculations\2. THERM\1. Detail X_Sheet Y’.
Clearly label the case that Phius is to review in the WUFI Passive file. Multiple cases can be useful when going through design options, but labeling ‘Case 1: Round 3 submission’ helps us understand which case is to be reviewed. Per Guidebook v3.2 section 4.4.0, Phius will review Case 1 if it is not clear to us or specified at all.
If an assembly is a placeholder, for example you are waiting on an architect to select an exterior wall assembly, please label it clearly. ‘PLACEHOLDER: Ext Wall R-25’ works great.
Only submit drawings relevant to the specific project being reviewed. If there is a multifamily complex with one singular drawing set, please try your best to split the drawing set up to avoid any confusion and organize the files in a logical manner.
Feedback Form
Please provide a response to all comments in the feedback form. Each comment that is not ‘OK’ is pending an action from the CPHC, and letting Phius know ‘Next round’ or ‘Pending MEP drawings’ really helps us understand what is outstanding to get a project to Design Certification (the first goal, right?)
Let Phius know if something changes in the ‘Responses’ column of the feedback form. For example if the water heater changes from a Rheem to an AO Smith, let us know: ‘Water heater manufacturer changed. Please see XXXX - Cool Passive Building - Really Good CPHC\2. Datasheets & Specs\2. DHW\1. Water Heater.’
WUFI Passive and Calculations
Delete unused assembly and window types from the model.
Fill out the project information at the top of the data tree under Project / Data
On iCFA takeoff drawings, show your math and how you arrived at the total, or provide an additional spreadsheet. XXXX - Cool Passive Building - Really Good CPHC\1. Drawings & Takeoffs is a great location for that calculation.
If you do a breakout calculation, for example you fill out the specific heat capacity calculator to better reflect the thermal mass in the building, please submit that calculator and identify its location. XXXX - Cool Passive Building - Really Good CPHC\3. Calculations is the best location for these types of side calculations.
Include the most recent criteria calculator for the model and identify the location.
Joints and connections that have different (lower) R-values than typical assemblies should be accounted for with thermal bridge calculations, not as new ‘typical assemblies’. Most new construction projects should not require more than 5-7 opaque assembly types in total.
We hope you’ve found these tips useful, and we look forward to seeing them in action on your next Phius project!
