Every three years Phius updates their standards to keep in line with the latest industry trends, climate goals, code cycles, changing climate, etc. Here’s a look at the key changes from the 2021 standard to the 2024 standard, for both Phius New Construction projects and Phius REVIVE (existing building) projects.
Key Dates
- 8/31/2025: Deadline for project teams to have an executed contract with Phius to be eligible for Phius 2021 certification
- 9/1/2025: All projects must be certified under Phius 2024 standard
- 9/1/2026: All retrofit projects must be certified under Phius REVIVE 2024 standard
Phius CORE 2024: New Construction Projects
For Phius 2024 New Construction (CORE) projects, there are no major changes to certification requirements; however, targets have been re-optimized specifically for dense multifamily buildings.
Performance Targets
Phius calculates performance targets for each project based on the same set of building statistics. The most noticeable change between 2021 and 2024 standards is the increased allowance for annual cooling demand. This update better reflects real-world conditions for multifamily buildings, which naturally have higher internal heat gains due to greater occupant density. The source energy factor for the 2024 standard also increased to account for average national emission factors for electricity.
Co-Requisite Programs
ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction and EPA Indoor airPLUS remain required corequisite programs under Phius 2024. The main update for multifamily projects is the formal inclusion of DOE Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) certification. While ZERH was previously encouraged under Phius 2021, it is now required for multifamily projects under the 2024 standard.
This change reflects the fact that a multifamily-specific ZERH pathway was not yet available when the Phius 2021 standard was released, and now that it exists, Phius has integrated it as a requirement. In order to receive final certification from Phius, projects must obtain both ENERGY STAR and ZERH certifications through a third-party submission to an MRO (Multifamily Review Organization recognized by the EPA).
Minimum Outcome Requirements
The following minimum outcome requirements remain consistent among Phius 2024 and Phius 2021 standards. The outline below details the requirements that new construction projects must meet for Phius certification, independent of the building’s modeled performance in Phius’ energy model – WUFI Passive or METr.
Phius REVIVE 2024: Existing Buildings
The Phius REVIVE 2024 Standard was released in July 2024. It represents a complete departure from Phius REVIVE 2021, introducing its own set of requirements that are entirely independent of the new construction program standards.
With core objectives focused on resilience, health, and decarbonization, REVIVE 2024 balances project costs through the Annualized Decarbonization of Retrofitted Buildings (ADORB) metric, requiring that the sum of the annualized costs in the proposed design must not exceed those of the existing baseline conditions.
One key process difference from the 2021 standard is the introduction of the Assessment & Investigation Phase—a new step that takes place after determining a building is a strong retrofit candidate, but before the design phase begins.
Co-Requisite Requirements for Multifamily Projects
Minimum Outcome Requirements
Download our summary of minimum outcome requirements.
Certification Process
Below is an outline of the certification process for Phius REVIVE 2024:
Building Certification Requirements for Multifamily
Deliverables for the building certification are the following:
- REVIVE 2024 Assessment & Investigation Workbook
- This Excel-based document includes the existing conditions assessment of the Minimum Outcome Requirements items, issues and resolution log, Current Facility Requirements (CFR), etc.
- Design documents addressing CFR and Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR)
- Commissioning (Cx) Plan / Report
- REVIVEcalc v24.2.0, not WUFI Passive
- Submittal Review Report
- Implementation Plan / Report
- Systems Manual Materials
Interested in Phius 2024?
Bright Power is ready and able to support your project in its pursuit of Phius 2024 certification, whether for new construction or existing buildings. If you’re unsure whether the program is a good fit for your project, reach out to us to conduct a feasibility study to better understand where your project fits relative to program targets and requirements.