271: Decarbonizing Domestic Hot Water with James Petersen

In this episode of The Passive House Podcast, co-host Mary James discuss Passive House practices with James Petersen, founder of Petersen Engineering. The episode focuses on domestic hot water systems and their electrification, particularly in the context of Passive House standards. Petersen explains the challenges with current technologies, options for heat recovery, and the impact of location-specific energy costs. The conversation covers specific techniques such as solar thermal, drain water heat recovery, and the importance of accurate data for system sizing. Despite the cost challenges, clients are moving towards electrification due to regulations and environmental motivations. 

https://www.petersenengineering.com/

Join James on January 14th 2026: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/events/101-domestic-hot-water-multifamily?date=2026-01-14

James Petersen, PE, is Owner and Principal of Petersen Engineering, an 18-person MEP/FP firm, with over four decades of experience designing integrated building mechanical systems. He brings a holistic approach that combines MEP design, building science, and enclosure coordination, and has served as principal-in-charge on more than 70 large Passive House projects. James currently volunteers as President of Passive House Mass and serves on the HCA Portsmouth Hospital Board of Directors.

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