The Path to Emergency Electric: Lessons from the Kenzi

Passive House buildings go hand-in-hand with on-site generation and electrification, but what happens when you have code-required emergency power backup? The Kenzi tackled the wicked problem of designing, pricing, and permitting the first all-electric building above four floors in the City of Boston. We will dive into the nitty gritty of design, funding, and procurement, reveal our strategy for Boston Fire Department concerns, and discuss what code language we leaned on to pull it all together. The session will share why the owner and design team felt this seemingly insurmountable task was necessary to achieve on this age-restricted affordable housing project in Roxbury, MA.

Session Speaker(s): 

Session Chair(s): 

Event Time: 

Wednesday, March 29, 2023 - 2:30pm to 3:30pm

Room / Location:
Harbor 2

CEU Information: 

Approved for 1 credit hour toward AIA (LU), BOC, and NARI certification. Credit is offered for each full conference day toward MA CSL, PHI, Phius, and RESNET certification.

Learning Objectives:

  • Strategize an approach to AHJ’s to effect positive outcomes
  • Define the steps required to design battery energy storage systems
  • Apply code language to future all-electric projects for permitting
  • Advocate for why electrification is an environmental justice issue

Session ID: 

BOS23-703

Session Documents: