Phius Certification Guide¶

Reference for navigating Phius passive building certification projects: folder structure, Feedback Form parsing, and review workflow.

Two-Folder Architecture¶

Each certified project has two separate Dropbox folders:

Working Folder: `~/Dropbox/bldgtyp/<project>/`¶

The CPHC's internal project folder — Rhino models, PHPP/WUFI files, admin documents, client contracts, scripts. Organized using the bldgtyp standard template (01_Reference/, 02_Admin/, 05_Rhino/, 07_PHPP/, etc.).

Certification Folder: `~/Dropbox/<project>/`¶

A separate folder created and shared by Phius (the certifier). Lives at the Dropbox root — NOT inside bldgtyp/. Contains only final submission files: the WUFI model, exported report PDFs, product datasheets, drawing sets, calculations, and the Feedback Form.

Naming pattern: {ProjectNum}-{ProjectName}_{ConsultantName} or {ProjectNum} - {ProjectName}.

Example:

Working: ~/Dropbox/bldgtyp/1841 Hillandale NAR/
Certification: ~/Dropbox/1841 - Hillandale Gateway NAR/

Path resolution

File paths in the Feedback Form reference the certification folder, not the working folder. Resolve paths relative to the certification folder root.

Review Process¶

Phius certification is an iterative review cycle between the CPHC and a Phius reviewer. Each cycle is a "review round" (R1, R2, R3, etc.):

CPHC submits a WUFI-Passive energy model + supporting documentation
Phius reviewer examines model inputs and checks backup documentation (drawings, cut-sheets, calculators)
Reviewer writes comments in the Feedback Form — the single source of truth for the project
CPHC responds to each comment with file references, corrections, or explanations
Repeats until all items are resolved and the project achieves certification

Project Folder Structure¶

{ProjectRoot}/
├── - Feedback Forms/              ← Key document (dash prefix sorts first)
│   ├── {Num}_R{Round}_Feedback_V{Ver}_{Date}.xlsx
│   ├── Phius Certification Guidebook v{X}.pdf
│   └── _Archive/                  ← Previous round submissions
│
├── 0. WUFI-Passive Energy Model/
│   ├── {date}.mwp                 ← Current WUFI model (binary)
│   ├── {date}.mwp.res             ← Results file
│   ├── {date}_Phius_MF_Calculator.xlsx
│   ├── {date} - WUFI Report PDFs/ ← Current exported reports
│   │   ├── Assemblies and Window Types.pdf
│   │   ├── Climate.pdf
│   │   ├── HVAC.pdf
│   │   ├── Passive House Data.pdf
│   │   ├── Passive House Verification.pdf
│   │   ├── Passive House Site Energy.pdf
│   │   ├── Passive House Source Energy Report.pdf
│   │   ├── Project Data.pdf
│   │   ├── Results.pdf
│   │   ├── REM-Rate Report.pdf
│   │   └── Zones and Components.pdf
│   └── _Archive/
│
├── 1. Drawings & Takeoffs/
│   ├── 0. Combined Set/
│   ├── 1. Architectural/
│   │   ├── Takeoffs/
│   │   ├── Window Sizes/
│   │   └── iCFA Plans/
│   ├── 2. Electrical/
│   │   └── Electric Vehicle Readiness/
│   ├── 3. Mechanical/
│   │   ├── ERV Zone Plans/
│   │   ├── Mech Vent Flow Rate Plans/
│   │   └── Ventilator Duct Takeoffs/
│   ├── 4. Plumbing/
│   │   └── DHW Takeoffs/
│   └── 5. Structural/
│
├── 2. Datasheets & Specs/
│   ├── 1. HVAC/
│   │   ├── 1. Heating & Cooling/
│   │   └── 2. Ventilation/
│   ├── 2. DHW/
│   │   ├── 1. Water Heater/
│   │   ├── 2. Pumps/
│   │   └── 3. Storage Tank/
│   ├── 3. Lighting & Plug Loads/
│   ├── 4. Insulation/
│   │   ├── 0. Assembly Types/
│   │   ├── 1. Rigid/
│   │   ├── 2. Cavity/
│   │   ├── 3. Ducts/
│   │   ├── 4. Plumbing/
│   │   ├── 5. Thermal Breaks/
│   │   └── 6. Spray/
│   ├── 5. Windows & Doors/
│   │   ├── 0. Glazing/
│   │   ├── 1. Windows/
│   │   ├── 2. Glazed Doors/
│   │   ├── 3. Opaque Doors/
│   │   ├── 4. Shades/
│   │   └── 5. Storefront/
│   ├── 6. Appliances/
│   ├── 6. Renewable Systems/
│   └── 8. WRB and Airtightness/
│
├── 3. Calculations/
│   ├── 1. Miscellaneous/
│   ├── 2. THERM/
│   ├── 2b. Flixo [2D]/
│   │   └── {SheetNum}_{DetailNum}_{Description}/
│   │       ├── DTL_{name}.flx
│   │       ├── DTL_{name}.pdf
│   │       └── Detail.png
│   └── 3. WUFI-Hygrothermal/
│
├── 4. On-Site Verification/
│   ├── 0. Phius QA Workbook/
│   ├── 1. Co-requisite Program Certificates/
│   ├── 2. HERS Building Summary/
│   ├── 3. Air Tightness Test Reports/
│   │   ├── 1. Preliminary (recommended)/
│   │   └── 2. Final (required)/
│   ├── 4. HVAC Testing & Balancing/
│   └── 5. Photos/
│
├── 5. Marketing & Database Photos/
├── 6. LOI from Rater or Verifier/
├── Helpful Phius Documents/
└── ReadMe.txt

Conventions¶

_Archive folders: Throughout the project. Contain superseded versions. Current files are at the parent level.
Date prefixes: YYMMDD format (e.g., 240625_Phius_MF_Calculator.xlsx = June 25, 2024).
Flixo folders: Named {SheetNum}_{DetailNum}_{Description} matching architectural detail references.
Duplicate numbering: Some Phius templates have overlapping folder numbers (e.g., two "6." folders under Datasheets). Known quirk.

The Feedback Form¶

Finding It¶

Location: {ProjectRoot}/- Feedback Forms/

Current form is the .xlsx at top level (not in _Archive/). Naming: {ProjectNum}_R{Round}_Feedback_V{FormVersion}_{YYYY.MM.DD}.xlsx

Example: 2441_R5_Feedback_V5.7_2026.03.11.xlsx — Project 2441, Review Round 5, Form Version 5.7.

Detecting Form Version¶

Cell B2 contains the version identifier:

B2 Pattern	Version
`PHIUS+ FEEDBACK - V4.8`	V4.8 (older, ~2021+)
`Phius Design Feedback - V5.6`	V5.6/V5.7 (current, ~2024+)

Main Sheet Name¶

Version	Multifamily	Single Family
V4.8	"Feedback - Multifamily (2024)"	"Feedback - Single Family"
V5.6+	"Feedback - Multifamily"	"Feedback - Single Family"

Skip sheets with "(2015)" in the name.

Column Layout¶

Column	Content
B	Major Section (Localization/Climate, Building, Wall Components, Systems, etc.)
C	Sub-section (General, Assembly, Surface, etc.)
D	Item identifier (assembly type RT-01, WT-04.E, ST-06, device names)
E	Parameter category (Geometry, Parameters, Frame Parameters)
F	Specific field (U-glass, Framing, Heating Demand, Floor Slab Area)
G	R1 Certifier Comments
H	R1 CPHC Response
I	R2 Certifier Comments
J	R2 CPHC Response
...	Pattern continues

Major Sections (Column B)¶

Project (~row 4): Metadata — submitter, CPHC, verifier, address
Case (~row 16): Certification criteria
Localization / Climate (~row 27): Climate data, source energy factors
Building (~row 42): Geometry, plan/section dimensions, orientation
PH Case (~row 47): Occupancy, airtightness, ventilation type, indoor temps
Zone 1 (~row 77): Volume, iCFA, heat capacity, foundation interface
Visualized Components (~row 81): The bulk of the form
- Roof Components (~82): RT-xx assembly types
- Wall Components (~105): WT-xx assembly types
- Opaque Door (~155)
- Floor / Slab Components (~160): ST-xx
- Window Components (~174): Window types, parameters, shading
Not Visualized Components (~229): Thermal bridges, psi-values
Internal Loads / Occupancy (~276): Lighting, appliances, plug loads
Ventilation / Rooms (~323): ERV/HRV units, ductwork, room assignments
Attached Zones (~429): Unconditioned adjacent spaces
Systems (~433): HVAC, DHW, renewables, distribution
SECTION 1: Drawings (~550): Drawing documentation checklist
SECTION 2: Additional Requirements (~568): Radon, Appendix K & L

Interpreting Review Status¶

Signal	Meaning
Comment starts with "Ok"	Resolved
Dash "-"	No change / not applicable
Quotation mark `"`	Ditto — same as row above
"Pending"	Explicitly pending
Question mark or "please provide/confirm/revise"	Action needed

Supporting Worksheets¶

Common to V4.8 and V5.6+: Thermal Bridges, DHW Pipe Lengths, Targets, Geometry, Windows, UEF to EF, HP Average COP, Phius 2021 EV.

V5.6+ specific: Win Rev, ERVs, THERM Review, HW Storage - No Rating, Materials, Heat Pumps, Radon Zone Data.

V4.8 specific: Wall Assignment, Site Shading, Units, TB, HP, Ventilation, Ducts, AHRI 1060 Interpolation.

Parsing Strategy¶

import openpyxl
wb = openpyxl.load_workbook(path, data_only=True)

# Find main feedback sheet (skip 2015 legacy sheets)
main_sheet = next(
    wb[name] for name in wb.sheetnames
    if 'Feedback' in name and '2015' not in name
)

# Identify review round columns from Row 3
round_columns = []
for col in range(7, main_sheet.max_column + 1):
    header = main_sheet.cell(row=3, column=col).value
    if header and 'Certifier' in str(header):
        round_columns.append({
            'certifier_col': col,
            'response_col': col + 1,
            'date': main_sheet.cell(row=2, column=col).value
        })

Status Classification¶

def classify_status(certifier_comment, response_comment):
    if not certifier_comment or certifier_comment.strip() in ['-', '']:
        return 'no_action'
    comment = str(certifier_comment).strip()
    if comment == '"':
        return 'ditto'
    if comment.lower().startswith('ok'):
        return 'resolved'
    if comment.lower().startswith('n/a'):
        return 'resolved'
    if 'pending' in comment.lower():
        return 'pending'
    if '?' in comment or 'please' in comment.lower():
        return 'action_needed'
    return 'needs_review'

File Path Cross-References¶

Feedback Form paths look like:

.../Dropbox/{ProjectFolder}/2. Datasheets & Specs/1. HVAC/2. Ventilation/ERV 1-1_1-5.pdf

To resolve: strip everything up to and including the project folder name, then resolve relative to the workspace root. Use fuzzy matching if exact filenames don't match (files may be renamed between rounds).

File Types¶

PDFs (~90%): Drawings, product cut-sheets, WUFI reports, Flixo calculations, specifications
Excel (~10%): Feedback Form, Phius calculators (MF Calculator, Blinds Calculator, Frame U-Value Estimator, HSPF Deration Calculator), DHW pipe takeoffs
Other: WUFI model files (.mwp — binary), SketchUp (.skp), images (.png)

Assembly type codes: RT = Roof Type, WT = Wall Type, ST = Slab Type.

Values in the Feedback Form are in IP units unless otherwise noted.