EEBA's High Performance Home Blog

The residential construction sector has historically been a late adopter of new technology, so when a major homebuilder decides to take the leap and embrace a new technology, the industry takes notice. Lennar, ranked as the number two homebuilder in the U.S. for 2021 in both total closings and gross revenue according to builderonline.com, embraced a new technology in 2013 when they started incorporating solar into their new construction. "Every home that we put solar on moving forward, is us making a difference for that family, that community and overall, the environment with which we live in." - Greg McGuff, Regional President of Lennar What propelled one leading homebuilder to become an early adopter of photovoltaic systems and how has this helped set them up for long-term success? Learn this and four of the benefits of building with solar in this free study. Access Case Study About Sunnova With over 35 homebuilder partners across the country, Sunnova... read more

The Energy & Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA) Academy has released a new training course for those interested in pursuing a Net Zero Carbon Building Professional Designation. This designation will cover the compelling trends in codes, standards, and voluntary programs that will drive interest and future requirements for accounting of both the operational and embodied carbon of the materials and processes used in building new homes. Participants will learn the essentials of the latest carbon accounting tools and how they can be used to help design homes by selecting materials and methods that optimize the carbon implications of the building over the next 20 to 30 years. Case studies will be reviewed for different climate zones and house styles to demonstrate the impact that cost-effective and low-carbon decisions can have. These lessons could also be applied to major renovation projects as well. The importance behind achieving net zero is obvious. According to the ... read more

CVF homes works with award winning architects to design one of a kind projects. Since inception, CVF homes has distinguished itself repeatedly by specializing in sustainable residential infill development and unique custom homes in San Antonio Texas. Their projects have been successful because they focus on great design, energy, water and material efficient buildings with healthy indoors. CVF homes has two primary goals: 1) To design sustainable projects that integrate the latest technology and the most energy and water efficient systems while minimizing their carbon footprint and 2) To design for humans – providing for practical requirements for how people live today while incorporating the outdoor with the indoor design elements to harmonize modern day living. They are committed to certifying all of their projects by the Zero Energy Ready Home program from the Department of Energy, Build San Antonio Green standards, ENERGY STAR and Indoor airPLUS. Learn More... read more

View original press release on Kantar's website America At Home Study and Kantar provide a deeper look into consumer perceptions on sustainability in their homes and how it impacts personal wellbeing. New York, NY (April 24, 2023) – Kantar, the world’s leading data-driven analytics and brand consulting company, and the America at Home Study released further data exploring the impact that consumers feel sustainability and home design have on their personal wellbeing. The America at Home Study surveyed more than 10,000 Americans across three waves during early, peak, and post-pandemic times to understand the design changes consumers want in their homes and communities. Key findings from the latest wave of this national consumer study reveal connections between sustainability and wellbeing for consumers, while also highlighting opportunities for brands to help meet consumer needs. More than 1/3 of respondents listed ‘climate change’ as one of the top 3 topics they are most... read more

Story by Matt Chapuran, Sustainable Homes Inc. Darrel McMaster comes from a family of homebuilders. By his count, his family has produced eight general contractors since 1945. “All we do is build,” McMaster says. “I kind of followed in line.” Where McMaster has distinguished himself is in the pursuit of building net-zero homes at scale. His company, Sustainable Homes, Inc., boasts on its website, “Building Tomorrow’s Homes Today,” yet this strategy did not originate in a political or ecological ideology. McMaster’s father impressed upon him that the goal for anyone in construction should be to bring down the price of a home, constructing it faster and better. He began to wonder if the most economical home for a buyer wouldn’t be one that ran off the environment, generating its own utilities. Since moving from California — where McMaster’s observation was that the solar power movement was once limited to “some old hippies who lived in the mountains” — to Texas, McMaster has... read more

View original blog on Schneider Electrics website In an unassuming town situated between Los Angeles and San Diego, you’ll find the future of the American neighborhood. I’m not talking about the Jetsons-style sci-fi; I’m talking about California’s first-of-its-kind residential microgrid community. This community is a real-life example of the new energy landscape — or what we at Schneider Electric™ describe as Electricity 4.0 — the convergence of digital intelligence with electricity. Shadow Mountain, in Menifee, California, consists of 219 smart homes. Each home is equipped with its own solar-plus-battery system, which is pretty cool already. But KB Home, a national homebuilder who led the project, took it a step further by deploying a microgrid system. This microgrid connected all 219 homes and their batteries with a shared centralized 2-megawatt (MW) community battery — a first. For each net-zero-ready home, this extra layer of backup power offers an unparalleled level of... read more

On this Earth Day, it is important to focus on ways we can make our homes more energy-efficient, healthy, and sustainable. We will provide you with an overview of the top 10 things you need to know to achieve these high-performance goals. From working with a HERS/ERI rater to incorporating a net-zero electrification strategy, we will cover topics such as energy efficiency, air quality, ventilation, heat pumps, resiliency, and more. By understanding these key concepts, you can take the necessary steps to reduce your carbon footprint and make a positive impact on the environment. The environment is subject to numerous human influences and impacts, including pollution, burning fossil fuels, and deforestation. However, nearly 40% of global carbon dioxide emissions come from the real estate sector. Of these emissions, 27% are produced by building operations and 13% are produced by embodied carbon such as infrastructure materials and construction. 1. Connect with Home Energy Rating... read more

For this year’s Women’s History Month, EEBA invited three knowledgeable women: founder of Younger Homes Danielle Younger, co-owner and Marketing Director of Lifestyle Homes, Karen Kicinski, and co-founder of Charis Homes, Glenna Wilson, to share with us how they entered the sustainable building industry. Following a discussion about how the industry has impacted them and how they’ve impacted the industry in return, they also discussed the sustainable technologies and innovations they have implemented and provide advice for women looking to enter the residential construction industry. In this month's feature, we chose to highlight these three women to recognize the countless women that work courageously to advance equality and opportunities for women in the United States. Aaron Smith: Tell us about the most challenging and rewarding aspects of day-to-day operations in this industry. In what ways do you feel you uniquely meet those challenges? Karen Kicinski: The... read more

One of the most mentioned items in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is heat pumps. The IRA provides significant rebates and/or tax credits for the installation of heat pumps. These rebates and tax credits make this technology worth considering for all builders and homeowners installing new equipment or upgrading old systems. Let’s cover what types of heat pumps are available and why you will want to consider them. Heat pumps are up to five times more efficient than standard systems and have the ability to use air or water to heat and cool systems within a home. Heat pumps use electricity to transfer thermal energy from one place to another instead of producing heat through combustion. Heat pumps can be classified into two types: ground-source and air-source. Both can provide efficient heating and cooling solutions with minimal electricity consumption and no combustion. How Different Types of Heat Pumps Function: Ground Source Heat Pumps: Geothermal heat... read more

The United States continues to deal with water scarcity and shortages across the country, affecting homeowners and builders. Sustainable building practices have predominantly been focused on energy efficiency to reduce household carbon footprints and financial burdens, however, with the ongoing drought in the US and the increased demand for housing, the need for water-efficient homes is necessary for the future of the industry. As city populations increase, builders, developers, and politicians are faced with the significant challenge of supplying millions of people with potable water. Dry regions such as the West and Southwest parts of the US are struggling as more people migrate to already overpopulated cities with further depleting water sources. Builders are having trouble finding water reliable areas to build which in turn adds to the increased housing demand. State and federal governments in these areas are strategizing how to distribute and protect major water... read more