EEBA's High Performance Home Blog

At EEBA’s 2025 Summit, one of the most forward-looking sessions—“Healthier Homes Begin with Healthier Building Materials”—showcased how builders, manufacturers, and innovators are coming together to make healthier, more sustainable homes the new standard. Moderated by Corey White of the Health Product Declaration Collaborative (HPDC), the session featured Paul Shahri (Ecomedes), Colin Harrington (Saint-Gobain North America), Andrew Guido and Andrew Bowerbank (Empire Communities), and Aaron Smith (EEBA). Together, they explored how data, transparency, and collaboration are transforming how we source and select materials for residential construction. Transparency Drives Healthier Building EEBA CEO Aaron Smith opened with a powerful reminder that home health begins with material health. After learning how toxins from 9/11 cleanup sites caused ongoing harm to responders, he became an early advocate for Health Product Declarations (HPDs) and Environmental Product Declarations... read more

At EEBA’s 2025 High Performance Home Builder Summit, the “The Sustainability Waters Have Gotten a Bit Choppy...So What Now? ” panel brought together a powerhouse lineup of North American builders and sustainability leaders to confront the question on everyone’s mind: What happens when federal programs shift and incentives fade—but our commitment to high-performance building remains? Moderated by Sean Hunter, DuPont’s Global Sustainability Lead, the session featured Aaron Smith (EEBA), Doug Tarry (Doug Tarry Homes), Megan Cordis (Beazer Homes), Stephen Myers (Thrive Home Builders), and Tim O’Brien (Tim O’Brien Homes). Together, they navigated today’s policy changes, affordability pressures, and carbon challenges—all while staying true to their mission: to build homes that are energy efficient, resilient, and healthy for the people who live in them. The Shifting Federal Landscape EEBA CEO Aaron Smith opened the discussion by acknowledging uncertainty around key federal... read more

The 2025 EEBA High Performance Home Summit opened with a powerhouse lineup of industry pioneers—Mark LaLiberte, Dr. Joseph Lstiburek, Gord Cooke, Sam Rashkin, and Gene Myers—each offering decades of wisdom, humor, and perspective on where high-performance building has been and where it’s going. Moderated by Laura Dwyer, the “Legends” panel celebrated both the evolution and the enduring purpose of building better homes. Mark LaLiberte: Knowledge Shared is Knowledge Multiplied Mark LaLiberte opened with stories from EEBA’s early days, when building science was taught via overhead slides and hair dryers thawed out snow-covered film trays. His central message was timeless: education is everything. “Knowledge shared is really knowledge multiplied,” LaLiberte said, reminding attendees that spreading what we know is key to moving the industry forward. He emphasized that building better is not just about innovation, but about execution, and that the responsibility to educate the... read more

When it comes to progress in high-performance homebuilding, the latest technologies — like net zero homes, decarbonization strategies, and advanced materials — often take center stage. But these innovations are built on a foundation of collaboration, learning, and long-term effort. For more than 40 years, the Energy & Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA) has supported the industry through education and practical guidance, helping builders and partners navigate these changes. At the 2025 High Performance Home Builder Summit, Pat Huelman, a longtime building science professor and EEBA leader, took the stage to remind attendees where it all began. With a mix of humor and heart, he brought the audience on a “trip in the Wayback Machine,” reflecting on EEBA’s origins, evolution, and enduring mission to create better buildings and a better world. The Early Days: A Movement Takes Shape EEBA’s story began in 1983, following the Superinsulation Conference held in Rochester, ... read more

In construction energy efficiency should be more than an afterthought; it should be integral to your building design. This is where Premier Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) come in, providing a building envelope solution that is leaps and bounds more energy-efficient than traditional stick-framed construction. But how do SIPs achieve this superior performance? Let's break it down. ⇒ VIEW PORTFOLIO: Get a glimpse of extreme energy-saving projects! Take a peak through our portfolio of high-performing commercial and residential projects to see some off-the-charts net-zero, positive energy, Passive, and LEED Certified Premier SIPS buildings across North America. SIPs at a Glance Fact: A SIP structure is up to 15 times more airtight than traditional stick framing, which means less energy wasted on heating and cooling. SIPs are a smart, integrated solution for your building envelope, combining four critical components—structure, insulation, an air barrier, and a... read more

By Ken Nelson, Group Sales Manager, Ventilation When it comes to building high performance homes, the air inside matters just as much as the walls, roof, or floors. Indoor air quality (IAQ) has moved to the forefront of home design, with homeowners and builders alike recognizing its impact on health, comfort, and long-term energy costs. In an era when people spend up to 90% of their time indoors, proper ventilation, filtration, and humidity control are no longer optional, they’re essential. Panasonic OASYS™ meets this need as groundbreaking Whole Home Air Quality Management System. Debuted in the OASYS Concept Home in March 2025 in Houston, Texas, OASYS represents a new way to experience indoor air, giving builders an innovative tool to deliver cleaner, more comfortable, and more efficient high-performance homes. OASYS: A Unified, Smarter HVAC System Panasonic’s OASYS™ Whole Home Air Quality Management System is more than an HVAC upgrade – it’s a fully electric... read more

The HVAC industry is facing a significant challenge: a growing labor shortage that threatens to impact the quality and availability of services. As seasoned professionals retire and the demand for HVAC services continues to rise, the need for skilled technicians has never been greater. To address this issue and elevate the trade, Carrier and other organizations are making substantial investments in technician training, apprenticeships, and upskilling programs. 

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Exponential Growth 2024 was a banner year for the Zero Energy Ready Home program seeing the most single-family home certifications in the program’s 11-year history. In 2024, nearly 15,000 homes were certified, more than double the previous record of 6,500 certified homes in 2023. The record year also pushed the program over 32,000 certified homes. National production builders such as Beazer Homes and K. Hovnanian becoming ZERH partners contributed substantially to the growth in 2024, but with 20 different states experiencing a 50% increase in certified ZERH homes the program is garnering more attention from builders and homebuyers across the country. With a nearly 125% increase in certifications from 2023-2024, multifamily and manufactured housing program versions available, and the continued rebates and incentives from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, the ZERH program is primed for continued success into 2025 and beyond. Some highlights from the 2024 calendar year include:... read more

As we celebrate Earth Month, it's important to recognize the role that sustainable and high-efficiency solutions play in protecting our planet. Carrier, a global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions, is dedicated to providing innovative products for home builders that reduce environmental impact and drive progress for the planet. This Earth Month, let's explore how Carrier is making a difference with its commitment to sustainability. High-Efficiency Solutions for a Greener Future Carrier's high-efficiency solutions are designed to meet the needs of both single and multi-family real estate owners. The Infinity Heat Pump with Greenspeed Technology is a prime example of Carrier's innovative approach to energy-efficient heating and cooling. This heat pump operates efficiently at lower temperatures and uses electricity instead of fossil fuels, which can help reduce carbon emissions and overall energy costs compared to a gas furnace. In dual fuel applications, building ... read more