2024 Building Excellence Award Winners

The 2024 Building Excellence Awards were presented at the High Performance Home Builder Summit in Salt Lake City, an awards banquet that truly showcased the unwavering dedication, innovation, and sheer talent driving the construction industry forward. This awards banquet is a testament to the remarkable projects, brilliant minds, and tireless efforts that have shaped our built environment over the past year. We are thrilled to congratulate this year's winners, whose work not only sets new standards in building science, sustainability, and energy efficiency but also exemplifies excellence in high-performance home construction. Their achievements are helping to shape a more sustainable and resilient future for all of us. Volunteer Award: Theresa Gilbride Congratulations to Theresa Gilbride, a building energy efficiency researcher at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The EEBA Volunteer Award recognizes Theresa who selflessly gave her time, energy, and skills to make a ... read more
 

How Indoor Air Quality is Shaping the Future

A Broan-NuTone Blog
Today, builders hold a crucial role in meeting energy codes, earning tax credits, and providing a comfortable home filled with fresh, clean air. So, we want to help you understand the importance of using whole dwelling ventilation to optimize Indoor Air Quality for your current and future projects and how you can lower your HERS score while doing so. Ventilation 101 Ventilating a home involves exchanging indoor and outdoor air to maintain good indoor air quality. And there are three types of ventilation: exhaust, supply, and balanced in which Broan-Nutone can help you with the selection criteria of the proper ventilation to maximize airflow and energy efficiency. Navigating the Complexities of Modern Homes Navigating and implementing energy codes and advanced building methods can be a bit tricky. But with our expertise and partnership, we can help guide you and break it down for you. Why Ventilation Matters Proper ventilation ensures the effective removal of indoor... read more
 

Embracing Efficiency: The EcoSmart Stud Solution for Sustainable Construction

Revolutionizing single and multi-family home construction, the EcoSmart Stud is the future of sustainable framing tech today
In this era of sustainable development, construction methods are rapidly evolving to meet heightened demands for energy efficiency and reduced environmental impacts. The EcoSmart Stud is at the forefront of this revolution with its innovative solution for eco-friendly construction. By strategically removing material within the stud, the EcoSmart Studs are lighter and easier to build with than conventional studs. Paired with high-value insulation, the EcoSmart Stud system offers exceptional energy efficiency while lowering emissions and costs. Traditional construction with thermal bridging in wall assemblies often leads to significant energy loss while contributing to the carbon footprint of new builds. EcoSmart Stud tackles these issues by minimizing thermal bridging, significantly enhancing insulation effectiveness, and optimizing material use. This unique approach not only meets but exceeds current stringent energy codes, resulting in superior build performance and... read more
 

Empire Communities Becomes First Residential Builder in North America to Achieve ASHRAE 241’s Clean Air Requirements for Indoor Health with ERTH360 Air

An Empire Communities Blog
Empire Communities Becomes First Residential Builder in North America to Achieve ASHRAE 241’s Clean Air Requirements for Indoor Health with ERTH360 Air
Achievement highlights significant advancement in residential construction, ensuring cleaner, healthier living for homeowners Empire Communities, an award-winning residential homebuilder in Canada and the United States is proud to announce that its standard home model featuring ERTH360 Air enhancements has achieved the rigorous clean airflow requirements of ASHRAE Standard 241 — the new high bar for infection resiliency. This first-of-its-kind achievement is a testament to Empire’s commitment to providing homes with the highest standards of indoor health and sustainability. ASHRAE Standard 241, Control of Infectious Aerosols, is a landmark standard published in July 2023 and applies to all building types, commercial and residential. The clean air performance of Empire’s standard home with ERTH360 Air was evaluated and verified to meet the standard’s targets using a new test method that ASHRAE Standard 241 introduced to the industry, known as ‘air tracing’. Poppy, a... read more
 

Electrification and Inverter Technology: The Key to High-Performance Building

By Karl Pomeroy - A Daikin Blog
Electrification and Inverter Technology: The Key to High-Performance Building
Between government regulations and evolving consumer preferences, it’s no surprise many industries are making a conscious effort to meet the increasing demand for eco-friendly products and sustainable solutions - the HVAC industry is no exception. There are two innovative core solutions propelling the industry closer to high-performance and net zero buildings: electrification and inverter technology. What is Electrification? Electrification refers to the shift from traditional fossil fuel equipment to electricity-fueled equipment. Electrification is a key component in sustainable building practices, offering increased energy efficiency and decreased carbon emissions. For example, electric heat pumps can operate at up to 500% efficiency as they move heat from one location to another, instead of simply generating heat directly, further driving down costs and consumption. What is Inverter Technology? Inverter technology allows HVAC systems to operate at higher efficiency... read more
 

The Fresh Air Dilemma: HRV or ERV?

A Fantech Blog
The Fresh Air Dilemma: HRV or ERV?
Balanced ventilation is a critical concept in modern building design, referring to ensuring equal amounts of incoming and outgoing air in a home. Balanced ventilation systems mitigate the common issues associated with exhaust-only or supply-only systems, such as pressure imbalances and uneven temperature distribution. By ensuring a balanced approach, these systems help maintain a healthier and more comfortable indoor environment. Fresh Air Appliances with heat (HRV) or energy recovery (ERV) are types of balanced ventilation systems that provide controlled and equal airflow, enhancing indoor air quality and energy efficiency. A Technical Examination into Humidity, Location, and Optimal Choices When building new or renovating existing homes, selecting between a Fresh Air Appliance with heat recovery and one with energy recovery is a critical decision that impacts indoor air quality and energy efficiency. This article gets into the Fresh Air Appliance with heat recovery... read more
 

Unlocking the Power of High-Performance Homes: A Marketing Coordinator's Take on Building Science Education

Noyes Development
Unlocking the Power of High-Performance Homes: A Marketing Coordinator
Noyes Development, based in Oregon, is a high-performance home builder and EEBA Member Builder who is empowering their staff to learn about building science and advances in sustainably constructing better homes through the EEBA Academy. Founded in 1993 by Peter Noyes, they have secured a solid reputation over the past 30 years by building high-quality, classy, and innovative homes while setting the leading standard in home building. Alex Vidal, their Marketing Coordinator, is one of their staff dedicated to deepening his knowledge and has completed over 10 EEBA courses and designations - which he displays in his office. Tell us about your display! I initially had a blank wall in my office, but after hanging up my first certificate, followed by the second, and then the third, I felt compelled to continue. Not only does it serve as a personal achievement, but it also showcases the expertise of our team when visitors, whether current homeowners or prospective ones, stop by our... read more
 

Build water-smart and maximize returns!

Hydraloop Graywater Systems
Build water-smart and maximize returns!
Florida Builders, General Contractors, Architects, and Plumbers – we have big news for you! Water conservation will continue to be a topic in 2024 with Florida water shortages. We at Hydraloop, arereaching out with a unique opportunity that promises to elevate your developments while at the same time doing your part in securing water sustainability. The state is now offering a tax rebate of up to $4200 USD and a 25-35% density bonus for properties implementing graywater recycling. Homes certified under the Florida Water Star Program that are built with graywater recycling can receive an additional cash rebate, depending on the county. Hydraloop devices are at the forefront of this initiative, providing a cutting-edge solution to water conservation challenges. By recycling shower, bath, and laundry graywater, each home can save over 10,000 gallons of potable water usage annually, with minimal maintenance and no consumables. Discover how integrating Hydraloop technology... read more
 

A Builders Guide to Net Zero Homes

EEBA 1st Vice President Doug Tarry Jr. Releases Book
A Builders Guide to Net Zero Homes
"From Bleeding Edge to Leading Edge: A Builders Guide to Net Zero Homes” is a ground-breaking new book by Doug Tarry, whose company has certified more Net Zero / Net Zero Ready homes (500 and counting) than any other builder in Canada. Written in plain language and infused with humor and storytelling, this book is a must-read for builders, renovators, architects, municipal officials, industry stakeholders and home buyers - anyone interested in the future of home building. It will help builders and their teams get to Net Zero in less time, with far less cost and pain. Grab the Book! About Doug Tarry Doug Tarry is the President of Doug Tarry Homes (DTH), a multi-award-winning home building company established in 1954 and located in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. Recently DTH celebrated being the first builder to build and label 500 Net Zero Ready homes in Canada under the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) Net Zero Program. Since 2019, all new homes constructed... read more
 

How Thrive is Forging the Path Towards Carbon Neutral Building

Sunnova Case Study
How Thrive is Forging the Path Towards Carbon Neutral Building
With the building sector contributing 20-40% of global emissions, homebuilders have an opportunity to reduce their impact. Award-winning Thrive Home Builders proves carbon neutral building is possible today. This compelling case study chronicles Thrive Home Builders’ journey towards carbon neutrality and reveals their step-by-step process for calculating, reducing and offsetting emissions to achieve certified carbon neutral homes. Real-world solutions like solar and battery storage installation, home performance upgrades, offset purchases and more enabled Thrive Home Builders to create an actionable net-zero framework. The case study details practical steps any production builder can take right now to start decreasing their carbon footprint and building healthier and higher performing homes. Key Takeaways Building more energy efficient is the logical first step to reducing your carbon footprint. Carbon-neutral building practices appear to give Thrive an... read more