Better Homes, Better Future Podcast

In the push for sustainable construction, optimizing water and energy usage within buildings is becoming increasingly crucial. This webinar will delve into the innovative solutions offered by RainStick's recirculating shower systems, exploring their integration into both single-family and multifamily residential projects. With a focus on drastically reducing water and energy consumption inside the home without sacrificing performance, our experts will share their experiences with installation, real-world performance, and the benefits these systems bring to modern sustainable architecture.

Attendees will gain valuable insights into how RainStick technology not only meets but exceeds industry standards for water and energy efficiency. Through case studies and firsthand accounts, this session will offer a comprehensive overview of the impact of these systems on building sustainability and market appeal.

Learning Objectives:

Understanding Recirculating Shower Technology: Explore the design and functionality of recirculating shower systems, emphasizing its role in reducing water and energy consumption in residential buildings.

Understand Installation and Performance: Learn from case studies about the installation process and field performance of RainStick systems in various building environments, highlighting their adaptability and efficiency.

Compare Conventional Systems: Analyze how RainStick's technology compares to traditional shower systems in terms of sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and ease of installation, providing a clear understanding of its market potential.

Analyze Real-World Applications: Examine case studies and customer testimonials that demonstrate the effectiveness of RainStick in various building environments, and learn how to pitch this innovative solution to clients focused on sustainability.

This webinar is ideal for builders, architects, designers, and sustainability consultants who are  looking to enhance their projects with cutting-edge water and energy-saving technologies.

A home today must not only be high performing, resilient and built using sustainable methods, the home must provide the individuals living within it a healthy environment. There are many factors that contribute to the overall healthy environment we provide our homeowners, but one of the most critical is the quality of the air they breathe. This webinar will briefly cover some ventilation basics before delving into the pros and cons of the various system types. Particular focus will be placed on the efficiency and indoor air quality advantages of balanced ventilation systems with recovery (HRVs/ERVs) and how indoor air quality automation will shape the future.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand why tighter homes without good ventilation can be problematic for indoor air quality

2. Understand the basics of quality ventilation including product certification and airflow optimization and verification

3. Understand the options for whole home ventilation along with the pros and cons of each

4. Understand in particular the health and efficiency benefits and installation options of balanced ventilation with recovery (HRVs and ERVs).

Retrofit electrification of existing buildings is critical for reaching energy and climate goals, yet there are many substantial challenges with replacement of heating, cooling, ventilation, and water heating systems. In particular, the extensive rework required to switch to heat pumps is complex, laborious, disruptive, bespoke, and expensive. In this webinar, researchers and practitioners will share about innovations and experience with emerging system design strategies that advance efficient electrification of single family and multifamily buildings. In part through grants funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the California Energy Commission (CEC), the presenters have explored, installed, and monitored a variety of all-in-one, combi-, integrated-, and modular mechanical systems that combine most or all of the heating, cooling, ventilation, and water heating functions into pods or packages to simplify design, streamline installation, and enhance performance. This session will overview various technologies investigated, consider their tradeoffs, present an evaluation of their field performance and installation experience, and examine their applicability in different residential applications.

Learning Objectives:

1. Introduce and discuss combined mechanical equipment both in development for and available in the US residential building market today.
2. Understand installation experience, system performance, and serviceability from case studies of equipment installations in occupied apartments.
3. Compare and contrast with conventional mechanical equipment retrofits, and evaluate market applicability for these products.
4. Share lessons learned from field demonstration research on product design for manufacturers, system design for building owners and design teams, and installation procedures for contractors.

Three RESNET standards combined: 1 - operations (HERS Index), 2 - the grid (CO2 Index) and 3 - embodied carbon (currently being written) provide capacity to analyze Carbon Usage Intensity. We'll explore time-of-use, load reduction and carbon sequestration in buildings at both the single-family and multi-family scale (500 units) to show cumulative impact. And discuss policy benefits of energy labeling and decarbonization for advancing energy equity, so that vulnerable populations can make informed housing opportunity decisions.

While the content is technical in nature, the presenters will draw a direct relationship to equity in the context of who has access to low carbon housing and how carbon reductions strategies in both operational and embodied phases can be scaled to the housing industry at large through the standards and programs being developed through RESNET. While the early adoption of low carbon strategies have been pioneered in large part by well-funded custom single family construction, the approaches being discussed in this presentation are designed to bring much broader access to the industry at large and in so doing, increase resiliency. Further, we will explore equity from a climate justice lens to understand which communities are most directly impacted by the climate crisis that the residential housing sector is currently contributing to and provide the context and motivation for why building resilience through these initiatives is so critical.

Learning Objectives:

1) Understand how the RESENT Carbon "Trifecta" allows calculation and analysis of blended metrics like Carbon Use Intensity.

2) Understand how such a blended metric facilitates a Whole Lifecycle Analysis at the residential scale and how close we are to being able to do this.

3) Understand the role that HERS Raters play in resiliency, especially in EJ neighborhoods, though the evolution of dynamic grid electrification, load management/reduction and carbon sequestration in buildings.

4) Understand the cumulative impact of simple materials substitutions at the scale of a residential development of 500 units.

In the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), the primary residential provisions of the code (Chapter 4) consisted of four pages. That same chapter in the 2021 IECC is 21 pages long! Mandatory, prescriptive, performance, energy rating index, additional efficiency packages and UA trade-offs all combine to make IECC compliance complicated.

Prescriptive compliance is increasingly more expensive and complicated to use, and the performance compliance option doesn’t allow consideration for high efficiency equipment. The energy rating index path provides a whole-house performance approach but has aggressive targets that are complicated with amendments for ventilation requirements and no requirements for quality assurance oversight of third parties.

If the energy code’s primary purpose is to reduce energy consumption, why can’t we set performance goals and let builders figure out how to achieve it?

One recent example of this approach is in Texas. Texas House Bill 3215 updated the state’s universal energy code compliance pathway to allow builders to use the energy rating index for energy code compliance across the state, in lieu of the state energy code or any stretch code adopted by municipalities. The legislation ratchets down target ERI scores to improve efficiency through 2028, allowing builders to plan for future efficiency requirements.

Attend this webinar to learn how a simpler approach to energy code compliance can work, how it can be used to set a path to net-zero energy and how to implement it in your state.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about the changes and complexities of the IECC over time.
• Understand how the energy code can be simplified.
• Be able to describe how a simplified performance-based approach has worked in other states.
• Learn how a performance-based energy code approach can be used to get builders to net-zero homes more quickly.

In this session, we will build on our 2023 EEBA Summit session “Are You Leaving Money on the Table?...” and dive deeper to guide builders of single family and multifamily homes in your pursuit of the 45L Tax Credits via ENERGY STAR or Zero Energy Ready Homes (ZERH) certification, as well as 179D Tax Credits and HUD 221(d)(4) Loans for builders of multifamily homes. We will highlight the requirements that need to be met for your homes to earn ENERGY STAR v3.1 and v3.2, as well as ZERH. We will explain many cost-effective strategies to transition to earning ENERGY STAR, and then to earning ZERH. We will discuss what your trades may have to do differently, who is responsible, and when to address. And we will highlight how RESNET HERS Raters can be your resource for you as homebuilders to earn the 45L and 179D Tax Credits, and to be eligible for HUD 221(d)(4) Loans. Your RESNET HERS Rater can help you realize how close you may already be to earning these benefits, and what else you can do to get there cost-effectively.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn about the 45L Tax Credits for builders of single family and multifamily homes, and the 179D Tax Credits and HUD 221(d)(4) Loans for builders of multifamily homes.

2. Identify what your trades may have to do differently to help your homes earn ENERGY STAR and ZERH certifications. Learn which trades are responsible for which items, and when to address each of these items.

3. Understand the many cost-effective strategies to earn ENERGY STAR and ZERH certification.

4. Learn how HERS Raters can be your resource to earn the 45L and 179D Tax Credits and to be eligible for HUD 221(d)(4) Loans.

Hempitecture CEO, Matthew Mead, provides an overview of the natural fiber insulation market that is rapidly developing to support low embodied carbon construction. Reviewing different products and strategies, this session will discuss how to achieve the lowest total carbon footprint for a project after accounting for both embodied carbon and operational carbon in the building.

Learning Objectives:     

• Discover low embodied carbon insulations.
• Learn about natural fiber insulation product forms (batt, loose-fill, board).
• Understand how to measure in-wall performance (R-value + thermal mass + air penetration + vapor permeability).
• Demonstrate installing to maximize reported performance.

More energy efficient homes represent a huge, and growing, opportunity for builders and remodelers to address homeowner demands. Driven by a growing social consciousness, new rebate programs and rising energy costs, homeowners want to explore options and will be more likely to commit. Plus, new technologies are making the process more efficient and effective. In this session, building performance experts share best practices to capitalize on the growing business opportunity, and help you feel good about your contribution to the planet.

Learning Objectives:

1. Quantify the business opportunity for both retrofit and new construction residential projects.

2. Discuss how to enable technology to do the hard work of finding the right building performance solutions for a variety of climates that can achieve a number of results, from carbon neutral to zero net energy.

3. Understand consumer demand and how to leverage it through marketing and sales activities.

4. Learn about all the incentives available to make this opportunity as fruitful as possible.

Speakers: Jennifer Castenson, Travis Brungardt, Casey Murphy

The carbon emissions and embodied carbon in single and multifamily homes are a growing area of interest and concern in the housing industry and can be used as an advantage in marketing and sales. Air leaks in the building envelope account for the most significant portion of wasted energy in the heating and cooling of homes, thereby creating a major source of carbon emissions throughout the life of the home. This session will explore the reductions in carbon emissions that can be achieved through a more airtight building envelope. Analysis will be presented that reveals carbon emissions reductions for different levels of air tightness across the different climate zones in North America. The embodied carbon impact of air sealing materials will also be presented and discussed.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the impact of heat loss and gain due to air leaks in homes.
2. Understand the impact that air sealing a home’s exterior envelope can have on reducing the operational carbon emissions throughout the life of a home and in different climate zones.
3. Understand the embodied carbon impact of air sealing materials.
4. Understand how an air tight envelope can contribute to a net zero carbon home.

Are your ventilation practices keeping up? With the envelope of the home becoming tighter through new code standards, improved building materials, and increased awareness of Indoor Air Quality, a balanced ventilation strategy is critical for the health of the home and its occupants.  Join us to discuss the evolution of building ventilation codes, how to incorporate ventilation into voluntary programs like NetZero, which solution is the right choice for your home, and how to build a Healthy Air Home with additional Indoor Air Quality products. 

Topics/Key Learnings

• Welcome and Intro
• How changing climate and codes will affect ventilation requirements
• Benefits to voluntary programs including Energy Star and NetZero
• ERV or Power Ventilators, which is the right choice?
• V22 – The perfect solution for comfort, code compliance and healthy air
• Properly commissioning ventilation units
• Combining ventilation with other IAQ equipment to create Healthy Air/Creating Healthy Air with Ventilation and Other IAQ Components

KB Home, in partnership with SunPower, the University of California, Irvine (UCI), Schneider Electric, Kia America and Southern California Edison (SCE), built two blackout-resistant communities, Durango and Oak Shade, comprised of more than 200 all-electric, solar- and battery-powered homes designed to use 40% less energy than similar homes and backed by a microgrid “community battery” in Menifee, California. This first-of-its-kind project models what the future of homes and connected communities could look like: creating minimal disruption to homeowners’ daily lives while significantly improving energy resilience for the community and energy efficiency for the broader region.

Learning objectives:

Team – KB Home will share about the different partnerships and collaborations that made this microgrid project possible.

Technology – Attendees will learn about the features selected for these homes and how the technology work together to drive resiliency for the community. 

Innovation – KB Home will share about two unique homeowner participation programs available at these communities: a virtual power plant (VPP) service and a vehicle-to-home (V2H) study.

Impact – Attendees will learn about the projected impact of this microgrid project for residents, the greater community, and the environment.

In this webinar, you will learn about heat pump inverter technology from Daikin Comfort Technologies North America.  We will explore the many benefits of inverter technology and what this means to your new homes and homebuyers.  We will also explore Daikin and Goodman’s NEW heat pump inverter offerings along with smart controls and IAQ options.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand Heat Pump technology and why is it important.
• Identify what Side-Discharge Inverter Systems are.
• Discover the configurations and applications of inverter systems.
• Learn about the consumer benefits of Inverter Technology.

As jurisdictions across the country consider electrification policy, industry understanding of their electric options for heating and cooling is increasingly important. 

Attendees of this course will learn the benefits of innovative electric heating and cooling technologies, for examples:

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions from the building sector as a result of displacing natural gas, propane combustion and oil heating.

 Increases in electrical efficiency as a result of replacing using innovative systems such as ductless minisplits and ground source heat pumps

Utility bill savings for ratepayers as a result of technology efficiencies and the ability to shift electric consumption to parts of the day when renewable energy resources are abundant and electricity prices are lowest.

Concepts such as dual-fuel heating and cold climate heat pumps.

Attendees will be familiarized with the various types of heating and cooling systems.

Attendees of this course will learn the benefits of water heating technologies, for examples:

• Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions from the building sector as a result of displacing natural gas and propane combustion water heating.
• Increases in electrical efficiency as a result of replacing electric resistance water heaters.
• Utility bill savings for ratepayers as a result of technology efficiencies and the ability to shift electric consumption to parts of the day when renewable energy resources are abundant and electricity prices are lowest.

Attendees will be familiarized with the various types of water heaters:

Conventional storage water heaters offer a ready reservoir (storage tank) of hot water which is adequate for everyday use. In some instances, however, such as when simultaneous usage of hot water occurs, or when there is a longer durational need for hot water.

• Heat pump water heaters move heat from one area to another instead of generating heat directly to provide hot water, resulting in high efficiencies and significant cost reductions.
• Solar water heaters use the sun to heat water, reducing energy costs for homeowners.
• Tankless or demand-type water heaters heat water directly without the use of a storage tank. This type of water heater is designed to provide a sufficient supply of hot water without running out, when adequately sized.
• Tankless coil and indirect water heaters use a home's space heating system to heat water. 

Most folks in the EEBA community know there’s a connection between water and energy (and as a result, carbon). On the one hand, we use huge amounts of water to generate electricity, and managing reservoir levels in a way that supports hydroelectric generation has become an increasing issue in the West. On the other hand, we use huge amounts of energy to extract, move, treat, and deliver water and wastewater to our homes. So how much energy does it take? How much energy and carbon can you save by reducing water? We’ll explore these questions using both national averages and local case studies.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the relationship between water, energy, and carbon
• Express how and where energy is consumed in the process of supporting our homes with water
• Describe the factors that influence the energy intensity of different water supplies and specific homes
• Learn how WaterSense labeled homes certification and the tools provided by WaterSense can help address the energy embedded in water

Consumer awareness and demand for homes that perform at zero energy or near zero levels is on the rise.  As builders across the country attempt to deliver zero energy performance to their customers, there are a variety of strategies to reach this target – some more expensive than others.  In addition, as builders attempt to find the most cost-effective solutions, it is important to think about cost implications for both the builder and the buyer. 

Attendees of this class will be able to:

Define the key components of any zero energy home

Identify a broad range of cost considerations for both the builder and buyer of a zero energy home

Understand various approaches to achieving zero energy performance

Understand methods for analyzing zero energy strategies Identify existing analysis tools for optimizing cost and efficiency

Most Home Builders are struggling to design ventilation systems that meet the new IECC state building codes and ENERGY STAR for Homes version 3.1’s mandatory, delivered ventilation air flow rates to qualify for the 45L Federal Tax Credit. By the end of this training, Home Builders will have the knowledge and skills necessary to design and implement cost-effective ventilation systems that meet state and federal regulations while achieving maximum efficiency.

Four Learning Objectives: 1. What are the 2021 IECC ventilation requirements and how can you meet them? 2. How can your ventilation design help you qualify for the 45L Federal Tax Credit? 3. How can Home Energy Raters help you model for maximum efficiency? 4. How can you ensure that your installed ventilation system delivers code compliant air flow?

The Inflation Reduction Act will soon be rolling out financial incentives for more efficient HVAC systems like heat pumps to save energy and improve home comfort for American households. But what happens if these systems are improperly installed? According to a recent analysis by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 70% to 90% of residential HVAC systems have at least one problem with their installation that is wasting energy, whether it’s improper refrigerant charge or airflow. The Department of Energy’s Smart Tools for Efficient HVAC Performance (STEP) Campaign is working to address this issue through widespread adoption of smart diagnostic tools in the HVAC industry. Smart diagnostic tools can help technicians commission new HVAC systems and verify optimal performance. When used in quality installation programs to ensure new HVAC systems are installed without energy-wasting errors, these tools can be the solution to ensuring IRA-backed HVAC systems are delivering the home comfort and energy savings promised.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about smart diagnostic tools and how they work
• Understand the business value of smart diagnostic tools for HVAC contractors
• Understand how smart diagnostic tools align with the goals of the IRA
• Learn how smart diagnostic tools can be incorporated in quality installation programs

Climate change has caused unprecedented power outages and soaring energy costs, and homeowners are paying the price. As new codes and standards continue to push for efficiency and connectivity, homeowner expectations are evolving too — and Schneider Electric is positioned to play a major role in the transition.

In this webinar, we'll introduce Schneider Home, an all-in-one, grid-to-plug home electrification system that makes it easy to monitor, manage, and maximize energy use in residential homes. By ensuring homes are future-ready for the new energy landscape, we can advance a new energy economy that is sustainable, resilient, and affordable.

Learning Objectives:

1) Learn about the outsized role the residential building sector plays in the push for electrification and decarbonization.

2) Understand how both building codes and customer demand are converging to help drive these energy solutions.

3) Discover what homeowners expect from a modern home are smart technologies that are interconnected and intuitive - Yet the reality today is that these solutions are fragmented.

4) Recognize that Schneider is the only technology provider that can deliver a full grid-to-plug solution with a single digital interface thus fulfilling consumer demand and helping to achieve emerging electrification and decarbonizing goals.

Aaron Smith, CEO of EEBA, is joined by Adam Robertson, co-founder and principal of Sustainatree Consulting from Calgary, AB Canada. With a background of over 10 years in civil engineering within the construction industry, particularly in wood building products, Adam brings a wealth of expertise. Embodied carbon, a topic gaining traction among builders and developers, encapsulates the totality of greenhouse gas emissions and removals throughout a product's lifecycle. This includes inputs, outputs, raw materials, energy, and more, each with its own carbon footprint. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive, quantified understanding of the climate impacts associated with each product's journey. Stay tuned as we delve deeper into the significance of embodied carbon for builders and its implications moving forward.

A home today must not only be high performing, resilient and built using sustainable methods, the home must provide the individuals living within it a healthy environment. There are many factors that contribute to the overall healthy environment we provide our homeowners, but one of the most critical is the quality of the air they breathe. This session will focus on the efficiency and indoor air quality advantages of balanced ventilation systems with recovery (HRVs/ERVs) and how indoor air quality monitoring and automation will shape the future.

Learning Objectives:
Why today’s homes and lifestyles are more problematic for indoor air quality;
How HRVs/ERVs work and why they're so efficient;
Proper HRV/ERV selection and installation;
How indoor air quality monitoring and automation will shape the future.

The consumer mindset around what is desired in a home is constantly evolving. Review the latest survey insights from homeowners and single-family renters from around the country. Dive deep into energy awareness, motives, and the current mindset of home occupants. Get a glimpse into consumers' understanding of different energy-efficient programs and terminology and future plans for living more sustainably. Data, design, and marketing messages are paired with real-world examples of how to apply this to the future of homes and communities.

Learning Objectives: 1. Discover consumers' awareness and understanding of environmental factors and terminology; 2. Utilize consumer survey results to adjust your home designs and/or marketing messages; 3. Understand the latest consumer mindset on healthy homes; 4. Gain an understanding of the top motivators for consumers regarding health, wellness, and energy efficiency as they pertain to the home.

States and local governments around the county have set ambitious climate goals that center net zero newly constructed buildings as a key component to meeting these goals. Two new models are now available to help jurisdictions achieve their climate goals: New York State Stretch Energy Code (NYStretch) and the Zero Energy Appendix in the 2021 IECC. The nearly finalized NYStretch development process has taken the recent IECC credits approach to the next level. This credit system provides flexibility and refocuses on decarbonization and resilience in buildings as the objective. The development of the NYStretch took a unique approach to cost analysis considering that electrifying now is cheaper than retrofit and future fuel projections are highly variable. The Zero Energy Homes (ZEH) Appendix to the IECC provides an off the shelf opportunity for both commercial and residential new construction. Additionally, the Inflation reduction Act will provide $670 million in aid for local adoption of the ZEH Appendix. Since the ZEH Appendix is published as part of the model IECC, it can be easily modified by adopting states and jurisdictions to better meet local climate goals, or by incentive programs or builders to meet their market demands. NBI is currently developing a guide to aid jurisdictions and program implementers in this process.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand opportunities through the Inflation Reduction Act for states and localities to improve energy code. 2. Explain how the Zero Energy Homes Appendix can be used to meet state and local net zero energy goals. 3. Identify how credits can be used to improve flexibility for builders while focusing on decarbonization and resilience 4. Examine use of cost analysis in code and policy advancement considering future retrofits.

Most homes in America are woefully underlit. Codes are no help, because they have minimal requirements (would you believe the International Residential Code only requires ONE light in a kitchen?). Despite energy mandates requiring high efficiency LED’s, there is little guidance on what kind of LED’s to use and more importantly where to place them. The missing element in this discussion is how much light we need, as the population ages. A 60 year old needs 3 times the illumination as a 20 year old to see! Drawing on ten years of original research and volunteer work with both the Illuminating Engineering Society and the National Kitchen & Bath Association, architect Doug Walter will discuss optimal lighting strategies and layouts for each room in the home using the latest technologies, illustrating them with actual case studies.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1. Learn how to maximize lighting and daylighting in homes to support Circadian rhythms and provide adequate illumination for all age groups. 2. Attendees will understand why each end user might have different needs, and how to provide them the control and choice they require from low tech to high tech. 3. Look at residential lighting standards and industry recommendations critically, and set your own evidence-based metrics. 4. Know where to look for further learning on the topic of lighting, especially kitchens and baths, the two most critical lighting environments in the home.

Chef Andrew Forlines will give an overview of new and advanced home cooking technology with an emphasis on all-electric, non-gas options. Induction cooking, Steam and Speed Ovens, Sous Vide Cooking, Automated and Smart WiFi Connected appliances. Learning Objectives: 1. Why Induction burners are more powerful and better than gas burners. 2. Understand the expanded modern all-electric home kitchen appliance portfolio. 3. Learn talking points to get home owners and trade partners to opt in on all-electric home kitchen appliances. 4. Understand the complexity of the home kitchen large appliance industry AND how to navigate it.

Join award winning builder Jay Epstein, water physicist Dr. Markus Lenger, and water and energy conservation expert Larry Acker to discuss heat pump water heaters:
1) How effective are they in a residential home and what are the options?
2) Should every home consider a Heat Pump Water Heater, even though they only have access to 110/120 Amps? 
3) Is plumbing design necessary for Heat Pump Water Heaters?
4) Is controlled distribution of hot water important for efficiency of Heat Pump Water Heaters?
They will also discuss new systems of monitoring and data collection of energy in existing and new homes: 
1) Should Heat Pump Water Heaters be monitored?
2) Is there a simple way to test and collect data on existing homes?
This panel will have details and suggestions on all of the above. There will be slides and examples of existing buildings and studies.

Discover EEBA’s new sustainable products database - eeba.ecomedes.com. Easily search by product category, brand, certifications, ecolabels, or greenest products to streamline how you source and specify. You can also add products to a project and start to calculate impact and evaluate how those selected products help you achieve your project's preferred rating system. Sourcing and specifying sustainable building materials just got easy!

In this second of five webinar series, Paul will provide an overview for manufacturers interested in how EEBA supports high-performance green builders with eeba.ecomedes.com.

Discover EEBA’s new sustainable products database - eeba.ecomedes.com. Easily search by product category, brand, certifications, ecolabels, or greenest products to streamline how you source and specify. You can also add products to a project and start to calculate impact and evaluate how those selected products help you achieve your project's preferred rating system. Sourcing and specifying sustainable building materials just got easy!

Want to learn how? Join Ecomedes’ Founder Paul Shahriari for training and insights into making the most of EEBA’s ecomedes portal. In this first of five webinar series, Paul will showcase how home builders, subcontractors, and manufacturers get value from eeba.ecomedes.com.

Explore the challenges faced when building sustainable, affordable housing and providing Missing Middle Housing opportunities in existing neighborhoods. It will feature two case studies of affordable Zero Energy Ready Home developments in Western North Carolina. These include the Northstone mixed income community in Hickory and the Duke Street Cottages pocket neighborhood in Granite Falls.

Learning Objectives:
1. Define the terms "Missing Middle Housing" and "Pocket Neighborhood."
2. Explore challenges to building sustainable, affordable housing in existing neighborhoods with restrictive zoning ordinances.
3. Identify affordable strategies for meeting DOE Zero Energy Ready Home requirements.
4. Discuss high performance heating, cooling, ventilation, and dehumidification systems for low load homes.

Over a dozen studies confirmed most H/AC systems have either an air flow or refrigerant charge faults (or both). A 2018 DOE study found heating and air conditioning installations had at least one fault in 70–90% of homes, and when duct leakage is considered, this number increases to 90–100%. Improper installation leads to increased energy use, comfort issues, warranty claims, call backs and higher HVAC repair costs over the lifetime of the equipment. 

Fixing these two faults alone has the potential to decrease residential cooling energy loads by 5–10%. Researchers at NREL estimate that central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps in the US waste 20.7 terawatt hours (TWh) of energy per year due to equipment faults. Convert that to energy generated by hydroelectric - it’s 5.7 times the volume of Lake Mead at its highest level, which is 8.5 trillion gallons of water. 

PNL believes that Smart Tools + Smart Apps. make for a system with fewer faults. Combine this with the new ANSI/ RESNET/ACCA/ICC RESNET Standard 310 and you have real solutions.

This webinar will cover practical solutions for reducing air flow and refrigerant faults using Smart Probes & Apps and we will simplify Standard 310 into bite size chunks. We will share the latest Building America study that confirms the use of these Smart Tools and Apps.

Join us to learn how to achieve installations that provide optimum efficiency and provide installations that meet the manufacturer guidelines that reduce energy use, increase comfort, and eliminate call backs.

Presented by Joe Medosch & Shawn LeMons

Aaron Smith sits down with our February Builder of The Month, Isaac Scott, owner of Clare Homes along with his business partner Kendall Gilmore. They discuss what motivated Isaac to enter the construction field, start his own business in 2021 as a sustainable builder, how he connected with EEBA, and more!

Green Energy Money, Inc. (GEM) offers Builders, Developers, REALTORS® and appraisers “high-performance” financing and valuation solutions to advance green building practices in their markets. GEM’s strategic alliances of certified energy raters, investors, and our qualified “green” appraisal panel provides economic solutions and quantified analysis that recognizes and applies a green premium value in homes.

We support education and tools to achieve exceptional results in translating green-economic, cost benefits for all stakeholders in the real estate transaction cycle.

The session will cover:  

1. Case Studies of high-performance demonstration projects and communities incorporating SIPs, rainwater harvesting and solar;
2. Identifying types of information and data appraisers and lenders need to support value and underwrite loans;
3. Marketing, listing and selling a green home – write an effective, targeted green features listing;
4. Market Differentiation for Builders and REALTORS® - Stand apart from competitors; become a trusted, recognized “TRUE GEM” in your community!

The EEBA High Performance Home Builder Summit attracts an audience of highly engaged attendees from across North America - the innovators and early adopters who believe the way we build our homes is the way we build our future. We are now seeking proposals for presentations on healthy, resilient, electrified, net zero, zero carbon homes. New this year will also be an executive educational track devoted to best business practices to help your company thrive in this challenging time. Our goal is to continuously grow and strengthen the high performance building community.  

Join CEO Aaron Smith and the EEBA team to learn more about the content our audience is looking for and submit your proposals before the deadline of March 1st!

Join Aaron Smith as he reviews the 7th EEBA Inventory of Zero Energy (ZE) Homes. EEBA Team Zero started tracking the proliferation of U.S. and Canadian ZE homes in 2015. Since then, the yearly report has shown a consistent upward trend. In the past, the multifamily sector led the pack. In the 2022 report, we see single family homes making up the majority for the first time. The report tracks Zero Energy single and multifamily home trends and leaders across the U.S. and Canada, and shows 190% in growth in total projects as well as 440% growth in single family houses.

The report sheds light on North American ZE growth patterns, high-performance technologies used, top rating systems, as well as the major players who are adopting ZE design and construction as a profitable business model.

Join EEBA CEO Aaron Smith and the team as they share exciting news around EEBA’s 2023 High-Performance Home Summit. The event will be at a new venue, with a new Summit Exhibit area and floorplan. Additionally, the team will discuss the call for proposals and how to get your information in front of the attendees. Looking for reach outside of just the Summit? Our team will also touch on EEBA’s full-year sponsorship opportunities for manufacturers, service providers and others looking to reach the building market.

WHAT IS LIFESTYLE HEALTHSMART?

LifeStyle HealthSmart is a brand-new health-centric program initiated by LifeStyle Homes in response to COVID-19. The pandemic quickly and drastically changed the world, forcing all of us to take a closer look at the role clean indoor air plays on long-term health.

With a better understanding and sharper focus on the importance of indoor air quality, LifeStyle Homes launched HealthSmart in October 2020 to markedly improve the homes we build. LifeStyle HealthSmart homes include an array of building products and practices that help stop the formation of mold and mildew, as well as keep other indoor pollutants at bay.

LifeStyle HealthSmart represents a healthy addition to our longstanding SunSmart program, which bolsters energy efficiency and structural durability. Together, these two programs provide LifeStyle homeowners superior levels of quality, comfort, and cost savings.

R-24 open-cell spray foam. Spray foam has emerged as a highly superior and extremely effective insulator in recent years. This insulation technique creates an air-tight seal to help drastically improve the energy-efficiency and the year-round comfort of your home. LifeStyle Homes uses R-24 open-cell spray foam to create a protective bubble around your home’s living areas. In addition to being a superior insulator, it has the added perks of reducing noise, as well as blocking dust, pollen, and other airborne pollutants for a cleaner, more comfortable environment.

In this webinar, Michael Arblaster will teach attendees about the specifics of pre-drywall inspections and testing. We will discuss the value of third-party pre-drywall inspections and testing for builders and raters, and how they can result in reduced callbacks. We will also examine how this aspect of the rating process has become increasingly important for consistency and defensibility for builders who choose an ERI Path for code compliance.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn about the specific minimum rated features which can be verified at the pre-drywall stage of construction, specifically proper optimized framing, air sealing and Grade I insulation installation practices.
2. Understand the benefits to builders of third-party inspection and testing, measurable quality control, lower HERS scores, and reduced callbacks.
3. Learn about the benefits to raters of more consistent and higher quality ratings, as well as increased inspection revenue streams.
4. Become aware of the requirements of pre-drywall inspections for several Energy Efficiency Programs

Take 12 minutes to watch George Casey's presentation about how #homebuilders can thrive during an economic downturn, presented during this week's Builder Benchmark Group retreat hosted by the Mitsubishi Electric Performance Construction Team at Georgia's beautiful Lake Lanier Islands. Go to eeba.org to learn more about how to join.

Net-zero energy and zero emission homes/buildings are being built ALL across the U.S. and yet so many buyers either don’t know this level of performance, including optimized comfort and minimized maintenance, is within their grasp. Or, if they do know about it, they too often assume it is still “too cutting-edge” and thus too expensive to be in their home. Our panelists on this episode are educating and helping dispel the misunderstanding that this type of performance is only available for the ultra-wealthy.

Paul Kriescher, Executive Producer/Host of the new PBS/YouTube series, Heart of a Building, does this by showcasing the inspiring “why” stories behind inspired homes and buildings across Colorado and soon from across the U.S. beginning with the Pittsburgh, PA and Orlando, FL areas. David Takahashi is a Boulder homeowner who renovated his 1954 “energy-hog” of a home into a net-zero energy home after Climate Change enhanced fire and flood (destroyed and damaged, respectively) previous homes he owned a decade earlier. Paul Hutton is the Director of Regenerative Design at the Cuningham Group where he specializes in optimizing daylighting and building performance for schools and commercial buildings across the U.S.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how and why people design and build/remodel net-zero energy houses/buildings.
2. Learn about the true costs of net-zero energy home construction vs. operational, maintenance and environmental impact savings (new and retrofit).
3. Understand the importance of the thermal envelope prior to electrifying heating, cooling and ventilation equipment.
4. Learn why solar PV is the “icing on the cake”, not the first step.

Installing Heat Pump Water Heaters (HPWH) in new homes is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to incorporate high-efficiency water heating into buildings. Yet, the vast majority of builders are not familiar with and not using advanced water heating technology.  Join the Advanced Water Heating Initiative (AWHI), EEBA and Electrify Now for a webinar that will profile two American homebuilders who are installing heat pump water heaters in new homes and loving it.

Our discussion will highlight the experiences these builders have had with this important technology and cover the following topics:   Installing HPWHs in new, all-electric homes. Why builders are installing and love HPWH. What are the benefits and challenges of installing HPWH in new homes?  Are builders modifying their home designs to fit and take advantage of HPWH? What are homeowners saying when they buy homes with HPWHs?  Any lessons that can be applied to installing HPWHs in existing homes?

Learning Objectives:  Attendees will learn about general guidelines for how to install heat pump water heaters and how they differ from gas and electric resistance water heaters. Attendees will be informed about how to communicate with customers on the monetary and energy-saving potential of these devices. Attendees will become familiar with how to incorporate heat pump water heaters into new home design and construction. Attendees will understand the role water heaters play in the decarbonization and transformation of the electric grid.

Panelists:  Juan Fernandez - Owner, CVF Homes in San Antonio Texas Leigha Dickens - Green Building Program Manager, Green Built Alliance  Geoff Wickes - Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

As momentum continues to build for the adoption/deployment of ENERGY STAR certified heat pump water heaters, one of the most attractive, cost-effective growth vehicles is the new home construction channel. Today's technology offers a multitude of energy-efficient options to meet the ever-changing demands of the home builder. ENERGY STAR Homes and Products Teams and leading manufacturers are empowering a national alliance to ensure the most comprehensive set of resources are available for any residential construction application. This session will define the technology features and product benefits of HPWH, how the product fits into a broader home electrification/decarbonization strategy, and explain strategies to overcome industry objections.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understanding HPWH technology and design options offered today and what's to come.
2. Defining ENERGY STAR's product specifications and the diverse toolkit available to home builders.
3. Overcoming common misperceptions/objectives regarding performance and installation.
4. Recognizing how HPWH are an integral part of a broader ENERGY STAR Homes portfolio.

Once homebuyers purchase new homes often based on infatuation with community and design, bad home performance experiences can negate all the hard work earning customer satisfaction. It is critical to get high-performance right. This course begins that process with lessons-learned from decades of experience as a residential architect and work with thousands of home builders while serving as national director for ENERGY STAR Certified Home and Zero Energy Ready Home. The resulting framework for high performance homes includes five key strategies and over 40 best practices for applying them with substantial cost savings. Most importantly, this framework has been intensively researched, vetted, and refined over five years with hundreds of housing industry executives. The goal is not to dogmatically impose one solution for all, but to engage housing professionals to high-performance as a journey and how to get on their own path.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn why user experience is the new imperative.
2. Learn what are the five key housing user experiences. 
3. Learn 4 strategies with over 40 best practices for consistently optimizing the home performance UX.
4. Learn how high-performance is a journey to chart your own path.

Sam Rashkin has earned an international reputation for his work engaging thousands of homebuilders as national director for ENERGY STAR Certified Home and Chief Architect with the U.S. DOE Building Technologies Office directing Zero Energy Ready Home. Over two-and-a-half million high-performance homes have now been certified under these programs. Through this decades of experience, research, and detailed observations, Sam has learned two things. One, high-performance is a critical must-have for success in the housing industry. Two, high-performance is not nearly enough to meet the new user experience imperative. Sam’s latest work and new book, “Housing 2.0 – A Disruption Survival Guide,” provides the guidance needed for high-performance builders to become industry leaders with a comprehensive framework for optimizing the housing user experience.

Download the first two chapters of Housing 2.0 here: www.greenbuildermedia.com/housing-2.0#book

Panasonic and Swidget have combined forces to empower your homes to monitor, assess, and optimize the healthy home and a multitude of other home automation possibilities.  

• Learn how to expand the jobs to be done by upgrading traditional wiring devices to smart devices.
• Easily manage ventilation and other healthy home strategies with simple automations.
• Technology develops fast and the only solution is to provide a future-proof design that is fully customizable and re-configurable. Learn how easy it is with Swidget. 
• Understand our simple Builder Package Options that are surprisingly affordable.

Watch recording here: eeba.digitalchalk.com/learn/future-proof-healthy-home-strategies-with-panasonic-and-swidget

Recent studies show that user experience leaders compared to laggards realize 3X greater return to investors and 3X greater resilience during downturns. Housing will not be the exception to this trend. If the “house is a system” in building science, “housing is a system” in user experience. Housing professionals have to be prepared to optimize this total homebuyer experience. High-performance is not enough … not nearly enough. This webinar begins that process with the design experience based on lessons-learned from decades of residential architecture experience and work leading national high-performance home programs. The resulting design optimization framework includes five key strategies and 50 best practices for applying them with substantial cost savings. Most importantly, this framework has been intensively researched, vetted, and refined over five years with hundreds of housing industry executives. The goal is not to dogmatically impose one path, but to engage high-performance housing professionals to understand the opportunities to begin their own critical journey to industry leading user exeriences at lower cost.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn why user experience is the new imperative.
2. Learn what are the five key housing user experiences.
3. Learn 5 strategies with 50 best practices for consistently optimizing the housing design UX.
4. Learn how to customize the housing design framework for your business.

Sam Rashkin has earned an international reputation for his work engaging thousands of homebuilders as national director for ENERGY STAR Certified Home and Chief Architect with the U.S. DOE Building Technologies Office directing Zero Energy Ready Home. Over two-and-a-half million high-performance homes have now been certified under these programs. Through this decades of experience, research, and detailed observations, Sam has learned two things. One, high-performance is a critical must-have for success in the housing industry. Two, high-performance is not nearly enough to meet the new user experience imperative. Sam’s latest work and new book, “Housing 2.0 – A Disruption Survival Guide,” provides the guidance needed for high-performance builders to become industry leaders with a comprehensive framework for optimizing the housing user experience.

Download the first two chapters of Housing 2.0 here: www.greenbuildermedia.com/housing-2.0#book

Software, specifically software services, has been disrupting industries since the 50's. Marc Andreesen, the founder of Netscape, 10 years ago had a famous article in the WSJ titled "Why Software is Eating the World." Today, that has proven to be true, we experience the phenomenon as online software services that we interact with every day. Sendal software services solve unhealthy living environments by disrupting the current hardware centric approach to high-performance homes. We will be discussing how software services improve the general well-being of the home's occupants and simultaneously reduce the emissions footprint of housing. Sendal services deliver meaningful results; breathable air, energy & water conservation enabling general wellness and well-being of the occupants. We will be discussing how software services recruit both builder built-in tech and consumer tech to deliver highly functional high-performance homes that consumers will be willing to pay for.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define and gain agreement around how today's static approaches to the high-performance home lead to unhealthy homes while sub optimizing energy and water conservation.
2. Explore how software is uniquely capable of addressing dynamic living environments in the delivery of healthy homes while reducing emissions.
3. Discover how leveraging existing products and making them perform better with software services creates meaningful results for consumers.
4. Why consumers care and are willing to pay for these services.

Virtually every major industry has experienced, or is in the process of experiencing, disruption. Think retail, personal transportation, automobiles, computing, music, photography, media, and the list goes on and on. Housing in the U.S. has been able to sit on the sidelines with its first cost dominated business model and uniquely disaggregated industry…but not for much longer. That’s because there are five crises driving four innovations that will disrupt an industry totally resistant to change. A certainty by simply connecting the dots. Understanding these changes and preparing for them will be critical for all high-performance housing professionals. Will you be ready?

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn what five housing crises are converging on the housing industry imposing profound pain.
2. Learn what four housing innovations are waiting in the wings with impressive pain relief. 
3. Learn what housing disruption is certain by simply connecting the dots.
4. Learn how high-performance housing professionals can prepare for the disruption ahead.

Sam Rashkin has earned an international reputation for his work engaging thousands of homebuilders as national director for ENERGY STAR Certified Home and Chief Architect with the U.S. DOE Building Technologies Office directing Zero Energy Ready Home. Over two-and-a-half million high-performance homes have now been certified under these programs. Through this decades of experience, research, and detailed observations, Sam has learned two things. One, high-performance is a critical must-have for success in the housing industry. Two, high-performance is not nearly enough to meet the new user experience imperative. Sam’s latest work and new book, “Housing 2.0 – A Disruption Survival Guide,” provides the guidance needed for high-performance builders to become industry leaders with a comprehensive framework for optimizing the housing user experience.

Download the first two chapters of Housing 2.0 here: www.greenbuildermedia.com/housing-2.0#book

This webinar presents the new Phius 2021 core prescriptive path and prepares Passive House practitioners to certify their buildings with it. It covers the background context, the origin of the prescriptive checklist, and provides step-by-step instruction, along with some case study examples.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn about the origins of the Phius 2021 prescriptive path.
2. Understand how to use the prescriptive checklist.
3. Identify the submission requirements and the process for certifying a building through the prescriptive path.
4. Review case study examples that demonstrate the use of the prescriptive checklist.

John Loercher joined the Phius certification team in 2021. He provides design review, updates our existing CPHC training curriculum and helps expand the advanced training offerings at Phius. Prior to joining the certification team, John has been an active CPHC since 2016 and has certified all building types ranging from single-family and multi-family residential, commercial, new construction and retrofits. He is a Certified Passive House Consultant and holds a Masters of Architecture from Parsons the New School for Design.

Lisa White and Aaron Smith: Phius 2021 is the next progression of the Phius passive building standards which were created to guide builders to success in the design and construction of passive buildings.

The well-known Phius performance path now has two levels related to overall building impact: the CORE target to acknowledge aggressive load reduction and energy conservation and the ZERO target to build upon CORE but also fully electrify and net out operational energy use with renewable energy. Phius ZERO marks the next step towards making net zero universal.

The Phius ZERO standard has other provisions to reduce emissions and support decarbonization efforts including banning on-site fossil fuel combustion and using a future predicted electric grid emissions scenario for calculating the impact of using electricity versus natural gas on site. Learn more about the mandatory requirements of the standard, renewable energy options to get to zero, building your project team, and next steps if you choose to pursue this for your project.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the history and origin of high performance passive buildings, passive principles, and how the standards are derived from and built upon these principles & concepts.
2. Recognize the core passive principles and how they are applied in various climate zones and result in varying passive building solutions and lay the foundation for net zero energy buildings.
3. Examine the recommendations and performance requirements for buildings pursuing Phius Certification for CORE or ZERO.
4. Recall the suggested timeline, project team members, their roles, and the Phius Certified professionals that must be involved if pursuing Phius Certification.

Established in 1954, the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that advocates for sustainable living and 100% renewable energy. We share information, events and resources to cultivate community and power progress in the U.S. and beyond. As the U.S. section of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES), we work with individuals and groups around the world to accelerate the equitable transition to a renewable energy and sustainable living society.

We believe knowledge and community are a powerful combination for change. Through trusted, well-researched content and comprehensive, thoughtful perspectives, we continue to nurture a transition to a more sustainable world. Through signature publications such as Solar Today magazine, the ASES Online Community network and annual events like the National Solar Tour and National Solar Conference, we engage individuals, businesses and partnering groups to advance the possibilities of sustainability and renewable energy in the U.S.

In this webinar we will dive deeper into ASES's programs to learn how you can effect change by participating in our many opportunities. This includes attending the ASES SOLAR 2022 National Solar Conference, participating in the National Solar Tour, volunteer opportunities, and engaging with industry professionals in our ASES Online Community and Webinar Series.

Carly Cipolla is the Director of Engagement for the American Solar Energy Society (ASES). She is a 2017 graduate from the University of Colorado Boulder with a degree in Environmental Studies and minor in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science with an emphasis in sustainability, renewable energy, and environmental justice. Prior to her joining the ASES team, Carly worked at the University of Colorado’s Environmental Center to further sustainability on campus as a Promotions and Outreach Associate. Since joining ASES as an intern in 2016, Carly has flourished into her current leadership position focusing on directing the annual National Solar Conference, managing staff and volunteers, as well as focusing on general operations for the organization. She has planned the last four conferences and successfully developed and implemented ASES’ first ever virtual conference, SOLAR 20/20: Renewable Energy Vision in 2020 and ASES’s first ever hybrid conference in 2021. Realizing the success and potential of the virtual and hybrid events, she plans to add an online component to every ASES conference in the future to allow attendees to gather from all over the world. Carly is focused on expanding the reach of ASES and their programs, and has even started a program, the ASES Webinar Series in 2019. She has most recently implemented an online community platform for ASES membership of 20,000+ members, chapters and staff/board of directors. The platform is a place for the ASES community to gather, network and share information and events. Carly looks forward to continued success with ASES.

In this session, the NAACP brings you an overview of the Centering Equity in the Sustainable Building Sector (CESBS) Initiative and the stories of two members at the intersection of energy, equity, and housing. Lonnie Feemster, President of the Reno-Sparks Branch of the NAACP and former energy inspector, is known around town as “Solar Man.” With immense care, he built his own passive house that provides a 100% electric, low-consumption, and comfortable place for work and play for three generations. Daphany Rose Sanchez, founder of Kinetic Communities Consulting (KC3) and proud New York native, leverages partnerships and resources to help close the gap between the affordable housing and energy efficiency industry for diverse New York communities. Lonnie and Daphany share a passion for supporting Black and brown communities to understand the human cost of energy, save money, feel safe, and live in a cleaner environment. They will share a call to action through stories and lessons for building professionals to design projects, policies, and programs first and foremost for people and for justice.

With Jim Shelton & Brian Kincaid from Greenheck

Content Covers:

1. Why Home Builders need a new IAQ Partner.
2. Why the antiquated residential-grade ventilation wholesale distribution model does not work for Home Builders.
3. Why Home Builders cannot rely on residential-grade ventilation fans to perform in common installation scenarios.
4. Why everyone (Home Builders, their contractors, their homeowners, and EEBA) all win by partnering directly with Greenheck.

Module 8: Performance path options (R405 and R406), and additional efficiency path options

This class will explain how to use the various performance path options in the IECC (Section R405 and R406) - their structure, the flexibility allowed in each, and the limitations of each. The audience will explore various scenarios for which compliance path will best suit certain construction choices.  Finally, the class will explain the new required additional efficiency packages in R408 in the 2021 IECC.

This class will explain mandatory and prescriptive requirements related to duct installation, insulation, sealing, and testing, as well as requirements for heating, cooling, and hot water systems and controls. The class will also discuss mandatory requirements for mechanical ventilation and the building science rationale for these requirements. Attendees will also learn about code lighting requirements. An emphasis will be placed on explaining how these code requirements have changed through various editions of the IECC, and finally what the 2021 IECC requires.

This class will discuss the air sealing requirements of the IECC, all of which are mandatory, as well as some new flexibility added in the 2021 IECC.  The audience will learn what air sealing details are needed for compliance with the visual inspection tables, as well as air-tightness testing requirements in the code.  The class will focus on successful strategies for meeting code air sealing targets.

In this class, building code expert, Joe Nebbia will discuss mandatory and prescriptive insulation requirements in the IECC, as well as the building science rationale for these requirements. You will hear about important code compliant installation details, learn in what ways the code is flexible with multiple installation options, and understand how the new structure and details in the 2021 IECC change compliance requirements.

This is Part 4 in the exclusive 8-part series of the "Better Homes, Better Future" podcast. Joe Nebbia from Newport Partners, LLC will discuss code requirements found in the prescriptive window and insulation requirements and how these requirements have changed through various code editions (2009-2021). Listeners will learn how to interpret the tables, understand different insulation types that comply and explore innovative examples. The episode will discuss how the code tables are intended to control conductive heat flow, and will explain how the code treats concepts like "effective R-value" and U-value. The episode will also discuss flexibility allowed through different compliance options within the prescriptive compliance path. This episode will cover IECC Climate Zones 6, 7, and 8 while previous modules covered other climate zones.

This is Part 3 in the exclusive 8-part series of the "Better Homes, Better Future" podcast. Joe Nebbia from Newport Partners, LLC will discuss code requirements found in the prescriptive window and insulation requirements and how these requirements have changed through various code editions (2009-2021). Listeners will learn how to interpret the tables, understand different insulation types that comply and explore innovative examples. This episode will cover IECC Climate Zones 3, 4, and 5 while other modules will cover other climate zones.

Learning Objectives:

• Summarize Minimum Code Requirements
• Describe the energy code compliance path options and required information/documentation for typical permit applications, compliance information on construction documents, and completion documents/certifications
• Recognize a variety of energy code compliance options related to common decision points in construction

This is Part 2 in the exclusive 8-part series of the "Better Homes, Better Future" podcast. Joe Nebbia from Newport Partners, LLC will discuss code requirements found in the prescriptive window and insulation requirements and how these requirements have changed through various code editions (2009-2021). The audience will learn how to interpret the tables, understand different insulation types that comply and explore innovative examples. Joe Nebbia will also discuss flexibility allowed through different compliance options within the prescriptive compliance path.

Learning Objectives:

• Summarize Minimum Code Requirements
• Describe the energy code compliance path options and required information/documentation for typical permit applications, compliance information on construction documents, and completion documents/certifications
• Recognize a variety of energy code compliance options related to common decision points in construction

In this exclusive 8-part series of the "Better Homes, Better Future" podcast, Joe Nebbia from Newport Partners, LLC will explore how the International Energy Conservation Code is structured, as well as the process for complying with the energy code and what details to put on building plans. Listeners will also gain insight into the various compliance paths, with a specific focus on how the code has changed in the 2021 version.

Learning Objectives:

• Summarize Minimum Code Requirements
• Describe the energy code compliance path options and required information/documentation for typical permit applications, compliance information on construction documents, and completion documents/certifications
• Recognize a variety of energy code compliance options related to common decision points in construction

Residential energy is changing quickly with new mandates, greater demand for electricity and an aging infrastructure. Home builders today are meeting these challenges in new ways to build homes of the future today. With new strategies and solutions, home builders are building not just smart homes, but homes with smart, sustainable, resilient energy. This episode of "Better Homes, Better Future" with Schneider Electric tackles these topics and more!

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn about the macro forces influencing the new energy landscape.
2. Hear how homebuilders are leveraging this opportunity to differentiate themselves in the market.
3. Understand some of the solutions to simplify building smart, sustainable and resilient homes in 2022.

This episode of "Better Homes, Better Future" with special guest Sam Bowles from Newport Partners is intended for students, entry-level workers, or people experienced in the home building industry looking for career path advancement options. The discussion explores various career paths, using career map tools intended to explain various options for people interested in careers in innovative, high-performance home construction. Attendees will be introduced to basic building science concepts, as well as a variety of career path examples. The episode will establish a link between innovative building practices and career advancement options.

When it comes to understanding the components and benefits of high-performance homes, learning through experience is one of the best approaches. In this “Better Homes, Better Future” podcast, hear from Greg Davenport, a performance construction manager at Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US, and Andy Barrett, a high-performance builder representing Toolbox NW, who also happens to use one of his builds as a second home. The pair will join host Aaron Smith to talk about what it’s actually like to own and live in one of these homes.

Episode 3 in this exclusive 4-part series with Doug Tarry of Doug Tarry Homes concludes our review of the 11 critical steps involved in building a house as a "system." We look at managing occupant comfort and indoor air quality through system design by addressing such topics as building a better basement wall, reducing the A/C size, and creating greater comfort in the house by the windows we select, to name a few.

Episodes 2 and 3 in this exclusive 4-part series with Doug Tarry, of Doug Tarry Homes, explore the 11 critical steps involved in building a house as a ‘system.’ Customer comfort is paramount and we have to consider how the client will use their home. We must ask ourselves one simple question: “Am I making the homeowner’s life easier or harder?" Episode 2 looks at how to avoid improper planning and design from the outset, both of which can impact the entire home and create costly errors and rework.

This is the first installment in an exclusive 4-part series with Doug Tarry, President of Doug Tarry Ltd., an award winning, leading home building company in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Having built and labeled more Net Zero / Net Zero Ready homes than any other builder in Canada, Doug is currently developing a book called "From Bleeding Edge to Leading Edge: A Builders' Guide to Net Zero Homes." This discussion will provide an overview of Doug’s book and delves into what he believes are the 4 principles of modern design.

Joseph Molina and Rene Carter join us for a "Better Homes, Better Future" podcast discussion on the benefits and strategies for hiring veterans. The National Veterans Chamber serves both the individual Veteran and the organizations that support our Veterans and military families. Veterans and military families are able to access resources to find jobs, start a business, and obtain advice in current employment. Employers benefit by accessing resources to help them create a welcoming military-friendly workplace, free training programs and access tax benefits when hiring military Veterans.

This episode will cover strategies and elements of radon mitigation with Randy Nicklas, Senior Engineer at Huntsman Building Solutions. Building codes are steadily increasing the requirements for building envelope airtightness, along with mechanical ventilation. One aspect that is critical in tighter building construction is the need for maintaining a healthy indoor air environment. Outdoor pollutants entering the building include not only allergens and various chemical compounds, but also radon gas. This presentation will outline the advances in radon control.

High performance zero energy homes provide many benefits including cost savings, energy resiliency, durability, comfort, and sustainable operation. While these types of homes have been built for a long time, the knowledge of how to build them has historically been kept by few. Now with increasingly stringent building codes across the U.S., driven by long-term energy policy and growing demands on the energy grid, all builders and implementers need to know how to build high performance. This session will review key strategies to build high performance zero energy homes discussing measures that impact building envelope, heating, cooling, ventilation, water heating, and other loads. The episode will highlight electric technology including heat pumps.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand key strategies to build high performance zero energy homes
2. Examine strategies to reduce building heating and cooling loads
3. Examine common mechanical systems
4. Identify key system interactions in high performance zero energy homes

Do you know how a properly installed rainscreen makes your building envelope more durable? In the first part of this webinar, Peter Barrett of Dorken Systems will look at how rainscreens work to add drainage and drying capacity to a typical residential wall. In the second part, Chris Donatelli of Donatelli Builders will discuss the real-life building and renovation of a home in Chicago. As original builder, Chris will tell his story of constructing the original home, issues he discovered, and his road to sustainable repair of the walls. You will hear his actual experience managing the moisture issues along with amazing details about when, where, and how damage occurred and was remediated.

Learning Objectives:

• Easily design rainscreen principles into your walls
• Evaluate the long-term benefits of added drainage and drying
• Understand the impact of moisture management issues
• Apply appropriate remediation techniques

Healthier Homes Awareness for Building Professionals educational program is now LIVE!

The course designed by experts from Allergy Standards, Construction Instruction, and EEBA teaches builders how to build a better air quality environment for customers. Taking care of customers health and helping them make better, more informed decisions when specifying and purchasing products and services that effect the very air they, and their loved ones, breathe.

Episode guests: Dr. John McKeon, CEO of Allergy Standards and Gord Cooke, President of Building Knowledge Canada and Partner of Construction Instruction.

Register and learn more about the course here in the EEBA Academy.

"Decarbonization" and "electrification" are becoming household words in some parts of the country. This discussion will demystify these terms, covering the motivations, benefits, and nuts and bolts of making the switch -- transitioning mixed-fuel homes to 100% electricity. If you have concerns about indoor air quality, resiliency, or the changing climate, there's something for you in this podcast.

Learning objectives:

• Explain the benefits of electrifying homes to clients, friends, and family
• Understand how electrification supports resiliency goals
• Differentiate between the two electric alternatives to each of the four typical residential gas appliances
• Create a customized home electrification roadmap

Episode guest: Ann Edminster, Founder and principal of Design AVEnues LLC

This special Team Zero episode explores the current and evolving definitions of high-performance homes, their components, and how they affect global populations. For this episode, we are joined by Ken Johnson, Senior Manager of Performance Construction at Mitsubishi Electric Trane US and Rich Williams, Vice President of Alliance Green Homes. The discussion tackles the growing topic of the role that Indoor Air Quality plays in the construction and maintenance of high-performance homes. Listeners will learn about the critical green certification programs related to energy efficiency, and how they can move towards creating a high-performance home.

We've all heard that we need to "Build Tight and Ventilate Right," but do we have the approaches that we need that are cost competitive, bring sales opportunities, and are beneficial to resiliency, comfort, and IEQ? In this podcast, we'll briefly cover why it’s important to use balanced ventilation in tighter homes, but we will then move on to the most common strategies for getting each component right. This includes strategies for achieving tighter buildings and then a review of the seven most common balanced ventilation strategies with some tips and tricks along the way to make it work. Join Dan Wildenhaus, Technical Advisor and Industry Liaison for BetterBuiltNW on this journey to getting homes dialed in for our codes, certification programs, and most importantly our homebuyers' future experience.

Instructor: Dan Wildenhaus

Chef Rachelle Boucher of Kitchens to Life cooks her favorite Chinese New Year dishes as two of the top experts in Indoor Air Quality bring a fresh perspective to traditional cooking and the vital role of ventilation in today's homes.

Speakers:
Rachelle Boucher, Chef & Induction Expert at Kitchens to Life
Alex Siow, San Francisco Showroom Director

This 1924 Colonial home had fallen into severe disrepair before coming up for sale. As part of the much needed renovation, the new homeowners (two Steven Winter Associates, Inc. employees) wanted to eliminate onsite combustion and produce as much of their operating electricity as possible. Other goals included lower embodied energy materials and a healthy indoor environment. LEED v4.1 for Homes offered one platform to address energy, health, and materials. The home was gutted down to the foundation, framing, and floors before the year-long renovation. After the first 8 months of occupancy (July-February), the home produced 14% more energy than it consumed.

Homeowners: Maureen Mahle and Steve Klocke
Moderator: Aaron Smith