EEBA's High Performance Home Blog

At the 2025 EEBA Summit, a panel of builders and building science professionals, Andrew Guido, Tim O'Brien, Bill Rectanus, Gord Cooke, Bill Shadid, came together for a practical, candid discussion on what it really takes to deliver healthier, lower-carbon, and more resilient homes in today’s market. The tone wasn’t theoretical—it was grounded in field experience, trade-offs, and lessons learned from actual projects. The session was structured as a “lessons learned” conversation, moving through three major themes: healthy housing, carbon reduction, and resilience, followed by an open discussion on what’s working—and what isn’t—in real-world implementation. Healthy Homes: Building Science That Starts With Air The discussion opened with healthier homes, a topic that has been part of high-performance building conversations for years but continues to evolve in practice. Building science expert Gord Cooke emphasized that “health” in housing is broader than most people assume. It ... read more

Recently, we had the opportunity to take an exclusive tour of the IBHS Research Center in Richburg, South Carolina—a world-class facility dedicated to advancing building science and improving the resilience of homes and communities. The IBHS Research Center is operated by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, an independent, nonprofit research organization supported by the property insurance industry. Its mission is to translate science into action by identifying how buildings perform under real-world natural hazards and using that knowledge to reduce future losses and improve construction practices. What makes this facility truly unique is its ability to recreate severe weather conditions at full scale. On its 90-acre campus, researchers can simulate high winds, wind-driven rain, hail, wildfire ember exposure, and other extreme events to study how residential and commercial structures respond. This includes the massive 6-story test chamber equipped with a wall ... read more

When we think about building design, windows are often viewed as just a way to let in light. But at Wythe Windows, we see them differently. We believe a window is a high-performance machine, a critical component that defines a building’s comfort, efficiency, and longevity. A superior window is more than the sum of its parts. It's about how three essential components—profile, glass, and hardware—come together to deliver exceptional structural performance, air and water tightness, and aesthetic appeal. The Wythe Difference: Key Elements of Innovation 1. UPVC Extrusion with Six Thermal Layers The heart of our windows lies in the UPVC extrusion. Our design features six thermal chambers that provide unmatched insulation, keeping heat inside where it belongs. This is a key factor in achieving Passive House performance levels. 2. Steel Reinforcement for Ultimate Stability Every Wythe window is built with a 2mm steel U-channel. This "steel skeleton" provides incredible... read more

Why This Client Chose the X-Bracket System When our client, Brad from Texas, first came to us, he was wrestling with a common conundrum in high-performance homebuilding: his existing wall assemblies weren’t delivering the thermal performance, moisture control, or durability he wanted, and he was facing rising costs and labor headaches with traditional retrofit methods. Brad’s home has been growing with his family over the decades. Initially a single level, brick 1970’s home, they added a garage, then a master bedroom suite, bathroom renovations, additional bedrooms for children as their family grew, finally a bigger kitchen. The renovations were planned and worked well until about a decade ago when a contractor didn’t seal the new second story renovation well and they started experiencing leaks around the roof additions and along the seam of the first and second story. This unfortunately turned the renovations and expansions into repairs and ripping out large sections of their... read more

Project: Custom Geothermal Home on Mount Washington Home Living Space: 2,500 square feet. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Builder/Developer: Building Alternatives Solution Provider: CertainTeed Solution: ONE PRECISION ASSEMBLIES™ Building Alternatives, a New Hampshire-based construction management and home building company founded in 1986, has distinguished itself as a leader in innovative energy-efficient construction. Co-founders Kathe and Bob Tortorice have decades of combined experience in construction, civil engineering, process design, project management, and more. And they are long-time adopters of offsite building practices, including modular, panelized, timber frame, and structural insulated panel (SIP) methods. In the past, offsite construction has enabled Building Alternatives to build faster and deliver higher quality, more cost-effective homes than stick building. But it also restricted the company at times by limiting their design options. So, when the... read more

Author: Tyler Oehlman, Associate Director, Residential Systems Solutions Electricity demand in the United States is projected to rise 16% in the next five years, fueled by the explosive growth of data centers and advanced manufacturing. That increase places enormous pressure on utilities, grids and households. For the HVAC industry, it signals a turning point: comfort can no longer be separated from energy intelligence. Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) are stepping into this moment, transforming the way homeowners consume, store and share energy — and creating new opportunities for the HVAC contractors who install and maintain them. What are Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS)? HEMS integrate smart thermostats, connected appliances, solar panels, battery storage, and advanced software into one coordinated platform. These systems can give homeowners a better view of their energy use and the power to control it in real time. They also create a new class of “prosumers”—... read more

As 2025 comes to a close, the Energy and Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA) celebrates another transformative year of education, recognition, and collaboration across the high-performance building industry. From expanding regional training opportunities to elevating our awards program and strengthening our builder networks, EEBA’s work this year reinforced a shared commitment to building homes—and communities—that perform for people and the planet. Expanding Impact Through Regional Trainings EEBA’s regional training series reached new audiences across Georgia, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Minnesota, empowering residential building professionals with the latest building science knowledge and hands-on guidance. These two-day sessions focused on the updated Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) Version 2 program (now the Efficient New Homes Program) and the ENERGY STAR NextGen Builder requirements—two critical pathways for builders aiming to stay ahead of rapidly evolving codes,... read more

Qwahn Kent - November 3, 2025 The custom home building market is experiencing a period of significant transformation. According to recent data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), new home construction has remained volatile in recent years, with builders navigating fluctuating material costs, labor shortages, and shifting buyer preferences. Despite these challenges, the built-to-order segment continues to represent a substantial portion of new home sales, with approximately 20-25% of new single-family homes being custom or semi-custom builds. Recent industry reports suggest that the average time from initial contact to signed contract in custom home building can range from three to six months, significantly longer than traditional home purchases. This extended sales cycle means that understanding and effectively addressing client objections isn't just important, it's essential for closing deals and maintaining healthy conversion rates. But what are buyers... read more

Part of what happens on the power grid starts in the homes we build. As energy demand continues to climb, the challenge - and opportunity - for builders is clear: how can we transform homes from energy consumers into energy producers and contributors to a more stable, sustainable grid? In the session Transforming Our Communities Into Grid Assets, panelists Megan Cordes, Director of Sustainability and Building Science at Beazer Homes; Joel Abney, Vice President of Operations at SH Residential Holdings, LLC; Matt Brost, Vice President of New Home Sales at​ Sunrun​; and Chip Silverman, ​​Director of Grid Services ​and Virtual Power ​Plants at Sunrun; came together to explore how forward-thinking builders and technology partners are reshaping the future of community energy. The Power Grid Is Changing The conversation began with a look at how our electrical grid has evolved - and where it’s headed. Panelists noted that the original grid was never designed for today’s rapidly... read more