EEBA's High Performance Home Blog

By: JD Wix, Senior Director, Vertical Markets at Resideo As homes become more connected, the conversation around energy efficiency is expanding beyond insulation, solar panels, and building envelopes. Today’s high-performance homes rely on intelligent systems that not only conserve resources but also help make everyday living safer and more efficient. Resideo Technologies, Inc., through its trusted Honeywell Home® and First Alert® brands, is helping builders deliver that future – one where energy management, water conservation, and life safety technologies work together in harmony. From thermostats that anticipate homeowners’ energy needs, to sensors that stop water leaks before damage occurs, these innovations are helping shape the future of eco-friendly, smart construction. Smart energy management: Comfort that saves Heating and cooling account for roughly half of a home’s total energy consumption, making HVAC systems an extremely... read more

Today’s residential homebuilders are operating in a remarkably complex market. Elevated mortgage rates, stubborn construction costs, and a pressing home affordability crisis have slowed sales velocity and forced builders to rethink traditional incentives. In recent years, builders have relied on design center credits or mortgage rate buy-downs to attract buyers. However, these are short term fixes that directly dilute a builder’s margins. Forward-thinking builders can now shift their strategy from these buyer concessions to a permanent reduction in a home’s monthly operating costs. In the Greater Houston area, energy has become one of a household’s largest operational expenses outside of the mortgage payment itself. By rethinking how communities are powered, builders can fundamentally lower this ongoing cost for homeowners while securing a distinct competitive advantage. Through a strategic partnership in Texas with Reliant Energy, Sunrun is deploying a modern grid... read more

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

Minneapolis, Minnesota – The Energy and Environment Building Alliance (EEBA) is pleased to announce its 2026 Board of Directors, welcoming new leadership to continue the organization’s mission to advance high-performance, healthy, and resilient homes across North America. The 2026 Board reflects a diverse cross-section of industry leaders whose expertise spans high-performance homebuilding, sustainability, innovation, and building science. Together, they will help guide EEBA’s strategic priorities, educational initiatives, and industry partnerships in the year ahead. 2026 Board Officers President – Karen Kicinski Karen Kicinski is the Marketing Director and Co-Owner of LifeStyle Homes, headquartered in Melbourne, Florida. A long-time EEBA member and advocate for high-performance building, Karen brings extensive experience in builder engagements, marketing, and building science, particularly in hot-humid climates. Her leadership reflects EEBA’s commitment to... 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