Better Homes, Better Future

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.

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. Watch full webinar here. Listen to special podcast series here.

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. Watch full webinar here. Listen to special podcast series here.

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. Watch full webinar here at the EEBA Academy.

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. Watch full webinar at the EEBA Academy here.

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. View full webinar in the EEBA Academy here.

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: Understand key strategies to build high performance zero energy homes Examine strategies to reduce building heating and cooling loads Examine common mechanical systems Identify key system interactions in high performance zero energy homes Watch full webinar here at the EEBA Academy. www.eeba.org www.teamzero.org

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. You will learn to: · 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 View full webinar here at the EEBA Academy.

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. Watch full webinar here.

"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 Watch webinar here at the EEBA Academy.

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 Watch on the EEBA Academy.

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 Watch webinar

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 Learn more

Introducing HVAC professionals to Carrier’s Air-to-Water Heat Pump (A2W-HP) systems for residential use. An energy efficient and sustainable complete heating, cooling and DHW solution. Learning Objectives:Understand the core features and benefitsLearn about Hydronic FundamentalsDiscover Best PracticesUnderstand the market potential and regulatory impact 

Hurricane Helene caused significant damage to Western North Carolina. NC Office of State Management and Budget estimates that between 121,000 and 132,000 homes have been damaged due to Helene and roughly 12,000 people were estimated to still be displaced from the storm in early January 2025. This amplified the already existing shortage of good quality housing in the region. We now face the dual challenge of quickly developing affordable high-performance housing that also includes resilience against extreme weather events. To address this, ADL Ventures and Howard Building Science convened a consortium of regional Council of Governments, Developers, Builders, Prefabricators and Academia called ‘Western NC Industrialized Construction Tech Hub’. Through collaboration and recent industrialized construction (IC) projects in the region (Duke Street Cottages and Hickory Grove), the group secured a donated parcel of land to highlight IC deployment speed, aesthetic diversity, and act as a “how-to” guide for other regional developers. Our presentation will go into depth on the setup, execution, and learnings from these IC projects.  We will also discuss how high-performance construction can also be disaster resilient (FORTIFIED™) housing for vulnerable populations. These projects used a variety of industrialized construction methods; Modular, panelized, and hybrid. This presentation will showcase the importance of collaborative partnerships in creating sustainable, affordable, and resilient housing solutions in rural America.Learning Objectives:Need of the hour: Nexus of industrialized construction, disaster resilient and high performance homesGetting community buy in through consortium building, data collection and shared responsibilitiesDocumentation of planning and execution process for replicability and scaling using ‘how-to’ playbooksCase studies: High performance, IC-based neighborhoods

1. Discuss the unintended consequences associated with installing HPWH inside the building envelope.2. Identify the building science mechanisms that cause moisture to condense on surfaces inside the building, both within the space where the HPWH is located and elsewhere in the building.3. Describe several ways to mitigate the risks of moisture condensation that simultaneously increase the efficiency of the HPWH.4. Understand the efforts the industry is taking to address these concerns.

Join us for an informative webinar where we’ll explore Carrier® Crossover Solutions—an innovative approach that combines the strengths of traditional ducted heating and cooling with the versatility of ductless technology. This session will delve into how our systems are designed for compatibility with residential fan coils and furnaces, ensuring effortless integration with your current HVAC setup.Learning Objectives:Discover consumer trends in sustainable and high efficiency products in the homeLearn about Carrier's latest heat pump technologyTake a deep dive of Carrier's Crossover heat pump product lineUnderstand crossover heat pump applications

Learn how to elevate your designs and streamline construction with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)—sustainable, high-performance building systems. When you take this course, you'll learn how SIPs used in residential and commercial projects integrate six critical structural and thermal components into a single precision-engineered panel. You'll also learn how to easily adapt SIPs into your designs and construction processes to deliver the following project benefits: Enhance Efficiency: Cut heating and cooling costs dramatically with superior insulation. Expand Design Potential: Utilize longer spans, maximize conditioned space, and push creative boundaries Build Faster: Complete projects in half the time compared to stick framing, and combat skilled labor challenges Increase ROI: Achieve quicker occupancy and faster project turnovers. Create Stronger, More Resilient Structures: Fire resistant, seismic and hurricane zone approved and clean air certified, delivering superior environments with your projects. Focus on High Performance Energy Efficient Building Design: Naturally 60% more energy efficient than traditional code approved assemblies, SIPs enable extreme energy savings and reduced operational costs for years to come. Learn how SIPs are an incredible path to sustainability.  Learning Objectives  Discover different types of offsite construction and the benefits of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) in today's design and building environments. Learn how SIPs can solve labor shortages and improve construction efficiency. Understand how SIPs offer exceptional energy efficiency and durability. Explore the basics of designing and building with Structural Insulated Panels, to understand how to get started working with SIPs. 

This session will discuss the highly efficient, but practical methods for building with energy production (Solar), storage (Battery) and inverter heat pump systems.  Learning Objectives:Applying the concept (go beyond NZE ready) and be prepared to offer levels of resilience.Sizing goals to allow for future expansion based on budget.Expressing the best environmental conditions for homeowners.Showing the On and Off grid advantages of the system.