EEBA's High Performance Home Blog

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

"From Bleeding Edge to Leading Edge: A Builders Guide to Net Zero Homes” is a ground-breaking new book by Doug Tarry, whose company has certified more Net Zero / Net Zero Ready homes (500 and counting) than any other builder in Canada. Written in plain language and infused with humor and storytelling, this book is a must-read for builders, renovators, architects, municipal officials, industry stakeholders and home buyers - anyone interested in the future of home building. It will help builders and their teams get to Net Zero in less time, with far less cost and pain. Grab the Book! About Doug Tarry Doug Tarry Homes is a family owned business founded by his father Doug Sr., in 1954. Doug sees to the daily operations of Doug Tarry Limited, a second-generation builder of Net Zero / Net Zero Ready Homes. He has worked extensively with a number of manufacturers and suppliers to develop products and methods needed for today’s high performance / Net Zero Homes, and is... read more

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

As a member of the EEBA community, you play a crucial role in leading the way towards constructing homes that are high-performing, healthy, and resilient. Now aligned with this objective are the self-educated homeowners and prospective buyers who are demanding high-performance homes. Because of this, builders (as well as the raters and architects who support them) are looking for product solutions that: Add value to their customers’ investments Demonstrate a core commitment to being a “responsible” builder Differentiate themselves in a competitive marketplace Our hope at Stego (and the purpose of this article) is to help provide useful support and education so that EEBA builders can better understand vapor transmission at the first side of the home - the foundation - and the role below-slab vapor barriers play in achieving high-performance goals in new homes. No, we are not talking about commodity 6 or 10-mil poly sheeting. Minimum residential code (2021 IRC... read more

The challenges homebuilders face seem to grow every year. In addition to the business of designing, constructing and selling homes, there is a constant need to keep up with code changes, new regulations and consumer demands. Climate change is bringing additional pressures to build for efficiency and electrification and now, embodied carbon is yet another aspect homebuilders must factor into their business model. Change is necessary and there are a multitude of economic, performance, and emissions-reducing benefits builders stand to gain by tackling embodied carbon. And help is on the horizon. This April, RMI (founded as Rocky Mountain Institute) is launching the Homebuilders Carbon Action Network (HomebuildersCAN), with the primary purpose of helping homebuilders understand embodied carbon and learn how to measure and reduce it in a productive and profitable way. HomebuildersCAN was conceived as a “community of practice” where homebuilders and energy raters can engage with... read more

In an era where water scarcity is becoming an increasingly critical issue, Hydraloop presents a ground-breaking solution with its graywater recycling devices, designed to significantly reduce potable water usage in homes. Leveraging advanced technology, the Hydraloop calculator assesses potential water savings by analyzing daily household activities, such as shower lengths, frequency, and water volume, as well as the number toilet flushes, and laundry loads. The more individuals living in the home, the more graywater produced. This innovative approach not only optimizes water reuse for gardening, laundry, and toilet flushing, but also showcases substantial annual water savings, making it a compelling choice for environmentally conscious builders. By integrating a graywater recycling device, households can play a pivotal role in sustainable water management, ensuring a greener future with each drop of water saved. In this scenario piece, we are diving into the potential water savings... read more

Over the past year the Deltec team has been hard at work doing what we do best: reimagining the home. Today, we announce our largest new product launch in the company’s history: the 360⁰ Signature Collection. The new 360⁰ Signature Collection honors the legacy of our founder, Robert Kinser, and the innovative and exceptional panoramic design that has inspired Deltec homeowners for 56 years. This new line of homes captures the true essence of what living in a round home is all about: An extraordinary living experience An unparalleled connection to the outdoors Resilience to hurricanes and extreme weather conditions Naturally more energy-efficient and sustainable Better yet, because the homes in the 360⁰ Signature Collection are pre-designed and extremely efficient to manufacture and build, we are able to pass on significant price and time savings to our customers. The 360⁰ Signature Collection offers: 32 pre-designed floor plans carefully curated to reflect what... read more

Founded in 2010, Abrazo emerged as a local home builder during one of the most challenging periods in the industry’s history, following the 2009 crash of the housing market. Determined to make a positive impact, Abrazo’s founders, Brian McCarthy and Mackenzie Bishop, capitalized on a unique opportunity and embarked on a journey to build homes that exceeded expectations in the midst of an otherwise dim and uninspiring market. Drawing upon their collective expertise and passion for innovation, Abrazo Homes implemented new construction techniques, embraced sustainable building practices, and introduced smart home technology to the Albuquerque market. Abrazo wanted to create homes that not only met the basic needs of their clients but also exceeded their expectations, both in terms of efficiency, functionality and aesthetics. This formula for success proved beneficial over the years and subsequently, Abrazo has been recognized as one of the best places to work, one of the top private... read more

Extreme weather is on the rise across the country. Are you building homes to withstand the weather of tomorrow? Join Sunnova Energy's panel of experts on January 17 at 12 PM CST for a free webinar on building weather-resilient homes using solar + energy storage solutions. What you’ll learn: Recap 2023 weather events and patterns Discover how you can leverage incentives for energy storage solutions and solar Hear real examples of solar + batteries keeping the lights on during outages Get tips on building homes that are ready for extreme weather See how energy storage solutions can help meet homebuyer demands and improve their investment through added resilience and reliability The combination of solar and energy storage solutions helps you build homes that are ready for the weather of tomorrow while giving your homeowners greater peace of mind. Register now for Sunnova's 1/17 webinar to learn more! If you can’t attend, please register anyways and a recording ... read more