EEBA's High Performance Home Blog

View original press release on Kantar's website America At Home Study and Kantar provide a deeper look into consumer perceptions on sustainability in their homes and how it impacts personal wellbeing. New York, NY (April 24, 2023) – Kantar, the world’s leading data-driven analytics and brand consulting company, and the America at Home Study released further data exploring the impact that consumers feel sustainability and home design have on their personal wellbeing. The America at Home Study surveyed more than 10,000 Americans across three waves during early, peak, and post-pandemic times to understand the design changes consumers want in their homes and communities. Key findings from the latest wave of this national consumer study reveal connections between sustainability and wellbeing for consumers, while also highlighting opportunities for brands to help meet consumer needs. More than 1/3 of respondents listed ‘climate change’ as one of the top 3 topics they are most... read more

Story by Matt Chapuran, Sustainable Homes Inc. Darrel McMaster comes from a family of homebuilders. By his count, his family has produced eight general contractors since 1945. “All we do is build,” McMaster says. “I kind of followed in line.” Where McMaster has distinguished himself is in the pursuit of building net-zero homes at scale. His company, Sustainable Homes, Inc., boasts on its website, “Building Tomorrow’s Homes Today,” yet this strategy did not originate in a political or ecological ideology. McMaster’s father impressed upon him that the goal for anyone in construction should be to bring down the price of a home, constructing it faster and better. He began to wonder if the most economical home for a buyer wouldn’t be one that ran off the environment, generating its own utilities. Since moving from California — where McMaster’s observation was that the solar power movement was once limited to “some old hippies who lived in the mountains” — to Texas, McMaster has... read more

View original blog on Schneider Electrics website In an unassuming town situated between Los Angeles and San Diego, you’ll find the future of the American neighborhood. I’m not talking about the Jetsons-style sci-fi; I’m talking about California’s first-of-its-kind residential microgrid community. This community is a real-life example of the new energy landscape — or what we at Schneider Electric™ describe as Electricity 4.0 — the convergence of digital intelligence with electricity. Shadow Mountain, in Menifee, California, consists of 219 smart homes. Each home is equipped with its own solar-plus-battery system, which is pretty cool already. But KB Home, a national homebuilder who led the project, took it a step further by deploying a microgrid system. This microgrid connected all 219 homes and their batteries with a shared centralized 2-megawatt (MW) community battery — a first. For each net-zero-ready home, this extra layer of backup power offers an unparalleled level of... read more

On this Earth Day, it is important to focus on ways we can make our homes more energy-efficient, healthy, and sustainable. We will provide you with an overview of the top 10 things you need to know to achieve these high-performance goals. From working with a HERS/ERI rater to incorporating a net-zero electrification strategy, we will cover topics such as energy efficiency, air quality, ventilation, heat pumps, resiliency, and more. By understanding these key concepts, you can take the necessary steps to reduce your carbon footprint and make a positive impact on the environment. The environment is subject to numerous human influences and impacts, including pollution, burning fossil fuels, and deforestation. However, nearly 40% of global carbon dioxide emissions come from the real estate sector. Of these emissions, 27% are produced by building operations and 13% are produced by embodied carbon such as infrastructure materials and construction. 1. Connect with Home Energy Rating... read more

For this year’s Women’s History Month, EEBA invited three knowledgeable women: founder of Younger Homes Danielle Younger, co-owner and Marketing Director of Lifestyle Homes, Karen Kicinski, and co-founder of Charis Homes, Glenna Wilson, to share with us how they entered the sustainable building industry. Following a discussion about how the industry has impacted them and how they’ve impacted the industry in return, they also discussed the sustainable technologies and innovations they have implemented and provide advice for women looking to enter the residential construction industry. In this month's feature, we chose to highlight these three women to recognize the countless women that work courageously to advance equality and opportunities for women in the United States. Aaron Smith: Tell us about the most challenging and rewarding aspects of day-to-day operations in this industry. In what ways do you feel you uniquely meet those challenges? Karen Kicinski: The... read more

One of the most mentioned items in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is heat pumps. The IRA provides significant rebates and/or tax credits for the installation of heat pumps. These rebates and tax credits make this technology worth considering for all builders and homeowners installing new equipment or upgrading old systems. Let’s cover what types of heat pumps are available and why you will want to consider them. Heat pumps are up to five times more efficient than standard systems and have the ability to use air or water to heat and cool systems within a home. Heat pumps use electricity to transfer thermal energy from one place to another instead of producing heat through combustion. Heat pumps can be classified into two types: ground-source and air-source. Both can provide efficient heating and cooling solutions with minimal electricity consumption and no combustion. How Different Types of Heat Pumps Function: Ground Source Heat Pumps: Geothermal heat... read more

The United States continues to deal with water scarcity and shortages across the country, affecting homeowners and builders. Sustainable building practices have predominantly been focused on energy efficiency to reduce household carbon footprints and financial burdens, however, with the ongoing drought in the US and the increased demand for housing, the need for water-efficient homes is necessary for the future of the industry. As city populations increase, builders, developers, and politicians are faced with the significant challenge of supplying millions of people with potable water. Dry regions such as the West and Southwest parts of the US are struggling as more people migrate to already overpopulated cities with further depleting water sources. Builders are having trouble finding water reliable areas to build which in turn adds to the increased housing demand. State and federal governments in these areas are strategizing how to distribute and protect major water... read more

Clare Homes is a semi-custom single family home builder located in Lafayette, Louisiana, established by Isaac Scott and Kendall Gilmore. Their mission is to build more resilient, healthy, and energy-efficient homes for their customers and community. EEBA is excited to announce Clare Homes as the Builder of the Month. In this month's feature, we asked Clare Homes co-founder Isaac Scott to share some insight on their growing company. Aaron Smith: Tell us a little bit about Clare Homes. How did you get started and what are some of your goals? Isaac Scott: Clare homes, was founded in 2021, by myself and my business partner, and one of my best friends, Kendall Gilmore. Clare is an acronym for clean air, resilient, efficient homes. It’s been my personal and professional goal to build sustainable homes and communities since I was 18 and my mom first said to me, why don't you build sustainable communities? AS: Tell us what you're doing around clean air in homes. IS:... read more

Concert venues, shopping plazas and sporting arenas are continuously constructing accessibility improvements to make public spaces more comfortable for people with disabilities. But unfortunately, there’s one place that continues to be a challenge for people with disabilities to navigate — their own homes.

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The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a key piece of legislation that is helping to transform the way we think about sustainable housing. By providing incentives to encourage the electrification of buildings and infrastructure, the IRA is helping to reduce energy costs, promote energy efficiency, and create a more sustainable housing landscape. In this blog post, we'll discuss the effects of the IRA on sustainable housing and the benefits it has for homeowners and society. What is the Inflation Reduction Act? The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is an ambitious climate initiative that provides $369 billion in funding to achieve a net zero carbon economy and transition the US to clean energy technologies by 2050. The Act seeks to reduce global emissions and create economic opportunities for all Americans by investing in EV charging infrastructure, renewable energy, smart grids, and tax incentives for energy freedom and independence. The Act also works to reduce the cost of... read more