Posts From March, 2020

Industry Trailblazers Recognized at 2025 EEBA Building Excellence Awards

Industry Trailblazers Recognized at 2025 EEBA Building Excellence Awards
2025 Building Excellence Awards Recognize Innovation and Leadership in High-Performance Homebuilding The 2025 Building Excellence Awards brought together leading builders, suppliers, and partners to honor the dedication and innovation shaping the future of high-performance homebuilding. Hosted by EEBA, the event highlighted achievements in sustainability, electrification, resiliency, decarbonization, healthier homes, and Zero Energy Ready Homes (ZERH). "We honor the projects that inspire, the people who lead with vision, and the relentless efforts that have helped shape a better built environment over the past year," said Aaron Smith, CEO of EEBA. "Together, we’re not only building homes - but we’re also building the future." Sustainability Leader Awards Excellence in Electrification Award – Sponsored by Xcel Energy: Celebrating the home that delivers climate, health, and economic benefits through all-electric strategies. Nominees: Doug Tarry Homes (The Ashton), ... read more
 

Georgia Power Smart Neighborhood

A collaboration between DOE, utilities, and a long-standing homebuilder create an opportunity to explore how homeowners are using energy in a real-world, smart home environment.
Georgia Power Smart Neighborhood
"Altus at The Quarter," a townhome community consisting of 46 units, recently opened in Atlanta, Georgia and will serve as real-world research for understanding "how emerging smart technologies and distributed energy resources can impact energy efficiency, energy management and resiliency." The townhomes include PV panels, battery storage, heat pump water heaters, and other energy efficient building elements - all managed by a "grid-interactive control system" developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory ("ORNL") and the Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office ("BTO"). Oak Ridge National Laboratory was originally established in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project. They are currently managed and operated by UT-Battelle as a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the DOE. ORNL supports DOE's national missions of scientific discovery, clean energy, and security. The DOE's Building Technologies Office leads a vast network of research and... read more
 

Collaboration and Energy Efficiency for Affordable Homes

It’s great to hear about net zero energy communities being built, and even better to discover the aim is to make them affordable.
Collaboration and Energy Efficiency for Affordable Homes
In many areas in the country, home prices are growing faster than incomes are increasing. Making sure homes stay affordable once they are occupied is essential in keeping costs down once they’re occupied. Collaborating on projects is becoming more and more popular when attainability is of utmost importance. In Hillsborough County in the Tampa Bay, Florida area, Commissioners are working with the Florida Home Partnership, a 501(c)3 nonprofit community home builder to build seven zero energy homes. The houses will utilize solar panels and aim for monthly electric bills of $20 or less. Other features will include metal roofing and concrete walls for hurricane resistance and lower insurance premiums. Along with their collaboration with Florida Home Partnership, Hillsborough County has also secured a $150,000 grant from Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo has a history in housing philanthropy and recently announced a partnership with Enterprise Community Partners to create the Housing... read more