EEBA's High Performance Home Blog

As high-performance homebuilding continues to evolve, HVAC systems are becoming more adaptable, offering builders and contractors greater flexibility in how they deliver comfort, efficiency, and indoor air quality. Carrier’s Crossover platform is designed with that flexibility in mind, combining variable-speed technology with multiple system configurations and control options. In EEBA’s webinar, Crossover Dehum and Controls, Connor Howard, Product Marketing Manager of Residential HVAC at Carrier, explored how the platform can be configured to meet different project requirements, with a particular focus on dehumidification, system controls, and zoning. Understanding the Crossover Platform While horizontal-discharge systems have traditionally been associated with ductless applications, Carrier’s Crossover platform offers whole-home solutions ranging from 1.5 to 5 tons. Its inverter-driven, variable-speed compressor allows the system to adjust its output based on actual... read more

High-performance homebuilding is about more than energy efficiency. It is about creating homes that support human health, reduce environmental impact, and contribute to more resilient communities. During EEBA’s October 28, 2026, webinar, “Scaling Regenerative Design: Transforming Residential Practice with Living Future Programs,” Jaime Van Mourik, Vice President of Market Transformation at Living Future, explored how residential building professionals can put regenerative design into practice. Living Future offers frameworks, certifications, and educational resources that help teams evaluate building performance, material health, carbon emissions, and equity. These tools can help builders move beyond reducing negative impacts toward creating more positive outcomes. From Sustainable to Regenerative Design Traditional sustainability often focuses on minimizing harm. Regenerative design takes a broader view, considering how buildings can contribute to healthier environments,... read more

For more than 21 years, Nancy Bakeman has been at the heart of EEBA’s mission. As Executive Vice President, she helped cultivate a community of residential building professionals united by a shared commitment to advancing building science, elevating industry knowledge, and transforming how homes are built for the betterment of people and our environment. At the 2026 Excellence Awards, that legacy was celebrated with the EEBA Legend Award. 

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Every fall, DOE releases updated program documents for the Efficient New Homes Program (previously ZERH). Updates reflect clarifications resulting from dialogue with the program’s builders and raters. 

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The 2026 EEBA Building Excellence Awards brought together the high-performance home building industry to recognize the leading builders, suppliers, and professionals pushing the industry forward. Presented during the EEBA High Performance Home Builder Summit this year in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the awards celebrated innovation and leadership in healthier homes, resiliency, electrification, decarbonization, and high-performance housing. This year’s awards were evaluated by a diverse group of industry professionals, including sustainability directors, home energy raters, high-performance field specialists, program directors, market transformation leaders, manufacturers, and architects. Each brings specialized expertise and a shared commitment to advancing high-performance housing within their respective organizations and across the industry. Their collective knowledge helped recognize projects and partners demonstrating meaningful progress in building better-performing... read more

The EEBA Board has approved two motions that reflect the best of EEBA: growing its leadership bench while honoring the people who built it. Megan Cordes Joins the Executive Committee Megan Cordes, Director of Sustainability and Building Science at Beazer Homes, has been elected to EEBA's Executive Committee. Megan joined the EEBA Board in 2026, and this move puts her in a more active leadership role, shaping the nonprofit's direction. Megan brings a track record that speaks for itself. Under her leadership, Beazer became the first national homebuilder to deliver 100% of its new homes to match or exceed the DOE's Efficient New Homes (formally Zero Energy Ready Home) standard, a milestone the company reached last year, while also picking up four RESNET awards. She'll bring that same perspective to the stage in September as part of the High Performance Home Builder Summit opening keynote, "Opening Remarks and DOE Efficient New Homes Builder Panel," joining builders... read more

Written by: Andrew Wickham, the Senior Director of Solar Products at CertainTeed, where he leads the development of innovative solar roofing and energy solutions for residential and commercial applications. Project: New office building, Sarmiento’s Roofing, Oregon | Building Type: New-construction commercial office (~11,000 sq. ft.) | Solar / Roofing Contractor: Sarmiento’s Roofing, LLC |Solution Provider: CertainTeed The Project In 2024, Sarmiento’s Roofing, LLC completed a brand-new, 11,000-square-foot, wood-frame office, showroom and shop in Salem, Oregon. For owner Santiago Sarmiento, the roof was more than a building component, it was a proving ground. As a roofing and solar contractor, he wanted his own facility to showcase where the industry is heading: integrated solar roofing that looks like a traditional roof, protects like a premium roofing system, and delivers real energy savings. A major motivator came from Oregon’s rapidly changing energy landscape.... read more

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