September 18, 2026
Saint Paul RiverCentre
175 Kellogg Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55102

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Builders working within Xcel Energy’s service territory are invited to take advantage of a unique opportunity at the EEBA Summit. Join fellow high-performance builders for three packed days of advanced education, technical training, and real-world building science insights designed to elevate your projects and your business.

As part of this Xcel sponsorship, attendees to the EEBA Training Track at $59 per day can join all of the EEBA Summit activities at no additional cost, including the trade show, meals and receptions. Connect with like-minded building professionals, industry experts, and leading manufacturers during September 17-18. 

Eligible Minnesota builders and architects can register for $59 per day, instead of the standard $595 general registration fee! This special pricing is available to professionals who actively build residential homes within Xcel Energy’s service territory. To receive the discounted rate, please contact Seth Welty: Seth.Welty@icf.com.

Stay tuned for CEU details!

Schedule:

Friday, September 18th - Houses That Work - Presented by EEBA Certified Trainer Gord Cooke

Houses That Work™ is the nation's leading turn-key solution for educational training and outreach. Houses That Work education provides attendees with ways to improve the performance, efficiency, durability, comfort, safety and health of the homes they build, making them a better value for their customers and incorporating green practices into their business formula.

Houses That Work classes have helped thousands of building professionals benefit from understanding the house-as-a-system approach regardless of what climate zone or the number/size of the homes they build.

In this session, participants learn that complex changes in home design, building materials, mechanical systems, appliances, code compliance and consumer lifestyles and expectations make every builder, supplier, and trade contractor’s job more demanding. We will cover the basics of building science and how it is applied to create high performance homes.

The session will address critical home performance elements that exist as a system and are part of energy efficient homes. The fundamentals of building science - air, heat and moisture flow – will be outlined and applied to help participants make better choices with respect to construction materials and methods. Participants will also learn important information about indoor air quality, including the basics of mold and other pollutant sources, and cost-effective strategies to be able to offer healthier indoor environments.

At the end of the session, attendees will have a thorough understanding of how to build better attics, walls and foundations and how to choose HVAC systems that integrate properly into their homes. This session will also cover how building science principles improve the marketing position for building professionals, providing case studies of builders who have changed their building processes and gained return through communicating the value of high performance homes.

Learning Objectives:

  • Learn the elements of high performance homes and how they help respond to code compliance, and the many changes in the residential construction industry as well as consumer expectations
  • Understand the fundamentals or air, heat and moisture flow and see how they can be applied to make better material and methods decisions
  • Apply the building science to attics, walls, windows, foundations and HVAC decisions to create high performance homes
  • Identify the building process changes needed to cost-effectively implement high performance homes
  • Explore the successes of other builders who have benefited from implementing high performance home strategies.

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Attend Wednesday and/or Thursday Training for $59 Each Day - Registration Details Below:

Wednesday, September 16th - Selling High Performance Homes - Presented by EEBA Certified Trainer Gord Cooke

Selling High Performance Homes workshop is an additional offering of the popular EEBA Houses That WorkTM educational series focused specifically on the needs of builders and new home sales specialists/agents. The session will also be of interest to general full service real estate agents, manufacturers’ representatives and housing program or utility personnel. This presentation applies proven sales techniques to the task of helping sales agents educate home buyers on the technical features of High Performance Homes. This will empower home buyers to make better decisions with respect to energy efficiency and other technical advancements. This workshop includes examples, case studies and role plays relevant to both custom and large volume builders and draws on the successes of many builders who have already realized the benefits of selling High Performance Homes. The workshop is applicable to all regions of the country and is readily adaptable to local housing programs and national programs such as ENERGY STAR, LEED for Homes, or Zero Energy Ready Homes.

REGISTER HERE FOR WEDNESDAY's TRAINING at $59 as a Builder Working in Xcel Energy's Territory

 

Thursday, September 17th - High Performance Mechanical Systems for Houses That Work - Presented by EEBA Certified Trainer Gord Cooke

High Performance Mechanical Systems for Houses That Work is a mid-level, full day seminar geared towards Builders, Designers, Code Officials, and Trade Allies that focuses on HVAC, Ventilation, Hot Water, Indoor Air Quality and Electronic Home Controls in high performance housing.  In the past several years, residential mechanical systems have grown in complexity and scope as energy codes have mandated higher insulation levels, better windows and tighter construction. There is now a great opportunity to rethink and redesign HVAC, hot water heating and electronic home control systems as they are major contributors to energy efficiency goals. This course will first review the key building science concepts that have changed the way houses are built and identify the relevant changes to mechanical systems. The remainder of the course will focus on the proper sizing and selection of appropriate mechanical equipment for high performance ever lower load homes. Compelling opportunities to simultaneously optimize comfort, durability, safety and health, efficiency and cost will be identified. The instructor will use lectures, case studies and group exercises to convey the information to attendees.

REGISTER HERE FOR THURSDAY's TRAINING at $59 as a Builder Working in Xcel Energy's Territory