Early next month, the nation’s leading high-performance home builders, building scientists, energy professionals, manufacturers, and other housing industry stakeholders will meet in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the 2024 Energy and Environmental Building Alliance’s (EEBA) 2024 High Performance Home Builder Summit.
September 27, 2024
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Early next month, the nation’s leading high-performance home builders, building scientists, energy professionals, manufacturers, and other housing industry stakeholders will meet in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the 2024 Energy and Environmental Building Alliance’s (EEBA) 2024 High Performance Home Builder Summit. For the past 11 years, the summit has also been home to the annual U.S. Department of Energy’s Housing Innovation Awards (HIA) ceremony. The awards, which recognize leading Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) builders across the country, have become a marquee event at the Summit, and 2024 will be no different.
Here’s a sneak peek at what to expect from some of the 2024 projects:
Builders Leveraging Prefab Construction Practices to Build Attainable Homes
- Clifton View Homes used structural insulated panels (SIPs) for their award-winning project in Langley, Washington. The project is one of three nearly identical homes designed and constructed to offer affordable, high-performance workforce housing.
- An award-winning project from Howard Building Science in Granite Falls, North Carolina uses SIPs to control cost and expedite construction. The builder estimates that the incremental cost of certifying homes to ZERH program requirements is $7,000, which keeps the sale at an attainable price point of under $200,000.
Clayton Homes earned special honors for its Zero Energy Ready Manufactured Home in Murphy, North Carolina. Clayton Homes has committed to building 100% of its manufactured homes to the new ZERH Manufactured Homes program specifications. Clayton has 39 certified ZERH Manufactured plants across the country, delivering homes that range between $100,000 and $300,000.
Transitioning to All-Electric Homes
- Twenty-four of the 28 award-winning projects are all-electric homes. Each uses heat pump technology for both space and water heating, including eight located in cold climates.
- Award-winning projects from production builders such as Garbett Homes, K. Hovnanian Homes (Phoenix Division), and others, are part of all-electric communities, highlighting the commitment of these leading builders to decarbonize the housing stock.
Thirteen award-winning homes are equipped with electric vehicle charging stations. Others are being pre-wired for electrical vehicle charging, allowing homeowners to easily install one in the future if they choose.
Indoor Air Quality Sensors and Energy Management Systems
- Twenty-two of the award-winning homes have integrated indoor air quality sensors that help to monitor the amount of moisture and pollutants. Many of these systems are linked to the ventilation and HVAC systems to control humidity and ensure that fresh air is delivered inside the home.
- Other energy management systems in award-winning projects include:
- Monitoring energy use for heat pumps (both space and water heating).
- Full home automation, including controls for lighting, energy use, window coverings, and plumbing leak detection.
- Real-time monitoring of solar energy production and storage.
These are just some of the innovative building practices and technologies being leveraged by leading builders across the country. All award-winning homes and builders will be honored at the HIA ceremony, where details of their award-winning projects will be on display. Each of these homes will soon have profiles added to the DOE Tour of Zero, where you can learn more about the key features, view images, and see testimonials from homeowners.
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