This past Spring, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program launched a new initiative, the ENERGY STAR Home Upgrade, targeting six high-impact energy efficiency improvements for existing homes to cut energy use and cost. These fixes will also improve home comfort and lead to a cleaner, healthier home.
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NAIMA has just released a new guide, Passive House Construction with Fiberglass and Mineral Wool Insulation. This new publication compares code-built, net zero, and passive house construction in terms of energy optimization, ultimately demonstrating that Passive House construction is the most rigorous in performance. It also presents a case study of Colorado architect Greg. D. Fisher, who constructed his own super-insulated, energy-efficient passive house in Fort Collins, CO using fiberglass and mineral wool in the home’s thermal envelope.
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With much of the globe witnessing unprecedented heat waves and wildfires, the realities of climate change are undeniable. But how will this impact residential construction? How might builders consider the impacts of climate change on building resilience moving forward? This week we talked to NAIMA Canada Senior Technical Advisor Gary Sharp, a civil engineer with more than 30 years of experience in the building industry. We spoke about why residential construction may have reached an inflection point based on climate change and what that could mean for the future of home building.
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A recent report from Zillow, a leader in the real estate marketplace, shows that homes that highlight eco-friendly and resilient features sell up to 10 days faster than those without such features. Moreover, these homes that include features such as energy-efficient windows and solar panels continue to sell for more.
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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently released the U.S. Energy Employment Report (USEER), an annual report that takes a comprehensive look at national and state-level employment data for the clean energy sector. DOE’s analysis found that the clean energy sector job growth increased by 4 percent in 2021 versus 2020 despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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This week, the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) highlighted the top 10 states for Home Energy Ratings-scored (HERS) homes in 2021. Twenty-two percent of new construction homes are rated each year, and in 2021, HERS-rated homes totaled more than 313,000. This represents a four percent increase over the number of ratings in 2020 and marks the ninth straight year-over-year increase in HERS ratings, according to RESNET.
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Blown-in fiberglass (or loose fill) insulation is increasingly popular in new residential construction and in renovations, accounting for 19 percent of current insulation market share and growing[1]. More stringent energy codes, the ease of installation, as well as the safety and health profile of the product over other insulation types have all contributed to the steady growth in use.
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The Biden Administration on Wednesday announced a national initiative to advance building codes. The effort is designed to help state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments adopt the latest, current building codes and standards. Doing so, it says, will boost resilience to hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, and other extreme weather events, which are intensifying because of climate change. The added benefit is lower utility bills, especially for underserved communities.
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently finalized the requirements for the latest version of its long-running ENERGY STAR Single Family New Home program. The National Version 3.2 puts the thermal envelope requirements of the 2021 International Energy Conservation code front and center. The new version now stipulates mandatory envelope requirements of the 2021 IECC. It ensures a minimum of 10 percent savings over the current requirements of the 2012 IECC and a 20 percent improvement or more in states where older versions of the code are enforced. The new program changes will take effect beginning January 1, 2025. However, when version 3.2 is released this fall, it will be useable with a thermal envelope 5 percent worse than the 2021 IECC (105% UA of 2021 IECC).
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Clayton Homes (a Berkshire Hathaway Company) last month unveiled its first Net Zero home to the public. The company, one of the largest national builders of off-site and site-built homes, paired several energy efficiency upgrades and a solar roofing system to deliver the CrossMod model home it says is both sustainable and attainable.
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