Insulation Institute Blog

Posts Categorized: High-performance Homes

Realtor Report Shows Energy Efficiency Gets Noticed

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has just released its 2023 REALTORS and Sustainability Report – Residential which shows that the majority of these real estate professionals (63 percent) find promoting a home’s energy efficiency very or somewhat valuable. More than 2,000 realtors participated in the survey, and their opinions of energy efficiency are driven largely by consumer interests in sustainability, according to Jessica Lautz, NAR’s deputy chief economist and vice president of research.

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Realtor Report Shows Energy Efficiency Gets Noticed

An Active Weekend for Passive House

Building industry members have an opportunity from November 11-13 to learn about Passive House buildings in the U.S. and globally during the International Passive House Open Days. Organized by the International Passive House Association, the event will provide the opportunity for those interested in these highly energy-efficient buildings to learn first-hand how a Passive House build or retrofit works and what it’s like to live and work in a Passive House building.

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An Active Weekend for Passive House

Home Building’s Inflection Point

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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Home Building’s Inflection Point

Top 10 States for HERS-Rated Homes

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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Top 10 States for HERS-Rated Homes

Energy Star 3.2 Cranks Up Envelope Efficiency

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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Energy Star 3.2 Cranks Up Envelope Efficiency

5 Ways Climate is Reshaping Home Building

According to a report issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) this week, 2021 was the sixth warmest year on record.[1] Further, the hottest decade ever recorded occurred between 2009 and 2019.[2] The planet’s warming trend is forcing home builders globally to get creative to address the challenges we’re confronting. Here are five ways the climate is reshaping housing.

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5 Ways Climate is Reshaping Home Building

Great Insulation and Air Sealing at Lower Costs

In home construction, getting great air sealing and insulation are the Holy Grail in delivering a high-performance home with an effective thermal envelope. The prevailing belief among many in the building industry is that only spray foam insulation can deliver the thermal performance and airtightness that is required but that simply isn’t true. Moreover, installed costs are a top consideration for most builders, thus finding products that can help builders meet thermal performance and airtightness targets for less is important. Insulation Institute looks this week at new case studies for residential construction that show even the most aggressive airtightness targets can be met cost-effectively without using spray foam.

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Great Insulation and Air Sealing at Lower Costs

A Hot New Home and Missing Insulation

New homeowner Evelyn Cagnetti recently contacted NAIMA to share her frustration about her new Energy Star home, which she had built in February of last year. Shortly after moving in, Evelyn noticed that the upstairs was hot, stale, and stuffy during the winter months. Still, she didn’t know why until she checked the second-floor ceiling and found insulation remnants but no insulation.

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A Hot New Home and Missing Insulation