The number of HERS-related homes in the United States continues to expand, according to new data released by Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). In 2019 a total of 241,909 homes in the United States were HERS-rated compared with 236,116 in 2018. That is an increase of 5,793 homes in one year. To date, 2.7 million homes have been HERS-rated.
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Gerardo Macias, an insulation installer with Northern Insulation in Wauconda, IL, is the winner of the 2019 “America’s Best Installer” competition, held Nov. 7-9 in Denver, CO, and won the event’s top prize of $10,000. The annual competition, hosted by Insulate America and Johns Manville, saw Macias compete against contenders for the title in the competition, now in its sixteenth year. Insulation Institute staff witnessed the final competition and talked with several of the attendees, judges, and contractors about what it takes to walk away with the title and more importantly, deliver top quality insulation installation in the field, where proper installation is essential to achieving peak home energy efficiency and comfort.
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Jeff Bentley is a fifth-generation home builder who’s built more than 4,000 houses and sold more than 2,000 homes in more than 45 years in residential construction. He’s also a HERS rater, LEED Green Builder and REALTOR® whose counsel on energy-efficient home building is highly sought after. Insulation Institute reached out to Bentley to find out what practices can help builders meet more stringent energy efficiency code requirements and dramatically improve the way homes are built in America. Here are Bentley’s four rules for High-performance Homes.
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When newer editions of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) are introduced in states, often there’s a learning curve for home builders, especially when it comes to verification of a home’s air tightness with a blower door test. Some builders are having a tough go of meeting the new requirements. Increasingly, they’re relying on energy efficiency professionals, like HERS raters to help them achieve the target. Insulation Institute spoke with Jonathan Lang, Manager of Training & Certifications for Knauf Insulation who is a BPI Certified Building Analyst, Building Performance Specialist, and ICC Residential Energy Inspector (whew!). We spoke about the challenges builders face in meeting air tightness requirements and why communication and education are so critical to meeting the targets.
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Which is the more cost-effective method of reaching energy code requirements, saving energy or generating it with solar panels on-site? According to a new report, the answer is clear.
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Thermal bridging or the escape of heat through low-performing areas in a building envelope presents a huge problem for builders interested in energy-efficient buildings. One of the reasons that modern buildings are now more energy efficient than ever is that newer building energy codes, like the 2015 IECC and ASHRAE 90.1 prescriptively include the use of continuous insulation in most climates to reduce thermal bridging. While there are many different continuous insulation products and applications, mineral wool is gaining in popularity as an effective solution in minimizing thermal bridging.
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If technology is a bullet train, home building is a bicycle. Technological changes occur at a dizzying pace, but the main design of the bicycle – like that of a home, has changed very little in centuries. However, while home design principles haven’t changed much, architects and builders have more knowledge than ever before of building science and how it can improve building durability and performance.
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In the quest to meet new energy code requirements of the 2012/15 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), some builders are finding that passing that all-important blower door test is their biggest challenge. As we’ve reported earlier this year, only 40 to 50 percent of new construction homes that must now meet the 3 ACH50 blower door target will pass the first test, but builders can increase the initial pass rate, according to Cosco Jones, owner of Jones Sustainable Solutions Group. Jones is a HERS rater who’s worked with more than a dozen builders to improve the energy performance of their new construction homes. He offered his advice to builders on how to not only increase the pass rate for blower door testing but also reduce their costs in the process.
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There are more Wi-Fi devices in use than there are people on Earth and about 50 percent of Internet traffic flows through Wi-Fi networks.[1] Wireless devices are everywhere, so it’s easy to understand why Wi-Fi connectivity is critical for homebuyers. Virtually everyone has had that experience of being in a home or building that has weak Wi-Fi connectivity, and that can be a major headache for buyers who rely on Wi-Fi connections.
For builders, designing a home with connectivity in mind is essential to ensuring homeowners don’t have to keep asking, “is the W-Fi off??”
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Home Builders take pride in the quality construction and workmanship of new homes. But even the best builder will occasionally be challenged with flaws in new construction that must be corrected. The complexity of new home construction, buyers’ lack of understanding about new home warranties, and internet savvy consumers raise the stakes for new home purchases and argue for independent home inspections.
Insulation Institute spoke with Frank Lesh, past president of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and Mike Chamberlain, owner of MC2 Home Inspections, a certified national home inspector. We discussed the prevalence of inspections for new homes, the three most common issues Chamberlain has encountered during those inspections, and what builders can do to ensure consistent quality construction.
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