EEBA's High Performance Home Blog

The stories behind the home building and home buying process are not dominated by chapter after chapter of Joy. They are often more like a bumpy, confusing and even heartbreaking saga of anxiety and regret. In a recent survey, Homes.com found that one in three Americans ended up crying during the home buying process. In fact, of the 2,000 home buyers surveyed, 13 percent of respondents cried “a lot.” Why does this happen? It’s a story that starts like a coffee table book and quickly morphs into part physics text book part legal desk reference. Mired in complexity and told with words that only obfuscate the process it can be a nightmare for beginners. Consider first time homebuyers. (Maybe you have been one, or are hoping to be one.) Terms like “escrow,” “appraisal,” “equity,” “encroachment,” hit you from the financial side. Move up from a builder grade project to higher performance sustainable construction. Then you get acronyms and words like “SEER,” “ERV,” “Tonnage” from the mechanical side and “U-Factor,” “Solar Heat Gain” and “Visible Transmittance” from your window brand and it goes on and on. Sadly, most people just don’t know what they are getting into and most brands don’t curate the complexity well.

... read more

The Department of Energy recently announced $80 million in funding opportunities for Innovative Building Technologies and Practices that will impact various areas of the building industry and further U.S. leadership in advanced building science and technology. The Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) 2020 opportunity is looking to support projects that enhance energy demand flexibility across buildings and the electric power grid. “Projects funded under this FOA will help advance innovative building technologies to move toward a new generation of building energy technologies,” said Daniel R. Simmons, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in a DOE release. “These projects will further U.S. leadership in advanced building science and technology.” Topics that can be submitted include projects surrounding: Thermal storage research Advanced heating, ventilation, and AC systems that are able to provide demand ... read more

Offset Your Costs The energy regulations and code requirements for builders along the Front Range of Colorado can be challenging. Moving targets, tougher environmental requirements, and increased building costs can all make it difficult to make a profit in today’s building industry. Adding another subcontractor for energy compliance requirements can feel like one more regulation that only increases the cost of construction. We get it. But EnergyLogic can also open doors to rebates which can offset the costs of our required energy compliance services and return additional money into the builder’s pocket. Maximize Your Potential The three major Front Range utility providers offer rebates to builders to incentivize the construction of energy-efficient homes. 

... read more

Earlier this year, students from Weber State University’s Department of Construction & Building Sciences participated in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Build Challenge along with student teams from colleges around the nation, and world. The Weber State team, consisting of seniors and juniors in both the Bachelor of Integrated Studies program and the interior design department, had a goal to create a sustainable, environmentally-friendly home that would be viable for anyone to build. The home was built with a tight envelope and includes an efficient ERV as well as a mini-split system that will allow the inhabitants of the home to control temperatures in each room.

... read more

Selling anything, including zero homes, is about linking a customer’s needs with a product’s benefits. There is an art to finding new and rewarding methods for making these links. An old concept from psychology can still be useful today. The psychologist, Abraham Maslow, outlined a hierarchy of human needs, starting with basics such as physiological and safety needs. When those needs have been fulfilled people strive to fulfill higher needs, such as their needs for belonging and self-esteem. And when those needs are met they have the capacity to fulfill their moral and problem-solving needs including caring for others and community. 

... read more

This monthly review of the sentiment of builders conducted by the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo jumped to a record high in its 35-year existence. From July to August the index rose six points to 78. This is a remarkable feat given that in March 2020 home builders faced a perilous future full of uncertainties. A precipitous drop was quickly followed by a sharp “V”-shaped recovery. This was a script that no industry expert could have written as the COVID-pandemic gripped the nation in March. Builders that were making disaster plans in April are now boasting that they expect to exceed business plans for 2020 if they can complete construction on all their sales. Most are raising prices in their communities. Mortgage interest rates are at historic low levels pumping up demand...

... read more

If you are in or near California, Oregon, or Washington right now you are likely experiencing terrible air quality due to the devastating wildfires happening around the West. And if winds continue to build the smoke from those wildfires may spread across the country. Inhaling wildfire smoke can not only irritate your eyes and respiratory system, it can also worsen asthma and chronic heart and lung diseases. With air quality indexes currently reaching the unhealthy and hazardous levels, it’s important for those who are able to safely stay inside, to do so. But, unfortunately, just staying indoors doesn’t mean your air quality is going to be great.

... read more

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s) have been around for many years. Also referred to as “granny flats,” or “mother-in-law suites,” they are simply a secondary unit to a main house. Attached ADU’s are just that - attached to the principal dwelling. Examples include an apartment above a garage or in a daylight basement - with its own entrance. Detached ADU’s are secondary structures that usually sit next to a main structure or in a backyard (also with their own entrance). Photo courtesy ASMBL Proponents of ADU’s have been working hard to make the adoption of these types of structures more acceptable in many cities around the United States. California, Portland, and Seattle are a few areas that have seen laws passed recently that should help with the approval process. Many ADU’s are put in place for secondary income or to provide solutions for low-income housing options. They are also used as studio or office spaces. And now, with many schools operating with online-only options... 

... read more

In his recent blog, “Where Are the For Sale Signs,” Housing Tides’ Jeff Whiton proposed that the present shortage of housing inventory will end if government foreclosure protections are not extended. Housing finance firm Black Knight estimates that as of July 21, 4.1 million homeowners continue to receive mortgage forbearance benefits from their lenders, making up 7.8% of U.S. mortgages. 1.87 million of these homeowners are “seriously delinquent,” or 90+ days late on their payments.

... read more

School administrators have been working hard to determine whether or not it’s safe enough to allow their students to return to classrooms for in-person education. Every state is a bit different, each city or county, even more so. A friend and private school administrator in Washington State recently shared with me their plan to return in-person and mentioned one of the major tasks they completed was having their entire HVAC system tested and updated. And this got me wondering...how many schools are unable to go back to in-person teaching simply because of failing HVAC systems and lack of funds (and/or time) to fix them? In a United States Government Accountability Office Report titled: “School Districts Frequently Identified Multiple Building Systems Needing Updates or Replacement,” they found that more than half (54%) of the school districts need to “update or replace at least two building systems in many of their schools.” The report estimates that 41% of school districts need ... read more