Better Homes, Better Future
by Energy and Environmental Building Alliance
In the "Better Homes, Better Future" podcast, Aaron Smith, CEO of EEBA, hosts conversations with key players in the industry to break down the principles, issues, technologies and history of the sustainable building movement.
Episodes
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How Utility Savings Turn Into Long-Term Financial Returns: The Financial Case for Energy Saving High Performance Homes
Energy costs have risen an average of 6.75% per year for nearly five decades — and the post-2020 average has accelerated to 9.3%. For builders, realtors, and real estate professionals, this trend represents one of the most compelling and underutilized selling tools in the industry: the long-term...
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Crossover Dehum and Controls
This webinar explores the flexibility of the Carrier Crossover platform and the range of system configurations available to builders and contractors. Attendees will learn how the outdoor unit can be paired with a furnace, residential fan coil, or dedicated 2-wire fan coil to deliver reliable...
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Scaling Regenerative Design: Transforming Residential Practice with Living Future Programs
As market demands and climate goals rapidly accelerate, true leadership requires a shift from mitigation to restoration. Jaime Van Mourik, Vice President of Market Transformation at Living Future, will discuss how the residential community can utilize Living Future programs as strategic catalysts...
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Powering Houston: Differentiating New Homes with Distributed Energy
Join EEBA and Sunrun to learn about Houston's distributed energy landscape and how builders can differentiate their communities with battery storage. We’ll cover macro factors driving consumer demand in the region, Sunrun & NRG Energy's partnership to deploy a Distributed Power Plant in Texas and...
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The AI-Ready Jobsite: Turning Field Data Into Predictable Builds (and Better Quality)
Most jobsite software wasn't built to capture what AI actually needs. The fields, timestamps, and check-ins that platforms record today were designed for tracking tasks, not for training models or powering diagnostics. That gap is the real bottleneck standing between most builders and the AI…
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Health & Safe Home and Environmental & Energy Performance Attitudes Among Pros and Homeowners
Harvard's JCHS partnered with The Farnsworth Group to interview Homeowners and Contractors about their experiences building a healthy and/or green home. This research looks at activities and projects conducted by both groups to better understand what is being done to promote occupant health &...
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Carrier's 27VPA9 - New Variable Speed for 24v Installs
Exploring Carrier's latest advancements in variable speed technology, we are excited to introduce the enhanced premium comfort features and 24V communication protocols. Learning Objectives: Learn what variable speed is, and its benefits. Discover Carrier's newest performance 27VPA9 Overview...
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Empowering Access: Making Sustainable Technology Affordable for Every Home
How do we make sustainability scalable? In this talk, Levven shares how it’s using innovation and design to democratize access to smart, sustainable electrical systems so that every homeowner, regardless of income or geography, can benefit from efficient, connected living.Learning Objectives:1....
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Housing’s Future is Affordable, Healthy and Sustainable
This panel brings together housing developers who are rethinking and reimaging housing from the construction process to design, from materials to operations, so that more people can afford comfortable, safe, healthy housing options. From ex-Amazon pros who are using automation and robotics to...
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Transforming Our Communities Into Grid Assets
Part of what happens on the power grid starts in the homes we build. Meeting the rising demand for electricity presents a challenge, but also an opportunity to transform our homes from energy consumers into energy producers and distributors. In this session you'll hear from builders who have...
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Unveiling the Future of HVAC and Indoor Air Quality
Panasonic OASYS™ Concept Home Sets a New Standard for Whole Home Wellness Panasonic recently introduced its revolutionary OASYS™ Whole Home Air Quality Management Solution through the launch of the first-ever Panasonic OASYS Concept Home in Houston, TX. This milestone project, showcases how...
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Healthier Homes Begin with Healthier Building Materials
Science-based methods that link the chemical contents of building products with human and environmental health hazards have become well-established over the past decade. Product ingredient disclosures that report this information, as well as information tools to select products with desired…
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Achieving High Performance with a Code-Designed Project
Conversation with Sean Conta We all know that the right way to build a high performance, low carbon home starts in the design phase, right? Early and careful planning, research, estimating and coordinating with trades during design is the way to achieve the project goals. But wait, what if we…
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Trusted, Booked, Referred: The Marketing Shift High-Performance Builders Need Now
Conversation with Christopher Salem It’s not enough to simply offer great craftsmanship. High-performance builders often face the challenge of standing out in a crowded market and converting leads into loyal clients. Too many struggle with marketing that doesn't truly resonate with their target...
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The Sustainability Waters Have Gotten a Bit Choppy...So What Now?
Sustainability progress in the residential market has been tremendous over the past decade, but current federal deregulation actions are posing significant new challenges for continued progress. Building codes, energy efficiency, electrification, and decarbonization are specific areas facing new...
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EEBA Legends - Opening Summit Panel
Listen to the EEBA Legends Gord Cooke, Mark LaLiberte, Joe Lstiburek, Gene Myers, and Sam Rashkin share insights from decades of experience shaping the high performance homebuilding industry. In this special panel discussion, these industry pioneers explore where the industry stands today, the...
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Innovating Home Comfort: Air-to-Water Heat Pumps for Carrier
Introducing HVAC professionals to Carrier’s Air-to-Water Heat Pump (A2W-HP) systems for residential use. An energy efficient and sustainable complete heating, cooling and DHW solution. Learning Objectives: Understand the core features and benefits Learn about Hydronic Fundamentals Discover Best...
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Rapid Recovery: Western North Carolina Industrialized Construction Tech Hub’s Response to Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Helene caused significant damage to Western North Carolina. NC Office of State Management and Budget estimates that between 121,000 and 132,000 homes have been damaged due to Helene and roughly 12,000 people were estimated to still be displaced from the storm in early January 2025. This...
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Increasing Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction by Avoiding the Unintended Consequences of Poor HPWH Installations
1. Discuss the unintended consequences associated with installing HPWH inside the building envelope. 2. Identify the building science mechanisms that cause moisture to condense on surfaces inside the building, both within the space where the HPWH is located and elsewhere in the building. 3....
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High Performance Heat Pumps for Next-Gen Homes
Join us for an informative webinar where we’ll explore Carrier® Crossover Solutions—an innovative approach that combines the strengths of traditional ducted heating and cooling with the versatility of ductless technology. This session will delve into how our systems are designed for compatibility...
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Transform Your Projects with Panelized Construction
Learn how to elevate your designs and streamline construction with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)—sustainable, high-performance building systems. When you take this course, you'll learn how SIPs used in residential and commercial projects integrate six critical structural and thermal…
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Building Peace of Mind and Longer Lasting Energy Efficiency - “Right Sizing Supply and Demand Side- Solar/Batt/HP-Inverter”
This session will discuss the highly efficient, but practical methods for building with energy production (Solar), storage (Battery) and inverter heat pump systems. Learning Objectives: Applying the concept (go beyond NZE ready) and be prepared to offer levels of resilience. Sizing goals to allow...
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Smart Thermostats for Builders
This webinar covers the Smart Thermostat’s value and features it brings to the homeowner, such as its intuitive display and programmable scheduling. In addition, the Smart Thermostat’s technical capability is shown by stepping through the installation process and connecting it to the Home App....
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Unlocking the 3-in-1 Heat Pump Solution
An introduction to the Daikin Altherma air-to-water heat pump, a 3-in-1 system providing 1) space heating, 2) space cooling, and 3) domestic hot water as a solution to electrify and decarbonize traditional hydronic applications. Learning Objectives: 1) Why Daikin is bringing Altherma to the…
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A Last Minute Change to the Reconciliation Bill could end Energy Credits
Last minute changes to the Reconciliation Bill stand to wipe out Investment Tax Credits for new home buyers and threaten over 300,000 jobs across the country. Learn how homebuyers and the building sector will be impacted and what you can do to help protect American energy. What you’ll learn…
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Building for Better Air: How to Improve Health, Comfort and HVAC Performance with Advanced Filtration
As the demand for healthy, high-performance homes continues to rise, indoor air quality is becoming a central focus for builders and homeowners alike. But what’s really in the air we breathe and how can filtration strategies create healthier, more efficient homes? In this session, we’ll explore…
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Coast to Coast Water Conservation: How Florida & Hawaii Reward Graywater Recycling
Water scarcity is a headline that we see daily, however water conservation continues to be left out of the discussion for home builders describing themselves as Net Zero. As we wait for mandates of water conservation in the housing sector to be implemented throughout North America, there are a…
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Maximizing Sustainability by Transforming Modern Construction with Advanced Recirculating Shower Systems
In the push for sustainable construction, optimizing water and energy usage within buildings is becoming increasingly crucial. This webinar will delve into the innovative solutions offered by RainStick's recirculating shower systems, exploring their integration into both single-family and...
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Cutting Edge Ventilation to Improve IAQ Even With Tight Air Sealing
A home today must not only be high performing, resilient and built using sustainable methods, the home must provide the individuals living within it a healthy environment. There are many factors that contribute to the overall healthy environment we provide our homeowners, but one of the most...
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Innovation and Experience with Various All-in-One Mechanical Systems to Streamline Retrofit Electrification in Single Family and Multifamily
Retrofit electrification of existing buildings is critical for reaching energy and climate goals, yet there are many substantial challenges with replacement of heating, cooling, ventilation, and water heating systems. In particular, the extensive rework required to switch to heat pumps is…
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The RESNET Carbon Trifecta: Embracing Environmental Justice through the Lens of Carbon Use Intensity
Three RESNET standards combined: 1 - operations (HERS Index), 2 - the grid (CO2 Index) and 3 - embodied carbon (currently being written) provide capacity to analyze Carbon Usage Intensity. We'll explore time-of-use, load reduction and carbon sequestration in buildings at both the single-family…
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Energy Codes are Getting Complicated! It’s time for a simpler approach
In the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), the primary residential provisions of the code (Chapter 4) consisted of four pages. That same chapter in the 2021 IECC is 21 pages long! Mandatory, prescriptive, performance, energy rating index, additional efficiency packages and UA...
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Cost-Effective Building Strategies and Guiding your Trades’ Priorities to Earn the 45L and 179D Tax Credits, and to be Eligible for HUD 221(d)(4) Loans!
In this session, we will build on our 2023 EEBA Summit session “Are You Leaving Money on the Table?...” and dive deeper to guide builders of single family and multifamily homes in your pursuit of the 45L Tax Credits via ENERGY STAR or Zero Energy Ready Homes (ZERH) certification, as well as 179D...
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Choosing a low carbon, high performing insulation
Hempitecture CEO, Matthew Mead, provides an overview of the natural fiber insulation market that is rapidly developing to support low embodied carbon construction. Reviewing different products and strategies, this session will discuss how to achieve the lowest total carbon footprint for a project...
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Tips and Tricks To Grow Your Business with High Performance Practices
More energy efficient homes represent a huge, and growing, opportunity for builders and remodelers to address homeowner demands. Driven by a growing social consciousness, new rebate programs and rising energy costs, homeowners want to explore options and will be more likely to commit. Plus, new...
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The Carbon Impact of Air Sealing the Building Envelope
The carbon emissions and embodied carbon in single and multifamily homes are a growing area of interest and concern in the housing industry and can be used as an advantage in marketing and sales. Air leaks in the building envelope account for the most significant portion of wasted energy in the...
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Whole Home Ventilation for Today’s Builds
Are your ventilation practices keeping up? With the envelope of the home becoming tighter through new code standards, improved building materials, and increased awareness of Indoor Air Quality, a balanced ventilation strategy is critical for the health of the home and its occupants. Join us to...
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Closing Keynote with Eric Amyot - Unlock Your Superpower, Build Beyond Sustainable
Closing keynote speaker, Eric Amyot, at the 2023 High Performance Home Builder Summit!
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Energy Smart Connected Communities: Modeling Resilient Living for the Future
KB Home, in partnership with SunPower, the University of California, Irvine (UCI), Schneider Electric, Kia America and Southern California Edison (SCE), built two blackout-resistant communities, Durango and Oak Shade, comprised of more than 200 all-electric, solar- and battery-powered homes...
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Daikin and Goodman Side-Discharge Inverter Systems
In this webinar, you will learn about heat pump inverter technology from Daikin Comfort Technologies North America. We will explore the many benefits of inverter technology and what this means to your new homes and homebuyers. We will also explore Daikin and Goodman’s NEW heat pump inverter...
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Heating and Cooling Innovations for Decarbonization
As jurisdictions across the country consider electrification policy, industry understanding of their electric options for heating and cooling is increasingly important. Attendees of this course will learn the benefits of innovative electric heating and cooling technologies, for examples…
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Hot Water Innovations for Decarbonization
Attendees of this course will learn the benefits of water heating technologies, for examples: Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions from the building sector as a result of displacing natural gas and propane combustion water heating. Increases in electrical efficiency as a result of replacing...
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Water, Energy, & Carbon: How Saving Water Impacts Energy Usage and the Transition to a Carbon Free Industry
Most folks in the EEBA community know there’s a connection between water and energy (and as a result, carbon). On the one hand, we use huge amounts of water to generate electricity, and managing reservoir levels in a way that supports hydroelectric generation has become an increasing issue in the...
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Cost-Effective Zero Energy Achievement Strategies
Consumer awareness and demand for homes that perform at zero energy or near zero levels is on the rise. As builders across the country attempt to deliver zero energy performance to their customers, there are a variety of strategies to reach this target – some more expensive than others. In...
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4 Essential Tips on Ventilation Solutions to Help You Meet the Latest Energy Codes
Most Home Builders are struggling to design ventilation systems that meet the new IECC state building codes and ENERGY STAR for Homes version 3.1’s mandatory, delivered ventilation air flow rates to qualify for the 45L Federal Tax Credit. By the end of this training, Home Builders will have the...
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Realizing promises of the IRA: How smart diagnostic tools can ensure heat pump energy savings
The Inflation Reduction Act will soon be rolling out financial incentives for more efficient HVAC systems like heat pumps to save energy and improve home comfort for American households. But what happens if these systems are improperly installed? According to a recent analysis by the U.S....
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Digital Electrification of Homes in the New Energy Landscape
Climate change has caused unprecedented power outages and soaring energy costs, and homeowners are paying the price. As new codes and standards continue to push for efficiency and connectivity, homeowner expectations are evolving too — and Schneider Electric is positioned to play a major role in...
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Striving for Net Zero Carbon for Builders
Aaron Smith, CEO of EEBA, is joined by Adam Robertson, co-founder and principal of Sustainatree Consulting from Calgary, AB Canada. With a background of over 10 years in civil engineering within the construction industry, particularly in wood building products, Adam brings a wealth of expertise....
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Greywater Reuse: Residential, Commercial, Industrial
With water scarcity concerns rising, we must look at what can be done at saving potable water use. By treating and reusing lightly contaminated greywater at both the residential and commercial level, there is the potential to save millions of gallons of potable water use each year. Decentralized...
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Building Science and the 2021 IECC
While the building industry continues to move in the direction of Net Zero or Zero Energy Ready Homes, there is still concern by builders, developers, architects, and home buyers that this level of high-performance homes is a goal that is too hard and too costly to achieve for their projects....
About this show
In the "Better Homes, Better Future" podcast, Aaron Smith, CEO of EEBA, hosts conversations with key players in the industry to break down the principles, issues, technologies and history of the sustainable building movement.
Hosted by
Energy and Environmental Building Alliance
Categories