There are seven tried-and-true principals for changing behavior, yet it’s surprising how often we neglect them for promoting high-performance buildings. The Zero Energy Ready Home Program has rigorously applied all seven to effectively put this label on path for exponential growth. Learn how to effectively promote high-performance value propositions with measures invisible to homebuyers using these seven strategies.

High performance builders, such as those who typically attend the EEBA Summit, have responded to the challenge to continually improve the energy efficiency of homes as they progress along the path towards Zero Energy Ready Homes. Simultaneously, consumers, in response to increasing land values, and access to more information are becoming more educated about the place they call home. They have new expectations for their total living environment that ensures safer, healthier, more durable and more comfortable homes. Builders will find in this session that they can leverage familiar building science principles and strategic partnerships to deliver the next generation of homes that are healthier both for their homebuyers and their communities. This session will empower participants to take the next steps beyond just energy efficiency and onto overall homeowner and community wellness.

Learning Objectives:

• First learn about the latest tools and strategies that dovetail energy efficiency metrics with predictions of overall environmental comfort and wellness in high performance homes. Learn how leading manufacturers of different critical home elements, such as window suppliers, insulation companies and mechanical system manufacturers, are partnering to ensure an integrated approach to meeting the ever-increasing expectations of homebuyers. Discuss with a builder, who has implemented this integrated design approach, the implementation processes, challenges and benefits of this approach.
• Identify the four important areas of focus: environmental, physical, economical and health to create true “delight” for ever more demanding homebuyers 

Where can you find new employees and how will you keep them? What are the priorities of the new generation(s) of workers? This session will look at strategies for recruiting and investing in young employees with the goal of making long-term career out of skilled trades.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the differences in Generations
• Understand possible recruitment strategies for younger workers
• Understand what it takes to engage your workforce
• Understand employee engagement

Americans want what high performance builders are selling! But there’s a pretty big gap between desire and action. Fear of the new and unknown, confusion about terminology, and misinformation from conventional builders all get in the way of fully leveraging your value proposition and closing more sales. Suzanne Shelton, CEO of Shelton Group, will share her firm’s latest consumer insights and give participants a how-to guide for messaging and marketing to move Americans from desire to action on high performing homes.

Learning Objectives:

Understand who wants smart, healthy, efficient homes and why they want them

Learn the messaging that’s most effective to pique their interest (and what messaging doesn’t work)

Learn the visible cues that need to be present in your homes to give you an advantage

Get specific marketing steps and techniques — and even tools from a recently released toolkit — to drive customers to your homes.

Considering that ASHRAE 62.2 is titled Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in Low-Rise Residential Buildings, then dilution must be the solution to indoor air pollution, right? FALSE! Efficiency programs have historically focused on rates of dilution, even though it is only one component of IAQ. In many areas, the outside air contains higher levels of small particulates than the air inside a house. Does introducing this air unfiltered make the IAQ better or worse? Recent research has shown the potential negative health implications of ultra-fine particulates and the importance of fresh air distribution. This session will focus on strategies to incorporate the four horsemen of IAQ: filtration, dilution, source control, and distribution. Participants will learn how to establish and maintain high levels of IAQ and not just check a box to determine air quality.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the importance of good filter placement/housing vs. MERV rating 
• Identify the top certifications and scores that may help convey the value proposition of good IAQ
• Reference current and upcoming resources for sourcing products and processes designed to maximize good IAQ beyond ventilation products 
• Recognize the value of system use vs design in reducing the risk of bad IAQ

The entire utility industry is migrating to time-of-use rates and demand management programs. That means your customers need homes that are built to respond, dialing down energy use during peak demand and automatically turning on key functions, like water heating, heating and cooling or dish washing, when the price is right. Hear from Rheem and two of their utility partners as they share how they’re creating products and programs that are “utility ready” so you can build homes that are as well. Learning Objectives:

Learning Objectives:

•  Explore specific ways that utilities are modernizing the grid and how it's used.
•  Discuss customer demands for "utility ready" homes that come equipped with technologies to help integrate products with the grid.
•  Understand how utilities are partnering with manufactures to innovate products that meet both utilities' and customer's needs and demands.
•  Learn how manufactures, utilities and high performance home builders can work together to create the neighborhoods of the future.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building America Program has been a source of innovations in residential building energy performance, durability, quality, affordability, and comfort for 20 years. This world-class research program partners with industry to bring cutting-edge innovations and resources to market. In 2015, Building America developed a 5-year Building America Research-to-Market Plan that contains a set of three integrated Technology-to-Market Roadmaps. In 2019, Building America awarded 11 new research projects to complete the 37 project portfolio. This session will discuss how this research portfolio and complimenting industry activities combine to accomplish the objective of the Research-to-Market Plan; advance technology adoption, promote high-performance buildings practices, and ultimately save energy. Building America research has evolved over the years to address the most pressing building science and systems integration questions facing the U.S. housing industry. This session will build on previous building science advances and identify a new set of challenges facing the housing industry today, including growing housing industry needs for “smart home” technology integration and advanced construction technology to improve construction productivity and housing affordability. Smart home technology integration will address emerging research questions associated with grid-modernization and connected devices. Advanced construction technology research will explore the application of modern manufacturing methods such as modular and panelized systems, and the integration of those systems into new construction and retrofit solutions. The addition of these important research areas provides new and exciting opportunities to significantly improve the energy performance of American housing.

Learning Objectives:

• Introduce new Building America research efforts funded in 2019 and solicit feedback.
• Discuss DOE research and industry activity contributions that led to completion of Building America Research-to-Market Roadmaps and promote leading technology innovations. 
• Present vision for DOE Residential Buildings Integration future strategy.
• Host questions and answer session around future research needs.

Do you know the Institute of Business and Home Safety has a Fortified Build program to ensure a home or business is more disaster-safe? FORTIFIED Home™ is a set of engineering and building standards designed to help strengthen new and existing homes through system-specific building upgrades to minimum building code requirements that will reduce damage from specific natural hazards. The FORTIFIED Home program has three levels of designation—Bronze, Silver and Gold—that build upon each other, allowing you to choose the desired level of protection that best suits your budgets and resilience goals.Why we did it at our Habitat for Humanity affiliate? How we did it? What were the costs? What strategies we carried forward after constructing the first Certified Fortified Gold home in Minnesota.  

Learning Objectives:

• Why we did it at our Habitat for Humanity affiliate. How we did it.
• What the costs were for us. How to determine what's right for your region.
• How the testing is done at the research facility.
• What strategies we carried forward after constructing the first Certified Fortified Gold home in Minnesota. 

Many AC’s and heat pumps are installed with faults that impact both their performance and efficiency. Come to this session to learn about a new RESNET/ACCA/ANSI standard with three simple field tests that can help a builder ensure they’re getting what they’ve paid for. Not only can this make for happier homeowners, fewer service calls, and lower utility bills, it can also unlock new points for homes with a HERS/ERI rating.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand why HVAC installation faults are commonplace and how they can impact both performance and efficiency.
• Hear about an emerging RESNET/ACCA/ANSI standard that will address this problem.
• Learn the three field tests that can help a builder ensure their HVAC systems are performing properly.
• Realize the HERS/ERI point potential for properly installed HVAC systems using this new standard.

he U.S. building industry is beginning to use advanced manufacturing techniques, off-site prefabrication, and modular construction approaches to overcome barriers of labor expertise, cost, and speed of construction of buildings. However, the industry has not yet leveraged the benefits of off-site factory built construction to achieve higher levels of cost effective energy efficiency, advanced controls, and distributed energy generation strategies. In 2019, NREL has engaged the leading multifamily volumetric modular offsite construction factories to understand how advanced manufacturing provides a transformational pathway to cost-effective, energy efficient, affordable housing. We will discuss specific factory construction approaches to include barriers to system integration such as 1) problematic on-site installation, commissioning, and configuration of building controls, 2) poor installation quality of thermal and air barriers, 3) a lack of integrated and modular HVAC and Domestic Hot Water systems, and 4) lack of cost-effective integration for new grid-friendly design and emerging technologies. Our effort underway seeks to answer the question: “How can we achieve optimal integration of energy efficiency strategies and control systems through advanced manufacturing techniques and technologies with little or no additional cost?”

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how off-site prefabrication construction approaches can overcome productivity and energy efficient buildings adoptions issues in US construction market.
• Discuss solutions for integrating building science and advanced control solutions in prefabricated building practices to achieve energy efficient affordable housing.
• Present preliminary findings of 3 year project to baseline, protype, and validate high performance modular construction practices with three leading modular factory partners.
• Solicit feedback on how to enhance DOE funded research project to integrate zero energy design practices into growing prefabrication buildings industry.

Zero energy ready homes and communities are emerging across the United States as the evolving building energy code sets higher requirements on energy efficiency and more home buyers are becoming conscious of the benefits of zero energy ready homes. With the installation of onsite renewable energy systems such as rooftop PV, a zero-energy home can offset all or most of its annual energy consumption. However, integrating residential communities with high-penetration PV may bring many challenges to the grid. Existing solutions, such as PV curtailment, battery storage, and direct load control, are not able to fully leverage the energy efficiency features in the zero-energy design of the homes or address the grid challenges in a cost-effective and holistic way. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is collaborating with Thrive Home Builders to develop and demonstrate a community-scale control system to overcome these challenges. The solution leverages the energy efficiency features of the zero-energy ready homes and advanced controls of the behind-the-meter assets to address the issues brought by high-penetration PV. This presentation consists of two parts. First, Thrive Home Builders will introduce the Waterfield Community, a zero-energy ready community in Fort Collins, Colorado, and the innovations from the design and construction perspective. Next, NREL will present novel methods on optimization and intelligent operations of the community, including 1) optimal rooftop PV placement based on the community’s renewable energy goals, 2) physics-based gray-box modeling of various residential building types for large-scale simulation study, 3) machine-learning-based end-use energy consumption estimation, and 4) a hierarchical control system that integrates these innovations and provides benefits to homeowners and the distribution grid. The homeowners will benefit from reduced utility bills and carbon footprint, and the distribution grid will have enhanced reliability and resiliency, which will, in turn, benefit the homeowners as well. We will present results from simulation-based study and recommendations for the design and operation of future zero energy homes and communities. The presentation will conclude with generalized guidelines for various stakeholders such as home builders, homeowners, utilities, technology vendors, and researchers.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about the latest updates on the design and construction of zero energy ready homes and communities
• Understand the opportunities and challenges in grid integration of high-performance residential communities with high PV penetration levels
• Introduce the cutting-edge solutions that address the grid integration challenges and provide benefits to both homeowners and distribution grid
• Discuss the high-level guidelines summarized from the research findings for a variety of stakeholders

EEBA Site Supervisor Certification is a one day course that covers how the knowledge, processes, and best practices gained from building science apply to site supervisors for residential construction projects. Similar job titles for a site supervisor include project manager, construction site manager, foreman, and field superintendent. All participants will be encouraged to raise questions, share their perspectives, and offer examples from their job sites. We will focus on actual job-site and real-world applications and the resulting value added to the company, the job site, and the consumer. Broad topics will include the following: Building science fundamentals Whole building integration, Building testing, and Quality Management.  Applying experience from the job-site to integrated design Attendance and completing and passing a quiz at the end of the course will result in EEBA certification. This course is consistent with guidelines developed by the U.S. Department of Energy for building science education.

Learning Objectives:

• How building science applies to processes such as integrated design and how site supervisors can contribute to – and gain from - these processes.
• How quality management, including crew training, building testing, data collection, and construction documents contribute to construction processes and consumer satisfaction.
• The availability of free internet-based tools to assist with crew training, sequencing, and installation.
• Learn how bringing experience from the job site and an understanding of construction processes to integrated design can improve construction documents, make designs more practical for installers, and help plan the integration of new products and building practices.  

Cladding Systems, Moisture Protection, Thermal Control and Air Barriers: Effective Enclosure Strategies.  This interactive workshop will examine the unique considerations of building enclosure design for wood, masonry and steel framed projects. Presented by two experts, it will break enclosure design into its main control layer topics: cladding systems, moisture protection, thermal control and air barriers. Each of these control layers will be addressed, including product options, assembly and detailing strategies, continuity, inspections, and how each control layer affects the others. The presenters will demonstrate best practices in high performance buildings while addressing lessons learned and construction sequencing challenges. While discussing materials, durability and composition, specifically chemicals of concern, will be assessed. Attendees can expect to gain a deeper understanding of the guiding principles of enclosure design, the variety of products, assemblies and details that can achieve desired performance, and the construction phase know-how to ensure that pen and paper details translate to real-world results.

Learning Objectives:

•  Review building enclosure best practices. 
• Demonstrate effective methods of controlling air movement through wood-frame assemblies and discuss the resulting impacts on overall energy performance.
• Discuss common products details used for thermal control in light wood-frame wall and roof enclosure assemblies, focusing on the differences between cavity insulation and continuous insulation.
• Using case studies and details from successful projects, demonstrate unique considerations and best practices associated with a variety of cladding systems and flashing details at interfaces between adjacent enclosure assemblies.

Electricification of homes and cars will be the path forward to mitigate climate change and meet city, state and the Paris Climate Accord goals.  The nexus of homes with solar, EV and battery technology and the grid make the increases the planning and strategy for the developer, builder and the utilities.  How do all these new technologies work together to create more cost effective and sustainable homes not only today but for future generations.  A esteem panel of researchers, policy makers and builders will discuss the path forward and what builders today can do to prepare.

Learning Objectives:

• Why electricifcation reduces CO2e emission significantly compared to natural gas?
• Research from the leading thought leaders in building science on electrication strategies and cost.
•  Policy that will drive electrication 
• How to prepare for your building strategy for electricification?

This session will explore how emerging technologies in indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring and smart whole-house ventilation systems could reach maximum potential in hot and mixed-humid climate zones and lessen industry push-back on fresh-air and tight building requirements. Presenters will dive into actual research findings from field studies utilizing real-time IAQ monitoring. Findings will include preliminary results from a current Building America project titled “Performance-Based IAQ and Optimized Ventilation”, which explores how a smart, weather-optimized ERV performs in the hot, humid south compared to a typical, continuously operating ERV. Additionally, presenters will demonstrate ASHRAE 62.2-2016 Relative Exposure calculations and how these calculations compare to real-world data.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the design and application of smart whole-house ventilation strategies in the existing market
• Analyze the impact of these systems in hot and mixed-humid climates in regards to indoor air quality, predicted energy savings, occupant comfort, industry feedback, and more
• Identify opportunities presented through internet of things (IoT) as it applies to indoor air quality (IAQ) and comfort
• Gain familiarity with the latest ASHRAE 62.2-2016 compliance pathway(s) for smart ventilation and how to apply to real-world applications

Understanding key market trends, consumer behavioral patterns, purchase drivers, and sentiment can help any building professional make better business decisions.  In this session, Green Builder Media CEO Sara Gutterman will reveal the latest market intelligence gathered by COGNITION Smart Data, offering deep insights into consumer preferences that will enable you to improve your marketing, sales, product development, and competitive positioning.

Learning Objectives:

Understand key market trends that will affect your business

Learn about market drivers that influence homebuyer decision making

Explore innovative solutions that address pressing topics like energy, water, indoor air quality, and connected living

Examine research that clarifies and supports market transformation

Third Party Above Code Programs provide guidance for building a better home and consumer confidence. Come hear representatives from the following organizations: EPA ENERGY STAR; EPA Indoor airPLUS; EPA Water Sense; DOE Zero Energy Ready Home; US Green Building Council LEED for Homes; NGBS Green; and Environments for Living provide a brief background about their certification or label. Performed PechaKucha style; the programs will give an overview of the program, what training and support is available; what hurdles you must overcome; and how these programs allow you to differentiate from the competition all in 20 slides and less than 7 minutes. This fast-paced session will give any builder an introduction into above code programs and prepare them for the rest of the conference.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn the basics of the major above code programs.
• Inform builders on what other sessions the programs are presenting on.

Appeal to today’s health-conscious home buyer and add to your profits by creating healthy living environments. While thoughtfully designed construction can result in a high performing, comfortable building, it doesn’t guarantee a healthier home. Understanding the use of proper construction envelope techniques, efficiently designed and functioning ventilation systems and avoiding products with harmful chemicals are critical. Explore these best practices and more, get consumer insights into the importance of health and wellness in their next home and learn tips for reducing liability and enhancing occupant health—all while increasing your bottom line.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore how to build healthier homes that achieve higher profits and market visibility. 
• Assess how to make natural, sustainable, and responsible choices before, during, and after the building process that make healthier homes cost-effective and achievable. 
• Mitigate indoor air quality challenges during design
• Examine how to build a home that is both energy-efficient and healthy.

This full day session reviews Building Science principles as they relate to the Performance Path option in the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).  The course explores the ERI/HERS as a tool to successfully design and build houses that comply using the Performance Path option, while meeting the minimum prescriptive code requirements of the 2015 IECC. Participants will spend the last part of the session reviewing energy rating software and manipulating construction assemblies to see the effect of energy scores.

Learning Objectives:

Understand basic building science terminology and principles as they relate to the International Energy Code. Introduction to RESNET, the HERS Index, and understanding the methods used in calculating an Energy Rating Index and HERS score. Understand the implications of different climate zones and building assemblies on the Energy Rating Index and HERS scores. Attain a working understanding of computer modeling and the major approved energy rating software packages used in calculating an energy rating.

High Performance Mechanical Systems for Houses That Work is a mid-level, full day seminar geared towards Builders, Designers, Code Officials, and Trade Allies that focuses on HVAC, Ventilation, Hot Water, Indoor Air Quality and Electronic Home Controls in high performance housing.  In the past several years, residential mechanical systems have grown in complexity and scope as energy codes have mandated higher insulation levels, better windows and tighter construction. There is now a great opportunity to rethink and redesign HVAC, hot water heating and electronic home control systems as they are major contributors to energy efficiency goals. This course will first review the key building science concepts that have changed the way houses are built and identify the relevant changes to mechanical systems. The remainder of the course will focus on the proper sizing and selection of appropriate mechanical equipment for high performance ever lower load homes. Compelling opportunities to simultaneously optimize comfort, durability, safety and health, efficiency and cost will be identified.  Instructor will use lectures, case studies and group exercises to convey the information to attendees.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain an understanding of the basic building science concepts relevant to mechanical systems in high performance housing;
• Knowledge of the sizing adjustments, calculations and commissioning process for low load residential HVAC systems and how to choose the proper system for a specific climate zone;
• Understand the main causes of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) concerns and their mitigation, including the effect of the building envelope on the need for ventilation and strategies and types of ventilation systems, including new technologies;
• Recognize opportunities for a wide range of equipment for at least space heating, space cooling, water heating, indoor air quality and occupant control;
• Comprehend the role of electronic controls systems with relation to mechanical equipment and achievable energy savings; learn how to choose the right system and maximize integration with other equipment in the home.

Based on years of field research from the US Department of Energy's Building America Program, our Houses That Work™ program provides proven techniques for boosting a home’s energy performance and your profitability. The climate-specific content includes measurement tools, the latest design concepts, application demonstrations and case studies. 

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the changes that have occurred in the way that we build and use houses and the risks to designers, homebuilders and others in the industry these changes.
• Practice using the language of building science to improve communication with suppliers, trade partners and home buyers 
• Learn to use the science of houses to assist in the evaluation and specification of designs, building materials and methods.
• Identify the fundamentals of building science and how builders can use science to solve a wide range of building problems, improve home performance and reduce risks.

As we build tighter homes to meet net zero energy requirements it is essential that they are also durable, safe and comfortable. This session will identify the most important IAQ challenges in new, energy efficient homes based on lessons learned from recent field studies, including an LBNL study of ventilation and IAQ in 72 mechanically ventilated. We will discuss source control, effective kitchen ventilation, efficient air cleaning and filtration, humidity control, and occupant education. We will show how the potential application of smart ventilation systems can save energy and help with utility-scale demand response while also improving IAQ. This will include the latest information on IAQ sensors & monitors: what they can do right now (and what they can’t) and what is coming in the future.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the top three indoor air quality (IAQ) challenges that arise in zero net energy (ZNE) homes.
• Learn what recent field studies teach us about the IAQ benefit of ventilation equipment in new, energy-efficient homes.
• Understand the key design factors for ventilation and filtration solutions to manage IAQ in ZNE homes.
• Learn how to select and use an indoor air quality monitor to improve IAQ management in homes.  

A key to ensuring the quality of HERS Ratings is to enhance the consistency which the various accredited HERS software programs calculate HERS Index Scores. Too often in the past, the same home could receive a different score based upon the software program being used. For the past four years, the RESNET Board has strived to enhance the consistency of the calculation of HERS Index Scores. A big step has been achieved with the formation of the RESNET Software Consistency Committee. The Committee is formed as part of a mechanism by which RESNET can improve the consistency of HERS Index Scores and modeled energy consumption (based on the RESNET/ICC/ANSI Standard 301) among RESNET, accredited HERS Rating Software Tools, and enhance accreditation testing parameters. This is intended to be a continuous, ongoing process aimed at improving consistency. To guide the efforts of the committee, RESNET hired an Energy Modeling Director. The RESNET Energy Modeling Director will act as the arbitrator of the Software Consistency Committee, making technical decisions about modeling tests, requirements, and guidelines with the support of other members of the committee. The position will also be the liaison between the SCC and RESNET staff. In this session, the RESNET Energy Modeling Director will describe the efforts underway to improve consistency among HERS Rating Software Tools.

Learning Objectives:

•  Understand the steps RESNET is taking to help improve consistency of HERS scores in rating software.
• Understand how to submit inquiries related to software inconsistencies to RESNET.
• Understand the process of resolving inconsistencies.
• Understand the scope of the problems addressed by RESNET's Software Consistency Committee.

Since 2017, Building America has been conducting an indoor air quality field study in multiple regions of the US.  This as been a collaborative effort among the US Department of Energy, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Pacific Northwest National Lab, University of Central Florida's FSEC, and University of Illinois' Indoor Climate Research.  Profiles of various contaminants of concern are being measured, and occupant activities impacting pollutant emissions are being tracked in homes with and without whole house mechanical ventilation. In this session, the data collection protocol will be presented, along with preliminary results characterizing IAQ in new homes, and identifying associations of indoor contaminant levels with the presence of whole house mechanical ventilation.

Learning Objectives:

•  How indoor air quality is measured.
•  About indoor contaminants and concentrations found in new homes.
•  About the prevalence, type, and installed performance of whole house mechanical ventilation systems,
•  About associations of IAQ with control measures including whole house mechanical ventilation.

This award winning builder has successfully been building high performing homes for the last 34 years.  He is constantly fine tuning his business plan.  For the past 15 years he has mantained a waiting list of new customers who are willing to stand in line for a construction opening. Has built off grid and has lost count of the number of ZEH and near ZEH he has built.  Spend an hour to learn how he makes it work. 

Learning Objectives:

• Always be a paid consultant first
• Understand your expertise
• Share what you know
• Design to site

As a product manufacturer with a long history of selling healthy air solutions, Aprilaire has been helping the HVAC trade increase IAQ product sales by educating consumers on the benefits of a healthy home for more than 60 years. They are uniquely aware of how quality indoor air is the grabbing the top spot on homebuyer’s checklists and how to deliver it. They’ve also worked directly with home builders and raters to understand the biggest IAQ challenges new homes face. 15 Light Years is “Energy & Electrical Experts on a Mission:” they provide builders and owners clean energy solutions, as well as test, verify, and certify new construction projects with the goal of higher performance and greater energy savings. They are driven by community and a greater purpose. Every time a customer invests in their service, they directly fund STEM learning programs for youth and adults in their community. Aprilaire’s Scott Grefsheim and Tim Smith of 15 Light Years will share with home builders how IAQ products work to meet code, improve building performance and ultimately help to deliver a strong promise of health to the homebuyer. Aprilaire’s Joseph Hillenmeyer will speak to how builders are successfully marketing IAQ products to raise the value of their homes, differentiate from the competition and meet a growing home buyer demand for healthier homes. 

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the critical role of addressing refrigerant use intensity and other measures that can significantly reduce the global warming potential of projects in the short term.
• Shift their thinking from a focus on efficiency and the reduction of waste to a new focus on the potential of surplus energy and sharing.
• Discuss the basic principles and potential of neighborhood-level district energy systems.
• Begin to identify the network of partners and work required to bring a project such as the SunBlock to fruition.

Tightly air-sealed, well-insulated buildings combined with increased ventilation rates has become mainstream, and in many cases required by code, and there is no going back.  Better construction requires less heating and cooling, and better moisture management.  In many cases, traditional HVAC equipment will not provide adequate space conditioning in high performance buildings, leading to poor heating, cooling, and humidity control.  These problems lead to uncomfortable homes, excess energy use, and, in some cases, legal liability for the builder.  It is critical for builders to understand how the way they build affects HVAC design requirements, and how to properly choose “right-sized” equipment for their projects.   Real-world data and case studies will be presented to show that when it comes to occupant comfort and health, HVAC design can no longer be an afterthought.  Strong graphic images (and props?) will be used to visually demonstrate building science principals and show how the old ways of addressing heating, cooling, and moisture management are no longer viable.  We will demonstrate how high performance building changes the dynamics of heat and moisture movement in and out of buildings, and the affect on HVAC design and equipment selection.   This seminar will include three unique perspectives on the subject.  One long time builder and building science expert will share his recent experience with ductless HVAC, ventilation, and dehumidification in a new high performance home.  A second builder and equipement manufacturer with extensive experience in affordable housing will review designing and selecting HVAC equipment for high performance buildings.  Finally, we will hear from a manufacturer that pioneered whole house dedicated moisture control solution about current available solutions and products in the pipeline to improve heating, cooling, ventilation, and humidity control in high performance homes.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how building design and construction affects HVAC equipment design and capacity
•  Define and describe what is meant by the terms “high performance home” & “low load home”
• Identify differences between traditional and high performance residential HVAC system components
• Understand how to control humidity in high performance homes and the benefits to occupants and builders.

As we successfully reduce the sensible loads of our buildings by improving building materials, assemblies and integration of assembly elements, the sensible heat ratios of our homes are changing.  Latent loads of those spaces remain the same or increase due to ventilation requirements while latent capacities of mechanical systems decrease with improving efficiencies.  Discussions of ventilation latent loads have been on-going for decades but our industry has yet to effectively incorporate humidity considerations into our mechanical design and selection process.  The main goal of this session is to get the fundamentals of ventilation latent loads into our working knowledge by quantifying those loads for high performance projects in a variety of locations.  We'll use 62.2 2010 and 2016 ventilation rates and psychrometric weather data and additionally consider the impacts of variable capacity heat pumps and ERV’s on these loads. The following will be covered in the course of this session: Psychrometric Weather Data and How to Use It Quantifying Ventilation Latent Loads What is the Latent Capacity of Variable Capacity Heat Pumps? How much moisture do ERV’s remove from the Latent Load? What’s our best HVAC solution for low load buildings in humid climates? 

Facing an ever-increasing labor shortage for both skilled labor and supervision, the residential construction industry is struggling to fill positions as the housing sector has recovered from the great recession. Come hear about efforts from EEBA, RESNet, and the Department of Energy to prepare and connect students to the high-performance construction industry and learn more about how to attract young professionals to your organization. Be prepared to be engaged in questions about the hiring of Generation Z/Millennials and how these groups have affected your organization.

Learning Objectives:

• How the Labor Shortage is Affect Construction Quality and Costs
• Why Gen Z/Millennials are perfect for green construction
• DOE Efforts in Workforce Development and Training; specifically, the Solar Decathlon
• Introduction to RESNet's Emerging Leadership Council and EEBA's Next Generation Development Committee

The U.S. Department of Energy's Building America Program will present the latest developments in two of its premier tools for builders, the Building America Solution Center and the Building Science Advisor. Builders can work directly with both tools to improve designs, find best practices, train their installers, and work out code solutions. Builders and designers can use the Building Science Advisor to test out the moisture durability of their wall designs. This much anticipated tool is now ready for prime time. Find out where to find it and learn from the experts who developed it how it will work for your projects. The Solution Center provides research-based best practices and critical information to help give builders a competitive edge. Use it to find details for construction documents, images to help with training and presentations, code briefs to aid in communicating with code officials, and access to Building America’s library of research reports and other references. Business teams and sales professionals will learn how to create custom sales flyers, use terms valued by consumers, and develop materials to train sales staff. With these free tools any builder can improve their buildings durability and performance. This session will emphasize the latest upgrades and plans for these tools. 

Learning Objectives:

• Builders and raters will understand how to access free best practices content within the Building America Solution Center, including: installation guides, CAD drawings, sales information, and code briefs.
• Builders and raters will learn to use Solution Center technical support to train crews to install the measures needed to comply with labeling programs such as Zero Energy Ready Home, ENERGY STAR, Indoor airPlus, and WaterSense.
• Designers and builders will learn to use the Building Science Advisor to graphically build up wall designs and test them for their resilience to moisture.
• Designers and builders will learn how climate conditions and building materials can influence how well a wall performs.

Radon is the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. (2nd only to smoking). So radon-resistant new construction (RRNC) is critically important, particularly for well-sealed, high-performance buildings. However, as mechanical whole-dwelling ventilation becomes more prevalent in new construction, misinformation and skepticism still exist about the value of radon mitigation measures and testing. And even the most well-intentioned builders can often miss key construction details that impact the effectiveness of a radon reduction system. During this session, you’ll hear from leading experts who will “bust” some of the common myths about radon, explore the science behind radon intrusion within a home, and address typical mistakes in the installation of both passive and active radon systems. Presenters will also highlight RRNC details that can be used to address issues such as expansive soils and unique foundations designs, which are common in many central and southern states in the U.S. Speakers will also provide updates on recent events in the development of national radon standards such as ANSI/AARST CCAH, while exploring how EPA’s Indoor airPLUS Construction Specifications can provide a valuable tool for builders to pursue RRNC and market healthier homes to their buyers.

Learning Objectives:

Gain and Understanding of the science behind radon intrusion and movement within a home. Learn about best practices for designing and installing passive or active radon systems, including unique design considerations. Hear how national standards continute to evolve to improve best practic and increase the adoption of RRNC. Learn how RRNC techniques can help you earn EPA's Indoor airPLUS label for new high-performance homes. 

High-performance, energy-efficient homes feature carefully designed strategies to maintain the integrity and functionality of the building envelope. These measures include continuous control layers to block or retard the movement of vapor, water, air, and heat. This presentation explores how these strategies compare and align with features designed to help a building minimize or survive the effects of disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, and earthquakes. These disaster-resistant features are also focused on the building envelope and share many specific measures with high-performance, energy-efficient structures. The presentation will discuss how building science has evolved in researching and demonstrating solutions for high-performance energy-efficient homes versus disaster-resistant homes and how builders can draw on the results of both disciplines for superior results. The presentation will also discuss experiences with branding programs for both energy-efficiency and disaster resistant homes and efforts at changing building codes to improve baseline performance in both areas. And finally, this presentation will discuss the role that insurance companies may play in achieving changes in building practices related to high-performance, energy efficiency and disaster planning.

Learning Objectives:

• Builders will be introduced to the four control layers for high-performance homes and how these layers compare with control strategies for high-wind and high-rain events.
• Builders and designers will learn how high-performance specfications may be enhanced to improve disaster resistance.
• Builders, program managers, and building code professional will be introduced to comparions of adopted energy-efficiency and disaster-resistance codes.
• Builders will be introduced to plans to incorporate disaster resistance information in the Building America Solution Center (basc.energy.gov).

Dangers from more frequent extreme weather events represents growing concerns for building owners. This session explores how we can addressresiliency at the scale of buildings; topics such as Colorado-specific vulnerabilities, projected impacts, & mitigation strategies will be covered. The session will also discuss the inherent synergies between resiliency, sustainability & social equity.

Learning Objectives:

Identify the vulnerabilities that may impact your building/portfolio Understand the projected climate impacts in CO for the next 50 years Learn about mitigation strategies that will help you design your buildings for success Uncover inherent synergies between resiliency, sustainability & social equity  

The landscape of RESNET Quality Assurance has significantly changed in the past several years and efforts have ramped up to ensure consistency. The RESNET QA Team has doubled, field QA reviews began in 2018 and technologies like automated QA are being used. Scott Doyle, RESNET Technical Director of QA and Training, will share observations and findings from in-field visits with QA Providers in 2019. We’ll share the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, including the RESNET QA Team’s favorite best practices and identification of Standard change needs, formal interpretations, and much more!

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the three main ways in which RESNET Staff implements QA oversight of Rating Providers
• Share at least three "Best Practices" identified from 2018-2019 RESNET QA Program activites
• Understand the most common mistakes or misrepresentations made by raters and providers
• List four examples of positive outcomes directly toes to RESNET's increased QA efforts

RESNET® and ACCA have teamed up to create a joint ANSI standard on the evaluation of mechanical system design and installation. The result has been the RESNET/ACCA ANSI Candidate Standard 310 “Standard for Grading the Installation of HVAC Systems”. The standard defines criteria and processes to grade HVAC designs and installations, including non-invasive tests. This new standard rewards high-quality HVAC design and installation with lower HERS® Index scores. We all know that the low hanging fruit in energy efficient building components has been picked. Standard 310 offers the lowest cost method of materially impacting a building’s HERS Index score because poorly designed and commissioned HVAC systems have a huge negative impact on a home’s energy consumption. Research shows that in some climate zones Grade I HVAC design and installation could reduce HERS Index scores by as much as 6 points.

Learning Objectives:

• Builders will learn how to select mechanical designers, contractors, and raters to implement Standard 310.
• Builders will learn how to estimate the HERS point savings Standard 310 may provide for their plans and the estimated cost to implement it. Builders will also learn how Standard 310 fits in with potential 45L tax credits to achieve a dual return on investment.
• Mechanical designers will learn the design criteria established to qualify for Standard 310. Contractors and HERS raters will learn commissioning best practices to implement Standard 310 in their builder’s projects.
• Utility program managers will learn how Standard 310 impacts both total energy consumption and peak load to determine whether to incorporate the new standard into incentive and rebate programs that will have a material impact on grid performance.

According to recent MIT Research, residential efficiency offers the greatest potential to achieving carbon reduction goals. Yet an overly narrow focus on efficiency at the building level can lead architects, builders, and code officials to encourage the use of materials and technologies that could have the unintended effect of contributing more carbon to the atmosphere in the next 10-12 years--the critical time period outlined by the 2018 IPCC report--than they would save over that time. To meet this demand, the building industry must reduce the use of materials with global warming potential, such as steel, concrete, and refrigerant, and increase the use of materials that sequester carbon, such as wood and other plant-based fibers. We must also shift scales and metrics. We need to stop thinking about performance in terms of the efficiency of individual buildings. This framework emphasizes the reduction of waste and leads us to make buildings that are merely less bad. Instead, we should instead be thinking in terms of how neighborhoods can work together to utilize the surplus of available solar energy. This presentation demonstrates this potential through a proposal for the SunBlock developed for the final round of the 2019 Solar Decathlon Design Challenge. The project, though proposed for the Garden District neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona, is replicable in other low-density western cities with abundant solar energy. Different building types work together with air-to-water heat pumps set to run only when electricity is generated on-site. The neighborhood shares excess thermal energy through a district energy system of hot and cold water circulated in pipes buried in existing backyard utility easements. First, a big box store is retrofit to become a co-working space that exports heat. Second, an existing elementary school uses a large and already built PV array that shares chilled water at peak times and when it is unoccupied. These buildings share energy with existing houses in the nearby neighborhood. Those houses receive either a light energy retrofit including an insulated storage tank, or nothing other than a new air handling unit, which is connected to the plentiful carbon-neutral energy shared by the district system. Preliminary calculations indicate that for every three homes retrofitted and connected, the SunBlock system could provide for the heating and cooling needs of two more homes. While similar in intent to distributed energy storage systems that use chemical batteries to store electrical energy, the SunBlock proposal for distributed thermal energy storage is better equipped to reduce grid stress and reduce nighttime loads. Financing for the SunBlock is anticipated to be provided by a combination of public and private funds underwritten by utility savings, leveraged by tax advantages from the project’s location in a designated Opportunity Zone.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the critical role of addressing refrigerant use intensity and other measures that can significantly reduce the global warming potential of projects in the short term.
• Shift their thinking from a focus on efficiency and the reduction of waste to a new focus on the potential of surplus energy and sharing.
• Discuss the basic principles and potential of neighborhood-level district energy systems.
• Begin to identify the network of partners and work required to bring a project such as the SunBlock to fruition.

Building better homes is a great thing to do, but to be successful the sale has to happen. Expecting to sell higher performing homes by focusing only on the selling process, however, won't drive the results needed to sustain the business. To be successful you have to be all in. Being all in requires the building of a high performing business--one that has the right set of principles, priorities, and processes in place to thrive.

Learning Objectives:

• Why focusing on sales will, paradoxically, lead to poor performance.
•  What separates the great companies from the wanna-be's. 
• How to get and keep your team focused on the right principles, priorities and processes to drive success.
• What are the two most critical KPI's you need to measure and why?

In this session, we discuss the transformation of the electric grid and how utility providers are modernizing their power generation and distribution systems.  We explore the role solar power, smart meters, microgrids, energy storage and emerging technologies play in grid modernization (also known as smart grid).  We highlight the benefits, challenges and opportunities a smart electric grid offers builders, citizens, communities and businesses.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify that utilities are modernizing their power generation and distribution systems.
• Discuss how transformation of the elctrical grid offers benefits including increased reliability, improved performance and enhanced environmental protection.
• Introduce the role solar power, smart meters, microgrids, energy storage and emerging technologies play in the modernization of the electric grid.
• Explore how a smart grid offers challenges and opportunities to builders, citizens, communities and businesses.

Rachel Romero from NREL hosts an engaging session that makes presentations concise, keeps things moving at a rapid pace, and engages the audience in learning creative ideas!  In this fun, innovative and informative session, the Solar Decathlon 2019 Design Challenge 1st place winning teams will present their winning designs and show how they will become the next generation of building science professionals through designing zero energy ready buildings.

This session will discuss structural failures observed during storm damage assessments as well as energy efficient design that contribute to improved overall performance in the structure. Developed independently from building requirements imposed in Moore, OK, following the tornado that devastated that community, APA’s recommendations focus on good connection details to tie together exterior walls, roofs, and floors. Included in this discussion will be construction techniques that also increase the energy efficiency of the house such as 2x6 advance framed walls and raised heel trusses. These techniques can help builders cost effectively build a safer homes in tornado and high wind prone regions that are also more energy efficient.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the fundamental behavior of wood structures especially as it pertains to lateral loads from high wind events.
• Identify common failure modes using photographs from post-disaster evaluations. 
• Discusses integrating energy saving techniques into the design that do not compromise the structural resilience of the house. 
• Understand the importance of a complete load path when designing and building for resiliency.

Back for another round!  ** If it is so important to have a mechanical ventilation system to make a tight house healthy, what do you do when the power goes out? @You’re going to have more problems than just happy air flow if the power goes out.  You’re not going to have heat or lights.  And what about fungi? ** How long do you have to wait to clean up the excess moisture? @You shouldn’t wait.  Fungi happens fast. ^^ And how many cfm does it take to adequately suck the air out of the basement to dissipate radon? @How do you know if a cabinet has formaldehyde?  How many years does it take to outgas that stuff? **What’s the humidity outside when it’s raining?  $$You DON’T want to miss this panel discussion—get ready for some IAQ banter at its finest!

Learning Objectives:

• Hear from seasoned IAQ experts about the most critical aspects of IAQ.
• Find out what researchers and building scientists are learning from the latest studies on contaminants, ventilation, and high-performance homes.
• Learn about the fundamentals of IAQ and why the trend towards healthier homes has been consuming the construction industry.
• Get a chance to ask the “really hard” building science questions that no one wants to answer.

Zero energy homes (ZEHs) are a big part of the future of the home building business.  While the materials and equipment to reach zero energy are available, designers and builders must create a bundle of energy-efficiency features that matches their climate, customers, and business constraints.  This 7-hour class lays out numerous elements of zero energy design and construction, so that building professionals can formulate a package appropriate for their situation. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.  Students in this class will learn design principles, equipment options, emerging technologies, material selections, and construction practices that can be integrated into their building process. Strong emphasis is placed on ways to make the final product affordable for homebuyers.  Sales and marketing ideas are also presented.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify factors that are driving the U.S. housing market toward zero energy homes.
• Name barriers to the widespread adoption of zero energy homes.
• Describe three ways to present the financial benefits of zero energy homes.
• List six affordable zero energy features that you can incorporate into your practice.
• Create a marketing and sales messages that your company can use to promote zero energy homes.  

Zero energy home construction is not beyond the reach of the average builder. Come to this session to learn how this year’s crop of DOE Zero Energy Ready Home builders achieved zero energy homes, and you can too. This presentation describes the path to zero offered by the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home program and provides a compilation of the techniques used by award-winning builders in DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Home Program to achieve HERS scores of zero and lower. Learn how the program is growing with more builders signing on just as more states and municipalities around the country are committing to zero energy ready construction. The presentation will show specific examples of techniques developed and used by builders as they strive for zero energy ready homes. Construction methods used by Zero Energy Ready homes are compared with those used in just-to-code new homes and existing homes for key components like wall assemblies and HVAC s

Learning Objectives:

•  Identify a path to zero energy ready home construction as outlined in DOE's Zero Energy Ready Home Program.
•  Learn what choices Zero Energy Ready Home builders, especially production home builders, are making for wall construction, HVAC, and more.
•  Discover simple, cost-effective techniques for improving home performance.
•  Learn tricks of the trade from DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Builders including this year’s DOE Housing Innovation Award Winners.

In this session, CR Herro, VP Innovation Meritage Homes, will discuss the building science, sustainable design, and green building features of the VISION House Seattle Cascades, a project he is developing in conjunction with Green Builder Media.  The off-grid, net-positive, healthy home optimizes demand-side energy management and incorporates of the most advanced green building products, systems, and technologies available on the market today, all at a reasonable price point.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about the latest advancements and best practices in Building Science
• Learn about the unqiue combination of green products, techniques, and technologies deployed by this extraordinary home
•  Learn about demand-side energy management--one of today's most important topics!
• Learn how to design and build net-zero and net-positive homes by combining building science, advanced materials, and solar

The goal of EPA’s WaterSense Labeled Homes program is to encourage the construction and purchase of water-efficient, high-performing homes that use of water- and energy-efficient products and include advanced design. The program aims to reduce indoor and outdoor water use in homes and encourage community infrastructure savings. Given the changes in building industry since the program was first introduced in 2009 and based on feedback from stakeholders, years of operational knowledge, and changes in the home building marketplace WaterSense released the WaterSense Draft Specification for Homes, Version 2.0, which aims to further promote residential water efficiency and help enable market transformation in the building industry. In parallel, RESNET has been developing the HERSH2O water rating index with the aim of creating a companion product to HERS for water, one of our most vital resources. Through this planned partnership, EPA and RESNET hope to establish a powerful link between WaterSense and HERSH2O. The session will highlight the anticipated changes to WaterSense Labeled Homes program and delve into how HERSH2O can contribute to the revised program’s efficiency requirement. Thus allowing the programs to work in concert with one another with the goal of creating a clear message about a home’s water use.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn how WaterSense Homes program structure for the latest WaterSense Labeled home specification differs from previous versions.
• Participants will have a better understanding of the new water efficiency thresholds and how to achieve them under the new WaterSense Labeled Homes 2.0 specification.
• Participants will learn the basic structure of RESNET's numeric water efficiency rating system for homes, and its similarities and differences from the HERS rating system.
• Participants will learn to identify the specific features and attributes of a home that will influence its numeric rating for the water efficiency.

The goal of the WaterSense labeled homes program is to encourage the construction and purchase of water-efficient, high-performing homes that use of water- and energy-efficient products and include advanced design. The program aims to reduce indoor and outdoor water use in homes and encourage community infrastructure savings. On April 2019, WaterSense released the WaterSense Specification for Homes, Version 2.0, which aims to further promote residential water efficiency and help enable market transformation in the building industry. The specification is applicable to single-family homes and multifamily buildings. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched the WaterSense labeled homes program in 2009 with the WaterSense Single-Family New Home Specification and issued modifications in 2012 and 2014 to expand the scope to multifamily buildings and include minor revisions, respectively. With this latest revision, WaterSense will expand the reach of the program, adapt to changes in the building industry, and increase flexibility so that a broader range of professionals can participate in the program.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how the revised technical requirements provide more flexibility and better quantifiable water savings.
• Learn how the program will work in concert with existing green building certification programs.
• Understand the process of obtaining the WaterSense label for Homes under Version 2.0.
• Learn how the WaterSense Specification for Homes, Version 2.0 has improved regional applicability.

The residential building industry has made incredible progress toward sustainability and energy efficiency goals. At the same time, HERS Rater and registered architect Steve Klocke finds many new buildings are underperforming because designers continue to make SIMPLE, AVOIDABLE MISTAKES. The affordable housing market in particular has the most to gain (and lose) when mistakes impact health, durability, tight schedules and tighter budgets. SMART DESIGN CHOICES yield buildings that are easier to build, resulting in lower costs, more predictable construction schedules, and higher quality buildings. Inspections, testing and commissioning become more successful, and most importantly, a building that incorporates smart design decisions is more valuable to owners, consumes less energy and is HEALTHIER FOR OCCUPANTS. Based on lessons he learned certifying nearly 1,500 dwelling units over the past eight years, Steve Klocke will present the top ten design mistakes being made over and over again - and how to avoid them.

Learning Objectives:

• List the top ten design mistakes by architects and engineers that decrease constructability, affordability and quality of multifamily housing.
• Choose design choices from a selection of scenarios that increase energy efficiency, building durability, occupant health and affordability.
• Justify design alternatives to clients and contractors in terms of energy, durability, health and budget.
• Develop a checklist to help you make design choices that increase energy efficiency, building durability, occupant health and affordability on future projects.  

How do we use data to formalize a regional performance path framework that allows any utility or home certification program to accurately capture savings or stay a fixed percent better than code? NEEA's BetterBuiltNW Program in the Pacific Northwest has been collecting data since its inception in 2004 and in this session, Dan, Jon, and Emily from the program will discuss how the  data collected is used in various ways to support regional goals. From one angle, the program supports best practices and trains stakeholders on how best to achieve energy savings, and we'll discuss how that can influence code advancement. From another angle, the program looks at transforming the market for above-code homes and can identify both how far we've come and showcase market transformation success stories. Finally, the session will tackle what data our presenters recommend collecting to demonstrate success in your new construction program, as well as share recommended practices that could be applied to above-code construction accross the country.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about how best practices yield savings, and how this can be used to advance code
• Learn about Home Certification Programs, their parameters, and how a region-wide program can help expand their footprints
• Learn about the role of software platforms in collecting data points that will ultimately help drive market transformation
• Learn about the data that is used to support integrated resource planning at the regional level

A focus on building enclosure and mechanical strategies and systems for high-performance Zero Energy Ready Homes. While solar systems can be bolted on later, it is not as easy to change the efficiency of the building enclosure or equipment. It is critical to find cost-effective approaches to get the loads low and efficiencies high. This will keep the cost of a renewable energy system -- today or in the future -- more affordable, too. But beware, approaching "zero" is not simply adding more of the same, it requires new approaches for many things including design, ventilation, make-up air, and humidity control.

Learning Objectives:

• Familiarity with the concepts and definitions for high-performance and net zero energy homes.
• Be able to apply basic building science principles to building and systems design.
• Recognize key enclosure and mechanical strategies for cold climates with summer cooling loads.
• Recognize the critical need for pressure management.