Shawn Nienhouse is a Certified Green Home Professional (CGHP) and Construction Project Manager for Habitat for Humanity of Kent County in Grand Rapids, MI. He oversees the construction of LEED-certified housing for families in need. His background also includes a stint as an estimator for a production builder that built close to code minimum homes. He's spent significant time recently learning building science principles and high-performance, green construction details, and he shared his thoughts with us recently on why home builders must evolve from code-built to high-performance ..read more

The U.S. Department of Energy opened applications Wednesday for the 2024 Renew America’s Schools prize, which will award $180 million in funds to school districts nationwide to implement energy upgrades ..read more

The Inflation Reduction Act provides thousands of dollars in rebates or tax credits for homeowners installing heat pumps. However, even without those rebates, heat pumps would be cost-effective in 65 million U.S. households, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) research. Further, electrification with heat pumps can reduce greenhouse gas emissions in every U.S. state. However, there is broad variability in the economics of heat pumps after installation, depending on several conditions. Envelope upgrades being one of them ..read more

Residential dehumidification has several benefits, including improved comfort, prevention of mold and mildew, and better respiratory health. Low humidity enabled by dehumidifiers also helps air feel cooler, allowing residents to set their thermostats at higher in the summer without sacrificing comfort. This can reduce the workload of the air conditioning system and save homeowners money ..read more

Would it surprise you to learn that 82 percent of companies are currently using or exploring artificial intelligence (AI) in their operations? Further, 84 percent report they are increasing their investments in data and AI.[1] That’s because AI has a near limitless capability to aid businesses and organizations in their effort to help boost energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, support clean energy technologies, and address climate change. Here are three specific ways AI is driving energy efficiency ..read more

State and local governments across the country are adopting building performance standards (BPS), and the pace of adoption for such standards will only accelerate as jurisdictions look to cut greenhouse gas emissions, boost building energy efficiency, and lower energy use. In 2023, 10 local jurisdictions across the U.S. launched BPS policies, including New Jersey, California, Colorado, Maryland, and Minnesota ..read more

Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) has released data on the number of Home Energy Ratings Score (HERS)-rated homes in 2023. More than 360,000 homes were HERS rated last year, an increase of more than 22,000 homes compared to 2022. This accounts for 28 percent of all new homes built last year. The cumulative number of HERS-rated homes in the U.S. now tops 3.9 million, a stunning figure when you consider that just two years ago, the number of HERS homes reached 3 million ..read more

NAIMA has released a new guide that details how builders can use fiberglass and mineral wool insulation to aid in whole building decarbonization activities. “Building Decarbonization Using Fiberglass and Mineral Wool” reviews the two principal objectives of whole building decarbonization -- reducing operational and embodied carbon in building materials. It also defines key terms, including ..read more

We end this year as we’ve done for the past 7 with a list of our top blog posts. If you’ve been following our blog for a few years, thank you for your loyalty. We hope we’ve shared interesting, thought-provoking topics and look forward to bringing you more content in the new year ..read more

A new report from Emu Passive, which specializes in Passive House training and consulting, looks at the ability of 12 building standards to deliver resilience, a healthy environment, and efficient buildings. The research examines how the various building standards perform based on the most common challenges for buildings. PHI Passive House performed the best among the standards considered, but more details on the performance of each standard emerge within this research ..read more