Program || EEBA Summit 2026

Break

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
9:15 - 9:30 AM

Break in Manufacturers' Showcase

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
10:30 - 11:00 AM
Manufacturer's Showcase, Upper Level Ballroom Concourse

From Airtight to Just Right: Navigating Ventilation in New Construction

“Build tight, ventilate right” has long been a guiding principle in high-performance home construction—but guidance on how to get it right can be confusing. Across diverse climates, builders must balance airtight enclosures with effective ventilation while also navigating challenges like outdoor air quality, humidity control, system costs, and achieving reliable airflow. This interactive session brings together builders, contractors, researchers, program administrators and other industry professionals involved in new-construction ventilation to dig into real-world data, field study results, and practical experience. A panel of experts from industry, national laboratories, and research organizations will help facilitate an open, engaging discussion aimed at sharing lessons learned, dispelling persistent myths, and highlighting emerging best practices. Come ready to share what you know and to ask what you don’t! Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the strategies that work, the pitfalls to avoid, and the tools needed to make informed ventilation decisions in today’s increasingly airtight homes.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn what ventilation challenges builders around the country have faced, and what solutions they have found to work (or not work).

2. Identify advantages, disadvantages, pitfalls, and keys to success with different ventilation strategies.

3. Discover what recent field studies show about the actual performance of different ventilation approaches over time.

4. Distinguish fact from fiction in common perceptions and myths surrounding ventilation practices.

Presenters

Christian Kaltreider, Building Systems Engineer, PNNL
Chrissi Antonopoulos, Senior Analyst, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Iain Walker, Mechanical Staff Scientist/Engineer, Lawrence Berkeley National Labs
Pat Huelman, Associate Extension Professor in Energy and Building Systems, University of Minnesota
Nick Hurst
Paul Raymer, Senior Advisor, ICF

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
11:00 - 12:00 PM
General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF

You Might As Well Build a Home to Code if You Don't Tell Your Customers and Employees About What You Do

Many builders do a great job in building super energy efficient, sustainable and healthy homes, but don't do such a good job in telling their customers and even their Sales Associates about it. Learn how to take a systematic approach of marketing, sales promotion, and training in order to be a successful high performance builder. Fulton Homes has been a three time Indoor airPLUS Leader of the Year Award winner, and winning ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for 10 years, and the only builder to win the Indoor airPLUS Leader Award, WaterSense Partner of the Year and ENERGY STAR Partner of the year for sustained excellence in multiple years. By investing in the time to utilize social media, direct mail, and radio advertising as well as training your Sales Associates and Project Managers, your message will be loud and clear.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn how to use high performance building as a differentiator in your market.

2. Use training principles for your Sales and Construction personnel so that your message is clear and consistent.

3, Use marketing so that customers know what you are building. Show customers what energy efficiency saves them.

4. Make sure your website is compelling and tells the story of the high performance homes that you build.

Presenters

Dennis Webb, Vice President of Operations, Fulton Homes
Adam Strube, C.O.R.E Manager, Fulton Homes

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
11:00 - 12:00 PM
Rooms 2/3

How Water Conservation Saves Energy and Supports New Construction

Since the early 1990s, water conservation has been an important part of the city of Santa Fe’s growth strategy. Conservation has allowed the city to avoid or delay costly infrastructure projects by stretching its existing water resources further and have helped to minimize electricity usage within the system at the same time. Per capita water use has decreased by more than 40%, all while supporting more than a 25% increase in population since 1995 and helping to keep city and customer costs low. The topography and sources of water available to the city means that every gallon of water delivered is accompanied by a significant electric bill. This study looks at detailed records across a three-year period 2021-2023. It considers variations in the various sources of water the city uses, water and energy consumed, and more to paint a detailed picture of what it takes to keep the taps on. It also presents a picture of just how large this bill may have been if not for the extensive conservation efforts. The study confirms what many already knew, that using water efficiently is a necessity for communities looking to grow while simultaneously keeping operating costs and, as a direct result, water rates low.

Learning Objectives

1. Explain how conservation has enabled Santa Fe to add to the housing stock and population.
2. Understand how conservation has helped to achieve dipropionate savings on electricity and operating costs for the system.
3. Describe the major factors influencing the amount of energy needed to support a public water system.
4. Appreciate how changes at the household level have community wide impacts and improves affordability.

Presenters

Jonah Schein, National Program Manager for Homes & Buildings, EPA

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
11:00 - 12:00 PM
Room 4

Selling High Performance Homes 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Empower homebuyers to make informed decisions with EEBA’s popular Selling High Performance Homes session focused on communicating the value, comfort and importance of high performance and energy efficient homes. The session will be of interest to builders, new home sales professionals, real estate agents, appraisers, manufacturers’ representatives and housing program or utility personnel.

This presentation applies proven sales techniques to the task of helping attendees educate homebuyers on the technical features of energy efficiency and building science. This fast-paced and engaging workshop explores examples, case studies and role play scenarios relevant to all types of new home builders, including custom, mid-size and large volume builders. Learn how to draw upon the successes of many builders who have already realized the benefits of Selling High Performance Homes.

Learning Objectives

1. Utilize various housing programs such as DOE Efficient New Homes or ENERGY STAR for New Homes.

2. Develop a sales plan to help clients make more informed decisions about high performance homes.

3. Translate the technical features of high performance home benefits that home buyers can understand and value.

4. Integrate the technical features of new homes into existing sales and marketing plans.

5. Use technical language of high performance homes to enhance sales confidence.

Presenters

Gord Cooke, Partner - Professional Engineer, Construction Instruction

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
11:00 - 12:00 PM
Rooms 5/6

Opening of Manufacturers' Showcase & Lunch Served

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
12:00 - 1:00 PM
Manufacturer's Showcase, Upper Level Ballroom Concourse

Leveraging Technology to Address Affordability Challenges—Optimizing Labor Efficiency to Benefit the Builder and the Trades

The Affordability Challenge
With first-time homebuyers now averaging 40 years old, housing affordability has become the industry’s defining challenge—particularly for high performance builders, whose homes typically carry a higher upfront cost than code-minimum construction.

Lowering Costs Beyond Materials
Buying groups and manufacturer rebates can reduce component costs, but many builders have fewer proven strategies for reducing labor costs. This session highlights how Pulte Homes—one of EEBA’s largest builders—has leveraged technology to increase labor efficiency in a true win-win with its trade partners.

Learning Objectives

Hear from Pulte’s Minnesota division team and two trade partners about how they’ve worked together to:

- Reduce costs and cycle times
- Increase labor efficiency and jobsite quality
- Improve customer satisfaction
- Win accolades for improving asset turns

Even more impressive is how Pulte used technology to manage production during the recent ICE raids that brought most construction in the area to a standstill.

Presenters

Gene Myers, CEO of Thrive Home Builders, Thrive Home Builders, Inc.
Curtis Johnson

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
1:00 - 2:00 PM
General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF

How Your HVAC Contractor can Make or Break Performance of Your New Construction

Many builders have gotten good at building air tight envelopes in support of high performance homes by working with their teams to do work with an eye towards how the envelope is designed and installed to manage heat air and moisture. What is sometimes missed in this plan is how big a role HVAC design and installation plays in the ultimate performance of the home. A great envelope with poorly executed HVAC will have issues. This class will explain why and how to ensure your team - including the HVAC sub - are all working together to deliver high performance homes.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the most common HVAC design practices which impact overall home performance

2. Understand the most common HVAC installation issues which impact overall home performance

3. Know the basic process for verifying the HVAC installs

4. Considerations for applying heat pumps in new construction.

Presenters

Bill Graber, Partner, The Energy Conservatory
Steve Rogers, President, The Energy Conservatory

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
1:00 - 2:00 PM
Rooms 2/3

Highs, Lows, and Buffalos: A Builder’s Guide to Cash, Appraisals, and Radical Transparency

Are budgets just another checkbox or a dynamic tool that drives meaningful insights? We will also explore how to manage the "art" of appraisals to prevent unexpected capital calls, and how a culture of radical financial transparency—including the "House Wrap" debrief—can empower your team to spot losses before they happen. Come learn the "Highs, Lows, and Buffalos" of how to turn your financial data into a competitive advantage.

Learning Objectives

1. Managing Cash Flow: Turn project budgets into company cash forecasts that let you look down the road and take action today.

2. Guide the Appraisal: Learn specific tactics to influence valuation, including utilizing Green Building Addendums and providing pre-packaged comps to appraisers.

3. The "House Wrap": Adopt a post-construction debrief framework (Highs, Lows, and Buffalos) to ensure project "lessons" become future profits.

4. Drive Team Ownership: Understand how sharing financials increases employee engagement and operational efficiency.

Presenters

Patrick Goodman, CFO, Noyes Development

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
1:00 - 2:00 PM
Room 4

Making Resilience Affordable at Community Scale

This session takes a pragmatic stance to delivering resilient, grid-interactive homes without pricing customers out of the market. This panel brings together three critical perspectives—a home builder, am OEM, and a utility—to explore how coordinated design, technology, and programs can unlock customer value at scale.

Panelists will discuss how their industry defines the customer value proposition for resiliency, from reduced outage risk and energy cost stability to long-term asset value and community reliability. The conversation will move beyond technology features to focus on affordability: how smart build strategies are cost-justified, financed, and integrated into real-world construction and utility business models.

Builders will share how they evaluate incremental costs and market acceptance when deploying smart, demand-response-ready homes across affordable and market-rate projects. The OEM will address technology cost curves, system sizing, and how hardware and controls can be optimized for resilience and grid value. The utility perspective will highlight how programs, incentives, and rate design can lower customer costs while supporting grid flexibility and community-level resilience.

Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how cross-sector collaboration can make resilient homes not just technically feasible, but financially viable.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand how builders, technology manufacturers, and utilities each define and communicate the customer value proposition for residential resilience, including reliability, comfort, cost stability, and long-term asset value.
2. Identify the key cost drivers and business-case calculations used by builders, battery OEMs, and utilities when evaluating smart build and resilience investments across affordable and market-rate housing.
3. Learn how cross-sector coordination—between home design, hardware, and utility programs—can reduce upfront costs and improve affordability for homeowners while delivering grid flexibility and community-level resilience.
4. Apply practical insights from real-world smart build pilots to inform project planning, program design, or market strategy, including lessons on customer acceptance, incentive alignment, and scalable implementation.

Presenters

Mark Pignatelli, Director Residential & C&I, ICF
Zach Billings, Load Flexibility and DER Strategy and Portfolio Leader, Xcel Energy
Ryan Harris, Chief Revenue Officer, SPAN
Corey Self, Director of Corporate Sustainability, PulteGroup

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
2:30 - 3:30 PM
General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF

Break in Manufacturers' Showcase

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
2:00 - 2:30 PM
Manufacturer's Showcase, Upper Level Ballroom Concourse

Out the Roof? Not Anymore: Measuring the Energy and Carbon Payoff of Attic Air Sealing

Air leakage through attics remains a significant contributor to residential energy loss, particularly in cold climates where stack effect drives conditioned air out of the building envelope. This study evaluates how attic air sealing improves building airtightness, reduces energy consumption, and lowers carbon emissions. It further extends an embodied cost/operational savings carbon balance model to new construction and retrofit air-sealing strategies, emphasizing the carbon savings from improved airtightness.

Due to the difficulty in accurately determining the effect of air sealing on energy consumption in new construction, this research was conducted across a sample of existing single-family homes in the Midwest. By using existing homes, pre- and post-retrofit measurements of air leakage and energy use permitted comparison that largely control for occupant behavior. Four air sealing techniques were evaluated: targeted caulking, sealant foam application, spray polyurethane foam kits (SPF), and aerosol can spray foam. Each method was assessed for material utilization, allowing an estimate of the embodied carbon cost to performing the work. Blower door tests before and after retrofit provided an indication of air tightness improvement (5-25% drop in ACH50), while utility bills and gas usage savings (3-20%) afforded direct quantification of operational carbon savings.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the importance of attic air sealing on the overall performance of a building and identify issues in a building that may be tied to poor attic air sealing.
2. List common air leakage points in attics, including the relative importance of each in whole home performance.
3. Select appropriate products for attic air sealing applications that maximize ease, speed, safety, and performance.
4. Define operational vs embodied carbon emissions and the carbon pay-back potential of attic air sealing basic an real-life data.

Presenters

Adam Broderick, Lead Scientist, DuPont Performance Building Solutions

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
2:30 - 3:30 PM
Rooms 2/3

Getting to Green: Building Material Evaluation In Theory & Practice

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity will present our ongoing process of evaluating building materials in an effort to use more environmentally friendly, less toxic alternatives to meet Indoor AirPlus certification and to provide a healthier environment for our homeowners. We will co-present with Habitable, which provides independent evaluations of an extensive range of products which it rates on a color scale from red to green.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand how the evaluation process for material choices can look for builders.

2. Become familiar with Habitable's model of material evaluation.

3. Explore cost/benefit of different material choices available to builders.

Presenters

Mike Robertson, Decarbonization & Sustainability Lead, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
Mark Rice, Design Manager, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
Madeleine Philpott, Manager of the Wall-panel Plan, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
Priya Premchandran

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
2:30 - 3:30 PM
Room 4

Break in Manufacturers' Showcase

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
3:30 - 4:00 PM
Manufacturer's Showcase, Upper Level Ballroom Concourse

Reducing Electrical Infrastructure Costs for Homes - Keeping new homes at 200A ,or less

Electric infrastructure adds to construction costs within a home and through paying utilities for new service or service upgrades to existing homes. There can also be time delays or service availability limits for locations that have limited power availability from the grid that can lead to significant challenges for builders and developers. To avoid these costs, time delays and interconnection challenges requires consideration of "Power Efficient" Design (PED) that goes beyond energy efficiency to include peak power. This session will provide a guide to PED to keep new homes at 200A, or less. Measured data from thousands of homes will be used to show the peak power levels in homes are much lower than their service capacity and that, for almost all homes, 200A is more than enough. We will demonstrate the three key approaches for PED: Strategic electric service load using NEC calculations, reducing loads through appliance and equipment selection, and managing loads using control solutions. This will include an overview of the "200A Electric Service Guide for New Homes" recently developed by LBNL for the USDOE.

Learning Objectives

1. What is typical peak power in homes and how does it compare to NEC requirements?

2. How to best use existing NEC pathways to reduce home electric infrastructure costs.

3. What is "Power Efficient Design" for homes?

4. What technologies and controls can be used to limit peak power?

Presenters

Iain Walker, Mechanical Staff Scientist/Engineer, Lawrence Berkeley National Labs

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
4:00 - 5:00 PM
General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF

Low Cost High Performance: Promises Realized

Two Years ago I spoke at the Utah EEBA Conference about the ways we can bring advanced framing together with HVAC reductions and small all in one heating, cooling and ventilation systems to achieve near passive house performance with no additional costs. Since that presentation, we have worked with Habitat for Humanity to advance this concept culminating in the completion of the first house in December. It carried through the most extreme winter conditions with -50F windchills, all while maintaining full capacity and comfort. Additionally, the family has seen dramatic improvement in their childrens asthma to the point where they no longer are in need of their regular inhaler and monthly medications. This approach to construction is a profitable solution that can compete with minimum code construction budgets and offers industry a way to leap forward and outpace their competition. Additionally, in an age of energy code advancement. This puts building companies onto a building system that will keep their houses above code for many years to come. The presentation would re-visit this concept and share how it was succesful in northern Minnesota, and how builders can integrate these concepts into their practice.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand Low Cost Building Assembly Solutions for High Performance Buildings.

2. Identifying Low Embodied Carbon Building Solutions for Low Energy Homes.

3. Understanding HVAC Systems Changes that Occur in Homes that Require Minimal Energy.

4. Understand the performance characteristics that occur as a result of building a high efficiency envelope. i.e. Thermal Inertia, Electrical Grid Benefits and Health Care Benefits, Etc...

Presenters

Sam Friesen, Fresh Energy

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
4:00 - 5:00 PM
Rooms 2/3

Building Resilient Homes & Insulating Homeowners Against Rising Electricity Costs

This session will explore how the latest building science, modern residential construction materials, and solar roofing technology can work together to deliver long-term resiliency and protect homeowners from increasing weather perils and rising electricity costs. US electricity prices have increased 36% since 2020 (source: EIA) and are anticipated to continue rising for the next decade or more as power demand surges from new datacenters, manufacturing onshoring, and grid infrastructure upgrades. Meanwhile, homeowners in the 20% highest risk zip codes (for weather perils) pay 82% higher insurance premiums than homeowners the lowest risk 20%, adding additional pressure to household budgets. Layer on the fact that climate related outages are becoming more common; builders, contractors, and solar professionals need practical strategies that are both accessible and futureproof. Hear from CertainTeed’s building science team, followed by a high performance home builder. This presentation will connect foundational building science principles with hands-on lessons from the field and wrap up with easy next steps for you to build with resiliency as a guiding force.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the why, what and how of building science as they relate to resilient home design.

2. Learn lessons from a local installer with recent experience installing the CertainTeed solar roofing system.

3. Identify regions experiencing the fastest rise in electricity prices and understand how building systems can help homeowners achieve a measure of energy independence.

4. Understand how to begin selling and installing Building Integrated solar (BIPV) to reduce electricity bills and improve home resiliency.

Presenters

Galen Burell
Todd Usher, Founder, Addison Homes
Jessie Schiavone, GM, Solar Solutions

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
4:00 - 5:00 PM
Room 4

Xcel Energy Networking Reception in Manufacturers' Showcase

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
5:00 - 6:00 PM
Manufacturer's Showcase, Upper Level Ballroom Concourse

Offsite Event at The Heights

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
6:00 - 8:00 PM

Registration & Check-In: 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
7:00 - 8:00 AM
Upper Level, Ballroom Concourse

Registration & Check-In: 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
7:00 - 8:00 AM
Upper Level, Ballroom Concourse

Health Starts at Home—Building Healthier Residences through Global Open Indoor Air Quality Standards

The current residential construction landscape often prioritizes energy efficiency over occupant health, creating "tight" homes that can inadvertently trap harmful pollutants. Current industry benchmarks frequently lack specific quantitative limits for critical contaminants like fine particulate matter (PM2.5), formaldehyde (CH2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2), leaving builders and homeowners without clear, health-based success metrics. The Global Open Indoor Air Quality Standards (GO IAQS) bridges this gap by establishing a unified, science-based framework that prioritizes human health as much as energy performance. By adopting strict, health-centric limits and a transparent, builders can move beyond a checklist of materials to deliver measurable, dynamic "Health Premiums". Integrating these standards allows high-performance builders to differentiate their businesses by marketing homes as scientifically verified safe environments for children and vulnerable populations. Ultimately, GO IAQS provides the building science innovation and business strategy needed to transition from merely "efficient" buildings to resilient, health-first homes that align with decarbonization goals while ensuring the fundamental right to breathe clean air.

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the limitations of current standards: Identify why meeting basic energy-efficiency requirements like ENERGY STAR does not guarantee high indoor air quality and how "tight" building envelopes can increase pollutantrisks.
2. Apply health-based quantitative limits: Understand the specific GO IAQS thresholds for primary pollutants, such as PM2.5, CO2, and CH2O.
3. Implement a robust verification workflow: Learn the process for residential certification, from builder baseline reports to independent third-party verification.
4. Leverage health as a business strategy: Develop marketing and sales strategies that utilize "Health-Based Accountability" to communicate value to homeowners, moving from equipment-focused sales to results-oriented health premiums.

Presenters

Sotirios Papathanasiou
Andrew Guido, VP of Sustainability & Innovation, Empire Communities

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
8:00 - 9:00 AM
General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF

Strong Foundations: Passive House Details At and Below Grade

While walls and windows often dominate Passive House discussions, the foundation is where the building meets the complex realities of ground physics. This presentation explores the hygrothermal dynamics between the structure and the earth, debunking the myth of the ground as a stable, infinite heat sink. Attendees will learn about sub-slab insulation, thermal bridge-free transitions, and moisture management, with comparisons between new construction and the intricate challenges of retrofits (EnerPHit). Beyond energy efficiency, the session addresses critical site-specific durability concerns, including radon mitigation, termite protection, and managing expansive or frost-heave-prone soils. By integrating these strategies, participants will gain the tools to design high-performance foundations that are as durable and efficient as the superstructure above.

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze Ground-Contact Physics: Explain the mechanisms of heat and moisture transport between the building and the soil, and why relying on "average" ground temperatures can lead to inaccurate energy modeling.
2. Mitigate Sub-Grade Risks: Identify and implement design solutions for non-thermal site challenges, including radon-safe soil gas venting, termite barriers, and accommodating expansive or frost-heave-prone soils.
3. Evaluate Climate-Specific Assemblies: Assess the most effective foundation types (e.g., raft slabs, insulated strip footings) for different climate zones and distinguish the unique constraints of new construction versus below-grade retrofits.
4. Solve Foundation Thermal Bridges: Demonstrate strategies to maintain a continuous thermal and airtight layer at the critical wall-to-foundation junction, preventing condensation, mold, and energy loss.

Presenters

Enrico Bonilauri

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
8:00 - 9:00 AM
Rooms 2/3

Beyond Energy Efficiency: Quantifying the Indoor Environmental Co-Benefits in Residential Constructions and Retrofits

Residential new construction and retrofits offer measurable opportunities to improve occupant health, comfort, and resilience, while energy efficiency remains the dominant metric for evaluating building performance. A growing body of evidence shows that occupants prioritize health and comfort alongside, and often above, energy savings, revealing a persistent misalignment between how buildings are evaluated and what homeowners actually value.

A key barrier is the difficulty of quantifying these co-benefits. Without robust methods for measuring and communicating health, comfort, and resilience outcomes, their integration into industry practice, investment decisions, and contractor messaging remains limited. This session presents two complementary approaches to address this gap.

The first evaluates specific retrofit packages across health, resilience, comfort, and noise outcomes to build more complete value measures for homeowners.
The second introduces Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) as a metric for indoor environmental quality impacts on occupant health, translating building performance into public health terms.

Together, these frameworks give contractors and practitioners practical tools to incorporate co-benefits into new construction and retrofit evaluations during client conversations, and to communicate the full value of high-performance residential construction.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the broader value of residential construction by identifying health, comfort, and resilience outcomes that extend beyond traditional energy efficiency metrics.
2. Apply Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) as a tool for connecting indoor environmental conditions to occupant health, and discuss how this approach supports evidence-based building performance evaluation.
3. Compare retrofit packages by analyzing their impacts across health, resilience, comfort, and noise reduction dimensions to strengthen decision-making and homeowner engagement.
4. Develop client-facing messaging that incorporates co-benefit evidence into contractor recommendations, prioritizing outcomes that reflect homeowner values and public health goals.

Presenters

Chrissi Antonopoulos, Senior Analyst, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Núria Casquero-Modrego, Researcher, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
8:00 - 9:00 AM
Room 4

High Performance Mechanicals 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

High Performance Mechanical Systems for Houses That Work is a mid-level, full day session 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.

Learning Objectives

1. Gain an understanding of the basic building science concepts relevant to mechanical systems in high performance housing;

2. 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;

3. 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;

4. Recognize opportunities for a wide range of equipment for at least space heating, space cooling, water heating, indoor air quality and occupant control;

5. 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.

Presenters

Gord Cooke, Partner - Professional Engineer, Construction Instruction

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
8:00 - 9:00 AM
Rooms 5/6

Break in Manufacturers' Showcase

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
9:00 - 9:30 AM
Manufacturer's Showcase, Upper Level Ballroom Concourse

How to Attract and Train the Next Generation

The availability of skilled labor remains a top concern for builders and they don’t see it going away any time soon, with 61% reporting facing labor shortages in 2026, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders. With thousands of skilled craftsmen retiring from the construction industry each year, finding construction and trade workers, especially those with adequate training, continues to be a challenge. Consistency in training has also become an issue as newer technologies are becoming more prevalent. As a builder, how can you find trades people who are knowledgeable about the latest equipment? As a contractor, how do you know you are getting the best available training? Come to this session to hear from builders who are helping bring the next generation into the trades through on-site training programs. You’ll also learn about Energy Skilled, a DOE program that recognizes training and certification programs in residential and commercial HVAC, water heating, and mechanicals that bridge critical knowledge gaps and help develop American talent for the future. You’ll also hear about some novel high school and even grade school programs that are attracting young people to careers in the trades.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn what some builders are doing to help train the next generation of construction workers.
2. Find out how DOE’s Energy Skilled can help you, whether you are a builder, a contracting business owner, a seasoned trades person, or someone just considering a career in the trades.
3. Hear about some unique high school and grade school training programs that are partnering with builders and contractors to encourage young people to try out the trades.
4. Discover some great resources for training your staff in the latest high-performance construction and equipment.

Presenters

Theresa Gilbride, Building Energy Efficiency Researcher, PNNL
Christian Kaltreider, Building Systems Engineer, PNNL
Ryan Hillgartner, Director of Marketing, Tim O'Brien Homes
Rick Wertheim, United Way of Long Island

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
9:30 - 10:30 AM
General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF

Value Per Square Foot: A New Housing Metric

For decades, the home building industry has relied on a deceptively simple metric: price per square foot. It’s easy to calculate, easy to compare—and fundamentally flawed. This outdated measure rewards size over quality, first cost over full cost, and short-term transactions over long-term value. In doing so, it has helped drive the commoditization of housing and fueled a race to the bottom in design, durability, and performance.

But the market is changing. Buyers are demanding homes that deliver resilience, wellness, energy independence, lower operating costs, and long-term financial stability. It’s time for a new metric.

Value Per Square Foot reframes how we evaluate housing by incorporating the factors that actually matter to homeowners: performance, durability, operating costs, health, resilience, and long-term equity. This session challenges the industry’s traditional assumptions and introduces a practical framework for builders, developers, and manufacturers to deliver homes that create more value—not just more space.

Attendees will learn how to move beyond the outdated price-per-square-foot mindset and adopt strategies that differentiate their products, strengthen margins, and better serve today’s homebuyers.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the limitations of price-per-square-foot as a valuation metric: Understand how the industry’s reliance on this simplistic measure contributes to housing commoditization and misaligned incentives.

2. Define the key drivers of Value Per Square Foot: Explore how resilience, wellness, performance, energy efficiency, and long-term operating costs influence homeowner value and purchasing decisions.

3. Apply Value Per Square Foot as a strategic framework: Learn how builders and developers can integrate higher-performance design and construction strategies while maintaining cost control.

4. Communicate value more effectively to buyers and stakeholders: Gain tools to reposition high-performance homes as a superior financial and lifestyle investment.

Presenters

Sara Gutterman, Green Builder Media
Dennis Webb, Vice President of Operations, Fulton Homes
Todd Usher, Founder, Addison Homes

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
9:30 - 10:30 AM
Rooms 2/3

Job Site Intelligence and Workforce Development

Our team of Shea Homes, Trade Trax, and ON3 collaborate to gain true insight into the building process. With 15 plus contractors representing multiple scopes, constructing a home, our ability to gather prescient job site intelligence has not been possible. We possess the abiility to gahter relevant job site data which will readily support effective deciion making. With all major leadership categories of Procurement, Cycle Time Efficiency, Construcion Qaulity Metrics, Contractor quality metrics, Contractor efficienciency metrics, and Work Force Development being covered and supported with the truth and complete information; We look forward to sharing fresh insight which addresses decades mature knowledge blind spots.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn about Real Time Job Site Intelligence

2. Understand Cycle Time Efficiency Direction

3. Discover True Cost Knowledge

4. Learn about Workforce support and development

Presenters

Corey Carroll, Construction Operations, Trilogy Arizona
Paul Cardis, Founder, ON3
Pat Crowley, Innovator
Alec Schnall, President, TradeTrax

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
9:30 - 10:30 AM
Room 4

Break in Manufacturers' Showcase

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
10:30 - 11:00 AM
Manufacturer's Showcase, Upper Level Ballroom Concourse

Falling Short: Diagnosing and Preventing Above-Code Certification Deficiencies

Even experienced high-performance builders can fall short when navigating the increasingly complex requirements of above-code certification programs. From subtle design misalignments to jobsite execution gaps, small misses can cascade into failed inspections, costly rework, and missed certifications. This session takes a practical, builder-focused deep dive into the most common—and often overlooked—failure points across ENERGY STAR, DOE Efficient New Homes (formerly ZERH), Indoor airPLUS, and Phius. Attendees will learn how to identify risk early, coordinate trades effectively, and implement field-tested strategies that ensure homes not only meet program requirements but pass the first time. Grounded in real-world examples, this training bridges the gap between program intent, building science, and jobsite reality—helping builders deliver consistent, certifiable, high-performance homes without surprises at final inspection.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand where projects go off track.
2. Identify Design-Phase Risks
3. Learn about jobsite execution that makes or breaks certification
4. Discover testing & verification insights

Presenters

Phil Anderson, QA and New Homes Manager, Center for Energy & Environment
Tony Beres, Specialist in Residential New Homes, CEE
Andy Nail, RFI, CEE
Jake Selstad, Center for Energy & Environment

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
11:00 - 12:00 PM
General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF

From Building Science to Buyer Confidence: Marketing High-Performance Homes So They Sell

High-performance homes solve real problems for today’s buyers, but many builders still struggle to market them in a way that is clear, compelling, and easy to understand. Too often, marketing focuses on features instead of outcomes, leaving buyers unsure why better building science matters or why it justifies the price. This session will show builders how to translate building performance into messaging that builds trust, supports sales, and improves lead quality. Attendees will learn how to position high-performance homes around the benefits buyers actually care about: comfort, health, durability, resilience, lower operating costs, and peace of mind. The session will break down how to align website messaging, community pages, signage, social content, video, and sales conversations so the customer journey consistently reinforces value. It will also cover common marketing mistakes builders make when selling high-performance homes, including overly technical language, inconsistent messaging, and generic content that fails to differentiate. Designed for builders and marketers alike, this presentation offers a practical framework for turning building science into buyer confidence—so high-performance homes are not just better built, but better understood and more effectively sold.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the most common messaging mistakes that make high-performance homes harder to market and sell.
2. Translate technical performance features into buyer-centered language focused on comfort, health, durability, resilience, and long-term value.
3. Apply a simple messaging framework across websites, social media, signage, sales materials, and model home conversations.
4. Improve lead quality and sales effectiveness by aligning marketing content with how buyers evaluate and understand high-performance homes.

Presenters

Emily Meadows, Founder, Glue Branding

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
11:00 - 12:00 PM
Room 4

A Panel on Panels, Modular, Offsite, and Onsite Automation in Construction Practices

Abstract Offsite construction and automation continue to make news in the construction industry. A variety of panel and modular home products are now available, and automation practices are becoming more prevalent in the construction industry. This panel session will include lessons learned from production builders who have used offsite construction to build high-performance homes. The panel will also include builders turned innovators who are using new automated onsite processes for single-family and multi-family construction. We will discuss some of these new offsite and automated construction methods and the potential they offer for lower cost, lower waste, greater consistency, and shorter delivery times. If you’re a builder who has wondered how offsite construction and construction automation might fit into your business model or if you are just curious about some of these exciting new developments in our industry, this session is for you. Tyler Pilet and Theresa Gilbride of PNNL will moderate this panel session.

Learning Objectives

1. Review the different types of off-site construction methods used by builders and others.
2. Learn about two new innovations in automated onsite construction processes and practices.
3. Identify cost-saving measures in materials purchasing, construction time, labor, scheduling, and error reduction that can be achieved with off-site construction and onsite automation in comparison to traditional on-site construction.
4. Hear results from real-world examples that incorporate these nontraditional construction methods in recent construction projects.

Presenters

Theresa Gilbride, Building Energy Efficiency Researcher, PNNL
Gene Myers, CEO of Thrive Home Builders, Thrive Home Builders, Inc.
Bill Rectanus, AUAR

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
11:00 - 12:00 PM
Rooms 2/3

Awards Luncheon

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
12:00 - 1:30 PM
General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF

The Hidden Barrier to Affordability...Your Supply Chain

Much attention is focused on housing affordability. This issue is especially important for High Performance Builders. We know it costs more to build a better house. Radical solutions have been proposed including 50-year mortgages, prohibitions of some build for rent projects, 3-D printing of houses, with notable failures like Katerra, Veev and Connect Homes that have lost billions in unsuccessful attempts to bring costs down.

What if double-digit percentage savings are hiding in your house budgets? Our industry has been accused of being archaic and inefficient. This is especially true of our outdated manufacturer-distributor-wholesaler-subcontractor markups. In an Amazon world, what if we could access the high performance equipment we need without paying the middlemen?

Join Dennis Webb, Todd Usher, Jim Shelton and Gene Myers for a revealing conversation about how we much we pay for middlemen that may offer little or no value.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn how much we pay middlemen and why they may add little or no value.

2. Explore the possibility of an "Amazon style" manufacturer-to-builder supply chain.

3. Learn the obstacles to implementation of a new supply chain model.

4. Find out if changing your supply chain is right for you.

Presenters

Gene Myers, CEO of Thrive Home Builders, Thrive Home Builders, Inc.
Jim Shelton, Panasonic, National Sales Manager for Panasonic Home & Environment Company
Todd Usher, Founder, Addison Homes
Dennis Webb, Vice President of Operations, Fulton Homes

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
3:00 - 4:00 PM
General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF

Stop Competing on Price: The Messaging Shift High-Performance Builders Need Now to Sell More

If you’re a high-performance builder still losing jobs to “cheaper” competitors, even when you know your work is better, this session is for you. Beneath the surface, your real problem isn’t quality; it’s that your message sounds just like everyone else’s, so prospects default to comparing bids instead of trusting your expertise. In this talk, you’ll discover how to speak directly to the real fears, frustrations, and desires of your ideal clients, so they feel understood before they ever see your price. You’ll discover how to reposition your story from features and specs to outcomes and risk reduction, clarify why your homes are the safer, smarter investment, and create simple shifts in how you talk about your work that shorten sales cycles, raise close rates, and attract clients willing to pay for performance and not discounts.

Learning Objectives

1. Diagnose why your current messaging causes prospects to see you as “one of many” and default to comparing bids on price instead of trusting your expertise.

2. Reframe how you talk about your work from features and specs to client outcomes, risk reduction, and long-term value, so buyers clearly see the difference between you and cheaper options.

3. Clarify a simple, repeatable core message that speaks directly to your ideal clients’ fears, frustrations, and desires, so they feel understood and are more willing to pay for performance, and not discounts.

4. Implement practical shifts in your sales conversations, proposals, and follow-ups that shorten sales cycles, increase close rates, and generate more profitable, high-fit projects.

Presenters

Christopher Salem, Christopher Salem

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
1:30 - 2:30 PM
Rooms 2/3

Using Geothermal Energy to Reach Higher Performance Standards

Perfecting the approach to meeting energy codes and unlocking rebates, including ENERGY STAR, has been foundational for builders, buyers, and the growth of our industry. Achieving these standards, however, is easier said than done.

For years, geothermal energy has been used to heat and cool buildings more efficiently. What’s new is the emerging path for residential builders to implement it. Combined with modern performance software, builders can streamline the path to compliance – meeting requirements while driving down cost of ownership and differentiating their products.

This collaborative session, led by Ekotrope and Dandelion Energy, outlines the roadmap for reaching these home efficiency standards across markets.

Presenters will cover how specific material, envelope, and mechanical design decisions affect the performance equation in Ekotrope, and how production-scale builders can reliably deploy geothermal without compromising cost or efficiency metrics.

This session will also examine financing models that enable geothermal adoption with minimal mobilizations and lower barriers to entry. Attendees will learn how to leverage various policy incentives that cut upfront installation costs and performance software to control energy consumption.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the technical pathways to reach high performance standards with geothermal systems using modeling software.
2. Implement cost-effective home design and energy choices that align with modern high-performance building standards.
3. Maximize access to federal and utility rebates associated with high efficiency standards and geothermal adoption.
4. Streamline geothermal integration using standardized workflows that support production-scale builder operations.

Presenters

Lucas Coplon, Director of Enterprise Sales, Dandelion Energy
Wyatt Roberts, Head of New Construction, Dandelion Energy
Cy Kilbourn, Co-founder and Vice President of Engineering, Ekotrope

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
1:30 - 2:30 PM
Room 4

Break in Manufacturers' Showcase

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
2:30 - 3:00 PM
Manufacturer's Showcase, Upper Level Ballroom Concourse

Carbon, Conservation, and Construction: Connecting Forest Management to the Built Environment

At the Energy & Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA) High Performance Home Builder Summit, a panel titled “Carbon, Conservation, and Construction: Connecting Forest Management to the Built Environment” will explore how sustainable forest management and wood products play a critical role in creating healthier, lower-carbon buildings. Moderated by EEBA CEO Aaron Smith, the discussion brings together Brian Huberty, John Rajala, and Tom Radovich to connect the dots between forest stewardship, carbon storage, and the materials used in modern construction. Panelists will highlight how responsible forestry, innovative wood manufacturing, and high-performance building practices can work together to reduce embodied carbon, strengthen rural economies, and support the next generation of resilient homes. The session aligns with EEBA’s mission to advance building science and collaboration so that high-performance, resource-efficient homes become the mainstream standard for the built environment.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the connection between forest management and the built environment by examining how sustainable forestry practices influence the availability, performance, and environmental impact of wood-based building materials.

2. Explain the role of forests and wood products in carbon storage and reduction of embodied carbon in residential and commercial construction.

3. Identify how collaboration between forestry, manufacturing, and building sectors can support resilient supply chains, rural economic development, and climate-responsive construction practices.

4. Evaluate strategies for integrating sustainably sourced wood products into high-performance building design to improve environmental outcomes while meeting modern construction and energy-efficiency standards.

Presenters

Aaron Smith, CEO, EEBA
Brian Huberty, President, Minnesota Forestry Association
Tom Radovich, Minnesota Forest Industries
John Rajala, Minnesota Timber & Millwork

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
1:30 - 2:30 PM
General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF

The Rubber Meets the Road on Embodied Carbon: Standards, Tools and Actionable Insights

Embodied carbon assessment and analysis is ready for prime time! This critical aspect of building decarbonization now has a governing standard specific to the home building sector in the form of RESNET 1550, a sector-focused tool in the revamped BEAM estimator and leading practicioners who are using the standard and the tool to bring affordable, effective and impactful insights to the practice of homebuilding. In this session, you'll hear directly from those involved in making the standard, the tool and the insights and get your questions answered so you too can ramp up your decarb efforts.

Learning Objectives

1. Explore the contents of the new RESNET Standard 1550 and the BEAM estimator tool.
2. Describe the life cycle modules and building components included in RESNET 1550 and the sources of supporting data incorporated into the BEAM estimator tool.
3. Formulate a strategy for the potential inclusion of embodied carbon assessment and analysis in your own decarbonization efforts and workflow.
4. Discuss issues and concerns with 1550, BEAM and the available insights as they relate to your practice.

Presenters

Justin Krupa, Manager, Empirical Solutions
Matthew Cooper, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, PEG, LLC
Jacob Racusin, Lead Embodied Carbon Researcher, Builders for Climate Action
Chris Magwood, RMI & Builders for Climate Action

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
3:00 - 4:00 PM
Rooms 2/3

New Tools in the Builder's Window Toolbox

Windows are the weakest thermal link in your building's envelope. For years, the common refrain has been that double-pane windows are good enough, and accessing R-5 triple-pane windows has meant higher prices due to feature bundling and premium product lines. A multistate market transformation partnership challenged manufacturers with a golden carrot. Three manufacturers answered the call to deliver cost-optimized, entry-level triple-pane products at a price point that works for multi-family, affordable, and volume builders. Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity joins this session as a builder advocate, putting these products to work in the field, as they aim for net-zero homes by 2032. This session outlines how to get triple-pane performance for less than you may think, and specify them with confidence without changing your building practices.

Learning Objectives

1) Compare triple-pane windows against alternative code compliance pathways and assess cost-on-performance tradeoffs in value engineering.

2) Explain how feature bundling and premium trim levels have historically impacted triple-pane windows, and identify price break points that would enable broad adoption.

3) Describe a golden carrot RFP model as a market transformation strategy and how it may be applied to other building products.

4) Identify remaining barriers to mainstream adoption of triple-pane windows and discuss strategies for addressing them through supply chain partnerships.

Presenters

Brady Nemeth, Demand Side Management Professional
Mike Robertson, Decarbonization & Sustainability Lead, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
Steven Sylvestre, Initiative Manager - High-Performance Windows, Center for Energy & Environment

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
3:00 - 4:00 PM
Room 4

Xcel Energy Networking Reception in Manufacturers' Showcase

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
4:00 - 5:30 PM
Manufacturer's Showcase, Upper Level Ballroom Concourse

Offsite Event at The Energy Conservatory

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
5:30 - 9:00 PM

Houses That Work

In this session, learn how complex changes in home design, building materials, mechanical systems, appliances, code compliance and consumer lifestyles and expectations make every builder, supplier, and trade contractor’s job more demanding. This design workshop will cover the fundamentals of building science and how it is applied to create many different types of high-performance walls and assemblies.?The session will address critical home performance elements that exist as a system and are part of energy efficient homes. The fundamentals of building science - air, heat, and moisture flow – will be outlined and applied to help participants make better choices with respect to construction materials and methods. Participants will also learn important information about indoor air quality and cost-effective strategies to be able to offer healthier indoor environments.

At the end of the session, attendees will have a thorough understanding of how to build better attics, walls, and foundations and how to choose HVAC systems that integrate properly into their homes. This session will also cover how building science principles improve the marketing position for building professionals, providing case studies of builders who have changed their building processes and gained return through communicating the value of high-performance homes.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn the elements of high-performance homes and how they help respond to code compliance and the many changes in the residential construction industry, as well as consumer expectations.

2. Understand the fundamentals of air, heat and moisture flow and see how they can be applied to make better material and methods decisions.

3. Apply the building science to attics, walls, windows, foundations, and HVAC decisions to create high performance homes.

4. Identify the building process changes needed to cost-effectively implement high performance homes.

Presenters

Gord Cooke, Partner - Professional Engineer, Construction Instruction

Day 3: Sep 18, 2026
8:00 - 3:00 PM
Rooms 5/6

Selling High Performance Homes 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Empower homebuyers to make informed decisions with EEBA’s popular Selling High Performance Homes session focused on communicating the value, comfort and importance of high performance and energy efficient homes. The session will be of interest to builders, new home sales professionals, real estate agents, appraisers, manufacturers’ representatives and housing program or utility personnel.
This presentation applies proven sales techniques to the task of helping attendees educate homebuyers on the technical features of energy efficiency and building science. This fast-paced and engaging workshop explores examples, case studies and role play scenarios relevant to all types of new home builders, including custom, mid-size and large volume builders. Learn how to draw upon the successes of many builders who have already realized the benefits of Selling High Performance Homes.

Learning Objectives

1. Utilize various housing programs such as DOE Efficient New Homes or ENERGY STAR for New Homes.
2. Develop a sales plan to help clients make more informed decisions about high performance homes.
3. Translate the technical features of high performance home benefits that home buyers can understand and value.
4. Integrate the technical features of new homes into existing sales and marketing plans.
5. Use technical language of high performance homes to enhance sales confidence.

Presenters

Gord Cooke, Partner - Professional Engineer, Construction Instruction

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
1:00 - 2:00 PM
Rooms 5/6

Selling High Performance Homes 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Empower homebuyers to make informed decisions with EEBA’s popular Selling High Performance Homes session focused on communicating the value, comfort and importance of high performance and energy efficient homes. The session will be of interest to builders, new home sales professionals, real estate agents, appraisers, manufacturers’ representatives and housing program or utility personnel.
This presentation applies proven sales techniques to the task of helping attendees educate homebuyers on the technical features of energy efficiency and building science. This fast-paced and engaging workshop explores examples, case studies and role play scenarios relevant to all types of new home builders, including custom, mid-size and large volume builders. Learn how to draw upon the successes of many builders who have already realized the benefits of Selling High Performance Homes.

Learning Objectives

1. Utilize various housing programs such as DOE Efficient New Homes or ENERGY STAR for New Homes.
2. Develop a sales plan to help clients make more informed decisions about high performance homes.
3. Translate the technical features of high performance home benefits that home buyers can understand and value.
4. Integrate the technical features of new homes into existing sales and marketing plans.
5. Use technical language of high performance homes to enhance sales confidence.

Presenters

Gord Cooke, Partner - Professional Engineer, Construction Instruction

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
2:30 - 3:30 PM
Rooms 5/6

Selling High Performance Homes 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Empower homebuyers to make informed decisions with EEBA’s popular Selling High Performance Homes session focused on communicating the value, comfort and importance of high performance and energy efficient homes. The session will be of interest to builders, new home sales professionals, real estate agents, appraisers, manufacturers’ representatives and housing program or utility personnel.
This presentation applies proven sales techniques to the task of helping attendees educate homebuyers on the technical features of energy efficiency and building science. This fast-paced and engaging workshop explores examples, case studies and role play scenarios relevant to all types of new home builders, including custom, mid-size and large volume builders. Learn how to draw upon the successes of many builders who have already realized the benefits of Selling High Performance Homes.

Learning Objectives

1. Utilize various housing programs such as DOE Efficient New Homes or ENERGY STAR for New Homes.
2. Develop a sales plan to help clients make more informed decisions about high performance homes.
3. Translate the technical features of high performance home benefits that home buyers can understand and value.
4. Integrate the technical features of new homes into existing sales and marketing plans.
5. Use technical language of high performance homes to enhance sales confidence.

Presenters

Gord Cooke, Partner - Professional Engineer, Construction Instruction

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
4:00 - 5:00 PM
Rooms 5/6

High Performance Mechanicals 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

High Performance Mechanical Systems for Houses That Work is a mid-level, full day session 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.

Learning Objectives

1. Gain an understanding of the basic building science concepts relevant to mechanical systems in high performance housing;
2. 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;
3. 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;
4. Recognize opportunities for a wide range of equipment for at least space heating, space cooling, water heating, indoor air quality and occupant control;
5. 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.

Presenters

Gord Cooke, Partner - Professional Engineer, Construction Instruction

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
9:30 - 10:30 AM
Rooms 5/6

High Performance Mechanicals 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

High Performance Mechanical Systems for Houses That Work is a mid-level, full day session 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.

Learning Objectives

1. Gain an understanding of the basic building science concepts relevant to mechanical systems in high performance housing;
2. 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;
3. 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;
4. Recognize opportunities for a wide range of equipment for at least space heating, space cooling, water heating, indoor air quality and occupant control;
5. 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.

Presenters

Gord Cooke, Partner - Professional Engineer, Construction Instruction

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
11:00 - 12:00 PM
Rooms 5/6

High Performance Mechanicals 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

High Performance Mechanical Systems for Houses That Work is a mid-level, full day session 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.

Learning Objectives

1. Gain an understanding of the basic building science concepts relevant to mechanical systems in high performance housing;
2. 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;
3. 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;
4. Recognize opportunities for a wide range of equipment for at least space heating, space cooling, water heating, indoor air quality and occupant control;
5. 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.

Presenters

Gord Cooke, Partner - Professional Engineer, Construction Instruction

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
1:30 - 2:30 PM
Rooms 5/6

High Performance Mechanicals 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

High Performance Mechanical Systems for Houses That Work is a mid-level, full day session 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.

Learning Objectives

1. Gain an understanding of the basic building science concepts relevant to mechanical systems in high performance housing;
2. 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;
3. 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;
4. Recognize opportunities for a wide range of equipment for at least space heating, space cooling, water heating, indoor air quality and occupant control;
5. 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.

Presenters

Gord Cooke, Partner - Professional Engineer, Construction Instruction

Day 2: Sep 17, 2026
3:00 - 4:00 PM
Rooms 5/6

Smart Tips and Strategies to Manage Today’s Ever-Changing Market

Today’s market has its ups and downs, uncovering new challenges and opportunities. This webinar offers insights from two leading industry experts so you can better anticipate and respond to today’s emerging trends and beyond. We’ll explore market demand, product types for tomorrow’s buyers, strategies that maximize long-term value while adapting to regulatory, environmental, and lifestyle changes. Plus, we pay special attention to tariff and supply chain challenges with specific focus on how AI and technology are creating competitive advantages for small-to-mid-sized pros. You’ll discover available and soon to be launched Buildxact capabilities that will help your business adapt and grow.

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze market demand and future product trends to align product selection with buyer needs.
2. Leverage technology to enhance business outcomes and mitigate risks.
3. Understand how to manage tariff and supply chain challenges.
4. Learn ways to work more efficiently and effectively with suppliers.

Presenters

Jennifer Castenson, Vice President of Public Relations, Buildxact
Michael Anschel, Owner, OA Design+Build

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
9:30 - 10:30 AM
Rooms 2/3

Phil Anderson

QA and New Homes Manager, Center for Energy & Environment

Phil has worked in energy efficiency for residential buildings for nearly 20 years. He spent the first part of his career in energy efficiency working on retrofitting existing buildings to achieve high energy efficiency goals. He currently consults with builders and developers to construct very efficient new housing, performing energy ratings for various above code energy efficiency programs, and working with the CEE team that has been involved in some of the most energy efficient residential housing projects in Minnesota. Phil also works with contractors, utilities, and government agencies to help develop and deliver programs for high performance new and existing home programs. He enjoys working with architects, builders, developers, contractors, and homeowners to address the challenges of making housing more healthy, efficient, and comfortable.

Michael Anschel

Owner, OA Design+Build

Michael Anschel Michael, a nationally recognized expert on green design, remodeling and building, writes, trains, and speaks for various publications and events around the world. His building assemblies have been published in numerous publications including the US Department of Energy. He is the owner of OA Design+Build an award winning nationally celebrated design build and architecture firm (celebrating 28 years in business), and CEO of Verified Green Inc. which consults with Local Government, product manufacturers, suppliers, builders, and architects on Green building. Michael led the effort to develop MN GreenStar, and is past-president of the national GreenStar Alliance. He also teaches Green Building at Boston Architectural College. Born in MN, he attended Capital Normal University (Beijing), and the U of M. He has had the honor of presenting at Harvard’s Center for Joint Housing Studies, and The United Negro College Fund. He helped develop the city of St. Paul’s sustainability building policy, and re-wrote Minneapolis’s yard ordinance. Named #25 in Metro Magazine’s 100 reasons to love the Twin Cities and called “one of the nation’s most outspoken green building advocates” by MN Business, Michael successfully straddles the building, design, and green worlds by engineering profitability into sustainability.

Chrissi Antonopoulos

Senior Analyst, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Chrissi Antonopoulos joined Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Portland office in 2010 and has worked on a broad range of projects ranging from green buildings, residential energy efficiency, techno-economic analysis, appliance efficiency standards and smart grid development. Chrissi is currently Senior Analyst working with the Energy Technology Market Adoption Team to enhance the presence of green technologies in the commercial marketplace. Current work includes analysis of green building technology diffusion in the building sector, valuation of energy efficient residential homes, assessment of wall systems for residential deep energy retrofits, and residential indoor air quality.

Tony Beres

Specialist in Residential New Homes, CEE

Zach Billings

Load Flexibility and DER Strategy and Portfolio Leader, Xcel Energy

Enrico Bonilauri

Enrico is a distinguished Italian architect and sustainability expert with an impressive academic foundation, holding two Master’s Degrees: one in Architecture from the University of Parma (Italy) and another in Sustainable Design from the University of Sydney (Australia). As a registered Italian Architect, Certified Passive House Trainer, Designer, and PHI Certifier, Enrico has cultivated a global career spanning Australia, Europe, and North America, specializing in building envelope analysis and sustainable design. His expertise is grounded in thousands of hours of hands-on construction site experience, making him a trusted authority in the field. A highly sought-after speaker, Enrico has shared his insights at leading conferences across Germany, Austria, China, the US, Canada, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand. He is the Co-Founder of Emu, where he has been instrumental in developing their renowned Passive House training curriculum, empowering American builders since 2017. In 2024, Enrico took on the role of CEO at Emu, where he continues to lead the charge in advancing sustainable building practices and driving innovation in high-performance construction.

Dr. Jim Bowyer

Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota

Dr. Bowyer is Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering. He currently writes a monthly series on responsible consumption as Senior Contributor to Dovetail Partners, Inc. – a nonprofit organization that provides authoritative information about the impacts and trade-offs of environmental decisions, including consumption choices, land use, and policy alternatives (www.dovetailinc.org).

Adam Broderick

Lead Scientist, DuPont Performance Building Solutions

Adam is a Lead Scientist at DuPont Performance Building Solutions, where his focus is on product innovation and new application methods to accelerate widespread adoption of improved air sealing techniques within the residential building community. After spending 10 years in the area of Materials Science and Engineering, Adam has worked for the past 5 years to apply a deep understanding of material design, combined with insights into current air sealing practices and Building Science, to deliver novel solutions in the air sealing product space. For the past 2 years, Adam has served as a building envelope consultant and regular construction volunteer / crew lead for the local Habitat for Humanity affiliates.

Galen Burell

My mission is to leverage design and technology to create exceptional physical environments for both people and planet to thrive. I have over 20 years of combined experience in the construction industry, ranging from architectural engineering, lighting design, building technology, and building materials. I leverage robust market research and customer insights to drive strategy and innovation for technical products and solutions.

Paul Cardis

Founder, ON3

Corey Carroll

Construction Operations, Trilogy Arizona

Núria Casquero-Modrego

Researcher, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Núria is an architect and construction engineer trained at UC Berkeley and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). She is currently a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), where she focuses on the intersection of the built environment, indoor environmental quality, and occupant health. Her research aims to enhance both the energy performance and non-energy impacts of residential buildings, particularly through retrofits that prioritize health outcomes. She contributes to national and international initiatives, including the IEA EBC programme, ASHRAE, ISIAQ and UNEP. Previously, she worked on the SinBerBEST Project at UC Berkeley, led UC Berkeley’s 3rd-place team in the 2017 U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon, and served on the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) faculty. She also co-founded TC ESTUDI Arquitectura in Barcelona, specializing in energy retrofitting, and affordable housing.

Jennifer Castenson

Vice President of Public Relations, Buildxact

Jennifer provides thought leadership for collaboration through technology to drive a higher level of efficiency for builders and dealers. She develops and curates content to be a catalyst for innovation with stakeholders involved in residential construction. She also is a contributing writer to Forbes.

Gina Ciganik

CEO, Habitable

As CEO of Habitable, Gina is recognized nationally for her leadership in transforming human and environmental health. Her strategic partnerships and innovative practices have reshaped housing standards across the affordable housing sector.

Sarah Cok

Building Science Consultant, Newport Partners, LLC

Sarah Cok has been working in construction and sustainability since 2019. She joined Newport Partners in 2022 and provides technical support for DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program. She helped to develop the Multifamily Version 2 specifications, provides support to builder and developer partners, and develops training materials for the program. Sarah has also developed and presented training on emerging technologies, supported the exponential growth of the ZERH program, and engaged with high school students to encourage the development of the green building workforce. Sarah’s background prior to joining Newport includes work with Habitat for Humanity, research in the adaptive reuse of historic structures, and civil engineering and architectural design work.

Gord Cooke

Partner - Professional Engineer, Construction Instruction

Gord Cooke is a Partner with Construction Instruction Inc. Gord is a professional engineer with over 25 years of experience in the low and high-rise residential building industry. As an educator, industry consultant and much sought after presenter, Gord has a unique talent for taking the building science issues that he sees in the field, and presenting them in an easily understood and practical real-world manner. Gord has particular expertise in applied building science, energy efficient housing initiatives, innovative HVAC systems, ventilation and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). He has developed and delivered a multitude of workshops in these fields, as well as sales and marketing courses for builders and real estate agents to help them best promote the features and benefits of high performance houses.

Matthew Cooper

Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, PEG, LLC

Matthew T. Cooper is the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of PEG LLC. Mr. Cooper’s thirty years of expertise in the evaluation, design and control of the built environment have helped to establish PEG as an industry leader and innovator. Designations and Certifications conferred upon Mr. Cooper include: LEED Accredited Professional from the US Green Building Council, National Green Building Standard Verifier from the National Association of Home Builders, the Certified Indoor Environmentalist (CIE) certification from the Indoor Air Quality Association, Certified Supervisor by the National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB) in the disciplines of air and hydronic balance and the National Air Filtration Association’s air filtration certification (CAFT). PEG is a recognized leading provider of professional engineering design and diagnostic services in the mechanical, electrical and plumbing disciplines as well as a national leader of utility and municipal demand side control programs, green building certification, RESNET HERS Ratings, code compliance inspections and new construction ENERGY STAR and DOE ZERH certification in 27 states. Mr. Cooper completed Mechanical Engineering studies at the University of Maryland and the US Air Force College of Applied Aerospace Sciences. He also completed post graduate studies in Quality Systems Management at the National Graduate School. Mr. Cooper is on the ANSI / RESNET Standards Development Committee for the SDC 1500 – Embodied Carbon in Residential New Construction Standard and is a sitting member of the ESG for Building Advisory Group which released their inaugural ESG Defining Principles framework in February 2024. PEG has RESNET HERS Rated more than 200,000 homes in America and has been an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence for more than 10 consecutive years.

Lucas Coplon

Director of Enterprise Sales, Dandelion Energy

Lucas Coplon is Director of Enterprise Sales at Dandelion Energy, where he partners with residential builders to bring innovative geothermal solutions to new home communities.

With a background in building science and home performance, Lucas has worked closely with builders, engineers, and manufacturers to navigate evolving energy codes, improve building performance, and deliver practical solutions that benefit both builders and homeowners. His combination of technical knowledge and relationship-driven sales experience helps bridge the gap between innovation and implementation.

Lucas is passionate about advancing high-performance homebuilding and supporting the builders who are shaping the future of residential construction.

Megan Cordes

Director Sustainability and Building Science, Beazer Homes

Megan Cordes recently joined Beazer Homes as the Director of Sustainability and Building Science. She comes to Beazer with over 15 years of experience working with forward-thinking industry leaders to advance building energy efficiency and sustainability practices thoughtfully and cost-effectively.
For more than 25 years, Beazer has been a leader in building homes ahead of current standards and beyond expectations. Beazer was the first U.S. national homebuilder to publicly commit that by the end of 2025, every home built will meet the requirements of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Zero Energy Ready Home program. In her role, Megan is responsible for furthering Beazer’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact.

Megan Cordes

Director Sustainability and Building Science, Beazer Homes

Megan Cordes recently joined Beazer Homes as the Director of Sustainability and Building Science. She comes to Beazer with over 15 years of experience working with forward-thinking industry leaders to advance building energy efficiency and sustainability practices thoughtfully and cost-effectively.
For more than 25 years, Beazer has been a leader in building homes ahead of current standards and beyond expectations. Beazer was the first U.S. national homebuilder to publicly commit that by the end of 2025, every home built will meet the requirements of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Zero Energy Ready Home program. In her role, Megan is responsible for furthering Beazer’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact.

Pat Crowley

Innovator

Dave Everson

Mandalay Homes

Dave Everson is president and founder of Mandalay Homes in Prescott AZ.

Asa Foss

Technical Director, EPA ENERGY STAR Residential New Construction Programs

Asa Foss joined EPA’s ENERGY STAR Residential Branch in 2020, where he’s responsible for developing a decarbonization-focused new construction specification. He’s been in the residential efficiency industry since the early 2000s, including a decade at the US Green Building Council, where he was responsible for the development of the LEED for Homes rating systems. He renovated and lives in a designated-historic ENERGY STAR certified home in Washington, DC.

Sam Friesen

Fresh Energy

Sam Friesen is Managing Director of Buildings at Fresh Energy. Through high-impact integrated solutions, Sam steers Fresh Energy’s work to transition away from fossil fuels in Minnesota’s building sector and dramatically reduce carbon emissions from the state’s built environment.

Sam graduated from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee with a B.A. in Global Studies-Cities. With interdisciplinary work experience ranging from fuel cell research, building energy systems, urban programs, and sustainable building design and construction. Sam has a broad background and pragmatic technical approach founded in boots on the ground construction and implementation of applied building decarbonization strategies.

Prior to his policy work Sam owned and operated a sustainable design+build firm focused on low-carbon materials and novel building systems. Delving into all aspects of building sustainability, Sam’s efforts have been focused on how to cost-effectively decarbonize buildings through innovative design, materials, and building energy systems. Intrinsic to his work has been the development of cost-effective, low carbon framing systems, construction for deconstruction, low carbon materials, graywater recovery, passive solar design, and design in balance with natural forest ecologies.

Dean Gamble

Technical Manager, EPA

Dean Gamble is the technical manager for EPA’s ENERGY STAR Single-Family New Homes program, which he has helped support, define, and implement for over 20 years. With over 2.2 million homes certified, ENERGY STAR is the nation’s largest voluntary residential market transformation program, delivering cost-effective energy-efficient homes while improving their durability, comfort, and quality.

Charlie Gechter

BOA Builders

Theresa Gilbride

Building Energy Efficiency Researcher, PNNL

Theresa (Terri) Gilbride is a building energy efficiency researcher with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington, where she supports the U.S. Department of Energy as a content manager for DOE’s Building America and Zero Energy Ready Home programs. Terri has authored or co-authored 28 reports and 35 articles on residential energy efficiency and related topics. She served as the lead editor and an author on the Building America best practice guides, a 17-volume series including climate-specific guides for high-performance home builders in all U.S. climate zones and retrofit guides on air sealing, insulation, and HVAC. She has given more than 20 talks on building performance topics at national and international conferences in the last five years. She has also published on building codes and emerging technologies such as window attachments, solid state lighting, and HVAC. Terri is the content manager for the Building America Solution Center, an online resource for home builders and remodelers that receives about 60,000 visits per month.

Patrick Goodman

CFO, Noyes Development

As the CFO of Noyes Development, Patrick brings more than 15 years of accounting expertise to the board. His professional journey spans a diverse range of industries, including manufacturing, aviation, and now focused on home building (definitely the favorite!). Rather than simply managing balance sheets, Patrick is driven by a desire to understand the "why" behind the numbers, using financial data to tell a larger story about organizational growth and operational health. Outside of his executive role, Patrick prioritizes time with his family. Married for over 20 years and a father of four, he loves going on adventures and just doing life together. Weekends might find him hitting the trail, or tinkering on some project, or just reading a good book with the family.

Bill Graber

Partner, The Energy Conservatory

Bill a Partner at The Energy Conservatory (TEC). He joined TEC in 2019. Bill previously worked at Emerson on pressure and flow measurements for over 25 years in engineering, business development, and strategic planning roles. Bill has 3 patents related to flow measurement and holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from the University of Minnesota.

Andrew Guido

VP of Sustainability & Innovation, Empire Communities

Andrew Guido is the Vice President of Sustainability & Innovation for Empire Communities, based in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada, with master plan developments and homebuilding operations in Ontario, Texas, Georgia, and the Carolinas.

He is a Certified Building Biologist and has overseen the design and construction of Empire's first
wellness real estate concept home, focused on improving indoor air quality (IAQ). Additionally, he is
leading the design of Empire's inaugural Net Zero Energy Home, which aims to be carbon minimal. He
also leads Empire’s Regenerative Farm initiative that is a learning project for inclusion in future master
planned communities and currently supplying employees with subsidized farm fresh produce on a
weekly basis. He is currently occupied with Empire’s inaugural ESG Report that will include Scope 1, 2 & 3 GHG emissions. With over 30 years of experience in strategic leadership and a diverse business
background, Andrew is committed to driving purposeful change in the real estate industry

Sara Gutterman

Green Builder Media

As Co-Founder and CEO of Green Builder Media, North America’s leading media company focused on sustainable living, Sara has established a reputation as a visionary thought leader and passionate advocate for sustainability. She works closely with a diverse group of stakeholders in the building industry to develop impactful, long-term green strategies that are simultaneously sustainable and profitable.
A former venture capitalist, she has participated in a portion of the life cycle (from funding to exit) of over 20 companies. She graduated from Dartmouth College and holds an MBA in entrepreneurship and finance from the University of Colorado. She lives in Lake City, Colorado with her husband, where she is an avid long-distance runner, snowboarder, and CrossFit trainer. Sara runs the Rural Segment for Energize Colorado and served as a County Commissioner.

Kirk Hammersmith

PulteGroup

Ryan Harris

Chief Revenue Officer, SPAN

Ryan Harris is the Chief Revenue Officer at SPAN, leading commercial initiatives since January 2022. He focuses on scaling cost effective resiliency in home energy technology. Previously, he spent a decade at Sunrun, culminating as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. He holds a Bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley.

Ryan Hillgartner

Director of Marketing, Tim O'Brien Homes

Ryan Hillgartner is the Director of Marketing for Tim O'Brien Homes with ten years of experience as a Marketing Professional. A member of the Tim O'Brien Homes Leadership Team, Ryan is passionate about High Performance Homebuilding as well as finding new ways to enhance the homebuyer experience. Ryan and his wife Liz live in Cedarburg, Wisconsin with their two children. In his free time, Ryan likes to experience the outdoors with his family. He is a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where he earned a BBA in Marketing.

Brian Huberty

President, Minnesota Forestry Association

Brian Huberty is President of the Minnesota Forestry Association, where he works to advance sustainable forest management, private woodland stewardship, and the role of forests in Minnesota’s rural economy. With decades of experience connecting landowners, foresters, industry leaders, and policymakers, Huberty focuses on practical solutions that strengthen the relationship between working forests and thriving communities. His leadership emphasizes science-based forestry, responsible harvesting, and long-term conservation to ensure Minnesota’s forests remain productive and resilient for generations. Huberty is particularly engaged in exploring how forests contribute to climate solutions and the built environment—from renewable building materials to emerging bio-based products and carbon-smart forestry practices. Through his work, he promotes the idea that well-managed forests provide not only ecological benefits, but also essential raw materials for sustainable construction and energy innovation. As a panelist at the Energy & Environmental Building Alliance conference, Huberty brings a forest-to-building perspective, highlighting how responsible forest management supports climate-friendly construction, resilient supply chains, and a stronger connection between the land and the buildings where people live and work.

Pat Huelman

Associate Extension Professor in Energy and Building Systems, University of Minnesota

Pat Huelman is an Associate Extension Professor in Energy and Building Systems with the University of Minnesota's Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering and serves as Coordinator of the Cold Climate Housing Program with the University of Minnesota Extension. He is a lead faculty member for the Building Science and Technology undergraduate degree program and a principal investigator for hygrothermal testing at the Cloquet Residential Research Facility. Currently, Pat is the Project Lead for NorthernSTAR, one of the Department of Energy's Building America teams. Pat has been extremely active in professional education for the home building industry and is nationally recognized for his "systems approach" for high-performance homes. Pat's long-term focus has been on heat, air, and moisture movement in buildings and his primary expertise is in building systems and technologies that will provide energy efficiency, long-term durability, and healthy indoor air for homes. With almost 40 years in the field, Pat brings extensive experience and expertise in energy-efficient design and construction, innovative building systems, moisture management strategies, mechanical ventilation, and residential indoor air quality.

Nick Hurst

Nick Hurst has been involved in the construction industry for over 20 years as a framer, a self-employed remodeler, a project manager for custom homes, and a green building consultant/trainer.
Nick earned a Master’s in Technology concentrating in Building Science from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, and he later served as Education and Outreach Director for the NC Energy Efficiency Alliance at ASU’s Energy Center. Before joining EPA, Nick worked as a consultant at ICF in their Federal Energy Efficiency portfolio.
Nick has done training under numerous national certification programs (BPI, RESNET, USGBC, PHIUS) and participates with standard setting organizations and technical committees, including ASHRAE 62.2 and ANSI/AARST CCAH. Nick also serves as a technical advisor for the Energy and Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA) Board of Directors."

Curtis Johnson

Christian Kaltreider

Building Systems Engineer, PNNL

Christian Kaltreider joined Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in 2022, with 15 years of prior experience working in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and residential construction. His primary work at PNNL currently includes the development of Extreme Heat content for the Disaster Resistance tool of the Building America Solution Center.
Before joining PNNL he worked as an engineering consultant on energy savings performance contracts, net-zero energy projects, and high-performance HVAC design efforts. He holds a master’s degree in building systems engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Prior to his university studies Mr. Kaltreider worked in residential construction for 5 years, gaining hands-on experience with every phase of the construction process. His interests and expertise include building science, HVAC systems and controls, renewable energy, passive solar building design, biomass heating, and low-tech innovation. He was awarded U.S. Patent #11026500 as sole inventor in June 2021.

Karen Kicinski

Co-Owner and Marketing Director, LifeStyle Home Builders

Cy Kilbourn

Co-founder and Vice President of Engineering, Ekotrope

Cy Kilbourn is co-founder and Vice President of Engineering at Ekotrope, a software company that makes HERS Rating software solutions and utility program solutions used by 1 in 4 new homes, as well as business intelligence solutions for Builders and Building Product Manufacturers. He spent time at Brown University and M.I.T. developing the patented algorithms behind Ekotrope software and led the development effort to establish Ekotrope as a RESNET accredited HERS Rating software. Cy is also a member of the Board of Directors at RESNET, a leader in energy efficiency standards for new home construction. Throughout his career, he has worked with some of the largest utility efficiency programs, national home builders, and HERS Rating companies to streamline processes and improve energy decisions.

Justin Krupa

Manager, Empirical Solutions

Brennan Less

LBNL

Brennan Less is a building science researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the Residential Building Systems group and the Indoor Environment group. His current work focuses on state-of-the-art field measurements and simulations of smart ventilation systems, the hygrothermal performance of sealed and insulated attics, indoor air quality, deep energy retrofits, zero net energy homes, and the health-energy efficiency nexus. He regularly presents his work at national conferences for the home performance and IAQ industries, and he is the author of over 20 research reports and technical journal articles. Brennan holds a Master of Science in Architecture degree from the UC Berkeley – California (2012). He also has extensive experience as a home energy auditor and in residential construction and brings this hands-on approach to his research activities.

Jamie Lyons

Newport Partners LLC

Jamie Lyons of Newport Partners conducts research and analysis on building performance and energy efficient design. He supports builders, raters, architects, building owners, utilities, and code officials to help them achieve solutions for high performance homes and buildings. As part of this work he serves as the Technical Director for the US DOE Zero Energy Ready Home program. He has degrees in Mechanical and Environmental Engineering and is a Certified Energy Manager.

Chris Magwood

RMI & Builders for Climate Action

Chris Magwood is obsessed with helping reverse climate change by making carbon-storing buildings that are also healthy, beautiful, efficient and inspiring and assisting others to do the same.
In 2022, Chris joined the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Embodied Carbon initiative within RMI’s Carbon-Free Buildings team.
From 2011-2022, Chris was a director and teacher at The Endeavour Centre, a not-for-profit sustainable building school in Peterborough, Ontario.
In 2019, he helped to establish Builders for Climate Action, and has been leading development of the BEAM carbon estimator tool for low- rise construction. He is working closely with many levels of government to develop embodied carbon benchmarks and regulatory programs, and helping developers and builders figure out how to reverse climate change with their buildings.
Chris has authored seven books on sustainable building. His new book, Building Beyond Zero: New Ideas for Carbon-Smart Architecture, is co-authored with Bruce King and will be available in June, 2022 from Island Press.
In 1998 he co-founded Camel’s Back Construction, a design-build firm focused on straw bale construction and renewable energy.
Chris has completed an MA at Trent University. His thesis, Opportunities for Carbon Removal and Storage in Building Materials which was published in the fall of 2019.
Chris is an active speaker and workshop instructor in Canada and internationally.

Emily Meadows

Founder, Glue Branding

Emily Meadows is the founder of Glue Branding, a marketing agency that helps small businesses strengthen their digital presence and generate growth through clear, strategic branding and marketing. Before launching Glue Branding in 2021, Emily spent more than 10 years as the Marketing Director for a custom home builder, where she developed firsthand expertise in how home buyers evaluate builders, communities, and the value behind better-built homes. At Glue Branding, she combines that builder-side experience with brand strategy, website messaging, digital marketing, and lead-generation expertise to help companies communicate more effectively and stand out in competitive markets. Emily is especially passionate about helping builders simplify complex ideas, connect performance to buyer priorities, and create marketing that supports both trust and sales outcomes.

Gene Myers

CEO of Thrive Home Builders, Thrive Home Builders, Inc.

Gene is owner and CEO of Thrive Home Builders (formerly New Town Builders), Denver’s leader in building green, energy efficient production homes and recent winner of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Housing Innovation Award.

Gene has served on numerous state and local housing groups and currently serves as a member the board of directors of Denver Civic Ventures and the Challenge Foundation. He has served on the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel for Housing, the Boards of Housing Colorado and the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver and co-chaired Denver’s Housing Task Force. His company is Denver’s largest builder of for-sale affordable housing.

As a production builder in the Stapleton community, Thrive has logged a number of firsts in Colorado and the Denver Area including:

First to offer standard solar panels
First to construct all of its homes with Colorado beetle-kill lumber
First to offer a Zero Energy option on all its single-family homes
First production homes with Zero Energy as a standard feature
First Department of Energy Challenge Home, which broadens criteria to include indoor air quality and water conservation

Nationally, Thrive has been recognized as EPA’s Millennium ENERGY STAR® Builder, EPA’s Leadership Award for Indoor Air Quality, Green Building Magazine’s Green Home of the Year and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grand Winner for Innovation in Housing.

Gene Myers

Chairman & Chief Sustainability Officer, Thrive Home Builders

Gene is owner and CEO of Thrive Home Builders (formerly New Town Builders), Denver's leader in building green, energy efficient production homes and recent winner of the U.S. Department of Energy's Housing Innovation Award.

Gene has served on numerous state and local housing groups and currently serves as a member the board of directors of Denver Civic Ventures and the Challenge Foundation. He has served on the Governor's Blue Ribbon Panel for Housing, the Boards of Housing Colorado and the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver and co-chaired Denver's Housing Task Force. His company is Denver's largest builder of for-sale affordable housing.

Nationally, New Town Builders has been recognized as EPA's Millennium ENERGY STAR® Builder, EPA's Leadership Award for Indoor Air Quality, Green Building Magazine's Green Home of the Year and the U.S. Department of Energy's Grand Winner for Innovation in Housing.

Andy Nail

RFI, CEE

Joe Nebbia

Senior Consultant, Newport Partners LLC

Joe Nebbia is a building codes expert with 15 years of experience in policy and regulatory analysis, including over a decade spent working on buildings and construction related issues. He participates in multiple codes and standards developing processes including the International Code Council, ASHRAE, and state codes.

Brady Nemeth

Demand Side Management Professional

Brady is a Demand Side Management professional with over a decade of experience working at various levels of program implementation: trade ally, implementer, consultant, etc. Currently focused on High-Performance Windows (HPW) and other Market Transformation initiatives. Historically, a strong emphasis has been on (SSL) lighting programs, with a specialty in horticultural lighting. Previous work includes a large horticultural lighting vendor, managing the utility rebate process for customers where he secured over $15 million. Previously worked for the DesignLights Consortium managing compliance programs and as part of the technical support contractor to the program. Additionally, He has worked to carry out state-wide residential energy efficiency programs in Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Sotirios Papathanasiou

Sotirios Papathanasiou is a dedicated air quality expert and author committed to democratizing health through clean air initiatives. As the leader of Global Open Air Quality Standards (GO AQS), he works to unify the global language around air quality and establish universal, science-based safety limits for indoor environments. With a focus on bridging the gap between data and public awareness, Sotirios has authored four books on air pollution for both adults and children and curates a popular blog. His research explores the intersection of IoT devices, and sensor technology. A strong advocate for localized insights, he provides expert guidance on analyzing pollution data to ensure accurate, actionable interpretations for communities worldwide.

Madeleine Philpott

Manager of the Wall-panel Plan, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

Mark Pignatelli

Director Residential & C&I, ICF

Mark Pignatelli has over 18 years of experience in the energy efficiency industry including program design, implementation, direct technical assistance and workforce training development. At ICF, he is a Director and National New Homes Offering Owner providing leadership and guidance to ICF teams designing and implementing over 25 residential new construction programs across the country. He works closely with Utility clients, HERS Raters, builders, and developers to transform the market towards above-code new construction, drive deeper energy savings, and maximize energy efficiency incentives. He is currently a member of EEBA, the Association of Energy Services Professionals, Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Western Massachusetts, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association and holds an Enterprise Program Management and HERS Associate certification.

Priya Premchandran

Jacob Racusin

Lead Embodied Carbon Researcher, Builders for Climate Action

Jacob is the lead embodied carbon researcher & BEAM trainer with Builders for Climate Action, where he has been actively involved in embodied carbon research and development and training of the BEAM tool. He is Director of Building Science and Sustainability with New Frameworks Natural Design/Build, offering services in renovation, new construction, consultation, and education. As a consultant, designer, and educator, Jacob is able to merge his passions for ecological stewardship, relationship to place, and social justice. Jacob has authored two books and numerous articles, and regularly instructs on topics of building science and climate impact. Jacob is engaged in code, standards, and policy development, professional training, and other initiatives supporting the transition to a more just industry.

Tom Radovich

Minnesota Forest Industries

Tom began his career after earning a bachelor’s degree in Paper Science and Engineering from the University of Minnesota. He joined the Cloquet Mill’s Technical Department in 1994 and quickly advanced through a variety of roles. From Process Engineer and Paper Production Engineer with Potlatch to Paper Operations Superintendent following Sappi’s acquisition of the mill in 2002, Tom made a lasting impact across operations. Tom’s influence extended far beyond the mill. He served as President of Minnesota Forest Industries, a Program Advisor for the University of Minnesota College of Natural Resources, and a board member of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce—helping to elevate Cloquet’s 125-year legacy across the region and beyond.

John Rajala

Minnesota Timber & Millwork

John fulfills a market demand for sustainably-harvested, hand-selected, native timber from the great northwoods of Minnesota. His team privately maintains thousands of acres of pristine woodlands under the practice of restoration forestry. For nearly a century, our family has been re-establishing a modern forest with “Old Growth” characteristics. We have worked to restore the land’s potential to what it once was, allowing us to locally mill and kiln-dry timber to artisan standards.

Travis Rasch

Group Product Manager, Broan

Travis Rasch is the Group Product Manager for Broan’s Fresh Air Systems segment, a leading manufacturer of residential ventilation solutions. Travis’ customer-focused approach and product engineering background have contributed to the innovative products Broan continues to bring to market. He collaborates with several industry stakeholders including builders, engineers, energy raters, and installing contractors to identify their key pain points to develop the right product to deliver better quality air for a better quality of life to the homeowner.

Paul Raymer

Senior Advisor, ICF

Paul H. Raymer has been working with building science for more than forty years. He is a Senior Advisor with ICF and the Chief Investigator for Heyoka Solutions. He is the author of the Residential Ventilation Handbook V2 (2017), Recalculating Truth (a novel) (2014), and Death at the Edge of the Diamond (2020). He was a member of the LEED EA Technical Advisory Subcommittee, BPI’s Standards Technical Committee, and is Subcommittee Chair for Heating, Cooling, and Ventilation of the NREL SWS. He is BPI Envelope, Building Analyst, Heating Professional, AC/Heat Pump, and Healthy Home Evaluator certified and a certified HERS Rater. He is an IREC assessor, a former IREC Certified Master Trainer and he is a full member of ASHRAE (a voting member of the 62.2 SSPC). And he was the lead SME for the NREL/IREC QCI micro-credential development project.

Bill Rectanus

AUAR

Mark Rice

Design Manager, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

Wyatt Roberts

Head of New Construction, Dandelion Energy

Wyatt Roberts is Head of New Construction for Dandelion Energy, the nation's leading provider of residential geothermal heating and cooling solutions. He is a builder and a building scientist, and is passionate about reducing the impact of our built world on the global environment. Wyatt works with partners across a variety of sectors to better understand, design, and deploy geothermal in all of our buildings. Wyatt is also a Certified Passive House Designer (CPHD) and is a veteran in the building industry. Prior to joining Dandelion, he specialized in high-performance home construction in upstate New York. For more information, visit www.dandelionenergy.com.

Mike Robertson

Decarbonization & Sustainability Lead, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

Steve Rogers

President, The Energy Conservatory

• President of The Energy Conservatory since 2017, 11 years at TEC • 20 years at Emerson in technical & engineering roles focused on pressure & flow measurement. • Worked for Dwyer Instruments in a Principal Engineering role • Serves/served on standards committees for ASME, ISO, and ASHRAE. • Holds 15 patents related to the measurement of flow and technical software • Fluent in Portuguese and Spanish Education • Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University. • His favorite classes were Thermodynamics, Fluid Dynamics, and Heat Transfer

Christopher Salem

Chris Salem is an accomplished CEO, business executive coach, world-class speaker, corporate trainer-advisor, award-winning author®, certified mindset expert, and radio show host & media personality mentoring business leaders and organizations to scale their brands and business by raising their level of influence as trusted advisors. In addition, he mentors business leaders and organizations toward solutions for enhancing corporate culture, improving workplace communications, increasing sales, and increasing employee engagement for maximum production. His book Master Your Inner Critic / Resolve the Root Cause – Create Prosperity went international best seller in 2016. He also co-authored the recent edition to "Mastering the Art of Success" with Jack Canfield. His weekly radio shows, Sustainable Success is part of the Voice America Influencers Channel and Business Influencers with Tal Radio, part of the Touch-A-Life foundation.

Jonah Schein

National Program Manager for Homes & Buildings, EPA

Jonah is the National Program Manager for Homes & Buildings at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense® Program. Jonah is a self-professed water nerd who has spent his career focused on water efficiency. He has overseen the technical development and implementation of the WaterSense labeled homes program since its inception. He has also led numerous efforts to better understand, and influence water use in the field.

Jessie Schiavone

GM, Solar Solutions

Core Values: Integrity. Discipline. Teamwork. Where I have fun: Messy mid-stage energy tech start-ups trying to save the world. How I add value: Shaping order from chaos, bringing focus to ambition, and closing vision to execution gaps in sales, customer success and product organizations. I started my career as a US Naval Academy grad, Naval Flight Officer, and Mission Commander in EA-6B Prowlers, an aircraft carrier-launched electronic attack jet. I completed 2 tours over Iraq and led numerous divisions through time-sensitive, mission critical engagements. The Navy then sent me to the Boston U/Harvard/MIT Navy ROTC consortium to teach leadership and weapon systems and complete my MBA before I was honorably discharged in 2007. With passion and discipline, I pivoted into the energy and utilities industry to focus on the climate fight. I've spent the last 15+ years developing technical expertise, operational scar tissue, and thought leadership in the power sector, and building a strong network of like-minded, hard-working industry professionals. I've worked within large gas and electric utilities and game-changing energy startups. The Certainteed Solar Solutions team functions like a start-up inside a 120 year old company that's known for manufacturing high quality building construction materials for US homes and businesses. I'm honored to be part of the team. BS with Honors from the US Naval Academy (1999). MBA with Honors from Boston University(2007). Certificate from MIT - Artificial Intelligence: Impacts on Business Strategy (2019). PMP certified 2009-2018. TSS/CI clearance 1999-2007. 2011-2019 Board of Trustees Green Street Academy, Baltimore City 6-12 public charter school with an embedded sustainability curriculum 2014-2016 Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley appointment to Board of Directors Maryland Clean Energy Center 2011-2020 Volunteer (and former President of the Board of Directors) CASA Baltimore, non-profit that provides advocacy services for children in the city's foster care system US Naval Academy Women's D1 Basketball Player and Navy Women's Rugby Hall of Fame Athlete

Alec Schnall

President, TradeTrax

Elliot Seibert

EPA

Elliot Seibert

EPA

Corey Self

Director of Corporate Sustainability, PulteGroup

Jake Selstad

Center for Energy & Environment

Jake began his energy efficiency career in 2012 as a Conservation Corps volunteer with the Neighborhood Energy Connection (merged with CEE in 2017) primarily focused on existing homes. He started with direct installs, then whole home assessments and eventually performing quality assurance inspections on retrofit projects. Around 2016 Jake began to pivot to new construction and became a RESNET HERS rater in 2017. Since 2017, Jake has completed hundreds of ratings in both single and multifamily projects. These projects range from standard HERS ratings, through Energy Star, Indoor AirPlus, DOE ZERH and even several Phius Certified projects. In his current role as senior rater, Jake now helps new construction projects meet their energy efficiency and certification goals. Whether working with someone building a dream home or a full project team working on a large multifamily apartment, Jake offers guidance from early design through completed construction and certification.

Bill Shadid

Strategic Marketing Leader, Aeroseal

Bill Shadid is an architect and a sustainable building product professional, with over 25 years of experience in the construction industry. His passion and focus on sustainable building design and construction has been consistent throughout both his work as an architect and in building products. Bill has experience with many sustainable building types and products, with a focus on building envelopes. Recently he has completed analysis of and spoken at North American conferences on the carbon impact of air sealing the building envelope. In his current role, Bill is a strategic marketing leader for Aeroseal, working with the company’s air sealing technologies for both the building envelope (AeroBarrier) and ductwork (Aeroseal). He enjoys combining his experience as a sustainable architect and building product professional to help homebuilders, architects, engineers, and contractors design and build homes that are more energy efficient, comfortable, resilient, healthier, and emit less carbon.

Jim Shelton

Panasonic, National Sales Manager for Panasonic Home & Environment Company

Jim Shelton is the National Sales Manager for Panasonic Home & Environment Company. He has been with Panasonic for over ten years. As National Sales Manager, Jim's responsibilities include developing and maintaining successful business relationships, the recruitment, training, and supervision of sales staff and liaising with suppliers, as well as acquiring new leads, creating business development strategies, keeping up-to-date with market advances, ensuring quotas are met, organizing trade shows and all other marketing functions. Jim leads a team of eleven staff members to meet and exceed demanding sales targets; create strong and long-lasting customer relations. To achieve this, Jim uses his excellent communication skills; ability to motivate and lead; dynamic networking; tireless energy; interpersonal skills; first class negotiation techniques combined with a special interest in consultative selling and strategic marketing. Prior to joining Panasonic Home & Environment Company, Jim worked in sales, marketing and management for Acuity Brands, Thomas & Betts, Hubbell Building Automation, Hughes Supply and Missouri Valley Electric Company. Jim gained his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration at Missouri Western State College. Since then, he has earned numerous continuing education certificates with the American Management Association. Jim lives in Florida with his wife of 26 years; Tina and their three sons and three dogs. When not working, Jim likes to watch movies and football, spend time with his family and stay active at the gym. Jim can be reached at james.shelton@us.panasonic.com.

Aaron Smith

CEO, EEBA

Aaron Smith

CEO, EEBA

Aaron Smith is the CEO of the Energy and Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA) which represents a community of over 50,000 builders and their stakeholders across North America that are truly the early adopters and innovators in driving sustainable transformation of the homebuilding industry.

Aaron has over 25 years of experience in home construction, building products, sustainability and non-profit board leadership. He has worked for companies including Kohler, Uponor and ASSA ABLOY as well as startups in Silicon Valley and his own building and remodeling company. Aaron previously served on non-profit Boards for Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center, Health Product Declaration Collaborative (HPDC), CT Sustainable Business Council, and co-founded the CT Collaborative - Living Building Challenge.

Aaron completed his undergraduate studies at West Point and St. Cloud State University and is a 2016 graduate of the Yale University MBA program with a focus on Sustainability. He loves green building and sustainability as well as hockey, hiking, skiing, gardening and spending time with his wife, Jennifer, 3 boys and 4 cats and chickens at their home in Minneapolis.

Adam Strube

C.O.R.E Manager, Fulton Homes

Adam Strube is a C.O.R.E Manager at Fulton Homes, where he oversees the day-to-day operations of the construction department and helps ensure homes are built to the company’s high standards of quality and efficiency. He has a strong background in residential construction and client relations. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Energy & Environmental Building Alliance for the past four years and plays a key role in Fulton Homes’ participation in programs such as ENERGY STAR, Indoor airPLUS, WaterSense, and DOE Efficient New Homes Program. Adam is known for his leadership, attention to detail, and commitment to building high-quality, energy-efficient homes.

Steven Sylvestre

Initiative Manager - High-Performance Windows, Center for Energy & Environment

Steve Sylvestre is the initiative manager for High-Performance Windows (HPW) at Center for Energy and Environment. The HPW initiative is part of Minnesota's Efficient Technology Accelerator, a statewide market transformation effort funded by Minnesota's investor-owned utilities. Prior to joining CEE in 2023, Steve worked for 15 years in Chemistry R&D, including 10 years at Cardinal Glass Industries, one of the largest manufacturers of residential insulated glass units (IGUs) in the country. Steve led insulating glass sealant R&D, new product qualification, and service life prediction projects at Cardinal Glass. Additionally, he led the site’s sustainability work as their Sustainability Specialist, and was a founding member of the Safety, Environmental, Ergonomic, and Security (SEES) team that achieved MNSTAR/OSHA VPP status in 2020.

Todd Usher

Founder, Addison Homes

In 2002, Addison Homes became the only company in South Carolina to certify 100% of its homes to high-performance standards such as Energy Star and EarthCraft House, and, most recently, U.S. Department of Energy's Zero Energy Ready Home.

As the first builder in the U.S. to earn NAHB's Master Certified Green Professional designation, Todd freely shares his expertise with the building industry. He serves on the Industry Advisory Board for Clemson University's Department of Construction Science and Management, where he encourages the next generation of builders to pursue residential green building. Todd is also a frequent guest speaker in courses within the Sustainability Science Major at Furman University. Todd volunteers on several boards including Trees Greenville and the National Association of Home Builders where he is the Education Chair for the SC Home Builders Association.

Iain Walker

Mechanical Staff Scientist/Engineer, Lawrence Berkeley National Labs

Iain Walker is a scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). He has more than 30 years of experience as a building scientist, conducting research on energy retrofits, zero energy homes and IAQ issues in residential buildings. He is the current chair of the US national residential ventilation standard (ASHRAE 62.2).

Dennis Webb

Vice President of Operations, Fulton Homes

Dennis is the Vice President of Operations for Fulton Homes where he oversees Sales, Marketing, Operations, and the Fulton Homes Design Center. In his 25 years there he has led the charge of using technology combined with past retail experience to help transform the company into one of the most advanced homebuilders in the country in the areas of customer experience, operations, and marketing. He served on the city of Tempe’s Development Review Commission for 12 years and is President of the Board of Directors for the Energy & Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA). Prior to joining Fulton Homes, he was Vice President of Stores for Eagleson’s a men’s clothing retailer owned by Ira Fulton, who sold the business to concentrate on homebuilding. Before Eaglesons, Dennis had a 20 year retail career with Hart, Schaffner and Marx, where he held increasingly responsible positions of Salesman, Store Manager, Buyer, Merchandise Manager, General Manager, and Store President. Dennis graduated from Chapman University in Orange, CA, and currently resides with his wife Janis of over 40 years, in Tempe, AZ. His daughter Laura is the Executive Director of a non-profit organization in Los Angeles, and son Darin is a lawyer in San Diego.

Dennis Webb

VP Operations/Sales & Marketing, Fulton Homes

Dennis is the Vice President of Operations for Fulton Homes where he oversees Sales, Marketing, Operations, and the Fulton Homes Design Center.

In his 23 years there he has led the charge of using technology combined with past retail experience to help transform the company into one of the most advanced homebuilders in the country in the areas of customer experience, operations, and marketing.He has also been instrumental in moving Fulton Homes towards energy efficiency, as Fulton Homes was the first builder in the country to have built all of its homes to ENERGY STAR Version 3 standards. Fulton Homes has been recognized as ENERGY STAR'S Partner of the Year and Indoor airPLUS Leader award winners each of the past 4 years, the only builder in the country to do so.

Rick Wertheim

United Way of Long Island

Rick is the Senior Vice President for Housing & Green Initiatives at United Way of Long Island. He oversees the Green / High Performance Construction, Energy Retrofit, and Workforce Development Training programs the organization offers to Long Islanders. He is a graduate Architect, BPI and RESNET trained energy professional, construction manager and builder/developer. He has developed/renovated over 150 homes following EPA Energy Star, Indoor Air Plus and Watersense standards, as well as Universal Design principles for aging in place, HUD Healthy Homes protocols, and most recently, the U.S. Dept of Energy’s “Zero Energy Ready Home” Program.

Program

Track Color Key

Pre-Conference: Tuesday, September 15, 2026

12:00PM

Day 1: Wednesday, September 16, 2026

7:00AM

8:00AM

9:15AM

9:30AM

10:30AM

11:00AM

12:00PM

1:00PM

2:00PM

2:30PM

3:30PM

4:00PM

5:00PM

6:00PM

Day 2: Thursday, September 17, 2026

7:00AM

8:00AM

9:00AM

9:30AM

10:30AM

11:00AM

12:00PM

1:30PM

2:30PM

3:00PM

4:00PM

5:30PM

Day 3: Friday, September 18, 2026

8:00AM

Registration & Check-in

Opening Remarks and DOE Efficient New Homes Builder Panel

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Checking In on Indoor AirPlus

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Building Envelope Air Leakage Does Not Equal Good Indoor Air Quality

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Break

Break in Manufacturers' Showcase

From Airtight to Just Right: Navigating Ventilation in New Construction

Learning Objectives

Presenters

You Might As Well Build a Home to Code if You Don't Tell Your Customers and Employees About What You Do

Learning Objectives

Presenters

How Water Conservation Saves Energy and Supports New Construction

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Selling High Performance Homes 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Opening of Manufacturers' Showcase & Lunch Served

Leveraging Technology to Address Affordability Challenges—Optimizing Labor Efficiency to Benefit the Builder and the Trades

Learning Objectives

Presenters

How Your HVAC Contractor can Make or Break Performance of Your New Construction

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Highs, Lows, and Buffalos: A Builder’s Guide to Cash, Appraisals, and Radical Transparency

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Making Resilience Affordable at Community Scale

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Break in Manufacturers' Showcase

Out the Roof? Not Anymore: Measuring the Energy and Carbon Payoff of Attic Air Sealing

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Getting to Green: Building Material Evaluation In Theory & Practice

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Break in Manufacturers' Showcase

Reducing Electrical Infrastructure Costs for Homes - Keeping new homes at 200A ,or less