Track Color Key

Zero Carbon & Electrification
Workforce Development
High Performance Home Technologies
High Performance Builder Success Strategies
Building Healthier Homes
High Performance Building Envelopes
High Performance Rating Systems, Building Programs & Codes
Building Resilient Homes

Pre-Conference: Tuesday, September 15, 2026

12:00PM

Registration & Check-in

12:00 - 5:00 PM Upper Level, Ballroom Concourse

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

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

7:00 - 8:00 AM Upper Level, Ballroom Concourse

Opening Remarks; Catch the Latest with DOE Efficient New Homes

8:00 - 9:15 AM General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF
Presenters

Break

9:15 - 9:30 AM

Building Envelope Air Leakage Does Not Equal Good Indoor Air Quality

9:30 - 10:30 AM Rooms 5/6
Presenters

Checking In on Indoor AirPlus

9:30 - 10:30 AM General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF
Presenters

Break in Manufacturers' Showcase

10:30 - 11:00 AM Manufacturer's Showcase, Upper Level Ballroom Concourse

From Airtight to Just Right: Navigating Ventilation in New Construction

11:00 - 12:00 PM General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF
Presenters

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

11:00 - 12:00 PM Rooms 5/6
Presenter

Opening of Manufacturers' Showcase & Lunch Served

12:00 - 1:00 PM Manufacturer's Showcase, Upper Level Ballroom Concourse

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

1:00 - 2:00 PM Rooms 2/3
Presenters

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

1:00 - 2:00 PM Rooms 5/6
Presenter

Break in Manufacturers' Showcase

2:00 - 2:30 PM Manufacturer's Showcase, Upper Level Ballroom Concourse

Getting to Green: Building Material Evaluation In Theory & Practice

2:30 - 3:30 PM Room 4
Presenters

Making Resilience Affordable at Community Scale

2:30 - 3:30 PM General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF

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

2:30 - 3:30 PM Rooms 2/3
Presenter

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

2:30 - 3:30 PM Rooms 5/6
Presenter

Break in Manufacturers' Showcase

3:30 - 4:00 PM Manufacturer's Showcase, Upper Level Ballroom Concourse

Low Cost High Performance: Promises Realized

4:00 - 5:00 PM Rooms 2/3
Presenter

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

4:00 - 5:00 PM General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF
Presenters

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

4:00 - 5:00 PM Rooms 5/6
Presenter

Xcel Energy Networking Reception in Manufacturers' Showcase

5:00 - 6:00 PM Manufacturer's Showcase, Upper Level Ballroom Concourse

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

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

7:00 - 8:00 AM Upper Level, Ballroom Concourse

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

8:00 - 9:00 AM Room 4
Presenters

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

8:00 - 9:00 AM Rooms 5/6
Presenter

Break in Manufacturers' Showcase

9:00 - 9:30 AM Manufacturer's Showcase, Upper Level Ballroom Concourse

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

9:30 - 10:30 AM Rooms 5/6
Presenter

How to Attract and Train the Next Generation

9:30 - 10:30 AM General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF
Presenters

Job Site Intelligence and Workforce Development

9:30 - 10:30 AM Room 4
Presenters

Value Per Square Foot: A New Housing Metric

9:30 - 10:30 AM Rooms 2/3
Presenters

Break in Manufacturers' Showcase

10:30 - 11:00 AM Manufacturer's Showcase, Upper Level Ballroom Concourse

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

11:00 - 12:00 PM Rooms 2/3
Presenters

Falling Short: Diagnosing and Preventing Above-Code Certification Deficiencies

11:00 - 12:00 PM General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF
Presenters

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

11:00 - 12:00 PM Rooms 5/6
Presenter

Awards Luncheon

12:00 - 1:30 PM General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF

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

1:30 - 2:30 PM Rooms 5/6
Presenter

How to Use Geothermal Energy to Unlock EnergyStar Certification

1:30 - 2:30 PM Room 4
Presenters

The Hidden Barrier to Affordability...Your Supply Chain

1:30 - 2:30 PM General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF
Presenters

Break in Manufacturers' Showcase

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

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

3:00 - 4:00 PM General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF
Presenters

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

3:00 - 4:00 PM Rooms 5/6
Presenter

New Tools in the Builder's Window Toolbox

3:00 - 4:00 PM Room 4
Presenters

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

3:00 - 4:00 PM Rooms 2/3
Presenters

Xcel Energy Networking Reception in Manufacturers' Showcase

4:00 - 5:30 PM Manufacturer's Showcase, Upper Level Ballroom Concourse

Day 3: Friday, September 18, 2026

8:00AM

Houses That Work

8:00 - 3:00 PM Rooms 5/6
Presenter

*Program Subject to Change

Registration & Check-in

Pre-Conference: Sep 15, 2026
12:00 - 5:00 PM
Upper Level, Ballroom Concourse

Opening Remarks; Catch the Latest with DOE Efficient New Homes

Opening welcome from CEO Aaron Smith and EEBA Board Chair Karen Kicinski, followed by an update on DOE's Efficient New Homes program.

In 2025, more than 80,000 homes were certified under the DOE Efficient New Homes (formerly ZERH). The program is increasingly adopted by national builders, utilities, affordable housing programs, and many other housing industry innovators. Looking ahead through 2026 and beyond, DENH will continue to provide a blueprint for cost-effective savings. In this session, you’ll hear about updates ranging from the new program name to specific technical changes, including DENH’s integration with other federal programs and efforts to refine, streamline, and simplify program compliance.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn about technical updates to the DOE Efficient New Homes program.
2. Understand the program’s key priorities and updates builders can expect to see in the future.
3. Understand how DENH integrates other federal certification programs.
4. Review the steps for getting started with the DENH program.

Presenters

  • Sarah Cok, Building Science Consultant, Newport Partners, LLC
  • Asa Foss, Technical Director, EPA ENERGY STAR Residential New Construction Programs
  • Jamie Lyons, Newport Partners LLC
  • Aaron Smith, CEO, EEBA
  • Karen Kicinski, Co-Owner and Marketing Director, LifeStyle Homes Builders
Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
8:00 - 9:15 AM
General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF

Checking In on Indoor AirPlus

A new version of Indoor AirPlus is right around the corner. Version 2 of the program is bringing enhanced air quality protections, two certification levels, the ability to earn the label without any other certification prerequisites, and more. Whether you’re brand new to the program or a committed partner, attend this session to learn the highlights and prepare for success in the year ahead.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the key updates and enhancements in Indoor AirPlus Version 2, including revised program requirements.
2. Learn how EPA has redesigned and simplified the Indoor AirPlus certification process to address stakeholder feedback, with new expectations for homebuilders and redefined roles and responsibilities for verifiers.
3. Learn about the launch of IAP Version 2 in the marketplace, as well as the timeline for the sunset of Version 1.
4. Preview the new IAP tools and resources developed to help support builders and verifiers.

Presenters

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
9:30 - 10:30 AM
General Session Ballroom, Halls ABEF

Building Envelope Air Leakage Does Not Equal Good Indoor Air Quality

Building envelope air leakage requirements for single family homes have continued to get tighter, while requirements for better ventilation of homes has also become more front and center in the home building industry. However, there is still an opportunity to improve the home building industry’s understanding of the linkage between a tighter building envelope paired with balanced mechanical ventilation to provide better ventilation and indoor air quality. This is particularly true versus other ventilation strategies such as bathroom exhaust fans on timers or “allowing the house to breathe” through leakage in the building envelope. This session will present building science, modeling, and other industry research and data to form a convincing case that a tight building envelope combined with balanced mechanical ventilation yields better indoor air quality, a healthier home, increased occupant comfort, and a more durable, energy efficient home.

Learning Objectives

1. Gain an understanding of the linkage between a more airtight building envelope and balanced mechanical ventilation and how it provides the best ventilation and indoor air quality.
2. Learn the specifics of why a more airtight building envelope leads to better indoor air quality.
3. Discover the specifics of why balanced mechanical ventilation is a superior ventilation system leading to better indoor air quality versus other ventilation strategies.
4. Explore the pros, cons, and trade-offs of different home ventilation strategies.

Presenters

Day 1: Sep 16, 2026
9:30 - 10:30 AM
Rooms 5/6