The Energy & Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA) hosted its High Performance Home Builder Summit in St. Paul, Minnesota, from September 17 – 19, 2025. Sessions included insights from industry leaders on the future of high-performance home building, with topics spanning nine tracks, including Zero Carbon & Electrification, Builder Success Strategies, High Performance Rating Systems, Building Programs & Codes, and more. Read on for some of the key takeaways from the summit.
Fire resiliency is critical
With insurers pulling back from high-risk markets, wildfire resilience has become a top priority. KB Home recently introduced the first “fire resilient” community in Escondido, California, built to meet wildfire standards established by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). The homes feature non-combustible siding, tempered glass windows, covered gutters, enclosed eaves, six inches of vertical clearance with concrete, stucco and stone finishes, defensible space with vegetation maintained at least five feet from homes, and metal fencing throughout. While the goal is to slow fire spread and improve insurability for homeowners, many of these envelope-related measures also deliver energy performance benefits.
Occupant behavior shapes performance
A case study of Englewood Homes’ Alley House, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, compared a duplex with one unit built to just above code and the other unit built to Passive House standards. After one year of post-occupancy monitoring, results showed that the above-code unit outperformed the Passive House home, largely attributable to miscellaneous plug loads. The study also identified issues that impacted performance: an imbalance in the ERV inlet and outlet airflow that affected system efficiency, faulty operation of the heat pump water heaters in both units and an inoperable PV array in the Passive House unit for three months due to a tripped breaker. Even in high-performance homes, occupant behavior and energy-use habits can significantly influence overall home performance.
Smart monitoring enhances efficiency and protection
Advanced system monitoring, like RIoT Technology, offers homeowners real-time insights into energy consumption, indoor air quality and temperature fluctuations. These systems can anticipate frozen pipes, track filter usage, detect leaks and alert technicians with diagnostic codes to help prevent warranty issues and reduce operational inefficiencies.
Homebuying priorities vary by generation
Each generation of homebuyers is looking for specific qualities in a home. While Boomers prioritize assisted living technology and aging in place, Gen Xers favor suburban single-family homes and are less likely to invest in efficiency measures unless they see a clear ROI. Millennials prefer compact, easy-to-maintain homes and invest in energy-efficient features to cut costs and support sustainability. Gen Z is budget-conscious but wants all-electric homes, while Gen Alpha, entering the workforce around 2030, is likely to prioritize sustainability and smart technologies like predictive maintenance.
For more information on the Home Builder Summit, visit eeba.org.
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