The award winners of the 2014 RESNET Cross Border Home Builder Challenge, which helps promote the utilization of the HERS® Index have been announced by Steve Baden, Executive Director of RESNET, and John Godden, President of the Canadian counterpart CRESNET at the 2014 RESNET Building Performance Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The Cross Border Challenge is a competition among U.S. and Canadian Builders on achieving the lowest HERS® Index Scores. There are six categories of awards: RESNET President’s Award for the American Production Builder with the highest percentage of homes rated under HERS® score 55 CRESNET President’s Award for the Canadian Production Builder with the highest percentage of homes rated under HERS® score 55 Lowest HERS® score American Production Builder (>50 homes HERS® rated per year) Lowest HERS® score American Custom Builder (< 50 homes HERS® rated per year) Lowest HERS® score Canadian Production Builder (> 50 homes HERS® rated per year) Lowest HERS® score Canadian Custom Builder (< 50 homes HERS® rated per year) The 2014 RESNET President’s Award was issued to KB Homes. RESNET Board President Jim Petersen along with the co-sponsors of the award and Rod Buchalter of RenewABILITY Energy Inc. And Paul Duffy of Icynene presented the award to Jacob Atalla of KB Home and Galo LeBron of Energy Inspectors. Rod Buchalter, Jacob Attala, Jim Petersen, Paul Duffy and Galo LeBron The 2014 CRESNET President’s Award was awarded to Brookfield Residential. CRESNET Board President Jim Petersen along with the co-sponsors of the award and Rod Buchalter of RenewABILITY Energy Inc. And Paul Duffy of Icynene presented the award to William Greig and Bob Stewart of Brookfield Residential. Rod Buchalter, John Godden, William Greig, Bob Stewart and Paul Duffy The other winners for 2014 are: Lowest HERS® score American Production Builder is KB Home with a HERS® 42 Lowest HERS® score American Custom Builder is Cobblestone Homes with a HERS® 40 Lowest HERS® score Canadian Production Builder is Brookfield Residential with a HERS® 36. Lowest HERS® score Canadian Custom Builder is Hunt Homes with a HERS® 36 “With well over 1.5 million homes have been rated in the US and issued a HERS® Index Score. The Home HERS® Index is the industry standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is now being measured in the US and Canada. It’s also the nationally recognized system for inspecting and calculating a home’s energy performance” noted Steve Baden. “The Index is based on an assessment by a certified Home Energy Rater who evaluates the energy efficiency of a home and assigning it a relative performance score. The lower the number, the more energy efficient the home. The energy efficiency score is based on variables such as exterior walls (both above and below grade), floors over unconditioned spaces, ceilings and roofs, windows and doors, vents and ductwork, HVAC systems, water heating system, and your thermostat, among other elements, commented” Steve Baden. “This being in its first year, the RESNET Cross Border Challenge is a friendly competition between American and Canadian Home Builders to determine just how energy efficient builders can build,” noted John Godden. There were a total of six builder awards presented for this year’s competition; four were based on having the lowest HERS® score for their specific category, sponsored by Power-Pipe® , and two were special President’s awards based on a fleet of HERS® new home ratings, sponsored by Icynene. “It’s no surprise the 2014 awards included some of the largest, and most respected, US and Canadian builders”, continued John Godden. Winners in all Lowest HERS® score categories each won a free Power-Pipe® Drain Water Heat Recovery System donated by RenewABILITY Energy Inc. as part of their awards. In addition, winners of the President’s Awards each won an insulation package from Icynene.
