December 15, 2020
BetterBuilt NW December 2020 Newsletter
BetterBuiltNW Looks Ahead to 2021
It’s hard to believe 2020 is coming to a close. The year brought many challenges and adversities, but it revealed how resilient and adaptable our community is. While COVID-19 presented new challenges to the work we do, it was inspiring to see how the residential new construction community continued to drive energy efficiency in 2020. Take a look at some of BetterBuiltNW’s 2020 highlights in the infographic below.
From all of us at BetterBuiltNW, we wish you a happy New Year! Our collective successes wouldn’t be possible without you. We look forward to harnessing our combined creativity to continue pushing energy efficiency in 2021.
Every month BetterBuiltNW highlights different programs in the news to keep builders and Raters/Verifiers informed about key updates, program changes, and features. This month’s Programs in the News features updates from:
- Puget Sound Energy’s New 10% Above Code Offering
- New Built Green Checklists for Single-Family and Townhome New Construction
- RESNET Becomes First ENERGY STAR Home Certification Organization
Puget Sound Energy’s (PSE) New 10% Above Code Offering
PSE is adding a new offering to its High Performance Homes program! Previously, a new home had to be at least 20% above Washington State Energy Code to qualify for PSE’s incentives. Effective November 16, 2020, homes that are built at least 10% above code can qualify for incentives. Only projects that are submitted into the AXIS database after November 16, 2020 are eligible.
PSE’s three tiers of incentive for High-Performance Homes program are:
- 10-20% above code, incentive up to $1,000;
- 20-30% above code, incentive up to $1,500;
- >30% above code, incentive up to $2,000.
New homes in PSE electric or electric/gas combined territory will receive higher incentives than homes in PSE gas-only territory. Please visit the program website for more details on the incentives.
Projects must still go through Performance Path and be modeled by a certified home energy rater. Raters in High Performance Homes can be found on the website.
New Built Green Checklists for Single-Family and Townhome New Construction
With new code changes, Built Green has updated its single-family and townhome new construction checklists for 2021. Built Green is still updating the energy section of the multifamily new construction checklist. The multifamily new construction checklist will be available in the coming months. Checklist updates are guided by code changes, technological advancements, new products, and housing market trends. View the updated 2021 single-family/townhome new construction checklists.
RESNET Becomes First ENERGY STAR Home Certification Organization
RESNET has been recognized by the EPA as the first ENERGY STAR Home Certification Organization for the Residential New Construction Program, meaning RESNET is approved by EPA to run an ENERGY STAR Home Certification program.
This program leverages the RESNET network of more than 2,500 active certified HERS Raters and Rating Field Inspectors along with nearly 100 accredited Quality Assurance Providers.
To learn more about how RESNET’s ENERGY STAR Home Certification program works, a new webpage has been added to the RESNET website. Visit this webpage to learn how builders, HERS Raters, and Quality Assurance Providers can all participate in certifying ENERGY STAR homes.
For additional information on the programs in the news, visit PSE’s website, view the new Built Green checklists, and visit RESNET’s new webpage.
EVENTS
Building with Ducts in Conditioned Spaces
Virtual Training – Now Available
The BetterBuiltNW platform is happy to introduce a suite of new trainings through our online learning management system. Included on the platform is our newest training—Building with Ducts in Conditioned Spaces. In addition to this training, for our builders and trades, we also have available “Top 10 Best Practices for Today’s Homebuilder” for each state in the Northwest.
REGISTRATION
To access the online training, follow these steps:
Click the link below to access the online training.
Click “Register Today” to be directed to the BetterBuiltNW online training platform.
On the platform page, click ‘New User? Register’ to create a new account (if you already have an account, you can sign in without registering).
Once logged in, click ‘Building with Ducts in Conditioned Spaces’
Register now for the Building with Ducts in Conditioned Spaces training.
2021 RESNET Building Performance Conference
Virtual Event – February 22-24, 2021
Join RESNET for the annual Building Performance Conference. The 2021 conference is shifting to a virtual platform and will offer a robust experience built on the tradition of the RESNET conference with added benefits. The theme of the 2021 RESNET conference is “A New Path to the Future.”
Learn more about the upcoming RESNET conference.