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2009 RESNET Building Performance Conference

Sessions Descriptions and Presentations

February 16-18, 2009
Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel
New Orleans, LA

 

Presentations: Look for speaker names that are blue and underlined.  Their presentations are online as PDFs.

RESNET Green Rater Training
Saturday, February 14-Sunday, February 15
Presenters:
Jay Hall, Jay Hall and Associates
Laura Capps, Southface Energy Institute
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - St. Charles Room A&B

This two day training session will lead to the RESNET designation as a RESNET Green Rater. Raters completing this training will receive a RESNET Green Rater Certificate and an RESNET Green Rater icon next to their listing on the RESNET Rater Member Directory. There will be a separate $250.00 registration/certification fee for this training. To register for this training click here.

RESNET Green Rater Training registration covers lunch both days.

Pre-Conference Training Sessions

These training sessions will be half-day session that will be offered on Saturday, February 14 and February 15. Unless otherwise indicated, there is no additional fee to attend the pre-conference sessions. You will, however, to register for the pre-conference sessions. Go to www.resnet.us/conference/registration/default.aspx?ConferenceID=1. If you have already registered all you need to do is to is enter your e-mail address in the "Completing, Editing or Canceling Registration" box.

Lunch for pre-conference sessions are on your own.

Saturday, February 14, 2008

Conference Registration
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Grand Ballroom Foyer

Pre-Conference Session
1:30 - 5:00 p.m.

NAHB National Green Building Certification Program Verifier Training
Saturday, February 14, 2008
Presenter: Don Carr, NAHB Research Center
Toulouse Room B

Objective:
To assist qualified residential building industry professionals in becoming accredited by the NAHB Research Center as National Green Program Verifiers.

This is a 3 hour on-line or in classroom training course covering the required process of an accredited verifier. Material covered includes verification and certification program procedures for green residential certifications to the NAHB Guidelines and to the National Green Building standard (NGBS). The course is followed by a proctored test. Participants passing the test are provided with the additional information needed to be accredited and listed on www.nahbgreen.org.

Course Overview:

• Review of the history and status of the National Green Building Certification program
• Review of builder and verifier documents that are used as a part of certifying new single family homes as either bronze, silver, or gold using the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines or the NGBS as the official certification standards.
• Information regarding ANSI Standard 700 National Green building Standard and how this standard will eventually replace the guidelines as the official certification standard.
• Review of the decision matrix to be followed by accredited verifiers to approve all green products and features claimed by a builder in a new building or a residential development

Test:
There is a one hour objective test administered at the end off the training session.

RESNET Committee Meetings
Public Invited

RESNET Training and Education Committee
9:00 a.m. - Noon - St. Anne Room

RESNET Technical Committee
1:30 - 5:00 p.m. - Iberville Room

RESNET Quality Assurance and Ethics Committee
1:30 - 5:00 p.m. - Bienville Room

Sunday, February 15, 2008

Conference Registration
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Grand Ballroom Foyer

RESNET Board of Directors Meeting - Public Invited
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Iberville Room

Pre-Conference Sessions
9:00 a.m. - Noon

REM/Rate Advanced Users Workshop
Presenter: Rob Salcido, Architectural Energy Corporation
Toulouse Room B

This session is specifically designed for those who have previous experience using Architectural Energy Corporation's REM/Rate home energy rating software. The session will be led by V. Robert Salcido, P.E, a Senior Engineer at AEC who has been involved with development of REM/Rate for over 10 years. The session will cover some of the more obscure, yet powerful features of the software -- batch processing, customizing reports, data output options, library management, and more. If you've always had the feeling that you're not using REM/Rate to its full potential, of if you have specific questions about the software, you shouldn't miss this session.

Making Work Orders Work: Utilizing the Home Performance Assessment
Presenter: Rich Moore, Invisible Energy
Bienville Room

Raters, contractors, and other residential energy professionals know the benefits of using the "house as a system" concept to sell and install more energy efficiency improvements. It all starts with a Home Performance Assessment (HPA) that enables homeowners to make informed decisions on improving the energy efficiency and comfort of their client's home. Our business is all about efficiency - learn the secrets of doing a HPA and work order efficiently - minimize your steps, maximize your professional delivery! Take advantage of this session and receive an overview of battle-tested techniques that will help raters and contractors to more fully deploy the HPA that motivate your customers to invest in energy efficiency home improvements.

Pre-Conference Sessions
1:30 - 5:00 p.m.

HERS 101
Presenter: Abe Kruger, Sealing Agents
Bienville Room

Many individuals attend the RESNET Conference to determine whether they will enter the rating industry. Many of the sessions offered in past conferences are a bit too high in jargon and assumed knowledge for persons just entering the rating industry. This session will introduce a beginner to the rating industry and provide a context for the other more advanced sessions to be offered at the conference.

Combustion Safety & Testing: Do No Harm
Presenter: Rich Moore, Invisible Energy
Toulouse Room B

Effective insulation and air sealing treatments can make a huge difference in the tightness of a home. In some cases, well-intentioned work can cause undesirable and dangerous consequences - and making customers sick is bad for business! Understand the conditions that contribute to back drafting, spillage, or carbon monoxide production. Find out how to recognize visual indicators of combustion problems. Learn how integrating combustion safety testing can lower your liability, separate you from competition, and increase your profit.

• Recognize the importance of inspecting and testing combustion safety in every home
• Learn how to identify common causes of carbon monoxide production
• Explore several types of diagnostic equipment and testing tricks
• Get your tricky combustion safety questions answered

Right Sizing AC Systems for Profit and Energy Star Certification
Presenter: Dennis Stroer, Calcs-Plus
St. Anne Room

Learn how to right-size equipment and to read sizing reports. Since Energy Star is making this mandatory, raters need to be up to speed on this issue. The session will discuss the input sensitivities of ACCA Manual J, the do's and don'ts for proper sizing, how to read the outputs from Manual-J for equipment selection, and why ARI data is not the proper tool for right-sizing air conditioning equipment.

Points to be covered:

• HVAC Load Calculations
• MJ8 take off
• Infiltration & Ventilation
•  Duct gains - the duct calculation.
• Reading and understanding the results.
• Using Mj8 results to right size the heating and cooling equipment.
• Exporting an MJ8 data into a rating software program

If you happen to have Elite Software's RHVAC program or if you are thinking of purchasing it, this will be an excellent opportunity to learn first hand how to properly use the program. Bring your lap top computer and follow along. This session will be four hours long and the cost $75.00. To register, please click on www.calcs-plus.com

Conference Sessions

Monday, February 16, 2009

Conference Registration Opens
7:30 a.m. - Grand Ballroom Foyer

Continental Breakfast - Exhibits Open
7:30 - 8:30 a.m. - Grand Ballroom

Opening General Session
8:30 a.m. - Noon - Astor Ballroom

Welcome to New Orleans
John McGowin, Energy Manager, City of New Orleans

RESNET Update
Steve Baden, RESNET

The 2030 Challenge and the Path to Zero Carbon Homes
Edward Mazria, Architecture 2030
Attachment is a copy of Ed's Testimony Before the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Presentation of 2009 RESNET Leadership Awards
President of RESNET Board of Directors

The European Union's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
Dr. Eduardo Maldonado, European Commission EPBD Concerted Action

Update from the U.S. Department of Energy
Edward Pollock - U.S. Department of Energy

ENERGY STAR Update - ENERGY STAR Awards
David Lee, Environmental Protection Agency

Lunch
Noon - 1:30 p.m. - Astor Ballroom

Break Out Sessions

Session 1
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.

Green Building 101
Presenter: Don Ferrier, Ferrier Custom Homes
St. Charles Room A

This session takes you inside and outside the house to demonstrate techniques to ensure energy and resource efficiency, better water conservation, improved indoor air quality and environmentally sensitive site design. Get your questions answered by an NAHB Green Builder Advocate of the Year and get ready to go green!

Whole House Humidity & Moisture: Problems & Solutions (ACI/Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Track)
Presenter: Doug Garrett, Austin Energy
St. Charles Room B

The windows sweat, the pipes sweat, and the air conditioning ducts sweat. The gasket on the refrigerator is getting moldy. The north side of the roof sheathing is covered with mold. Frogs live in the crawl space; a river runs through the basement when it rains. The vinyl tile is lifting off the floor slab and the paint is coming off the siding. How can I fix them? How do I price them out? Can I make them worse? There's money in that moisture if you know how to diagnosis and deliver comprehensive solutions.

Connecting the Industry: RESNET's New Web Based Networking Program
Presenter: John Baden, RESNET
Toulouse Room A

Recently there has been a truly revolutionary transformation in how information is shared through the internet. Rather than solely relying on web pages made by professionals, internet users are beginning to turn to user generated pages and social networking sites which allow them to share and receive information with little knowledge and experience in web-building.

RESNET is creating a networking site that will allow users to connect with others in the building performance industry. After logging onto the network, users will be able to organize building performance events, join list-serves, and create or join user groups for environmentalists, raters, builders, or anything other category. This will allow professionals to come in contact with new people, better advertise events, and stay in touch with the building performance industry.

This session will explore the possibilities of the new service and explain how the RESNET can take advantage of the new technology.

Indoor Air Plus: The Whys and Hows of Getting Involved
Presenters:
Chiara D'Amore, ICF International
Eric Werling, Environmental Protection Agency
Toulouse Room B

U.S. EPA studies have shown that levels of air pollution inside the home are often two to five times higher than outdoor levels. Poor air quality is associated with a host of health problems, including eye irritation, headaches, allergies, and respiratory problems such as asthma. In addition, indoor air quality is having a sizable financial impact on the home building industry in the form of litigation associated with mold and other indoor air quality related concerns. Builders can employ a variety of construction practices and technologies to improve indoor air quality, including the proper selection and installation of moisture control systems, HVAC equipment, combustion venting systems, and building materials. According to surveys, consumers are willing to pay up to $5,000 more for these improvements. EPA created the ENERGY STAR Indoor Air Plus (IAP) label to help builders meet the growing consumer preference for homes with improved indoor air quality and energy efficiency. Now that the IAP pilot is complete and the final specifications, label and brochures are available, find out how to participate in this exciting new indoor air quality labeling program.

The European Union's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive - Progress and New Directions
Presenter: Eduardo Maldonado, Energy Performance of Building Directive Concerted Action
Iberville Room

The European Union has made a major commitment to combat global climate change. A key element of this effort is the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). The EPBD requires that all member states must require that buildings are rated at the time of sale or change of occupancy. To assist in this effort, the European Commission has funded a Concerted Action to assist in the development of European standards for the rating of a buildings energy performance. RESNET has been in active dialogue with the EPBD's Concerted Action.

This session will feature Eduardo Maldonado, the chair of the EPBD Concerted Action, who will introduce the EPBD, provide a progress report on its implementation, explain the changes being planned by the European Commission and explore how RESNET and the EPBD can work together.

Selling Energy-Efficiency to Existing Home Owners
Presenter: Mike Rogers, GreenHomes America
Bienville Room

Ratings and home performance services don't save energy unless people buy them! Selling whole house services creates an opportunity for contractors to increase their volume and profitability while reducing customer complaints and callbacks. The key to selling whole house services is an understanding of the home's energy systems, active listening to the homeowner's energy and indoor environmental concerns, and the ability to clearly explain the benefits of the whole house approach.

The RESNET Rating Quality Assurance Monitoring Challenge - A Rating Industry Roundtable
Presenters:
Ben Adams, MaGrann Associates
Steve Baden, RESNET
Daran Wastchak, D.R. Wastchak
St. Anne Room

Market demand for rating services and new Provider applications have grown significantly since RESNET first adopted its rating Quality Assurance procedures. With the expectation of continued expansion as federal and state governments adopt new energy and environmental policies, the rating industry needs to ensure our standards are being implemented and updated effectively. The 2009 RESNET Conference will provide an ideal opportunity to take another look at the RESNET rating Quality Assurance procedures, clarify the current requirements and penalties, and solicit your feedback on new enhancements.

This session is intended for Accredited Rating Providers and especially certified Quality Assurance Designees who are responsible for implementation of the standards by Providers. This session will provide an important discussion forum on how RESNET can continue to be effective at setting and maintaining quality standards for its membership.

Session 2
3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Infrared Inspection of Building Envelopes
Presenter: Jay Bowen, FLIR Systems, Inc.
St. Charles Room A

With increasing energy costs, thermal imaging cameras have quickly become prevalent for commercial and residential building inspection. Building structures commonly exhibit quality and performance problems caused during construction and maintenance that can impact energy performance and, in some cases, render them dangerous. Regardless of the building type involved, infrared imaging has been shown to provide remarkable, nondestructive information about construction details and building performance.

This session will discuss the numerous applications for thermal imaging technology currently being used to inspect building envelopes. These include validation of structural details, verification of energy performance (conduction and air leakage), location of moisture intrusion, and the identification of structural and system degradation of roofs and facades. Examples will be given for each application and the basic conditions required will be discussed.

Combustion Safety Testing (ACI/Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Track)
Presenter: Rich Moore, Invisible Energy
St. Charles Room B

Have you ever wondered what all the fuss is over combustion appliances? This session will address the basics of combustion and the latest diagnostic procedures that are used to determine if vented and unvented combustion appliances are operating safely. Learn how carbon monoxide is formed, which appliances are used to diagnose problems, and ensure safe operation.

Green Home Verification Process A to Z
Presenters:
Don Carr, NAHB Research Center
Ron Hastings, Guaranteed Watt Savers
Bion Howard, Building Environmental Science & Tech
Toulouse Room A

This session reviews and compares the criteria and verification processes that support the NAHB Green Building Program and USGBC LEED® for Homes guide and rating system. These programs have many similarities and some significant differences which will be explored. Details provided on how to verify submissions on building sites, energy efficiency, passive solar design, water efficiency, indoor environment, materials, and concepts for green home marketing. Learn how RESNET members can generate more business supporting the rollouts of these well developed national programs.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes: The Compelling Builder Business Case in a Soft Real Estate Market
Presenter: Sam Rashkin, Environmental Protection Agency
Toulouse Room B
"Build it and they will come" is officially long over. The housing market across the country is reeling from unprecedented foreclosure rates, extremely tight credit, loss of consumer confidence in the search for bottom, rapidly escalating energy costs, and ripple effects through the entire economy. Builders need a compelling value proposition to avoid merely competing on price and making endless buyer concessions. More than ever, HERS raters working with ENERGY STR Qualified Homes address builders' business objectives with unique opportunities to help them survive this soft market. The number of ENERGY STAR Builder Partners has increased nearly 10-fold to about 300 per month over the last 18 months since the market began to weaken. This session will discuss five business strategies builders can employ with ENERGY STAR to help them weather this storm.

Rating Software for Existing Homes
Presenters:
Steve Baden, RESNET
Paul Norton, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Rob Salcido, Architectural Energy Corporation
Iberville Room

A key element in guiding consumers in making investments in improving the energy performance of existing homes is to provide the estimated energy savings of proposed upgrades and economic return for making the improvements. Currently RESNET home energy rating software programs calculate the projected energy savings and reduced carbon emissions that result from increased energy performance. RESNET has formed a task force to develop a process to simplify the information required for the software program, reconciliation of utility bills, and a standard methodology for calculating carbon emission savings. This session will explain the RESNET effort.

RESNET Rating Sampling Standard - Implementation Opportunities and Challenges
Presenters:
C.T. Loyd, Fox Energy Specialiists
Daran Wastchak, D.R. Wastchak
Bienville Room

On January 1, 2008, RESNET's new Sampling Standard (Chapter 6) went into effect and was adopted by, among others, the EPA's ENERGY STAR for Homes program. This session will review the sampling standard, provide for questions and clarifications from raters/providers, and allow for a discussion of "experiences for the field" that the presenters and members of the audience may have after the first year of implementing the new standard.

Raters and Commercial Building
Presenter: L. Javier Ruiz, Southwest Energy Conservation
St. Anne Room

How Senior Raters can assist architectural firms and building owners to qualify commercial building for Energy Star Commercial and LEED New Construction. Our firm is currently the LEED Consulting AP for 3 LEED NC projects in Texas, one in New Mexico and working on one in Mexico. The commercial sector is promising to be the next big step for experienced senior raters.

RESNET Reception
5:30 - 7:30 p.m. - Grand Ballroom Gallery

Tuesday - February 17, 2009

Conference Registration Opens
7:30 a.m. - Grand Ballroom Foyer

Continental Breakfast - Exhibits Open
7:30 - 8:30 a.m. - Exhibit Area - Grand Ballroom

Session 3
8:30 a.m. - Noon

RESNET National Energy Audit Standard
Presenters:
Lee O'Neal, CGE Solutions
Kelly Parker, Guaranteed Watt Savers
St. Charles Room A

After three years of consensus building, the RESNET Board of Directors has adopted a national energy audit standard. The process included a RESNET Task Force on National Standard for Energy Audit for Existing Homes. The standard consists of three categories of certification: In-Home Energy Survey, Diagnostic Energy Survey, and Comprehensive Energy Audit (energy rating). This session will introduce the new standard.

Yesterday's New Homes: Today's Opportunities to Grow Your Rater Business (ACI/Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Track)
Presenter: Keith Williams, Building Services & Consultant, LLC
St. Charles Room B

Integrate specific strategies and results used to break into the world of home performance contracting. Discover how "value-added" services and products will help start or improve your home performance career. Find out how to develop your business plan, product and service offerings for your own home performance business. Learn steps and lessons from moving from the rating world to delivering energy efficiency upgrades to the existing homes sector from one of the industry's top raters.

Energy Efficiency: The Invisible Energy Option
Presenter: David Goldstein, Natural Resources Defense Council
Toulouse Room A

Despite being the near term most cost effective strategy in addressing climate change and the nation's addiction to foreign oil, energy efficiency is often ignored in the great energy debates in the US. Why is this? What can be done to raise its visibility? This session will explain why energy efficiency has been largely invisible and how to change this.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes: Getting Ready for Multi-family High-Rise
Presenter: Ted Leopkey, Environmental Protection Agency
Toulouse Room B

Although the high-rise multi-family building category has been a very small component of ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes, many industry analysts point to the aging ‘baby boomer' population, increasing cost of developing land further from urban centers, and rapidly escalating cost of energy for both home and commuting as strong indicators of a looming trend to multi-family high-rise buildings and urban living. EPA has been actively working with stakeholders in pilot markets to develop a label for high-rise multi-family buildings. In addition, market research studies and technical evaluations have identified the biggest opportunities for energy savings. This session will present the results of these initial efforts along with potential scenarios for a national label for high-rise multi-family housing.

Energy Ratings for HUD Code Manufactured Homes
Presenters:
Michael Freedberg, Department of Housing and Urban Development
Michael Lubliner, Washington State University Energy Program
Ed Pollock, U.S. Department of Energy
Sam Rashkin, Environmental Protection Agency
Iberville Room

HUD-code manufactured housing represents a significant portion of new homes in the U.S. - over 95,000 homes in 2007. Each HUD code manufactured home is required to include both a heat loss certificate, and comfort cooling certificate, allowing for proper sizing of HVAC equipment. These certificates could be updated to provide more useful information to potential homebuyers, and could be linked to the HERS rating process. Challenges to this approach include the need to coordinate both in-plant and on-site inspections.

RESNET National Building Registry
Presenter: Steve Byers, EnergyLogic
Bienville Room

RESNET is investigating developing a national building registry and has formed a National Buildings Registry Task Force to oversee the investigation.

The task force will review and provide a recommendation to the RESNET Board on whether a national building registry makes sense. If the task force recommends developing a national building registry, and the RESNET Board concurs, the task fore will then make a set of recommendations on how the registry will be set up, maintained and identify what information should be held confidential. This session will provide an update of this effort and discuss the implications for RESNET and the rating industry.

"Truth Behind the Walls" - Determining Insulation Quality Installation
Presenter: Peter Hopkins, United Infrared, Inc.
St. Anne Room

This training will feature how to detect the quality of insulation installation through infrared technology. The topics to be included will be: utilizing infrared for building envelope (post construction), utilizing infrared with blower door (qualitative and quantitative testing), identifying defects (insulation, duct leaks, weather stripping etc.), and various standards on insulation specifications and inspections. The presentation will be based upon 50 homes worth of images that were taken. These were post-construction (final phase and existing home) inspections done for homeowners who wished to have their homes checked for thermal breaks or insulation quality. Of the group, not a single home complied with the insulation installation requirements. The session will be led by Peter Hopkins of United Infrared, Inc.

Session 4
10:30 - Noon

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR: What Works and What Doesn't
Presenters:
Diane Ferrington, Oregon Energy Trust
Dale Hoffmeyer, Environmental Protection Agency
Marc Milin, ICF International
Ed Pollock, U.S. Department of Energy
Keith Williams, Building Services Consultant
St. Charles Room A

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR has become an important program for utilities, states, and nonprofit organizations to implement and meet energy efficiency goals. There are now 27 regional and state sponsored programs across the country with another 10 new program sponsors to launch in 2009. Come hear about six years of experiences, results, achievements, and mistakes. This session will draw upon lessons learned, and will encourage discussions about program implementation strategies to achieve a cost-effective program, advance the home performance industry and improve the efficiency of existing homes.

Beyond Ratings: You Must Sell Efficiency (ACI/Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Track)
Presenter: Joe Kuonen, CLEAResult Consulting
St. Charles Room B

One of the more difficult transitions for raters in entering the existing housing energy efficiency business is selling - to REAL live customers! You can diagnose the place to pieces, but if you can't go "belly to belly" with an effective sales delivery - no efficiency happens! Those days are over - efficiency must be sold! Don't think you job ends with the assessment - work must happen! Learn to...

• Use interviewing techniques and diagnostic discovery to motivate the customer and develop their desire to have their home perform
• Build a trusting relationship before the work begins
• Maximize your ability to communicate the technical side of diagnostics to the customer without glazing them over or boring them
• Communicate confidence in your conclusions and recommendations

Stories from the Trenches of Energy Code Issues
Presenter: Mike Barcik, Southface Energy Institute
Toulouse Room A

HERS Raters interact with code officials on a regular basis while in the field. Stories from the Trenches of Energy Code Issues will discuss the process of code adoption in Georgia and how local raters have worked to advance the energy code in the state to work for them in the field. The session will also cover lessons learned on working with code officials on sight for new and innovative technologies and techniques.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes: New Marketing Tool Developments
Presenters: Amber Stewart, ICF International
Jessica Steiner, The Cadmus Group
Toulouse Room B

Learn about all the latest Marketing Tools available from the ENERGY STAR for Homes team. This session will focus on the new on-line ENERGY STAR Marketing Toolkit that allows builders and raters to develop highly-customized point-of-sale materials, the upcoming 2009 ENERGY STAR Outreach Partnership campaign, new consumer fact sheets, and a tour of the new ENERGY STAR for Homes web sites for consumers and partners. The session is a great primer for raters who are new to working with ENERGY STAR, as well as veteran partners looking for the latest updates.

National Association of Home Builders Green Building Certification
Presenters:
Don Carr, NAHB Research Center
Steve Baden, RESNET
Iberville Room

This session will present an overview of the working relationship between RESNET and the NAHB Research Center to implement and grow National Green Certification of residential buildings across the U.S. Details of the 3rd party verification process required for each green building or development. Questions and answers from leaders in both organizations.

Rating Commercial and High Rise Multifamily Buildings: The Effort to Develop National Standards
Presenters:
Philip Fairey, Florida Solar Energy Center
David Goldstein, New Buildings Institute
Courtney Moriarta, Steven Winter Design
Nick Zigelbaum, Natural Resources Defense Council
Bienville Room

As public concern grows over energy and environmental issues, there is an emerging need for national standards for the rating the energy performance of commercial buildings. There are three efforts that are addressing this need. The ENERGY STAR High Rise Multifamily Pilot is working on developing a reference building and modeling protocols for high rise multifamily buildings. The New Buildings Institute and Natural Resources Defense Council with funding from the Energy Foundation are developing a standard for modeling software for commercial buildings. RESNET is developing a standard for the testing and certification of software modeling programs for rating commercial buildings. This session will introduce these efforts and explore how the standards will relate to each other.

The Future of Energy Efficient Mortgage Initiative
Presenters:
Jean Ballard, Fannie Mae
Michael Freedberg, U.S. Department of Housing Development
Dave Porter. Countrywide Home Loans
St. Anne Room

Energy Efficient Mortgages have been around for over two decades but not have gained the market traction expected. The mortgage feature is now facing a crossroads. The concerns over energy and environmental issues must be balanced with increased concern over mortgage loan risk. There are hopeful signs. Congress has called on the secondary mortgage market to revitalize the energy efficient mortgage. Fannie Mae has taken the lead in exploring how the energy efficient mortgage can become more effective. At the same time, there are private sector initiatives to make Energy Efficient Mortgages viable. This session will explore how the mortgage industry views the Energy Efficient Mortgage and give a peek into what new features are being considered.

Lunch
Noon - 1:30 p.m. - Astor Ballroom

Session 5
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.

Proper Manual J Calculation
Presenter: Dennis Strorer, Calcs-Plus
St. Charles Room A

Central A/C sizing is critical in ESTAR and beyond, and typically difficult for raters to get the Man J calc copy from HVAC installers. Raters/Providers should be trained to input and determine sizing using the ManJ or "other ACCA approved method." This can be an additional service product for raters/providers, especially since they are reviewing and calculating the building docs and working with the builders anyway.

When to Walk, When to Run: Dealing with Crawlspaces Correctly (ACI/Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Track)
Presenter: Doug Garrett, Austin Energy
St. Charles Room B

Frozen pipes, cold floors, indoor air quality problems moisture, rodents and insects, and allergies are some of the consequences of problem crawlspaces. Find ways to solve problems commonly found with new and existing crawlspaces. Find out why crawlspace ventilation and insulating the floor really doesn't work. This session will also answer whether the conditioned crawlspace remediation strategy is effective everywhere.

RESNET/BPI Joint Comprehensive Energy Auditor Standard: New Career Path for Raters and Building Analysts
Presenters:
Bruce Harley, Conservation Services Group
Larry Zarker, Building Performance Institute
Toulouse Room A

For three years, representatives of RESNET and the Building Performance Institute (BPI) have been developing a new joint certification, the Comprehensive Home Energy Auditor. Individuals certified through the joint RESNET/BPI standard will be able to conduct both home energy ratings and building analysis for home performance contractors. This session will introduce the new standard and explain the career possibilities for home energy raters and building analysts.

ENERGY STAR Homes: The Road Ahead
Presenters:
Dean Gamble, ICF International
Sam Rashkin, Environmental Protection Agency
Toulouse Room B

After only one initial specification with a few regional modifications, the first 10 years, ENERGY STAR introduced a more rigorous specification in 2006. One of the biggest lessons learned was that stakeholders need more time to absorb, understand and plan for change. This is important because it appears that political forces are leading to substantially increased building codes nationally and regionally concurrent with unprecedented increases in energy costs. As a result, it has been clear to the EPA that external forces are again driving another ramp-up in ENERGY STAR for Homes requirements, and the technical team has developed a proposed framework for Version 3.0 specifications. In addition, a new initiative called Advanced New Home Construction is being promoted to leading edge builders willing to demonstrate an aggressive package of energy efficiency measures much like a ‘farm system' for future specifications. This session will present the first look at these new ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes specifications and the implementation process.

RESNET Conference Panel Discussion - Following Katrina, New Orleans Energy Policy
Facilitator: John Moore, City of New Orleans Energy Policy Analyst
Presenters:
Cathy Herren, Entergy New Orleans
Jon Luther, Greater New Orleans Home Builder's Association
Paula Ridgeway, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources
Donald Sylvester, HRI Properties
Iberville Room

Following Katrina, the State of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans have committed to sustainable energy future for the Crescent City. This session will explore the challenges and opportunities it has as the city poises for a sustainable future. Following several convened task forces, the city still finds itself struggling to find the funding to put together a city wide energy efficiency policy. Hear the successes and the failures that have happened over the last three years, and be a part of a conversation that may help the city formulate ideas for how to move forward.

A Rater's Role in Meeting the National Builders Challenge
Presenter: Dave Roberts, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Bienville Room

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has posed a challenge to the homebuilding industry - to build 220,000 high performance homes by 2012. The initiative is called the Builders Challenge, and homes that qualify must meet a 70 or better on the EnergySmart Home Scale (E-Scale). HERS Raters are an integral part of the Challenge and will be instrumental in meeting program goals. In this session you will learn: 1) what it takes to meet the Challenge performance requirements; 2) which additional quality criteria are required; and 3) how you can verify and qualify homes for the Challenge. You will leave this session prepared to discuss the Builders Challenge with your builder-clients and facilitate their participation in the program.

The Elephant in the Room - HVAC for High Performance Homes
Presenter: David Butler, Green Home Solutions
St. Anne Room

HVAC is the largest energy consumer in the home. Reducing heating and cooling costs is the main focus of the home performance industry, and yet few practitioners are qualified to provide sound advice when it comes to HVAC system design. More often than not, we rely on the mechanical contractor to know what he’s doing when, in fact, he has not been trained to deal with high performance homes and probably has the least incentive to recommend the best-practice. I refer to this as the ‘elephant in the room.’ My presentation will dispel a number of widely held myths regarding HVAC design and will help participants become better qualified in this critical yet under-emphasized area of home performance.

Session 6
3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Transitioning from New Home Ratings to Home Performance Contracting
Presenters:
Dave Abrey, GreenHomes America
Michelle Knaszak, GreenHomes America
St. Charles Room A

Raters who are interested in adding or transitioning their business into Home Performance Contracting should learn about the entire Home Performance Contracting Process. This session will follow a Home Performance job from start to finish and present key aspects of running a successful business. Learn how to identify and avoid problems that will hurt your Home Performance Contracting business before they materialize.

Central Air Conditioning Rx (ACI/Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Track)
Presenter: Joe Kuonen, CLEAResult Consulting
St. Charles Room B

Over sixty percent of residential air conditioning units have either the incorrect charge, incorrect airflow, sized incorrectly or push air through crappy ducts. Find out how system design, sizing, air balancing, duct location, and duct system tightness can impact comfort, equipment life, system efficiency, and building durability and safety. Getting CAC systems right is keystone to efficient and comfortable housing in the south.

RESNET and ENERGY STAR in Japan
Presenters:
Mark Jansen, Energy Efficient Homes Midwest
George D. Sullivan, Eco Smart Building
Masato Yamazaki, Japan Energy Star Council
Toulouse Room A

Japan has committed to a comprehensive effort to reduce its energy consumption and carbon emissions. A key strategy identified in ENERGY STAR. A public/private partnership with manufacturers, architects, universities and builders is forming a Japan Energy Star Council. A key focus of this effort is buildings. RESNET and the Japan Energy Star Council have recently entered into a memorandum of agreement. The organization is seeking to become a RESNET accredited rating provider, the first of its kind in Japan. This presentation will describe this project, the opportunities and barriers, and what it will mean to RESNET.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes: Engaging the Design Community with "Designed to Earn ENERGY STAR"
Presenter: Zak Shadid, Environmental Protection Agency
Toulouse Room B

Up to now, EPA has not offered the design community, architects and home designers an effective partnership opportunity with ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes. Moreover, field observations during visits to thousands of homes under construction reveal a significant gap between ENERGY STAR for Homes specifications and scopes of work on architectural construction documents. Based on these observations, EPA has introduced a new label for home plans called "Designed to Earn ENERGY STAR". To earn this label, plans must be certified by a HERS rater to include ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes specifications, plan information, details, and attached documentation. Consumers and builders looking for this label will be assured of compliance with ENERGY STAR where plans are field verified by a certified HERS rater. This session will present the specifications for this new label, business opportunities for promoting this new label, and implementation process.

Codes and Ratings: Opportunities to Improve Building Performance and Grow the Rating Business
Presenters:
Richard Faesy, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
Mike DeWein, Building Codes Assistance Project
Iberville Room

Using raters and ratings to help improve the implementation and compliance with the energy code process has long been an idea worth pursuing. It is now a reality in a number of jurisdictions while many others are considering how to improve codes to levels that require performance testing. Opportunities for raters and for increased home performance are now abound. This session will look at a number of locations that have included raters in the codes process or are moving in that direction and some of the lessons learned. The Long Island, NY experience, where nearly all of the 13 towns have adopted residential new construction energy codes requiring ENERGY STAR Homes labeling, will be highlighted, as will efforts in a handful of Massachusetts towns moving to improve their codes to ENERGY STAR. Additionally, we will look at specific code changes and implementation approaches that will continue to make ratings-as-codes the preferred method for assuring better performing code homes.

Whole Building Approaches to Multifamily
Presenter: Courtney Moriarta, Steven Winter Design
Bienville Room

Any building with attached dwelling units is going to present different challenges than detached dwelling units. Programs and labeling systems have historically allowed low-rise multifamily buildings to be evaluated for energy and overall performance on a unit-by-unit basis. But when is this approach okay and when does it break down? What opportunities are missed and what are the risks of making incorrect assumptions and conclusions using this approach? When are whole-building approaches more appropriate? Can whole-building approaches be cost effective? Explore the answers to these questions using real-life examples and discuss possible implications for future program standards.

Introduction to the New RESNET Infrared Standard
Presenters:
Rogge Miller, Guaranteed Watt Savers
John Snell, Snell Infrared
St. Anne Room

This session will define the means by which the Standard was developed, its intention, present the highlights of the Standard, and seek feedback from those in the presentation.

RESNET Exhibitor Beer Fest
5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Conference Exhibit Area - Grand Ballroom

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Conference Registration Opens
7:30 a.m. - Grand Ballroom Foyer

Continental Breakfast - Exhibits Open
7:30 - 8:30 a.m. - Exhibit Area - Grand Ballroom

Session 7
8:30 - 10:00 a.m.

House Characterization - Reducing Program Costs
Presenter: John Tooley, Advanced Energy
St. Charles Room A

Over the past three decades, we have learned a great deal about how houses work or fail. Researchers from the national labs, the weatherization world, utility programs and private enterprise have conducted thousands of blower door and duct blaster tests, pressure and airflow measurements, infrared scans and more. This session will discuss House Characterization as a more efficient way to look at existing homes. This session will cover:

1. How to increase your diagnostic skills by understanding the common characteristics found in all homes across the nation
2. How common features lead to 4 areas of retrofit measures
3. How to increase diagnostic quality and efficiency while reducing program costs

DIAGNOSIS - INEFFICIENT USE OF TIME = MORE HOMES RETROFITTED + INCREASED PROFIT

Join us in this lively discussion on a process that is proven to be a more cost effective way to produce energy savings.

House of Horrors: Home Performance Examples & Remedies (ACI/Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Track)
Presenter: Joe Kuonen, CLEAResult Consulting
St. Chares Room B

Step right up and see what goes on in existing homes…if you dare. Get real life examples of some common existing home challenges: bonus rooms, improper insulation, and even customer behavior. Find out how problems were solved, health issues cured, and consumers were educated. See how the experts have gotten their lumps, mistakes happen - see these and learn how to avoid some of your own!

REALTORS®, Raters, Energy Auditors The New Partnership
Presenters:
Candace Lightner, Coldwell Banker
Lee O'Neal, CGE Solutions
Toulouse Room A

This session will demonstrate how REALTORS, Raters and Energy Auditors can work together to educate home buyers and sellers about the cost and energy-saving benefits of retrofitting existing residential buildings through understanding the processes, marketing the differences, and promoting the Energy Efficient movement.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes: Opportunities to Work with Affordable Housing
Presenters:
Brian Ng, Environmental Protection Agency
Michael Brown, MaGrann Associates
Krista Egger, Advanced Energy Corporation
Janet McIllvaine, Florida Solar Energy Center
Toulouse Room B

Affordable housing is a crucial component of any energy efficiency program because it is the segment of the housing industry where occupants realize the greatest potential benefits from lower ownership, maintenance costs, and health costs. Recognizing this opportunity, EPA has increased its commitment to support greater ENERGY STAR participation by affordable housing stakeholders. This session will present how HERS providers are actively influencing affordable housing organizations to build energy efficient homes across the country.

RESNET Green Rater Designation
Presenter: Kelly Parker, Guaranteed Watt Saver
Iberville Room

RESNET has formed a task force to develop the criteria and curriculum for Green Rater certification training. The input from the task force will be used by the RESNET Training and Education Committee and the RESNET Board of Directors in adopting the final criteria. This session will explain this effort and how certified home energy raters can receive the RESNET Green Rater designation.

Energy Performance Score [EPS] - Indexing the Energy and Carbon Footprint for the Nation's Housing Stock
Presenters:
Diane Ferlington, Energy Trust of Oregon
Sean Penrith, Earth Advantage, Inc.
Bienville Room

The Energy Performance Score (EPS) is a tool that assesses the energy demand and carbon emissions of new and existing homes. The EPS process employs national standards to conduct an in-home energy audit and requisite energy modeling. This model analyzes the home's energy use and carbon emissions and produces a comparable score of the home's energy performance, an analysis of energy use and a prescriptive path of recommendations on how to improve the home score in a cost effective manner. Homeowners, municipal governments, utilities, and the real estate industry can use this easy-to-read certificate to compare the performance and impact on climate change of new and existing homes. It also seeks to drive performance upward in accordance with the vast public and private efforts already underway. In addition, the EPS provides a means of quantifying and measuring energy performance which supply the valuation factor needed to move the appraisal and financing aspects of remodeling forward.

Measuring Air Leakage in Residential and High-Rise Buildings
Presenter: Colin Gange, Retrotec, Inc.
St. Anne Room

High rise test results will be presented where regular size super power blower doors were used. Here, gauges controlled as many as four blower doors from one location in order to measure floor to floor, individual floor leakage to outdoors and the leakage of each wall of one apartment. We will show how you can use the same equipment to test entire high rise buildings one day, a house the next, and the capacity of a bathroom fan the next day. We will discuss new market opportunities in the fire suppression market where tests can be sold for $2,000 each and how air sealing crews can perform new tasks with existing commercial fields. We will discuss LEED apartment testing, the sizing of stairwell and control room systems, measuring slab leakage of high rises for smoke movement and the use of blower doors to augment equipment. We will show how to find and fix high rise energy and air quality problems.

Session 8
10:30 a.m. - Noon

I am Certified! Now What? (What I Need to Know to Succeed as a Rater?)
Presenters:
Erin Wiggins, Cenergy
Barb Yankie, Homes +, Inc.
St. Charles Room A

This session will consist of both the technical and business side of a rating organization. It will contain the following: Basic Skills, Equipment, Knowledge, Business Plan etc. needed to succeed in beginning a rating organization. We all know that in our training courses much information is given. Which aspects are the most important? How do we put this information to use in the field and the office?

Marketing Techniques That Work for Raters & Contractors (ACI/Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Track)
Presenter: Ed Thomas, Intermountain Energy
St. Charles Room B

Marketing is essential for a contractor and rater's success…it makes your phone ring. Explore strategies, costs, and challenges that successful individuals and companies have used. Accelerate your market growth by not repeating other's mistakes and making the right marketing decisions at the right time. Zero in on marketing channels that will motivate homeowners toward action, improve employee retention, and customer satisfaction. Learn how effective marketing can be done on a shoe string budget.

7 Key Things to Jump Start Your Existing Homes Business
Presenter: Mike Rogers, GreenHomes America
Toulouse Room A

The analysts tell us that the existing home retrofit market will be hot. Yet the existing homes market can be a tough nut to crack. It's even harder if you skip some of the fundamentals. From marketing and sales, to installation and business practices, there are some basic things raters and contractors should do to ensure their businesses thrive. This session will focus on seven simple things you can start implementing this week, this month, or this quarter, to improve your top line revenue and your bottom line earnings. While targeted at raters and home performance contractors, this would be relevant for HVAC, insulation, and other trade contractors. It would also be useful to program implementers who want to better understand how to help one of their key stakeholders deliver energy-efficiency.

Insulated Sheathings - Not just for Energy Savings
Presenter: Dan Tempas - The Dow Chemical Company - Video- AVI 17MB
Toulouse Room B

Insulated sheathings are known for their ability to reduce energy loss from a residential wall through both a reduction in conductive heat loss and air infiltration. Less well known is the capacity of such sheathings to reduce the probability of condensation moisture problems within the cavity. This talk will review the physics and methods for reducing condensation potential and increasing drying potential within residential walls.

The State of Green Real Estate and Where the Next Opportunities Are in 2009
Moderator: Dr. John Beldock, (AEEREP/ECOBROKER), with Panelists Lisa Harr (IFREC) and Daniele Loffreda (USGBC).
Iberville Room

The design of this interactive panel provides the RESNET audience (raters and many others) with a very current picture of where we are and what lies ahead of us with green real estate. Where are the opportunities for raters and real estate professionals to continue to work together to build business. Which financing, marketing, and communications tools are available and which truly enhance business development for raters and other professionals involved in serving real estate consumers and investors? Which steps have historically lead to the best business and which fundamentals still apply in the 2009 market? A team of green real estate practitioners examines what's working and where to go for more resources that mean business.

Tapping the Residential Energy Reserve - Zero Energy Homes
Presenter: Ren Anderson, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
St. Anne Room

Art of the possibility for zero energy homes, and beyond - what needs to be done to make them a reality, and what the role of energy and green raters should be into the future.

Lunch
Noon - 1:30 p.m. - Exhibit Area - Grand Ballroom

Session 9
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.

It's 2020: Are you Capping and Trading Your Carbon Footprint Yet?
Presenters:
Dean Gamble, ICF International
Bill Prindle, ICF International
St. Charles Room A

As the issue of climate change rises in public consciousness and advances to political action, people in the building energy performance and rating industry are trying to grasp future opportunities in emerging carbon markets. From tying energy use to carbon emissions via a carbon footprint analysis, to understanding the difference between white tags, green tags, complementary policies and other carbon offset options, this session discusses the latest developments in carbon policies and markets as they may affect residential buildings in the United States.

RESNET in China
Presenters:
Kevin Mo, Natural Resources Defense Council China
Nick Zigelbaum, Natural Resources Defense Council
St. Charles Room B

The World Bank estimates that by 2015, half of the world's new building construction will take place in China, and more than half of China's urban residential and commercial stock will have been constructed after 2000. The City of Shanghai, following direction from the Ministry of Construction, has taken steps towards reducing the massive energy demands from these new buildings by enacting a basic building energy performance framework and labeling system. Furthering these efforts, our partner organization, The Shanghai Real Estate Science Research Institute, is seeking to become a RESNET accredited provider, the first of its kind in China. This session will describe this project; the opportunities, barriers and progress.

Existing Home Efficiency Initiatives in Texas
Presenter: Tom Fitzpatrick, Texas Home Energy Raters Organization
Toulouse Room A

Texas cities and utilities are considering or experimenting with various approaches to realize the potential for energy and emission reductions from existing homes. This session will highlight these various initiatives and discuss a Texas HERO effort to help grow and meet the resulting demand for energy auditors for the existing home market.

Challenges and Opportunities of Energy Star in Modular Home Construction: Lessons from the Field
Presenters:
Larry Armanda, Penn College of Technology
Rick Terry, Factory Built Housing Center
Toulouse Room B

The renewed interest in achieving Energy Star certification for new construction over the last several years has generated challenges for those who implement the program in modular construction. Challenges with coordination between HERS raters and the manufacturer, as-well-as with the customer at the final building site have tested the certification methodology and performance standards of Energy Star. This session will look at one program's experience with attempting to integrate the HERS rater into the modular construction process over the last two years, both at the manufacturing level and the customer level. Specific attention will focus on coordination and communication between rater (s) and manufacturer for the plan review/consultation, thermal bypass checklist; connecting customers with raters on site for final performance testing, the pros and cons of proposed sampling protocols for modular construction, experiences with the education, and training of all stakeholders in the modular process on building science and Energy Star certification.

Utility Allowance Energy Consumption Modeling for Low-Income Housing - Implications for the Rating Industry
Presenters:
Paul Emrath, National Association of Home Builders
Craig Drumheller - NAHB Research Center
Iberville Room

Last summer, the Internal Revenue Service released a final regulation outlining allowable methods for calculating utility costs in affordable housing. Of the methods, the use of an energy consumption model has created the most questions among housing professional. Although not explicitly accepted by the regulation, HERS Raters appear to be well qualified to perform Energy Consumption Modeling for affordable housing. This regulation provides an incentive for owners and developers to construct energy efficient housing, but will need guidance from qualified energy modeling professionals.

Green Real Estate Education - Coming of Age
Presenter: Kerry Mitchell, Green Real Estate Education
Bienville Room

As a regular part of the practice of their profession, real estate professionals are called upon to recommend upgrades to a property, home or business owner that will impact a future sale or value. This now must include recommending energy efficient upgrades, upgrades to improve indoor air quality as well as the health and longevity of that built structure. The consumer today faces utility bill increases and concerns of global climate issues that were never a concern in the past. As new information becomes available, a thirst for solutions on one's own individual "carbon footprint” is growing. The real estate professional is the absolute first line of communication for every consumer in the United States and is in the enviable position to affect change faster than any other profession.

Explaining Home Energy use that Building Science Misses
Presenters:
John Laun, Apogee Interactive
Eric Shewbrudge, Apogee Interactive
St. Anne Room

Even though someone buys a Toyota Prius, they may not get the full potential of its efficiency. Their mileage may in fact be dismal compared to the potential in the design. Similarly, high efficiency homes can also fail to live up to their potential. This session examines some of the "big culprits" of homeowner behavior that defeats the energy efficiency in their homes' designs.

Session 10
3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Rating and Rater Training Provider Roundtable
Facilitators:
David Lyle, Home Energy Concepts
Jarry Lyle, Home Energy Concepts
Toulouse Room A

This session is dedicated to accredited rating and rater training providers. The session will provide an open forum for providers to discuss the issues that are confronting the HERS industry in this time of transition with RESNET and the EPA.

Verifying the Quality of HERS Ratings
Presenters:
Steve Burnett, ICF International
Jake Titus, ICF International
Dean Gamble, ICF International
Toulouse Room B

ICF International has been implementing a successful Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QAQC) process for the Oncor Electric Delivery ENERGY STAR® Homes Program (ESHP) since 2004 and implementing a process for Rocky Mountain Power in Utah since 2006. The main goals of the QAQC process are to verify that RESNET standards are followed by HERS Raters, confirm the data used by the utilities to calculate utility-sponsored program impacts, and help strengthen the integrity of the ENERGY STAR Home label and the HERS rating process. This session will share observations, issues, new best practices, and lessons learned from implementing QAQC programs. Specific quantitative results will be presented as well as actions taken to improve the home energy ratings and the final outcomes and recommendations.

Superior House and Duct Leakage Testing Without Using a Specialized Duct Pressurization Device
Presenters:
Myron Katz, Building Science Innovators
Norman M. Witriol, Building Science Innovators
Iberville Room

Over five years, a house and duct-leakage research project supported by DOE funding developed the following outcomes: An enhanced protocol that simultaneously tests duct leakage, house leakiness, and perhaps the most serious pressure imbalance responsible for infiltration.

Among the results of the integrated test are:

• The two RESNET required leakage parameters: House and Duct Leakiness locating the most problematic duct leaks.
• Estimating the size of the "hole to outside" at the attic floor.

A peer-reviewed article was published in ASTM's Journal of Testing and Materials.

This talk describes the test procedure, the parameters of the study, and results and comments. It also discusses the problems encountered, and draws conclusions about what should be done in a home to make such testing superfluous.

Blower Door Opportunities and Challenges for HERS Raters
Presenter: George J. Nesbitt Environmental Design/Build, CalHERS
Colin L. Genge, Retrotec
Bienville Room

With the growth of Energy Efficiency & Green Building Programs, blower door testing is increasingly required, or given credit. This presents the HERS Rater with business opportunities, as well as challenges as they will have to meet different program requirements. The HERS Rater will be challenged to adopt new programs (LEEDnc, LEED for Homes, GreenPoint, etc.), markets (multifamily, high rise, etc.), tools, test procedures (ASTM E779, E1827, etc.), and compliance metrics (ACH, ACH50, EqLA, ELA, SLA, CFM/sqft, etc.).

We will build upon last year's presentation on high-rise testing by Colin L. Genge, Retrotec. We will learn the lessons from seven prior years of testing without always getting it right, and the struggles & experimentation the past year from one HERS Rater who been through it already. New Blower Door testing procedures will be presented based on this experience.

Zero Energy Homes: From Virtual to Reality
Presenters:
Matt Dugan, ICF International
David Ruggiero, ICF International
St. Anne Room

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, are energy models worth as much? The Zero Energy Challenge, currently underway in Massachusetts, is utilizing computer imagery and energy modeling to draw correlations between virtual and real-time appearances and energy consumption/production data. Results from this two-year study will look to influence future program designs as well as the home building and home buying communities.

Post Conference Training Session

Louisiana Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council LEED for Homes Workshop
Instructor: Chip Henderson, CONTECTS - Consultants & Architects

February 19, 2008
8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Global Green USA, New Orleans Office and Resource Center
841 Carondelet Street
New Orleans, LA 70130

This course is designed to provide key concepts needed for successful participation in the LEED® for Homes program, including a review of the Rating System, green design and construction practices, certification and verification procedures, and the benefits and costs of LEED Homes.

For all workshop inquiries, email workshop@usgbc.org or call 800-795-1747.

To register online go to: www.greenbuild365.org/coursedetail.aspx?ID=90000150.