John McManus retired last August from Hanley Wood after a nearly 20-year career in various senior editorial roles. Post “retirement,” McManus launched a brand-new publishing endeavor, The Builder’s Daily, a digitally published newsletter filled with thought-provoking and informative insights for the building industry. Insulation Institute...

Better, Greener Residential AC

Record heatwaves remind us that residential air conditioners (AC) are a wonderful invention, and as sweltering heat blankets much of the country, the demand for home AC will only increase. Unfortunately, this only drives CO2 emissions higher, increasing global warming. One way that we can ensure that we reduce...

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy recently issued a preliminary analysis of the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), noting that the code will improve energy efficiency in residential buildings. DOE’s technical analysis of the updated code (relative to the 2018 IECC edition) pegs...

An increasing focus on mitigating climate change and constructing sustainable, resilient buildings has created a green buildings industry exploding with job opportunities. However, many job seekers simply don’t know those occupations exist.

3 Pandemic Housing Trends to Watch

As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its second year, the virus continues to impact housing trends in America. While white-hot housing demand and the increase in construction prices are making headlines, there are other interesting trends shaping the current U.S. housing market that are worth noting. This week, we...

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released a long-awaited study detailing archaic building codes' impact on communities. The report concludes that 65 percent of counties and municipalities in the United States have not adopted modern building codes. These communities incur an additional $1.6 billion a year in property damage...

Would it surprise you to learn that among the top 10 reasons cited for a failing a final new residential home inspection is missing insulation in the attic access or floor? Improperly installed insulation is an inconvenient problem that can be fixed relatively easily, but insulation that’s completely missing on a final inspection can cost...

Pandemic May Drive Zero Energy Construction

An increasing number of states and municipal governments are considering more stringent energy efficiency goals into their updated building codes. For example, new residential construction in several locales within Colorado must comply with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home...

Even as the home building industry sees a record surge in sales, it still faces a tough challenge with labor for the foreseeable future. Novel approaches to attracting young people into the trades and efforts like North Carolina Building Performance Association (NCBPA’s) workforce development initiative may ultimately be the catalyst to solving...

While the terms sustainable, energy-efficient, and green building are broadly used to describe construction that centers on building performance, there’s no national program that focuses on career development in building performance. That’s why North Carolina Building Performance Association (NCBPA) Founder and CEO Ryan Miller is investing...