Annually RESNET and its Canadian sister organization, the Canadian Residential Energy Services Network, sponsors the Cross Boarder Challenge that recognizes builders who construct homes with low HERS® Index Scores. The latest issue of Green Builder magazine contains a feature on the 2015 awards. The title of the article is “HERS® Index Competition: Low Scores, High Standards”. The article states, “SEVERAL TOP ENERGY- EFFICIENT builders in the U.S. and Canada were honored through the second annual Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) Cross Border Home Builder Challenge.” The story features two production builders, KB Home and Brookfield Residential. It states, “American production builder KB Home captured the 2015 RESNET President’s Award for the second year in a row, while the 2015 CRESNET President’s Award went to Brookfield Residential. KB Home is one of the largest production builders in the U.S., with a presence in forty markets from coast to coast. The firm provides a HERS® score for all of its new homes and has broken ground with its Double ZeroHouse projects, which demonstrate both net-zero energy and net-zero water. Brookfield Residential is the fifth-largest land developer and homebuilder in North America, with markets in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Alberta and several U.S. states. Like KB Home, Brookfield Residential provides a HERS® rating for every new home it builds. The firm has also built several ultra-green demonstration homes, including its latest, the PureBlue Home, completed in Fairfax, VA this March. The home, which earned a -1.0 HERS® rating with its solar PV array, also demonstrates a graywater system and rainwater collection.” The feature also promotes the 2016 Cross Board Challenge program. To view the article go to HERS® Index Competition: Low Scores, High Standards The 2016 Cross Boarder Challenge competition will feature a total of seven builder awards; five are based on having the lowest HERS® score for their specific category, which will be sponsored by Power-Pipe®, and two will be special President’s awards based on a fleet of HERS® new home ratings, and once again sponsored by Icynene. The specific awards will be: 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 Better than Code Production Builder (< 50 homes HERS® rated per year) Lowest Canadian Better Than Code Custom Builder (< 50 homes HERS® rated per year) Net Zero Award Canada & US The U.S. Production Builder with the highest percentage of homes HERS® rated < 53 The Canadian Production Builder with the highest percentage of homes HERS® rated < 53 Awards will be presented at the 2016 RESNET Building Performance Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information go to 2016 Cross Border Builder Challenge
