The latest issue of Green Home Builder magazine highlights RESNET via two of its feature articles and recognition for RESNET Executive Director Steve Baden, Energy Smart Builder KB Home, and Jacob Atalla, KB Home’s Vice President of Sustainability and Innovation and RESNET Board of Directors member. The issue features an editorial from RESNET Communications Director Valerie Briggs on the trends in green homebuilding in 2022. She details the latest trends in water efficiency, decarbonization, builders’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting to investors, affordable high-performance housing, and better financing for energy-efficient homes. These trends are being met by RESNET with various programs and initiatives, including HERSH2O®, the new RESNET Carbon Index®, and HERS® data for publicly traded production builders for their ESG reporting. In addition, RESNET is working with entities like Habitat for Humanity International, on affordable high-performance housing, and Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae on green bonds for energy-efficient homes. The cover story recognizes long-time RESNET Energy Smart Builder KB Home as the publication’s Pubby Award winner for Builder of the Year, and “setting the standard for energy efficiency as a pioneer in the green building industry.” Within the article reads ” KB’s homes boast a national average RESNET Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score of 49, which is lower than the 58 average for all HERS-rated homes in the United States.” The article continues, “When it comes to water, KB was the first builder to be designated a Water Smart Builder by the Southern Nevada Water Authority in April 2005. As mentioned earlier, KB was the first builder to join the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense program [based on RESNET HERSH2O® Index], and since then, it has built more WaterSense and Water Smart homes than any other homebuilder, per [Dan Bridleman, SVP of Sustainability, Technology and Strategic Sourcing for KB]. ‘The totals add up to over 16,000 WaterSense-labeled new homes and over 700,000 WaterSense-labeled fixtures. Together, we are saving 1.5 billion gallons of water annually compared to homes that do not have these features’, said Bridleman.” Lastly, the issue recognizes the Who’s Who in Green Homebuilding in 2022 and features RESNET Executive Director Steve Baden and KB Home’s Vice President of Sustainability and Innovation Jacob Atalla, who serves as a RESNET Board of Directors member and chair of RESNET Standard Development Committee (SDC) 1100, responsible for the development of the HERSH2O® standard. Congratulations to Jacob and Steve. Download the full issue here.
