ZERO ENERGY READY HOMES

June 2024 Newsletter

ZERH Education Tools & Resources

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program recently launched an Education Hub to serve as a landing page for all training and educational materials related to the program. The Education Hub will supply additional support for ZERH’s growing number of partners and stakeholders, whether they’ve joined because of ZERH’s inclusion in the Inflation Reduction Act, broader industry commitment to high-performance homes, or interested in new program iterations, such as ZERH Multifamily and ZERH Manufactured.

The ZERH Education Hub provides training videos created by DOE and other educational materials, as well as information about training requirements for Raters who work with the program. Current offerings include two DOE-developed ZERH trainings (see below), webinars from National Association of Home Builders discussing federal incentives for both single-family and multifamily new construction programs, and webinars from the U.S. Green Building Council focused on multifamily and tax credit opportunities. The Hub will be updated on an ongoing basis—including with a Multifamily Version 2 training.

DOE ZERH Version 2 Orientation Training

This training introduces partners to the basics of the ZERH program, including registration, partnership benefits, and how to earn a ZERH certification.

DOE ZERH Single-Family National Version 2 Training

This training provides an overview of the ZERH Single Family Version 2 program structure, mandatory certification requirements, efficiency performance threshold, and available partner resources.

Housing Innovation Awards

The 2024 Housing Innovation Awards application period will close tomorrow, June 14^th! Applicants are encouraged to view a recorded informational webinar that discusses the application process and provides helpful tips and best practices for completing applications. The 2024 Housing Innovation Awards ceremony will be held at the EEBA High-Performance Home Summit in Salt Lake City, UT.

ZERH Training in Arizona

The Home Builders Association of Central Arizona will be hosting a two-day ZERH and ENERGY STAR NextGen Builder training June 24-25. Presented by Gord Cooke and the Energy & Environmental Building Alliance, this training includes a comprehensive program that will equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to construct high-performance zero energy ready homes. 

Register Here

Related Programs and Opportunities 

2024 Applications Open for Zero Energy Design Designation

DOE’s Zero Energy Design Designation recognizes post-secondary academic programs that prepare students to design and construct high-efficiency, low-carbon buildings powered by clean energy. Applications are open through June 28 for the 2024–2027 Zero Energy Design Designation.

Professors Wanted for JUMP into STEM

The JUMP into STEM building science competition is now seeking professors across a variety of fields who are affiliated with U.S. colleges and universities to join the 2024–2025 Professor Team. The Professor Team is a crucial part of the JUMP into STEM process. Members of the more than 40-person team from institutions across the country help develop new challenges each fall that impact current and critical research topics in building science, and then incorporate at least one of the challenges into coursework. Interested professors should contact Yeonjin Bae at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, baey@ornl.gov.