2024 Housing Innovation Awards: Leading Builders in Zero Energy Ready Homes

The 2024 Housing Innovation Awards from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have officially recognized the nation’s most innovative homebuilders, with a spotlight on sustainable construction practices that aim to reduce carbon emissions. These awards honor builders participating in the Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program, the DOE’s top-tier certification program for energy-efficient homes. The awards recognized 24 builders for their contributions, and five builders earned the prestigious Grand Awards across various categories, exemplifying how innovative building can lead to healthier, more durable, and eco-friendly homes.

The ZERH program doesn’t just give homes a shiny badge for energy efficiency; it pushes the limits with advanced construction practices. To qualify, homes must first meet the standards of EPA’s ENERGY STAR® and Indoor airPLUS programs, setting a high bar for energy efficiency and indoor air quality. But the ZERH-certified homes go even further, employing advanced technologies like heat pumps, energy-efficient envelopes, and electrification readiness, which basically means these homes are built to handle the demands of the future—whether that’s the continued shift toward renewable energy sources or unforeseen changes in energy infrastructure.

Here’s where things get fun: the award categories themselves are packed with creative titles that speak to the builders’ groundbreaking contributions. Let’s break it down:

• Blazing the Trail: This award goes to Daniel Colombini from Ossining, New York, for his innovative use of cutting-edge technologies, like automation and sensors, to optimize home performance. It’s like turning a regular house into a tech-savvy, energy-efficient smart home on steroids.
• Change Maker: Addison Homes from Greer, South Carolina, took home this award for their impact on transforming the housing market through unique strategies—basically, they’re shaking things up on how homes are built and marketed.
• Decarbon Copy: Powerhouse Designs and TC Legend Homes, based in Bellingham, Washington, were honored for their replicable approach to decarbonizing home construction. Think of it as them creating a blueprint that other builders can copy and paste into their own projects to reduce emissions.
• Off-the-Shelf: Howard Building Science of Granite Falls, North Carolina, won this one for their clever use of readily available materials. They’re not waiting for some magical futuristic tech—they’re using what’s available now to make high-performance homes.
• Total Package: Thrive Home Builders in Denver, Colorado, earned the title of “Total Package” by scoring the highest across all award categories. Essentially, they’re the all-around MVP of energy-efficient homebuilding.
• Most Certified Homes: Beazer Homes, from Atlanta, Georgia, proved they’re the production powerhouses with the most ZERH-certified homes in 2024.

These awards don’t just highlight individual builders; they reflect a broader movement toward making homes that are better for people and the planet. With the DOE aiming for low-to-no carbon emissions in all new home construction by 2035, these builders are leading the charge, showing that sustainable housing isn’t just a far-off dream—it’s happening right now, and it’s happening across the country.

For anyone curious about what these homes look like in practice, the DOE’s “Tour of Zero” showcases award-winning homes, offering a peek into how cutting-edge building science meets real-world living. It’s like window shopping for the home of the future—only the future is now.