This session will explore the actual performance over the past few years of 2 completed Deep Energy Retrofits in Massachusetts which successfully achieved the ACI Thousand Homes Challenge in 2011-12. From the combined perspective of a builder and an architect experienced with a variety of strategies for achieving energy efficient homes, we will compare the approaches in these two cases with other building techniques and programs such as Energy Star, Energy Plus, Net Zero, and Passive House.

In addition to establishing a baseline review of energy, design, construction, and measured performance, this session will focus in on a variety of non-energy benefits, particularly the role of increased property value for homes with high-performance credentials like Energy Star and LEED. Property value increase is a benefit that transcends simple payback and provides vital lessons for energy efficient retrofits positively impacting real estate and community values. Finally, we will explore the evolution of utility programs incentives as they move from their initial pilot phases to the new programs for 2013 and 2014.