Essential New Home Construction Practices Lunch & Learn - Treasure Valley

Overview

Join BetterBuiltNW for this no-cost training that will help Idaho building industry professionals evaluate and incorporate good/better/best practices being used today to build efficient, durable, and comfortable homes.

• Treasure Valley - September 23, 2026
  Essential New Home Construction Practices @ 9 AM–12 PM
  Lunch @ 12 PM–1 PM
  Guided New Construction Site Visit @ 1 PM–2 PM

Registration

Space is limited – register today!

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We invite all residential construction professionals – builders, contractors, architects, HVAC, code officials, and beyond – to attend any or all of these valuable in-person training opportunities:

Essential New Home Construction Practices

9 AM–12 PM

Lunch included: 12 PM–1 PM

This 3-hour classroom training will cover essential design principles, real-world data from Idaho homes under construction, and proven practices that can be integrated into the home building process. Participants will have an opportunity to explore and evaluate different building details while learning about locally available programs and financial incentives that support energy efficient residential new construction.

Attendees will learn about:

• Good/better/best approaches for high-performance new construction

• Idaho field study findings and common opportunities for improvement

• Industry trends, resiliency measures, and the direction of energy codes

• Energy efficiency programs, incentives, and financing options where available

• Applied building science fundamentals for durable, efficient homes

• Air barrier and envelope strategies that improve comfort and reduce risk

• Ventilation approaches that support indoor air quality and code compliance

• Applications for advanced mechanical systems, including heat pumps and heat pump water heaters

This training will provide valuable information that every professional should know to keep pace with the building codes, stay ahead of homebuyer expectations, and increase the energy efficiency, comfort, and durability of the homes they’re building.

Guided New Construction Site Visit

1 PM–2 PM

*Located in Kuna – Exact address provided during classroom portion of training

Join our instructor and local building partners for guided tours of active residential projects. These behind-the-wall experiences offer a close-up look at key construction details and the real-world application of high-performance materials, systems, and equipment.

Throughout the tour, you'll hear directly from local professionals as they share insights into the design choices, building practices, and installation techniques that shape each home. Learn how to identify and communicate the benefits of these features to customers, colleagues and other important stakeholders.

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Continuing Education (CE) Credits

Essential New Home Construction Practices

• AIA: 3 LU/HSW

• BPI: 3 CEs

• ICC: 0.3 CEs

• NATE: 3 CEs

• AIA: 1 LU/HSW
• BPI: 1 CEs
• ICC: 0.1 CEs
• NATE: 1 CEs

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Course Fee

No cost

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Audience

Building industry professionals (builders, general contractors, developers, HVAC contractors, building code officials, architects, energy raters, insulation contractors, utility program representatives)

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Instructor

Alex Boetzel

Alex is Head of Residential Innovations at Earth Advantage and applies his 30 years of experience in sustainable design and construction to research and training, helping to make the benefits of high-performance building available to everyone. Alex has deep knowledge of building science and its real-world applications and is an expert in low-carbon building assemblies and systems. Since 2006 Alex has worked and consulted on some of the first LEED for Homes, Passive House, and Zero Energy projects in the Pacific Northwest, including the first commercial Living Building in Oregon and the largest ZE multifamily projects in the PNW.

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Other Training Events

Check out the additional event happening in Sun Valley, Idaho as part of this training series:

• Essential New Home Construction Practices: September 22 @ 9 AM–12 PM

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Partners