A Quick Glance Back at 2024 and Predictions for the Year Ahead
This past year delivered more NEEM-certified homes than we have seen since 2006, with the program certifying close to 100 percent of all HUD-code homes produced in the Pacific Northwest region. That’s nearly a 50 percent increase in market share compared to recent years, and it harkens back to the MAP program of the early to mid-1990’s—albeit with smaller numbers of homes built. The Inflation Reduction Act’s provision for ten years of 45L energy-efficient new home tax credits targeted at home manufacturers is the clear and single driver for the sudden move to build more energy-efficient homes. This subsidy has helped the industry to provide home buyers with additional value in the form of greater comfort, lower utility bills and utility program incentive payments as well.
2025 promises to deliver more of the same, because ENERGY STAR Manufactured Home version two will remain in effect until the beginning of 2026. The NEEM team has been involved with federally-funded research projects that have studied some NEEM program requirements that go beyond ENERGY STAR, as well as some new things that factories could incorporate going forward. The final reports for these efforts are due out any day now, and we continue to advocate to EPA and the Department of Energy to recognize the industry-leading practices in the northwest’s factories (as required by NEEM) and incorporate new compliance options into ENERGY STAR version three that would allow the NEEM program to continue delivering ENERGY STAR certification for homes without having to track heat pump installation on site. We have also been asked by the Systems Building Research Alliance (SBRA) to participate in some additional research efforts that could help influence future ENERGY STAR and Zero Energy-Ready Homes program requirements.
In addition to regularly inspecting homes and providing crew member training in the factories, NEEM staff hits the road to perform Quality Assurance inspections in the field. We travel from Washington to Montana, from Utah to California, and places between. Of the 3,500 homes certified from January through November, we have seen 229 of them on site. Many of our visits are limited to exterior and crawlspace inspections, but we have conducted diagnostic testing on dozens of those homes. While we do regularly find opportunities for improvement, it is generally satisfying to see how well the homes perform in our testing. We all really can be proud that the northwest builds some of the most energy-efficient homes produced by the industry anywhere in the country. Thank you for your long-standing commitment to energy efficiency!