Designing Homes That Use Less Energy: Products for the Envelope, Power, and Energy Management

Alpen’s Zenith improve thermal performance, daylight, and views with fiberglass windows that pair insulating frames with thin-glass glazing options.

For new homes and window replacement projects, the value extends to occupant comfort. Choose each window configuration by considering its whole-window insulating performance and solar heat gain, along with the direction it faces and the shading it receives. View product performance data

• Evaluate whole-window U-factor for the selected configuration.
• Coordinate solar heat gain with climate, orientation, and shading.

ThermalBuck addresses a practical challenge: mounting nail-flange windows when exterior insulation moves the cladding outward. Its insulating profile extends the mounting plane while limiting heat transfer around the opening.

 
Builders can coordinate buck depth with insulation and rainscreen thickness, then integrate flashing, attachment, and approved sealants into the opening detail.

• Match buck depth to insulation and rainscreen thickness.
• Coordinate attachment, flashing, and approved sealants.

Tstud addresses the conductive path through conventional framing. The Un-Insulated version separates wood members while allowing builders to select insulation suited to the wall design.

The Un-Insulated Tstud lets crews use their selected cavity insulation, while R19 Tstud provides a preinsulated alternative. Both bring framing into the energy conversation during new construction or substantial wall reconstruction. View Un-Insulated Tstud

• Un-Insulated Tstud accommodates different cavity insulation materials.
• Evaluate whole-wall performance, including headers, corners, and plates.

Crossroads Solar offers a conventional rooftop approach with a module designed specifically for residential installations. Its smaller 325-series format gives installers another option when fitting arrays around roof geometry and obstructions.

View Crossroads panels

• Black anodized frames.
• Compare complete array layout and projected annual production.

Mitrex expands generation beyond the roof by integrating photovoltaics into architectural facades. Its Braeburn residential retrofit demonstrates the approach at multifamily scale, combining exterior renewal with electricity generation.

• eFacade LITE photovoltaic cladding.
• Multifamily facades and residential recladding projects.

Fortress Power’s Avalon system combines a battery stack, inverter, and Smart Energy Panel for residential energy storage and backup. The integrated approach connects stored energy with decisions about which household loads remain powered.

Read about Avalon

• Configurable battery stack.
• Load shedding helps preserve energy for priority equipment.

Humless pairs modular batteries with a hybrid inverter for residential grid-tied and off-grid applications. The approach makes intended loads and required runtime central selection decisions.

• Wall-mounted lithium iron phosphate battery modules.
• Size storage around daily consumption and backup duration.

Emporia Energy connects consumption monitoring with adjustable EV charging, helping teams accommodate a substantial flexible load.

Its Vue 3 monitor tracks electrical demand, while the Pro EV Charger’s PowerSmart feature adjusts charging within configured capacity limits as household use changes.
That makes it useful when adding EV charging to an existing home or coordinating electrical loads in new construction. With the appropriate sensors, circuit monitoring also gives homeowners visibility into where electricity is being used.

• Circuit monitoring requires the appropriate sensors.
• PowerSmart adjusts charging within configured capacity limits.

Eyedro’s Home Energy Monitor provides focused visibility into residential electricity use, helping homeowners understand operating patterns after move-in or renovation. With the appropriate configuration, it can also track solar generation.

That feedback gives builders and homeowners a practical starting point for investigating unexpected consumption or adjusting schedules. Monitoring supports informed decisions; the energy savings come from the actions that follow.

• Designed for North American 120/240V residential systems.
• Solar monitoring requires the appropriate configuration.