Building Science: Volume 4, Issue 3
SEON’s Sustainable Energy Outreach Network Newsletter
From SEON’s Executive Director
It’s March – Welcome Spring!
I recently pulled over by the wetlands behind Allen Bros to see if the red-winged blackbirds had returned. Sure enough, there was one perched in the cattails, singing its heart out. For me, that song means spring has officially arrived.
And just like the birds in our backyards, our builders are out in full force. We’ve just wrapped up a series of intensive training sessions, including The Basics of High Performance Building, Water, Air, and Thermal Continuous Control Layers, and our Crew Leadership Development course.
“Thank you, Guy. This is probably my 7th leadership training, and this one is one of the best—if not the very best—I have ever attended. You taught us a lot of useful information.”
— Dave Costa, Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO)
Mastering the Art of the Crew
Our Crew Leadership Development class is about more than just managing a job site; it’s about the “intangibles” that transform a group of individuals into a vibrant professional community. We dive deep into character development and communication tools that empower employees to take true ownership of their work.
If you want to lead a team that doesn’t just meet expectations but actually thrives on them, you won’t want to miss our next session.
👉 Interested in taking our Crew Leadership Course? Click here and let me know!
Onward and upward until next month,Wood-first building systems
Guy Payne, Executive Director
Our Members – In Action
Be Like Bensonwood – Waste-Free by Design
At Bensonwood, reducing waste is built into how they design and build. Here is what that looks like in practice:
- that minimize plastics and foams.
- Dense-pack cellulose insulation made from recycled cardboard.
- Repurposed Waste: 392 tons of wood chips processed into boiler fuel in 2025 alone.
- Energy: Their solar array has produced ~101% of their electricity over the past six years.
Graphite Wisdom: Windows!
We’re currently working on a barn rehab project in Vermont that has a vision of an expansive curtainwall system with views overlooking the mountains. We are engaging Loewen windows to learn more about their Timber Curtain Wall—the quality and materials are hard to beat.
Clean Slate
We recently partnered with Mathes Hulmes Homebuilders on a large-scale renovation. The first order of business? Removing old, deteriorated fiberglass and replacing it with 18” (R-60) blown-in cellulose for superior air sealing and eco-friendly performance.
Interesting Links
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A Village Under One Roof: How Minneapolis turned an empty warehouse into a private, indoor tiny-home community.
- Important Reminder: The Department of Environmental Conservation has issued new reminders for builders to implement erosion and runoff controls as the 2026 building season kicks off.
- The Department of Public Service filed final proposed rules for the 2024 Residential Building Energy Standards (RBES), moving Vermont closer to tighter air sealing and higher insulation requirements.
- The “Homes for All” initiative released its first set of pre-approved, high-performance home designs to help small developers skip the red tape and start building faster.
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Intro Presentation (PDF) – Slides presented at the start of the event to introduce the project and intent of the workshop.
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Design Workshop Boards (PDF) – Series of large-format poster boards to capture feedback on the draft home designs and project approach
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Events
The (Additional) Challenge of Getting to Net Zero (Webinar)
Apr. 1, 2026 | Online
Transitioning to Low-Temperature Hydronic Heating (NESEA Webinar)
Apr. 2, 2026 | Online
Designing the Future: Lessons from 3 Massachusetts Passive Schools
Apr. 14, 2026 | Hybrid (Online & In-person)
Better Building by Design (BBD)
May 6-7, 2026 | Southern Burlington, VT
Thank You, Members
- 475 High Performance Building Supply – Nationwide
- All Seasons Construction Corp – Springfield, VT
- Andrew Dey (individual owner) – Walpole, NH
- Apple Tree Builders – Marlboro, VT
- Black Mountain Builders VT – Brattleboro, VT
- Bluetime Collaborative – Brattleboro, VT
- Bob Rueter Foundation (individual owner) – Turners Falls, MA
- Bull Creek Builders – Newfane, VT
- Building-Wright – Durham, NH
- Delta Energy Works (DEW) – Heat Pump Systems – Brattleboro, VT
- Duane Case (individual owner) – Bellows Falls, VT
- Earthshare Construction – Lebanon, NH
- EastRise – Montpelier
- Efficiency Vermont – Winooski, VT
- Farnum Insulators – Dummerston, VT
- Friends of the Sun – Brattleboro, VT
- GPI Construction – Brattleboro, VT
- Graphite Studios – Amherst, MA
- HELM Construction Solutions – Brattleboro and Montpelier, VT
- HempStone, LLC – Hatfield, MA
- Integrated Solar Applications Corporation (“ISA”) – Brattleboro, VT
- JA Saccoccio Workshop, PLLC – Brattleboro, VT
- Junio Anthes-Moody (individual owner) – Brattleboro, VT
- Mathes Hulme Builders – Brattleboro, VT
- Mindel & Morse Builders – Brattleboro, VT
- Nate Gusakov (individual owner) – Vermont
- Northshire Living – Manchester Ctr, VT
- Owl’s Head Builders – Guilford, VT
- SEED Design / Build – West Townshend, VT
- Shelterwood – Waitsfield, VT
- Sierra Pacific Windows – Nationwide
- Snowdog Construction – Norwich, VT
- Steve Sebastian (individual owner) – Chesterfield, NH
- Sustainable Design – Dorset, VT
- Tim Lillis Builder – Westminster, VT
- Tom McLoughlin (individual owner) – Brattleboro, VT
- Unity Homes – Walpole, NH
- Vermont’s Office of Economic Opportunity (O.E.O.) – Waterbury, VT
- Wadsworth Design | Build – Jamaica, VT
- Windham Regional Career Center – Brattleboro, VT
- Wright Builders – Northampton, MA
- WW Building Supply – Newfane, VT
Photo by Bensonwood Homes