PITTSBURGH - Affordable Comfort Inc. (ACI), a leading educational resource for the home performance industry, announced that it is presenting the Colorado Energy Star Summit, a two-day educational summit on improving the energy efficiency, durability, comfort, health, and safety of homes.

The event, taking place at the Marriott Denver Tech Center on Dec. 8 and 9, 2010 in Denver, will connect individuals looking to start or advance their careers in sustainable home building or the home performance and weatherization industry with leading trainers and subject-matter experts from across the country. An exhibit hall will showcase the latest products and services.

The plenary session will be presented by Mark LaLiberte, president of LaLiberteOnline Inc. and a principal of Building Knowledge Inc., on the subject of the advantages of designing and planning for a home to last 100 years. As a trainer, author, and consultant, LaLiberte has devoted more than two decades to educating the homebuilding industry about the benefits of constructing durable, energy efficient, healthier, more environmentally sustainable homes. He will examine the issues of durability, energy, and IAQ performance from a long-term view, proposing that truly sustainable housing stock can last a century without requiring lots of maintenance, repair, and upgrades.

In addition to the plenary, classroom sessions will cover such topics as:

• House-as-a-system building science and diagnostics.

• Moisture mitigation and mold prevention.

• Ventilation strategies, IAQ, and combustion safety.

• Local and national program updates on Energy Star New Homes, Home Performance with Energy Star, and the proposed federal Home Star program.

• Business management, marketing, and sales.

“Sustainable construction and retrofitting America’s 130 million existing homes to improve energy efficiency, durability and occupant comfort, health, and safety is a booming business. It’s a gateway to the new green collar, clean energy economy,” said Amy Fazio, executive director of ACI. “ACI Home Performance Conferences offer attendees a wealth of unbiased building science know-how and all the latest product information. That’s why they attract newcomers and veterans alike, year after year. We’re excited to be taking the helm for this important event in 2010, and hope our presence here will help to accelerate sustainable construction, as well as home performance and weatherization retrofits, in the state.”

For more information on the Colorado Energy Star Summit, visit www.energystarsummit.org. For more information about Affordable Comfort Inc., visit www.affordablecomfort.org.

Publication date:11/29/2010