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PH will save on energy costs over time and should have a better carbon footprint/greenhouse gas reduction.

it is a diff standard than LEED (prescriptive) and step code (performance based). PH is a higher standard than both.

like LEED, it focuses on a good building envelope first, to prevent air leakage and energy loss, and minimal mechanical complexity. to have a well done holistic home, that's usually the balance between building envelope vs mechanical system, but builders often cheap out on BE and try to make up on mechanical.

yes the perfect energy efficient home is a cube with zero articulation & zero building penetrations, which isn't realistic but the idea is to minimize thermal bridging and air leakage for heat loss.

builders need to know what they're doing for the proper details and to not compromise the building details during install, which is tested for air tightness, so if it fails it's because someone messed up and has to correct it.