“Passion is what gives meaning to our lives. It’s what allows us to achieve success beyond our wildest imagination. Try to find a career path you have a passion for.” Henry Samueli The RESNET ecosystem continues to grow and morph as demand increases and external factors change. What new opportunities exist for those already in or considering entering the world of home energy ratings? Are there career specializations available? In today’s podcast, Josh Anderson (TopBuild) and Scott Doyle (RESNET) help us understand the purpose, scope and functions of the RESNET HERS modeler designation. In 2020, the RESNET Board of Directors voted for the creation of a new RESNET HERS Rater modeling designation with a goal of increasing the consistency in the input in HERS Ratings through the training and certification of persons who conduct the modeling and analysis using accredited HERS Software Tools. Upon certification, HERS Modeler candidates are issued a unique RESNET Modeler ID which can be used for single or multiple HERS Software Tools. In many ways this certification is like the current Rating Field Inspector certification for field inspection and testing including candidates being posted on the RESNET Registry. Josh discusses how this is a natural evolution of the industry, especially as businesses scale. He also notes this helps to create an alternate career path within the RESNET ecosystem as it embodies a different skillset and an alternate work environment (office vs. field) for a more diverse workforce. Scott gives us an overview of the formal training required and notes that continuing education will be required to maintain the certification. The continuing education will be offered by the accredited HERS Rating Software Program developers. Scott notes that certified RESNET HERS Raters, having taken inputs and plan reviews as part of RESNET HERS Rater Training, will automatically receive the new certification without any additional fees, yet would still have to meet the continuing education requirements. More info on this topic, as well as an infographic are available at this link: www.resnet.us/raters/resnet-hers-modeler-certification/ RESTalk: To the RESNET community, we hear you and want to engage. Learn more at www.RESNET.us Or for more info on this topic contact RESNET at INFO@RESNET.US
“The details are not the details. They make the design.” Charles Eames HVAC equipment is often the largest energy consuming system in a home. While listeners are likely grounded in the aspect of “house as a system,” where does the rubber meet the road when it comes to HVAC system design? In today’s podcast, we begin part one of a three-part series on cracking open the details of the ANSI/RESNET/ACCA/ICC Standard 310. We are joined by Alex Meaney of Mean HVAC Consulting and Design, an expert in HVAC system design. Listen in as Alex brings, in his words, “well above average” insights into the important topic of load calculation. Alex details the various ACCA Manuals (J, S, D, LLH, T, Z-R) involved in the process of HVAC Design, as well as factors about the origins of many of the calculations. There were several “ah-ha” moments as we got deep into the aspects of answering a seemingly simple question: “what is the heat and moisture loss or gain per hour, of a home under design...
“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has the data.” Arthur Conan Doyle Details make the difference to builders and their customers, really to the whole new home construction industry. Trends emerge when one studies HERS rating details over a large national dataset and over time. What kind of theories can we draw from data in “Trends in HERS Rated Homes, 2022”? RESNET’s Program Director Ryan Meres joins us to “crunch the numbers” in HERS rating trends for 2021. The data is compiled from the rating providers' data files. We learn about trends in index scores and the basic characteristics of HERS-rated homes, for example, the number of bedrooms, conditioned floor area, annual energy costs, and energy savings. The report also reveals summary data on foundation types, insulation, window U-Value and SHGC, envelope air leakage rates, ventilation types, heating, cooling, and water heating equipment, and the use of Solar PV on HERS rated homes. We get an overview of climate...
“The minute you decide to do what you love to do, you have made a life plan for yourself and a career choice” Huda Kattan What are the perspectives of those new to the building industry? RESNET’s Emerging Leadership Council (ELC) Fellows program provides recognition for future leaders. What are some of the reasons they got “noticed”? How do this year’s ELC Fellows feel about the work they do? Do they love their work? (The 2022 ELC Fellows are split into two groups: Raters and Rating Field Inspectors. In today’s podcast we talk with the ELC Fellow Raters.) Join us as the 2022 RESNET Emerging Leadership Council Fellows Noah Lawrence, Matt Jansing and Jared Kain-Woods share their thoughts and perspectives on the HERS industry. All three fellows submitted video applications for the contest which you can view here: https://www.resnet.us/raters/emerging-leadership-council-elc/fellows/ Matt describes his experience across several climate zones, his excitement about the “detective w...
“Anytime we step boldly to make changes, we take a chance that we might fail. But the only way to get better is to try.“ -Joyce Meyer How do you define sustainable home building? What will sustainable home building look like in 2022? Where can you get a handle on data to help drive your decisions in this area? What are the bold steps you can take? RESTALK is pleased to welcome back Sara Gutterman, co-founder and CEO of Green Builder Media to give us insights about the state of sustainable building for 2022. Sara highlights how over nearly two years, the pandemic has acted like a surprise jolt upon the building industry. She reflects on how this has changed the landscape. She helps us understand that to create a meaningful impact on runaway Climate Change, we need to set our sights on the full-scale decarbonization of our economy, reaching net zero emissions across all sectors as boldly and quickly as possible. She highlights this “perfect storm” of limited housing inventory, hig...
“A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, Not by the desire to beat others “ -Ayn Rand What’s it like in the rating world north of our border? What are some of things that the Canadian Raters do that parallel or differ from what is done in the US? What can we learn from our neighbors to the north though a cross border challenge? The Cross Border Challenge is an annual event sponsored by RESNET and the Canadian Residential Energy Services Network (CRESNET) to recognize U.S. and Canadian builders who are pioneering the path to high-energy performance homes. CRESNET is RESNET’s sister organization in Canada. The awards are issued to the U.S. and Canadian builders who built a minimum of 50 homes and had the lowest average HERS Rating. Listen in as John Godden, Chair of CRESNET’s technical committee describes the landscape of the raters’ world in Canada. He also shares with us the history of the formation of CRESNET and the RESNET cross-border challenge. (www.CRESNET.C...
“Science does not know its debt to imagination. “ -Ralph Waldo Emerson More and more we hear of the impact of carbon on our society and environment. Recent data says that operational carbon (the carbon that comes from energy, heat, lighting, etc. ) is becoming less of a factor. Now. attention is now shifting to embodied carbon - the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions associated with materials and construction processes throughout the whole lifecycle of a building or infrastructure. Today we are joined by Andy Buccino (Stephens & Company), Mike Browne (Advanced Building Analysis, LLC) and Sara DeVico (Building Efficiency Resources) are all very active in the NE HERS Alliance or NEHERS. They form the core of the NE HERS Alliance Embodied Carbon Working group which is interested in collaborating with individuals and organizations that can help achieve the following goals: 1) Adaptation of the HERS index software to include embodied carbon in the calculations. 2) Conducting a baseline st...
“Leaders don’t create followers; they create more leaders. “ -Tom Peters Employee retention is a hot topic as 1/3 of new employees leave their job after about 6 months. Additionally, over 70% of employers are having a tough time recruiting skilled candidates. How does RESNET’s Emerging Leadership Council (ELC) work to address these challenges? How can membership in the ELC help to shape someone’s career? Today’s podcast will attempt to answer these questions with the help of Dylan Tindall and Jacob Kamen, the new Chair and Vice Chair-elect, respectively, of the RESNET Emerging Leadership Council. In addition to learning more about Dylan and Jacob’s varied backgrounds, we hear about the work they are doing as the incoming leadership of the ELC. Learn what motivates these emerging leaders and how a career in the home energy rating industry can be fulfilling from both technical and people-based perspectives. The three major themes for the ELC include: Recruitment of new Raters ...
“I hope to continue to inspire our nation’s youth to pursue careers in science, technology engineering, and math so they, too, may reach for the stars.“-Ellen Ochoa (American engineer, former astronaut, and former director of the Johnson Space Center) The percentage of women in the construction industry grew from 9.9 percent in 2018, to 10.9 percent in 2020 marking a recent steady increase in women's employment. Women now take on more roles in the industry that range from work in the trades to project management. In honor of Women's History Month, we asked: "So what’s it like to be a woman working in the HERS industry? What inspires women to take this career path?" In today’s podcast, we hear from Elizabeth Sanfelippo ofBrayn Consulting, and Beth Ainsworth ofPerformance Pointabout their career journeys leading to roles in the HERS world. They share their stories both coming from aspects of the fields of art and design. We learn of some of the challenges, large and small, as wel...
“You can have data without information, but you cannot have information without data. -Daniel Keys Moran Time marches on. And so do the changes in the demographics of buyers. What are the characteristics of home buyers, especially those that buy HERS rated homes? How can those in the HERS industry align with the factors important to the new wave of home buyers? We are back with Ryan Meres, Program Manager at RESNET, who is known for doing his research, collecting the data and turning that data into useful information for us. Listen in as Ryan dives into the characteristics and culture of Generation Y; they now make up the largest (37%) category of home buyers. It will be no surprise that Gen Y’s use of internet research factors large in the discussion. From understanding the process of home buying, to learning about home features, equipment, and materials, to checking the environmental aspects of housing and the builder, there is a lot going on! You can learn more about app we dis...