RESTalk

"Example is not the main thing in influencing others.

It is the only thing."

-Albert Schweitzer

Habitat for Humanity's mission is to help families build and improve places to call home. In the process developing strong and stable communities with affordable housing.

Often household utility costs make affordability a challenge.

What factors need to fall into place to address this challenge of affordability?

How are cozy, comfortable, attractive homes that use no net energy being built in the Habit for Humanity model?

Join us as Rob Lochner, Construction Director at Habit for Humanity, Santa Fe and David Best, HERS Rater with Evergreen Building Solutions (www.evergreenbuildingsolutions.com/) share with us the fascinating story of how 15 NetZero / HERS-ZERO homes have been built in the Habitat for Humanity program in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

David describes some of the straightforward technical practices and measures that have been used as the program has evolved since 2020.

While these homes are attracting interest and providing influence, Rob shares insights into what seems to be preventing more widespread adoption of these practices in more projects.

To learn more or contact our guests, refer to the links below.

Links for our guests:

David Best: [email protected]David's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-best-30359a33/

Rob Lochner: [email protected]

Video with Rob: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/build-block-building-systems_video-icfs-and-habitat-for-humanity-activity-6947958189782958080-Uh5d?

Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity Website: https://santafehabitat.org/habitat-homes/

Albuquerque Journal Story:

https://www.abqjournal.com/2599030/headline-goes-here-258.html

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 [email protected]

"The trend is your friend."

-Mark Zweig

With Texas as the leading state in new home starts, we can expect some housing trends first to arise there.

Why was House Bill 3215 developed and enacted in Texas?

What entities and organizations participated in developing the language in the bill?

How will this impact the HERS industry in Texas and elsewhere?

Joining us on today's podcast is Ned Munoz, V.P. of Regulatory Affairs and General Counsel at Texas Association of Builders, and James Rodriguez, Executive Vice President at Fox Energy Specialists.

James shares with us the desire to set up a hybrid approach- that is, to introduce a second universal pathway of state energy compliance that is performance-based.

Which means Texas now recognizes the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index scores as a standalone compliance pathway which untangles it from the current ICC/IRC versions of the energy rating index (ERI) pathway.

Ned explains how the Texas Association of Builders recognizes the impact that mandated energy codes have on housing affordability while still encouraging energy-efficient home building and how these concepts influenced the wording of the bill.

It's important to note that the State of Texas overlay energy code for single-family new construction was not updated or changed by the bill.

Below are the HERS Index pathway thresholds remaining in effect for 10 years.

TIMELINE Climate Zone 2 HERS Index Climate Zone 3 HERS Index

09/1/19 to 08/31/22 63 63

09/1/22 to 08/31/25 59 59

09/1/25 to 08/31/28 57 57

09/1/28 to 09/01/31 55 55

Note: 2018 IECC mandatory items and building envelope thresholds must be upheld as part of these HERS scores.

LINKS:

2 articles on the topic: https://www.resnet.us/builders/hb3215/

https://www.foxenergyspecialists.com/news/texas-house-bill-hb-3215-to-take-effect-on-september-1st

James Rodriguez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-rodriguez-0523001/

Ned Munoz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ned-mu%C3%B1oz-13a5606/

FAQs on TX HB: 3125: https://www.resnet.us/wp-content/uploads/HB-3215-FAQs_08062021.pdf

The actual TX HB 3215: https://www.resnet.us/wp-content/uploads/87R-HB-3215-Enrolled-version.pdf

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 [email protected]

"Data is the most valuable asset in the world."

- Brittany Kaiser

Housing trends have significant importance to the RESNET community.

In addition to tracking progress with RESNET HERS Ratings, the hundreds of data points collected on each home provide insights into the trends in energy efficiency, component selection and electrification.

What are some of the latest trends in HERS Rated homes?

What value can this data provide to all the stakeholders in RESNET?

RESTALK welcomes back RESNET's Program Director, Ryan Meres, to share with us some insights he has gathered from the 2023 report: Trends in HERS Rated Homes, a statistical abstract.

Ryan shares with us the impetus of this report, as well as the latest trends in its third year of publication.

Some of the big picture trends he notes are:

• 129% increase in annual Ratings from 2013 to 2022

• Just shy of 338,000 Ratings last year (80% single family/20% multifamily)

• Have seen year-over-year increases for a decade

• Massachusetts is number one again with 82% of new homes receiving a Rating

• Indiana comes in second with 68%

• 8 states achieved 50% or more of new homes rated

• When looking only at the number of total ratings, Texas comes out on top with over 81,000 ratings.

Note: in the upcoming RESTALK Episode 117 we will learn about the HERS Index and Texas House Bill 3215.

We also cover other topics in the report including efficiency, component types and usage and trends toward electrification.

A link to the 2021 report:

https://www.resnet.us/wp-content/uploads/2021-Data-Trends-Report-of-HERS-Rated-Homes.pdf

A link to the 2022 Report:

https://t.e2ma.net/click/6263j7/ysd8cfc/u5splqh

A link to the 2023 report will be available in the RESNET Newsletter. If you are not a subscriber, please subscribe here:

https://signup.e2ma.net/signup/1878040/1889360/

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 [email protected]

"Doing your best in this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment."

-Oprah Winfrey

A critical element in the decarbonization of homes is the embodied carbon produced in the construction of homes.

As the current RESNET Carbon Index® only covers the carbon produced due to energy used in a home, what do we do next?

What type of standards exists to perform this assessment?

What are the challenges and roadmap ahead?

Recently, the RESNET Board of Directors formally authorized the creation of an effort to explore the development of a residential embodied carbon standard.

The first step in this process is the creation of an advisory committee that will review the development of the standard, provide suggestions on how to proceed, and vet drafts of the guidelines.

Our guest today is Chris Magwood, Chair of the RESNET Embodied Carbon Advisory Committee. Chris' full-time role is the Manager of Carbon-Free Buildings at RMI.

I found this topic fascinating as we explored the data and the impact on people, businesses, and the environment.

My big takeaway was that the stacked benefits are wins all the way around, and pursuing these efforts is not likely to be cost-prohibitive, perhaps cost-beneficial.

LINKS:

Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-magwood-8a8a9738/

RESNET blog post on The RESNET Embodied Carbon Advisory Committee:

https://www.resnet.us/about/resnet-carbon-rating-index/resnet-appoints-advisory-committee-to-investigate-development-of-standard-to-calculate-the-embodied-carbon-in-homes/

RESTalk EP113 on the Carbon Index update:

https://restalk.libsyn.com/ep113-update-on-resnet-carbon-index-with-philip-fairey-and-david-goldstein

Info on the RESNET Carbon Index: https://www.resnet.us/about/resnet-carbon-rating-index/

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 [email protected]

"Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality."

-Warren Bennis

What are some of the qualities embodied in outstanding board leaders?

Someone who has experience in business leadership roles.

A person that has a proven track record in developing and executing strategy.

Someone who demonstrates a forward-thinking mentality.

In today's podcast, we are joined by two outstanding board leaders, Mark Johnson, Executive VP and Director of Business Development at the International Code Council, and Cy Kilbourn, Vice President of Engineering at Ekotrope.

We learn of their backgrounds and growing involvement with RESNET over the years and how fitting they are to take on these roles: Mark as Board President and Cy as Board Vice President.

Mark describes his plans to continue to ensure that RESNET is the gold standard within the industry which includes the growing interest in and use of the Carbon Index.

Cy notes how he will help encourage and support the opportunities offered in field code compliance work, ESG reporting, and the extension of the 45L tax credit.

Mark and Cy are focusing on the realization and execution of these and other initiatives.

LINKS:

RESNET's 2023 Mission, Goals, and Priorities:

https://www.resnet.us/wp-content/uploads/RESNET_2023_MissionGoalsPriorities_11-01-2022.pdf

RESNET Board Page: https://www.resnet.us/about/resnet-board-of-directors-members/

Mark Johnson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-johnson-79b71a7/

Cy Kilbourn on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/cy-kilbourn-038bb019/

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 [email protected]

"The big picture doesn't just come from distance; it also comes from time."

-Simon Sinek

Climate change is becoming an increasing concern.

The private sector, individuals as well as state, local and federal governments are seeking to combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

As the energy used in all buildings, including homes, is cited as a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, how do these entities get an accurate metric on emissions?Is there a way to use this info to address when energy is used in a home?As well as how much home energy consumption can be reduced?

Philip Fairey, Deputy Director at Florida Solar Energy Center, and David Goldstein, Energy Efficiency Advisor at the National Resources Defense Council, join us to provide an update on the RESNET Carbon Index.

The RESNET Carbon Index is the first-of-its-kind carbon rating index which addresses the critical issue of greenhouse gas emissions stemming from energy use in a home. The index can help with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting and as a basis for green bonds.

The existing RESNET HERS Index already looks at patterns of energy use by the hour of the year. It is a straightforward task to translate the energy profile into an emissions profile using the hourly CO2e emission rates and electricity generation emission projections as published by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). All joking aside, it's about time.

David and Philip explain how it is now a straightforward process to calculate the comparative emissions of two houses. For example, the emissions from a new house with, or without, efficiency and solar can be examined to see how much electrification and clean energy can help. Or one can compare a house as-is with how it would look with a deep decarbonization retrofit.

LINKS:Philip Fairey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-fairey-89867773/

David Goldstein on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-b-goldstein-4700a58/

Details on the Carbon Rating Index from RESNET:

https://www.resnet.us/about/resnet-carbon-rating-index/

RESNET's Infographic: https://www.resnet.us/wp-content/uploads/RESNET_CO2eIndex_infographic_11-15-2022.pdf NRDC Article: https://www.nrdc.org/experts/david-b-goldstein/new-tool-measuring-decarbonization

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 [email protected]

"The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.

-Vince Lombardi

Strong organizations fulfill their mission by periodically reflecting on their goals and priorities.

RESNET is no exception having adopted their 2023 Mission, Goals and Priorities by vote of the Board of Directors on October 7, 2022.

How are the goals crafted that align with and fulfill the mission?

How are priorities and budgets set so these goals are achieved?

How is 2023 looking to shape up?

John Hensley, President of the RESNET Board of Directors, and Steve Baden, RESNET Executive Director join us to describe the priorities for RESNET's activities in 2023

Steve describes the process of setting the priorities and how they lead to the goals that have been set by the Board to achieve the mission.

John describes the RESNET mission and details out the goals while Steve describes how the goals and priorities shape the budget that has been adopted by the RESNET board.

John recaps the challenges and achievements for RESNET in 2022 and Steve outlines the challenges and opportunities for RESNET and the HERS Industry in 2023.

It's the combined efforts of the board, the staff and the RESNET community that lead to the organization's achievements, year after year.

LINK TO 2023 mission and goals: https://t.co/34gH0HLUXy

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 [email protected]

Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.

- Margaret J. Wheatley

23 episodes, 23 topics and 34 different guests.

We covered a lot of ground in the RESTalk podcast in 2022, now going into our 5th year of episodes.

(Over 12 hours of conversations about the world of RESNET!)

We hope we stimulated your thinking and moved you into action in this often-complex world of home energy ratings.

If you'd like to dig a little deeper into the topics covered in these episodes, see the list mentioned in each section below.

PART A: Organization. Systems & Affiliates

Episode

Speaker

Topic

89

Steve, John

Steve Baden describes the opportunities and threats for RESNET going into 2022

90

Dominic Sims, Mark Johnson

Broader consensus in code development

100

Joshua Anderson

Breaking into the industry as a HERS modeler

101

Simone Beaty

Factors influencing the outlook for green mortgage-backed securities

102

David Choo

CALCERTS David Choo's Motivations for entering the Home Energy Industry

110

Billy Giblin

An overview of onsite field visits and their impact

PART B: Buildings and Building Data

Episode

Speaker

Topic

91

Ryan Meres

Who are the buyers of HERS Rated Homes and what is driving their decisions

96

Sara Gutterman

Net Zero everything?

98

Ryan Meres

Data on new homes getting to Net Zero

106

Spencer Frye

Athens GA Ground Zero for the affordable homes' crisis

109

Emily Mottram

How did the Pretty Good House concept get started

PART C: The RESNET Community

Episode

Speaker

Topic

88

Emma Bennett

What do people get out of the RESNET Building Performance Conferences

92

Elizabeth Sanfelippo

Artistic Perspectives in Home Performance

93

Jacob Kamen

Mentorship in RESNET

95

John Godden

CRESNET / RESNET Cross Border Challenge, new technologies and water

97

Jared Kain-Woods

Detective work and complexity in energy efficient designs

104

Stefan Orenda

Unique ways to market energy efficient homes with consumers

PART D: Codes & Standards

Episode

Speaker

Topic

94

Andy Buccino & Sara DeVico

Embodied carbon tools & engaging builders

103

Jacob Atalla

The water & energy nexus

107

David Goldstein

What is the genesis of the RESNET CO2e Index

99

Alex Meaney

What does a load calculation tell you and more

105

Steve Rogers

Why is duct leakage testing so important? An example.

108

Jim Bergmann

Importance of proper design installation of a blower/air handler & cost of ownership

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 [email protected]

I remind myself every morning:Nothing I say this day will teach me anything.

So, if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening.

Larry King

Change is a constant.

Gathering feedback, reviewing changes and trends and acting upon the results is critical to maintaining a successful business, organization or system.

As we look back on 2022, and look froward into the coming years, what type of changes are happening at RESNET with regard to QA?

We welcome back RESNET's multifaceted QA Team - Laurel Elam, Billy Giblin, and Scott Doyle for an interactive overview of the QA team's activities, achievements, and plans.

Laurel gives us an update on RESNET's current standard developments related to Quality Assurance. And we learn why modifications were made to the appeals procedures.

Billy shares with us how the onsite field visits are going now that he is back to traveling and doing these in-person.

We also learn about the trends in online and onsite provider visits from Billy and Scott and get a gauge on compliance.

Scott fills us in on changes to RESNET's Quality Assurance Data Tool and discusses providers' access.

We also discuss other topics on the QA Horizon including a Providers' beta test group looking at data that can be used for business intelligence.

Overall, we hear of the impact of careful listening and thoughtful consideration given to feedback received by the QA team.

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 [email protected]

Those that educate the market, own the market.

Emily Mottram

We've all heard of advanced housing concepts that require little net energy to operate.

Architects, builders, and suppliers in the residential construction industry often get together at conferences and locally and sometimes birth new concepts while challenging others.

What kind of ideas develop when you ignite their passions, crowd source ideas, and marinate for a few years?

What if you aspire to build a Pretty Good House? What does that look like? How do you go about educating others?

Joining us on today's podcast as Emily Mottram of Mottram Architecture describes for us a passion project that started out of local discussions in her home state of Maine and has branched out into a book, a course, a podcast, webinars and regional events!Emily describes a Pretty Good House (PGH) as an open-source framework and set of guidelines for building or renovating a home that focus both on its inhabitants and the environment—but keeps in mind that few people have pockets deep enough to achieve a "perfect" solution. The PGH concept respects financial and practical constraints to meet both home owner and environmental needs. https://www.prettygoodhouse.org/

In July 2022, Emily, Christopher Briley, Daniel Kolbert, and Michael Maines began selling a book that organizes and presents the PGH framework: https://www.tauntonstore.com/pretty-good-house

They have also created the Pretty Good House course launching on January 4, 2023: finehomebuilding.com/prettygoodhousecourse

The course will offer eight (8) RESNET Professional Development Credits for Quality Assurance Designees and Instructors.

SPECIAL OFFER: The course offers a special discount code: RESNET100. The code is good for $100 off the course cost. The code expires on the day the course begins.

For details on documenting RESNET Quality Assurance Designee or Instructor Professional Development Credits, contact Scott Doyle, Technical Director, Quality Assurance & Training. [email protected]

Emily, also a HERS Rater, shares her experiences on energy and efficiency in her podcast, E3: Energy and Efficiency with Emily, now in its fourth season: https://www.mottramarch.com/the-podcast

Her podcast focuses on building science, architecture, and female entrepreneurship and stresses teamwork.

Her passion continues to exude as Co-host of the BS+Beer Show: https://www.thebsandbeershow.com/

Link to Emily's bio: https://www.mottramarch.com/emily-mottram-about

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 [email protected]