EP84 Update on the 45L Federal Builders' Tax Credit for Energy Efficient Homes with Steve Baden
Release Date: 11/22/2021
RESTalk
"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." – John F. Kennedy In this episode of RESTalk, host Bill Spohn welcomes the 2025 Emerging Leadership Council (ELC) fellows—Jennifer Goldberg, Dorian Gothard, and Alex Haworth—for an insightful discussion on their career journeys, experiences at the RESNET conference, and their visions for the future of energy efficiency and building science. Each fellow shares how they entered the industry, what drew them to the ELC program, and how they apply their knowledge professionally and personally. The conversation covers key...
info_outlineRESTalk
“Excellence is never an accident. It results from high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution, and the vision to see obstacles as opportunities." – Aristotle (adapted interpretation) In this insightful episode of RESTalk, host Bill Spohn interviews three key members of RESNET's team.: Ryan Moore, Jordi Kimbrough in Quality Assurance, and Michael Matthews in Programs. Each brings a unique background and perspective to their roles, strengthening RESNET’s mission to ensure high-quality standards in energy-efficient home ratings. Ryan Moore, the Quality...
info_outlineRESTalk
Networking is not about just connecting people. It’s about connecting people with ideas and opportunities -Michele Jennae In this episode of RESTalk, Bill Spohn chats with Clara Hedrick, Lead Events Coordinator for RESNET®, to discuss the upcoming 2025 RESNET® Conference. Clara shares the event details, which is set to take place from January 26-29, 2025, in Tempe, Arizona. Attendees can look forward to engaging sessions, dynamic networking opportunities, and exciting receptions hosted by sponsors like NAIMA and Knauf. Clara highlights the innovative offerings this year,...
info_outlineRESTalk
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." – Eleanor Roosevelt Welcome to a special episode of RESTalk: "Best of RESTalk 2024"! This year has been transformative for RESNET® and the residential energy efficiency industry. From setting bold goals to launching innovative tools and forming impactful collaborations, 2024 has redefined what's possible in energy efficiency and sustainability. In this episode, we revisit the year's most insightful and impactful moments, featuring highlights from the conversations that shaped the industry. Join us as we...
info_outlineRESTalk
Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning. – Benjamin Franklin In this episode of RESTalk, Bill Spohn speaks with three guests to discuss the RESNET® QA app, an innovative tool designed to streamline the quality assurance process for home energy ratings. Bill is joined by Billy Giblin, RESNET®’s quality assurance field specialist, Kelvin Abong and Kiro Bondarev from The Fourth Dimension (4D), RESNET®'s technology partner. Together, they explore the app’s journey from ideation to execution, its role in harmonizing...
info_outlineRESTalk
Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice. Anton Chekhov In this episode of the RESTalk podcast, host Bill Spohn talks with Mark Johnson from the International Code Council (ICC) and Steve Baden from RESNET® about a new collaboration to enhance energy code compliance. They discuss the growing complexities of energy codes, particularly the challenge of ensuring compliance amid increasing technical and regulatory demands. To address this, ICC and RESNET® are introducing a program to involve HERS raters as third-party verifiers, providing quality assurance and supporting...
info_outlineRESTalk
Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort. John Ruskin In this episode of RESTalk, host Bill Spohn is joined by Scott Doyle and Ryan Meres from RESNET® to discuss their ambitious goal of achieving one million ratings annually by 2028. The conversation begins with an overview of RESNET®'s significant progress, which recorded 360,000 ratings in 2023—a 136% increase since 2013. The discussion highlights the importance of quality assurance in maintaining the credibility of the HERS rating system, particularly as RESNET® scales its operations and...
info_outlineRESTalk
The greatest value of a picture is when it forces us to notice what we never expected to see. John Tukey In this episode of RESTalk, host Bill Spohn welcomes his most frequent guest, RESNET staff member, Ryan Meres, to discuss the latest trends in the 2024 edition of the HERS-rated homes. This report, created as an initiative of the RESNET Suppliers Advisory Board, highlights data trends and analysis in the residential construction market. The report shows a consistent year-over-year increase in HERS ratings, with the total number last year reaching 362,000, and projections for...
info_outlineRESTalk
Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people. Steve Jobs Bill Spohn welcomes RESNET staff member Clara Hedrick to discuss the upcoming RESNET 2025 conference. Clara, the lead events coordinator for RESNET, shares her excitement about the event and details her responsibilities. The conference is scheduled for January 27-30, 2025, in Tempe, Arizona, a location praised for its accessibility, nightlife, and natural beauty. Clara highlights the venue, Tempe Mission Palms, chosen for its amenities and feedback from previous events. With a...
info_outlineRESTalk
"In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught." — Baba Dioum In the latest episode of RESTalk podcast, Bill Spohn hosts Paulette McGhie and Ryan Meres to discuss RESNET®'s innovative approaches to water, carbon, and building codes. Paulette McGhie, who recently joined RESNET, shares her extensive background in energy compliance and her passion for energy transparency, driven by a personal experience involving her mother's high utility bills. She now focuses on outreach, education, and...
info_outline“Good legislation should bring clarity, not confusion.”
-Bill Haslam
The Federal Tax Credit for Builders of Energy Efficient Homes, commonly known as 45L, in some ways remains an artifact of old thinking.
How much has technology and performance in housing advanced in the last 15 years?
What can you do to stay informed, aware and exert influence to improve what could be a significant motivator for building more energy efficient homes?
NOTE: This episode as recorded in late September 2021 yet will air in late November 2021. Consequently, some factors and details may have changed in the interim.
Steve Baden joins us to share updates and possible changes that are coming in the 45L federal builders' tax credit with the advent of a new administration and changes in Congress in the last year.
In past Episodes of RESTalk (#57 & 62) we have learned of the on-again, off-again nature of 45L and how this pattern makes it hard for builders to count on it and invest via engagement in their planning cycles. Steve also notes that its basis is “ancient as a 2006 flip phone”.
Unfortunately, this legislation is again scheduled to expire, this time on December 31, 2021. Steve covers the proposed changes that include giving more credit to more energy efficient homes via two tiers of performance with two corresponding levels of tax credits.
As he covers the intricacies of how this is moving through Congress Steve remains hopeful that the legislation may receive a much needed “upgrade” and perhaps be extended to last for 5 or even 10 years.
The RESNET community is encouraged to learn more and engage with their legislators to drive home points such as local jobs, the progress made in construction technology and how builders must put skin in the game to participate.
Learn more about how to advocate for this via resources on the RESNET site found here: https://www.resnet.us/about/advocacy/45l/ and here: https://www.resnet.us/about/advocacy/
Builders can review details on the IRS FORM 8908: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8908
In closing Steve notes, if 45L is revised or extended, this topic will be covered in depth at the RESNET 2022 conference: Learn more here: https://www.resnet.us/conference/conference-2022/
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]