EP86 State of RESNET QA with Laurel Elam, Scott Doyle and Billy Giblin
Release Date: 12/20/2021
EP155 5 Million HERS Ratings: What This Milestone Really Means (July 2026)
RESTalk
QUOTES from the episode: "We're not just checking boxes. We're helping builders build better homes." – Matthew Cooper "The conversation needs to shift from price per square foot to value per square foot." – Steve Byers "Professionalism, curiosity, and partnership are what make great HERS Raters." "Five million homes is impressive, but it's the quality behind those ratings that really matters." Five million HERS-rated homes is more than a milestone. It represents decades of collaboration between builders, HERS Raters, Rating Providers, manufacturers, and RESNET® to improve the quality,...
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EP154 Every Drop Counts: The Evolution of HERSH2O® (June 2026)
RESTalk
“Water efficiency is moving from a nice feature to a development necessity.” “HERSH2O® helps turn water conservation into something builders can measure, verify, and communicate.” “Water is a precious resource—and unlike energy, we cannot simply produce more of it.” Water efficiency is becoming an increasingly important part of homebuilding, particularly in regions facing drought, rising tap fees, and development restrictions. In this episode of RESTalk, Bill Spohn speaks with Ryan Meres and Jacob Atalla about the continued evolution of HERSH2O® and the expansion of the...
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EP153 How Energy Codes Really Get Made, and Why Raters Should Have a Seat at the Table (May 2026)
RESTalk
QUOTES from the episode: “The people closest to the work often have the clearest view of what needs to change.” “Codes do not become practical until field experience finds its way into the conversation.” “Better data leads to better codes, and HERS® Raters are sitting on some of the most useful data in the industry.” “The future of energy codes will be shaped not only in committee rooms, but also in crawlspaces, attics, and blower door tests.” In this episode of RESTalk, host Bill Spohn welcomes Nathan Kahre of the National Association of Home...
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EP152 Powering ENERGY STAR Multifamily in the Southwest: SRP & Copa Health’s Blueprint for High-Performance Housing (April 2026)
RESTalk
QUOTES from the episode: “Utilities are no longer just incentive providers. They are becoming design partners.” “High performance is not a luxury in affordable housing. It is a necessity for predictable living costs.” “If you want this to scale, it starts with early coordination and shared goals.” In this episode of RESTalk, we head to Tempe, Arizona, where extreme heat, rising energy costs, and housing needs are converging, and where a standout project is redefining what ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction can look like in a hot, dry climate. Bill is joined by Rebecca...
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EP151 Emerging Leaders, Real Talk: The Future of HERS® Starts Here (March 2026)
RESTalk
QUOTES from the episode: “You can’t fix what you didn’t catch early. Thoroughness upfront saves everything downstream.” “It’s a young industry. That’s what makes it exciting, we’re still shaping what it becomes.” “If you don’t have a reason for being in this work, it’s going to be hard to stay in it.” In this episode of RESTalk, Bill sits down with 2026 Emerging Leader Fellows Courtney Holland and Hayden Cantoni fresh off their experience at the RESNET® Conference. Both guests share how they found their way into the HERS® and building performance industry, often...
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EP150 Women Building the Future: Voices from the RESNET® Community (March 2026)
RESTalk
QUOTES from the episode: “You absolutely belong here. There are many paths into this industry, and there’s room for everyone to thrive.” - Cindy Zeis “Patience, facts, and science always win the day.” - Sharla Riead “The future of women in building science is unlimited.” - Nancy St. Hilaire In this milestone 150th episode of RESTalk, host Bill Spohn marks Women’s History Month by highlighting the voices of women from across the RESNET® community. Through a series of short conversations, industry leaders share how they entered the world of building...
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EP149 Inside the 2026 RESNET® Conference: The Next Era of HERS® (January 2026)
RESTalk
QUOTES from the episode: “The RESNET® Conference is where experience meets fresh perspective, and that’s where the real progress happens.” “This isn’t just another conference. It’s about shaping the next era of the HERS© industry.” “If you want to understand where the industry is headed, this is where the conversations are happening.” In this episode of RESTalk, Bill Spohn sits down with Noah Kibbe from RESNET® to preview the 2026 RESNET® Conference coming to San Antonio’s Riverwalk. Noah shares what goes into planning the event, from selecting the location and shaping...
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EP148 A New Chapter for RESNET: A Conversation with Executive Director Shelby Gatlin (January 2026)
RESTalk
QUOTES from the episode: “What raters do makes the difference. Supporting them protects the credibility of the entire ecosystem.” “Energy and water performance are not abstract. They are measurable, verifiable, and they matter to families.” “My role is to protect what works, listen carefully, and help RESNET adapt without losing what makes it special.” In the first RESTalk episode of 2026, Bill Spohn welcomes Shelby Gatlin, the new Executive Director of RESNET©, for a thoughtful conversation about leadership, credibility, and the future of home energy ratings. Shelby shares her...
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EP147 Best of 2025: The Year RESNET® Hit Another Gear (December 2025)
RESTalk
In this special “Best of RESTALK 2025” episode, host Bill Spohn looks back at the ideas and conversations that defined the year across the RESNET® ecosystem. Rather than a simple highlight reel, this episode weaves four major themes that kept surfacing—from sweeping QA modernization efforts to the market forces accelerating HERS adoption to the emerging leaders reshaping the industry to the on-the-ground projects proving that high performance and affordability can coexist. Across conversations with QA directors, software leaders, conference fellows, builders, lenders, and...
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EP146 Beyond the Score: Market Signals, QA, and the Future of RESNET® with Steve Baden (October 2025)
RESTalk
QUOTES FROM STEVE: “The challenge isn’t how far we can push efficiency—but how affordable we can make it.” “Give builders a clear target and the market will respond.” “It’s been a hell of a ride—thanks for the memories. Now it’s your turn to take it to the next level.” Steve Baden tells the story of RESNET®’s early days—from Alaska’s energy-code back-and-forth to a market-based framework that encouraged builders with targets rather than rules. That experiment birthed home energy ratings, a national standard, and eventually RESNET® itself—formed with the Mortgage...
info_outline“Most decisions are not binary, and there are usually better answers waiting to be found
if you do the analysis and involve the right people.”
-Jamie Dimon
The topics of real time data and data analytics are discussed in many businesses circles these days.
As the RESNET Board and Quality Assurance (QA) team charts a path to move RESNET QA from the gold standard to platinum, data analytics will pay a large role.
What strategic initiatives are being considered to advance the QA function?
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.
We learn how they are looking at data to help determine how much quality assurance is required as well as to track rating activity more easily in the RESNET National Registry.
We hear of efforts to convert the Quality Assurance Review Checklist into an online form/app to make updates to the RESNET National Registry more easily available through continuous maintenance.
Also underway is the creation of a system to track the entire chain of custody among HERS Raters, RFIs and Energy Modelers in the RESNET National Registry.
The RESNET QA Team will also carry out an educational campaign aimed at the industry, builders, and program sponsors to continue to improve consistency through quality assurance oversight.
The team closes the conversation by commending the spirit of the people in the industry who continued to get the job done in 2021.
The RESNET QA Team remains available for technical assistance and technical questions at the following email addresses:
Laurel@RESNET.US Scott@RESNET.US Billy@RESNET.US
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