RESTalk
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_outline EP133 Bridging the Gap: The Future of Energy Code Compliance with RESNET® HERS® Raters with Mark Johnson and Steve BadenRESTalk
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_outline From 360K to 1 Million: RESNET®’s Vision for the Future with Scott Doyle and Ryan MeresRESTalk
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_outline EP131 HERS Ratings Unveiled: Insights into America's Energy-Efficient Homes with Ryan MeresRESTalk
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_outline EP130 RESNET 2025 Preview: Celebrating 30 Years and 4 Million Homes With Clara HedrickRESTalk
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_outline EP129 Empowering Builders: RESNET's Push for Water and Energy Efficiency With Paulette McGhie and Ryan MeresRESTalk
"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 EP128 Building the Future: The Rise of Build-to-Rent Housing With Thomas Cochran and Laurel ElamRESTalk
"Build-to-rent isn't just about providing a place to live; it's about crafting communities where flexibility and convenience meet modern living standards." In this episode of the RESTalk podcast, host Bill Spohn welcomed returning guest Laurel Elam and new participant Thomas Cochran. The discussion primarily centered on the burgeoning trend of build-to-rent (BTR) housing. Thomas, who serves as the Senior Vice President of National Business Development and Marketing at ARCXIS, shared insights on his role which involves strategic partnerships and initiatives that span regional to national...
info_outline EP127 Energizing Change: Advocates Power Up Policy at the RESNET Policy Forum With Robert Pegues and Carl ChidlowRESTalk
"Advocacy is the mirror reflecting the voices of the community into the corridors of power." - Unknown In today’s podcast we cover the topic of advocacy and public policy in the context of the residential energy sector learning from our guests Robert Pegues, General Manager of Technical Delivery at US Ecologic, and RESNET board member, and Carl Chidlow, a lobbyist representing RESNET. Robert shares his background in the sector, highlighting his experience at last year’s policy forum and his involvement with regional and national energy councils. Carl provides insights into RESNET's efforts...
info_outline EP126 From Audits to Advocacy: Trailblazing Women in Energy Efficiency with Sharla Riead and Emelie Cuppernell-GlitchRESTalk
"I never dreamed about success. I worked for it." - Estée Lauder We welcome Sharla Riead, Lead Instructor at Energy Smart Institute and Emelie Cuppernell Glitch, VP Programs at Performance Systems Development to focusing on the recognition of women in the HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rating industry. Sharla shares her extensive background, beginning with founding an energy auditing company in 1979, which evolved into a HERS rating company, and subsequently into roles in quality assurance and training within the industry. She emphasizes her company's impact and the shift she has...
info_outline EP125 QA in Your Pocket How a Mobile App is Empowering RESNET HERS Ratings with Cassandra Wright, Leo Jansen and Billy GiblinRESTalk
The best way to predict your future is to create it. - Abraham Lincoln Data is king, they say. How can the RESNET Quality Assurance (QA) app's data insights revolutionize how we rate energy-efficient homes? Imagine a world where getting your home energy rating was made easier by using a smartphone app. Is that the future the RESNET QA app promises? Our trio of guests, Quality Assurance Designees (QADs) Cassandra Wright from Strand Systems and Leo Jansen from Energy Efficient Homes Midwest, and RESNET Quality Assurance Field Specialist Billy Giblin, help us to...
info_outline“Sustainability is no longer about doing less harm. It’s about doing more good.”
Jochen Zeitz
How is the topic of energy efficiency in new single-family homes addressed in the mortgage industry?
What pillars of ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) are at play in this system and who are the players?
We are joined on today’s podcast by Simone Beaty who is the Director of Housing Policy with Freddie Mac.
Freddie Mac was chartered by Congress in 1970 to support the U.S. housing finance system and to help ensure a reliable and affordable supply of mortgage funds across the country.
Freddie Mac operates in the U.S. secondary mortgage market, buying loans that meet their standards from approved lenders. Freddie Mac then pools the mortgages it buys into securities, which they sell to investors around the world.
Drawing on her in depth experience in the financial services industry and strong finance related skills in housing policy strategies, Simone explains how Single-Family Green Mortgage Backed Securities support Freddie Mac’s focus on financing energy efficiency in new and existing single-family homes.
These activities help to preserve home affordability over time and attract capital to promote sustainable activities through mortgage financing.
Simone shares with us data, statistics, and trends on topics such as remodeling and repairs, work from home impact, and solar installations. She describes the criteria necessary for qualifying mortgages including the minimum HERS score.
She notes the important impact of the increase in HERS ratings and how this helps more builders relate to more consumers the ties to sustainability that come from Home Energy Ratings.
To learn more about FreddieMac’s Single Family Green Bonds go to this link:
https://capitalmarkets.freddiemac.com/mbs/green-sfmbs
Or download this framework document: https://capitalmarkets.freddiemac.com/mbs/docs/Freddie_Mac_SF_Green_Bond_Framework.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]