EP148 A New Chapter for RESNET: A Conversation with Executive Director Shelby Gatlin (January 2026)
Release Date: 01/12/2026
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...
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EP145 Turning Efficiency into Equity: Inside the C-PACE Model with PACE Equity with Tricia Baker and Karl Peer (October 2025)
RESTalk
QUOTES: “We created the CIRRUS Low Carbon program to speak to developers’ pocketbooks — build a better building, and you get a better rate.” — Tricia Baker “Early design is peace of mind — it saves you a buck or two and a lot of headaches later.” — Karl Peer In this episode of RESTalk, host Bill Spohn is joined by Tricia Baker, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Impact at PACE Equity, and Karl Peer, an in-house engineer with deep experience in HERS ratings and energy modeling. Together, they unpack the power of C-PACE (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing...
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EP144 From Checklists to Real-Time Data: The QA Evolution at RESNET🄬 With Laurel Elam and Scott Doyle (September 2025)
RESTalk
EP144 From Checklists to Real-Time Data: The QA Evolution at RESNET🄬 With Scott Doyle and Laurel Elam (September 2025) “If you’re a professional and the rules of your profession change, you can’t afford not to keep up.” — Scott Doyle In this episode of the RESTalk podcast, host Bill Spohn sits down with two long-time leaders at RESNET🄬: Laurel Elam, Senior Director of Business and Standards Development, and Scott Doyle, Managing Director of Quality Assurance. Together, they unpack the evolution of quality assurance within RESNET🄬, culminating in the...
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EP143 Sweat Equity Meets Smart Energy: Inside a Habitat Zero Energy Ready Build with Kevin L. Smith (July 2025)
RESTalk
“When you're in construction, you're just building sticks and bricks—until you understand how a house actually performs.” – Kevin Smith In this episode of RESTalk, Bill sits down with Kevin L. Smith, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County, to explore a groundbreaking project: the Bennett Point Phase 1 homes, which earned both ENERGY STAR and DOE Zero Energy Ready Home certifications. Kevin shares how his team collaborated with Energize Delaware and New Ecology to build high-performance, all-electric townhomes aimed at long-term affordability and health for...
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EP142 Home Efficiency by the Numbers: Highlights from the 2025 RESNET® Report with Ryan Meres (June 2025)
RESTalk
“RESNET members are now touching about a third of all new single-family homes. That’s a big number — and it’s only growing.” -Ryan Meres In this episode of RESTalk, host Bill Spohn welcomes back Ryan Meres, Programs Director at RESNET®, to explore the key insights from the 2025 HERS® Rated Homes Data Trends Report. This sixth annual edition reveals both expected and surprising patterns in how homebuilders, energy raters, and policymakers are driving efficiency across the U.S. housing market. With over 436,000 homes HERS rated in the past year, the report reflects RESNET®’s...
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EP141 Ventilation, Codes & Comfort: What Builders Need to Know Now with Patrick Nielsen
RESTalk
"As homes get tighter, ventilation isn't optional—it's essential." — Patrick Nielsen In this episode of RESTalk, host Bill Spohn sits down with Patrick Nielsen, Global Technical Products Manager at Broan-NuTone, to discuss the evolving world of home ventilation. With over two decades of experience, Patrick walks us through the major drivers shaping residential ventilation practices today—from tighter building envelopes to the growing emphasis on indoor air quality and energy efficiency. Patrick explains the importance of dwelling unit ventilation (DUV), spot vs. whole-house...
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EP140 The Future of QA at RESNET®: Automation, Oversight, and ENERGY STAR Updates with Scott Doyle
RESTalk
"You can’t manage what you can’t measure." — Peter Drucker In this insightful episode of RESTalk, host Bill Spohn welcomes Scott Doyle, RESNET’s Managing Director of Quality Assurance (QA), for a comprehensive update on what’s ahead in the world of RESNET QA®. Scott unpacks the most significant changes hitting the registry, Chapter 9 standards, and the QA app—all designed to modernize, streamline, and strengthen the QA process. The conversation delves into how these updates will affect HERS® raters and providers, with a major focus on the ENERGY STAR QA/QC program. Scott...
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EP139 Concrete Innovations: The Story of Arizona’s First 3D-Printed Home with Jason Barlow
RESTalk
"Innovation is taking two things that exist and putting them together in a new way." — Tom Freston In this episode of the RESTalk podcast, Bill Spohn sits down with Jason Barlow, former President & CEO of Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona, to discuss a groundbreaking achievement in homebuilding—the first 3D-printed concrete home in Arizona. Jason shares how this innovative project, born from a collaboration with ASU graduates and a German scaffolding company, PERI, pushed the boundaries of affordable housing construction. From overcoming extreme heat challenges to designing...
info_outlineQUOTES 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 professional path from conservation-focused work and regulatory advocacy into the residential energy efficiency space, including years spent navigating operational growth and industry change.
Shelby explains why RESNET©’s voluntary standards, third-party verification, and ecosystem of trust matter now more than ever, especially as affordability, comfort, and long-term household costs take center stage. She emphasizes that energy and water performance are not abstract concepts, but measurable outcomes that directly impact homeowners. Throughout the discussion, Shelby underscores the critical role of raters and providers in protecting the integrity and credibility of RESNET© programs.
Looking ahead, Shelby outlines her leadership approach: build on what already works, listen closely to stakeholders, modernize systems where clarity and transparency are needed, and preserve what makes RESNET© unique. She also shares her excitement for her first RESNET© conference as Executive Director and her commitment to empathy, collaboration, and trust across the industry.
Shleby’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelby-gatlin-59100926/
To the RESNET® community, we hear you and want to engage. Learn more at www.RESNET.us. For more info on this topic, contact RESNET at INFO@RESNET.US