The Origins Of Building Science w/ Shawna Henderson of Blue House Energy
Release Date: 02/19/2024
Achieving #BetterHVAC By Transforming Home Valuations w/ Judson Willis of THEEBA - #aBHP S01E09
A #betterhvac Podcast
Redefining Home Value Through Energy Efficiency and Building Science This podcast episode explores the transformative efforts in the home building and real estate industries towards embracing energy efficiency and high-performance building. Judson Willis, a former home builder turned coach, discusses the importance of education, innovation, and the integration of building science principles. Justin highlights challenges such as the conventional appraisal process that often overlooks the value added by energy-efficient features. Furthermore, Ben & Judson explore...
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Better Policy is #betterhvac w/ Abhilash Kantamani of Efficiency Canada - #aBHP S01E08
A #betterhvac Podcast
Transforming Residential HVAC: Policy, Innovation, and Collective Action Ben & Abhi discuss how #betterhvac could shape the HVAC industry through policy reform, innovation, and collaborative efforts in the U.S. and Canada. These two Canadian's explore the significance of aligning policy with the needs of frontline workers, small business owners, and the broader goals of energy efficiency and climate targets. They discuss the challenges faced by HVAC contractors, including unrealistic expectations and ineffective incentive programs, and offer solutions like mentorship, business incubators,...
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Scaling Energy Advisors In Canada w/ Paul Sehr Of Jouleia - #aBHP S01E07
A #betterhvac Podcast
Ben Reed has a conversation with a fellow Canadian - Paul Sehr of Jouleia - to learn about what he’s building, and the impact it will have on the Canadian HVAC market. Paul is building a platform to make it easier for homeowners to understand their electrification opportunities and interpret the results of their energy audits. Paul also shares some guidance on how other entrepreneurs can balance profit and ethical outcomes while pursing electrification & #betterhvac opportunities. 0:00 Scaling Energy Advisors In Canada w/ Paul Sehr Of Jouleia 00:14 The Entrepreneur Behind Jouleia 00:55...
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BetterHVAC Enables Collective Action w/ Clifton Beck - #aBHP S01E06
A #betterhvac Podcast
Elevating HVAC: Training, Technology, and the Push for Standardization In this episode of the Better HVAC podcast, host Ben Reed and guest Clifton Beck from the ESCO Institute explore ways the BetterHVAC Movement can impact the world of residential HVAC. They discuss the importance of training and accreditation programs, the industry-wide shift towards heat pumps, and the necessity of designing reputation systems for contractors. A significant part of their conversation highlights the lack of a standard communication protocol in residential HVAC systems and the potential benefits of...
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The Origins Of Building Science w/ Shawna Henderson of Blue House Energy
A #betterhvac Podcast
Ben Reed engages in a conversation with Shauna Henderson of Blue House Energy - A fellow Bluenoser and self-described "building science wonk". Ben & Shawna explore various aspects of the building industry, particularly focusing on the necessity of integrating building science and decarbonization into building practices, while stressing on the importance of educating current and future stakeholders in the industry. Shawna expresses discomfort in the fact that building science is not demanded enough, attributing this to the lack of reformation in the building valuation processes - such as...
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"Smart-Loading" For Proper Residential Equipment Sizing w/ John Semmelhack
A #betterhvac Podcast
Ben Reed from Teal Maker and John Semmelhack from The Comfort Squad have an insightful conversation about the challenges and opportunities in the residential HVAC industry. John shares his experience transitioning from a Home Energy Rater to an HVAC designer and the importance of coupling technical expertise with real-world data for optimum results. They dive into the issues with manual HVAC installation practices, emphasize the opportunities using real-world monitoring, and discuss the potential for software automation in this space. Their discussion provides technical tips for...
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Open Source HVAC? w/ Paulus Schoutsen from Home Assistant
A #betterhvac Podcast
Ben sits down with Paulus Schoutsen, the creator of Home Assistant - one of the world's largest open source projects - to discuss whether Open Source has a role in the world of residential HVAC. The discussion revolves around the origin, development, and growth of Home Assistant, the importance of local control and privacy, the effect of open source contributions on the platform, potential implications for HVAC and building science, and the benefits of standardization in smart home devices. Ben & Paulus also discuss the business side of running Home Assistant and Nabu Casa, the company...
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Heat Pumps, Quality Installation, Applied Research & Open Source Projects w/ Edward Louie
A #betterhvac Podcast
Ben sits down with Edward Louie from PNNL to discuss Edward's applied research projects, how to achieve quality installation in heat pumps, his experience as a Rater in the field, and new hypothetical business models that could improve the industry. Ben also probed Edward on how the DoE participates in open source projects. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this production are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the DoE, PNNL or measureQuick.
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Applying ASHRAE 241 to Residential HVAC with Max Sherman
A #betterhvac Podcast
In this episode, Ben talks with Max Sherman, the vice chair of the new ASHRAE 241 standard. Ben & Max discus COVID, IAQ, resilency, filtration & ventilation - and how it all relates to residential HVAC contractors. Last year, I chose to join ASHRAE to grow my network and learn from the experts who craft and maintain the world’s mechanical codes. As I have a background in IAQ, I was very excited to follow the progress of the COVID 19 Epidemic Task Force, who have recently formed a committee and published a new IAQ standard called “ASHRAE Standard 241, Control of Infectious...
info_outlineBen Reed engages in a conversation with Shauna Henderson of Blue House Energy - A fellow Bluenoser and self-described "building science wonk". Ben & Shawna explore various aspects of the building industry, particularly focusing on the necessity of integrating building science and decarbonization into building practices, while stressing on the importance of educating current and future stakeholders in the industry.
Shawna expresses discomfort in the fact that building science is not demanded enough, attributing this to the lack of reformation in the building valuation processes - such as eal estate transactions. Highlighting the influence of codes on building practices, she supports the idea of having more self-expressive codes that allow professionals the flexibility to optimize building envelopes to their context. The discussion also dives into the history of building science in Canada and the role of R2000 and HOT2000 programs in shaping the present state of building codes and practices.
0:00 Introductions
00:54 From Textiles to Building Science Through A Sensory Deprivation Chamber
06:25 The Residential Building Industry Needs A Lot Of Help
09:02 Every Home Is Different, But Physics Don't Change
12:16 Blue House Energy: Solving Big Puzzles By Training Energy Advisors
17:48 Canadian vs US Housing Markets
22:11 Passive House Originated In Canada
22:54 Why Did Canada Fall Behind In Building Science
25:49 The Effect Of PITE on Building Science
30:10 The Political Wrench Thrown In The Gears
31:40 The Building Code Is Our Only Stick
32:42 The Step Code Across Canada
35:57 Rant: We Have Lost Our Ability To Make Things
40:03 The Birth Of Building Science
44:41 The Death Of Building Science In Canada
46:24 A Rebirth Of Building Science In Canada?
49:01 Canada's Culling Of Retrofit Programs
51:23 2025: A Turning Point In The Canadian Building Code?
53:45 We Need To Fight A Good War
56:20 Municiapilties Need To Step Up
59:42 5 Year Payback Periods Shouldn't Be Applied To Houses
01:02:30 A Flexible Building Code To Incentivize Good Work
01:05:38 Wrapping It Up