EP283 AI in HVAC: Beyond the Hype With Tyler Nelson and Billy Spohn (August 2026)
Release Date: 08/14/2026
EP283 AI in HVAC: Beyond the Hype With Tyler Nelson and Billy Spohn (August 2026)
Building HVAC Science
Quotes from the episode: "This is no longer a push-pull industry. This is a thinking person's game now." "The better context you give AI, the better partner it becomes." "Ask AI to teach you how to use AI in your particular situation." Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming one of the most practical tools available to HVAC professionals—but only if it's used as a thinking partner rather than a shortcut. In this episode, Bill Spohn is joined by Tyler Nelson, a nationally recognized HVAC educator and combustion expert,...
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EP282 Building Better Leaders: Jane Sidebottom on Mentorship, Workforce, and the Future of HVACR (July 2026)
Building HVAC Science
Quotes from the episode: "It's not just about features and benefits anymore. It's about the impact your products have on your customer's business." "Training teaches skills. Mentorship builds confidence." "Someone somewhere saw that we were good at something and helped us channel it." "Words matter." The HVACR industry has talked about the workforce shortage for decades—but are we finally making progress? In this episode, Bill sits down with Jane Sidebottom,...
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EP281 Building a Diagnostic-First HVAC Company with Derek Aarstad
Building HVAC Science
Quotes from the episode: "When your HVAC system is performing at 100%, but the home isn't, the problem isn't the equipment anymore." "Our job is to be investigators first and installers second." "Homeowners don't just need to know their HVAC system. They need to know their home." "If you think I'm doing too much testing, I'd argue you're probably not doing enough." Many HVAC contractors say they focus on comfort, but Derek Aarstad has built his entire business around proving where comfort...
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EP280 What 130 Million Homes Can Teach HVAC with Scott Rosenberg (June 2026)
Building HVAC Science
Quotes from the episode: “You sell an amazing product that represents the future of home heating and cooling. But selling it, promoting it, and capturing consumers’ attention is hard. At 257, we use data to help you do that more efficiently.” “The best way to judge the effectiveness of machine learning and AI is by the outcome: Did I sell more at a lower cost?” “It wasn’t simply having a heat pump or solar system. Talking about it during the sales process had a positive effect on the home’s sale price.” How can HVAC contractors identify the homeowners most likely to...
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EP279 Curiosity, Heat Pumps, and the Details That Matter – A Conversation with Edward Louie (July 2026)
Building HVAC Science
Quotes from the episode: "Comfort isn't just about air temperature—it's also about the temperature of everything around you." "If it's difficult to maintain, eventually it simply won't be maintained." "Stay curious about your built environment. Pay attention, ask questions, and keep learning." Edward Louie of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory joins Bill Spohn for a thoughtful discussion that goes far beyond heat pumps. Known throughout the building science community for his data-driven LinkedIn posts and willingness to challenge conventional wisdom, Edward...
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EP278 From Boiler Timers to Predictive Control: Smarter Heat for Multifamily Buildings with Heather Zoberman from Entech (June 2026)
Building HVAC Science
Quotes from the episode: “Technology does its best work when it turns invisible problems into obvious next steps.” “Most buildings are already telling us what they need. The trick is finally learning how to listen.” “You can’t optimize what you can’t see, and old buildings have been hiding their stories in boiler rooms for decades.” In this episode of Building HVAC Science, Bill speaks with Heather Zoberman of ENTECH about how older multifamily buildings can move from basic, wasteful boiler control toward smarter, data-driven heating and cooling management. Heather explains...
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EP277 Dirty Little Secret: Why Heat Pumps Need Deep Cleaning with Gabriel Erde-Cohen (June 2026)
Building HVAC Science
Quotes from the episode: “Heat pumps can’t meet their promise if they’re not properly maintained.” “Vacuuming the filter matters, but it is not the same thing as deep cleaning the system.” “If it has a coil and a fan, we can clean it.” “Electrification only works as intended when the equipment keeps working as intended.” In this episode of Building HVAC Science, Bill talks with Gabriel Erde-Cohen, founder of We Clean Heat Pumps, about an often-overlooked part of electrification: what happens to heat pumps after installation. Gabriel shares how his Vermont-based business...
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EP276 When “Passed Inspection” Isn’t Good Enough with Cy Porter (May 2026)
Building HVAC Science
Quotes from the episode: “Passed inspection is not the same as built correctly.” “The best inspectors keep learning, because no one person masters every trade, every code, and every overlap.” “Small defects do not stay small when they are hidden behind walls, ceilings, and warranty paperwork.” In this episode of Building HVAC Science, Bill Spohn talks with Cy Porter of CYFY Home Inspections, an Arizona-based home inspector known for his blunt, high-energy social media videos that expose defects in new-construction homes. Cy specializes in one-year and two-year warranty inspections,...
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EP275 The Sound of Better Buildings with Kieren McCord (May 2026)
Building HVAC Science
Quotes from the episode: “The tighter your envelope, the more attention you have to pay to ventilation and indoor air quality.” “The acoustics of the ordinary rarely gets attention.” “There’s so much good work being done, so much data being collected, and oftentimes it doesn’t leave the hard drive.” “Noise annoyance may be one of the things people are most passionate about.” In this episode of the Building HVAC Science Podcast, Bill Spohn welcomes Kieren McCord, a research scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, for a conversation about indoor environmental...
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EP274 The Heat Pump Summit Is Building More Than Better Systems with Brent Davidson (May 2026)
Building HVAC Science
Quotes from the episode: “Stop trying to HVAC your way out of bad buildings, and your results will market themselves.” “The quality work and word of mouth are real when you’re doing building science-backed work with quality staff.” “Come with problems you’re actively trying to work on and meet others who can help you work on them.” In this episode of Building HVAC Science, Bill welcomes back Brent Davidson of the U.S. Heat Pump Summit for his third appearance. Brent shares what emerged from the first full-scale national Heat Pump Summit held in Massachusetts in November 2025,...
info_outlineQuotes from the episode:
"This is no longer a push-pull industry. This is a thinking person's game now."
"The better context you give AI, the better partner it becomes."
"Ask AI to teach you how to use AI in your particular situation."
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming one of the most practical tools available to HVAC professionals—but only if it's used as a thinking partner rather than a shortcut. In this episode, Bill Spohn is joined by Tyler Nelson, a nationally recognized HVAC educator and combustion expert, and Billy Spohn, who leads AI initiatives at TruTech Tools, for an honest discussion about where AI is already delivering real value.
Tyler explains how his background in combustion analysis naturally led him to AI, with both disciplines relying on measurements, analytics, and informed decision-making. He shares real-world examples of technicians using AI to troubleshoot equipment, communicate more effectively with customers, create personalized learning programs, and even build their own "AI universities" that accelerate technical growth. The result isn't replacing skilled technicians—it's helping them become better diagnosticians and better communicators.
Billy offers the business perspective, describing how AI is transforming workflows by connecting systems that have traditionally operated independently. From generating better reports to automating repetitive tasks and acting as an always-available business advisor, he explains why providing AI with proper context is far more important than simply asking questions. The conversation also covers practical topics such as subscription costs, privacy settings, memory features, and the importance of verifying important information rather than accepting every answer at face value.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that AI isn't eliminating the need for experience, craftsmanship, or human judgment. Instead, it frees professionals to spend more time solving problems, serving customers, and continuously improving their skills. Whether you're an HVAC technician, contractor, educator, or business owner, this episode offers practical ideas you can start applying immediately.
And if you're wondering where to begin, the hosts leave listeners with one simple recommendation: ask AI to teach you how to use AI for your own work.
LinkedIn:
Tyler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-nelson-master-hvacr-9a8a981b/
Link to buy the book: https://tyty5.gumroad.com/l/ai-hvac-technician
This episode was recorded in August 2026.