Libsyn Directory

EP117 Learning more about the HERS Index and Texas House Bill 3215 with James Rodriguez and Ned Munoz

Release Date: 06/12/2023

EP135 RESTalk Rewind 2024: Milestones, Innovations, and the Road Ahead with Bill Spohn

RESTalk

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." – Eleanor Roosevelt Welcome to a special episode of RESTalk: "Best of RESTalk 2024"! This year has been transformative for RESNET® and the residential energy efficiency industry. From setting bold goals to launching innovative tools and forming impactful collaborations, 2024 has redefined what's possible in energy efficiency and sustainability. In this episode, we revisit the year's most insightful and impactful moments, featuring highlights from the conversations that shaped the industry. Join us as we...

EP134 Boosting Efficiency: How RESNET®’s QA App Is Transforming the Industry with Kiro Bondarev, Kelvin Abong and Billy Giblin

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...

EP133 Bridging the Gap: The Future of Energy Code Compliance with RESNET® HERS® Raters with Mark Johnson and Steve Baden

RESTalk

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...

Ep 132 From 360K to 1 Million: RESNET®’s Vision for the Future with Scott Doyle and Ryan Meres

RESTalk

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...

EP131 HERS Ratings Unveiled: Insights into America's Energy-Efficient Homes with Ryan Meres

RESTalk

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...

EP130 RESNET 2025 Preview: Celebrating 30 Years and 4 Million Homes With Clara Hedrick

RESTalk

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...

EP129 Empowering Builders: RESNET's Push for Water and Energy Efficiency With Paulette McGhie and Ryan Meres

RESTalk

"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...

EP128 Building the Future: The Rise of Build-to-Rent Housing With Thomas Cochran and Laurel Elam

RESTalk

"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...

EP127 Energizing Change: Advocates Power Up Policy at the RESNET Policy Forum With Robert Pegues and Carl Chidlow

RESTalk

"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...

EP126 From Audits to Advocacy: Trailblazing Women in Energy Efficiency with Sharla Riead and Emelie Cuppernell-Glitch

RESTalk

"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...

More Episodes

“The trend is your friend.”

-Mark Zweig

With Texas as the leading state in new home starts, we can expect some housing trends first to arise there.

Why was House Bill 3215 developed and enacted in Texas?

What entities and organizations participated in developing the language in the bill?

How will this impact the HERS industry in Texas and elsewhere?

Joining us on today’s podcast is Ned Munoz, V.P. of Regulatory Affairs and General Counsel at Texas Association of Builders, and James Rodriguez, Executive Vice President at Fox Energy Specialists.

James shares with us the desire to set up a hybrid approach- that is, to introduce a second universal pathway of state energy compliance that is performance-based.

Which means Texas now recognizes the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index scores as a standalone compliance pathway which untangles it from the current ICC/IRC versions of the energy rating index (ERI) pathway.

Ned explains how the Texas Association of Builders recognizes the impact that mandated energy codes have on housing affordability while still encouraging energy-efficient home building and how these concepts influenced the wording of the bill.

It's important to note that the State of Texas overlay energy code for single-family new construction was not updated or changed by the bill.

Below are the HERS Index pathway thresholds remaining in effect for 10 years.

TIMELINE Climate Zone 2 HERS Index Climate Zone 3 HERS Index

09/1/19 to 08/31/22 63 63

09/1/22 to 08/31/25 59 59

09/1/25 to 08/31/28 57 57

09/1/28 to 09/01/31 55 55

Note: 2018 IECC mandatory items and building envelope thresholds must be upheld as part of these HERS scores.

LINKS:

2 articles on the topic:
https://www.resnet.us/builders/hb3215/

https://www.foxenergyspecialists.com/news/texas-house-bill-hb-3215-to-take-effect-on-september-1st

James Rodriguez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-rodriguez-0523001/