BUILDTank / buildCAST

Robby Schwarz
  • 5.0 (4)
  • CAREERS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
BUILDTank / buildCAST

At BuildTank, our mission is to use what we learn applying building science to affect meaningful change in the construction industry. The buildCAST is the next step. Through broad conversations, we learn something new from our guests’ story that could be the catalyst to take sustainable buildings to mainstream building. Concentrating on the quest's “story” as much as on their expertise revealing a journey and key information that can help us attain our goal to move our industry forward and make high performance building mainstream building . buildtankinc.com

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    #10-2024 BUILDcast - FOCUSED Joe Medosch & Measure Quick

    BUILDTank / buildCAST

    18 min

  2. DEC 1

    #25-2024 - Josh Butzbaugh - Building America Solution Center HPWH Installation Tool

    Josh Butzbaugh, Senior Project Engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, has been focusing his research on Heat Pump Water Heaters (HPWH). His research has helped to demonstrate the impact HPWH’s can have on efficiency, carbon reduction, and peak demand response. The problem with implementing the technology is that replacement happens at a point of failure and consumers want a new water heater installed immediately, generally within 48 hours. Now that the inflation reduction act funding is offering a 10-year incentive to consumers and industry to install HPWHs the DOE has put forward a tool designed specifically to help plumbing contractors quickly assess the opportunity for successful installations. Josh shares his research and knowledge and guides us through the new heat pump water heater installation tool on the Building America Solution Center. Thanks, Josh, for speaking with me and helping us understand more about HPW Heating as well as some of the obstacles to deploying newer technologies. Josh Butzbaugh on LinkedIn Building America Solution Center Heat Pump Water Heater Installation Tool DOE Career Skills Training Grant Program

    1h 9m

  3. NOV 17

    #2024-24 Robert Lewis – The History of Radon

    Robert Lewis is the Radon Program Manager at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. He wrote a paper and presented on the History of Radon from 1470 to 1984 which I found to be an interesting way to approach the subject of Radon in our homes. Early in my career I combined home inspection with energy ratings and offered a radon measurement service. At the time I had to get an EPA radon certification and ever since I have been puzzled by how little builders think about radon and the installation of a simple passive radon mitigation system. As Robert says and alludes to in our conversation, “radon mitigation systems in new construction are a cost-effective insurance policy to protect against lung cancer since you have no idea of the potential of the problem until the house has been occupied. My conversation with Robert not only discusses history, but also what radon is, how it migrates into our homes, as well as mitigation systems. I don’t think we can talk about high performance homes, without also including Radon in the conversation. Robert Lewis on LinkedIn Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Radon Division 2024 IRC Appendix BE Radon Control Methods EPA Radon resources AARST is now Indoor Environments Association™ EPA Indoor airPLUS program

    1h 5m

  4. NOV 4

    #23-2024 Dennis Helblig – Continuing to Bring Solar Energy to New Construction

    Before dedicating his career to integrating solar energy into the new construction market Dennis Helblig worked for a variety of builders including Colorado’s favorite regional production high performance builder Thrive Homebuilders. Seeing the efficiency of the housing stock continue to improve, Dennis moved on from building and worked for industry leading solar companies like SolarCity, Sun Street, Sunnova, and now Colorado Based Pro Bid Energy to integrate solar into new home construction. Either through leasing agreements or incorporating the cost within the mortgage, adding solar as a standard feature in new homes, rather than an option has proven to be the most cost-effective way to integrate the technology into homes. Dennis discusses all things Solar and new home construction in this conversation which is a pivotal aspect of our energy transition. Dennis Helblig on LinkedIn Pro Bid Energy

    1h 1m

  5. OCT 21

    #22-2024 Scott Doyle - RESNET Quality Assurance

    Scott Doyle is the managing director of quality assurance for the Residential Energy Services Network, or RESNET. RESNET governs the home energy rating system or the HERS® Energy Rating Index. Scott became a HERS® Rater in 2003 and since being certified has inspected and tested the energy performance of thousands of homes across a variety of construction types and climate zones. In 2007 he became a RESNET certified Quality Assurance Designee and Trainer and oversaw quality assurance activities for EnergyLogic and five other RESNET HERS® Rating Providers. This involved quality assurance oversight of nearly 10,000 homes annually.  Scott’s next move was becoming the quality assurance manager at RESNET itself and he has been one of the guiding influences in protecting the RESNET brand and the home energy rating industry in general. As you will hear, I was one of Scott’s trainers and employers which made this conversation even more enjoyable as it has been supper fun to watch Scott’s carrier evolve over the years. Scott Dyle on LinkedIn Residential Energy Services Network / RESNET

    59 min

  6. OCT 7

    #21-2024 Nick Hurst and the EPA Indoor airPLUS Program

    Early on in my carrier when working for a regional production builder, the president and owner suggested that indoor air quality was that path forward to communicate the benefits of applied building science, resilient, and energy efficient construction. I think he was right, but it still has taken living through covid to get the consumer to understand its importance to health in our homes.  Version 2 of the Indoor airPLUS program, which has just been released, will help us better understand the complexities of indoor air quality while pointing to relatively simple things we can do to ensure we build for better air quality.  It’s more than ventilation and filtration, it’s the fundamentals of applied building science and systems thinking, packaged in such a way that builders can truly market the benefits. Nick Hurst is a renaissance man who, as you will hear, has been able to incorporate his love of music with his work in applied building science. He comes from the construction industry but has changed his focus from being a contractor and educator to being the EPA’s program manager for the Indoor airPLUS program. After learning more about Nick’s path to the EPA we hunker down and work our way through this newly released program.  I must note up front that although we accurately reflect the direction of version 2 of the IAP the discussion reflects the opinions of Nick and myself and not necessarily those of the EPA. Nick Hurst on LinkedIn Indoor AirPlus Version 2 Formaldehyde Emission Standards for Composite Wood Products Frequent Questions for Consumers about the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act

    1h 12m

  7. SEP 23

    #20-2024 Stephen Davis - Product Manager and Director of Building Science for Quadrant Performance Materials.

    Stephen Davis is the product manager and director of building science for Quadrant Performance Materials. Quadrant is a spray foam insulation manufacturer that produces the EnvironSeal line of spray foam. Stephen has been working in the industry for the past 25 years and has always offered himself as a resource for all questions regarding spray foam, from building science to manufacturing and installation. I decided to take him up on his offer and it was wonderful to catch up, learn more about him, and to ask more questions about spray foam insulations in general.  Stephen Davis on LinkedIn Quadrant Performance Materials

    1h 17m

  8. SEP 13

    #9-2024 BUILDcast FOCUSED - Rock Wool and Warm Board from the IBS show

    Rockwool Residential WarmBoard

    11 min
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5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

At BuildTank, our mission is to use what we learn applying building science to affect meaningful change in the construction industry. The buildCAST is the next step. Through broad conversations, we learn something new from our guests’ story that could be the catalyst to take sustainable buildings to mainstream building. Concentrating on the quest's “story” as much as on their expertise revealing a journey and key information that can help us attain our goal to move our industry forward and make high performance building mainstream building . buildtankinc.com

Information

  • Creator
    Robby Schwarz
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2024
  • Episodes
    117
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Robby Schwarz
  • Show Website
    BUILDTank / buildCAST

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