Building HVAC Science Bill Spohn

Eric and I agree: Tersh Blissett would win the best-dressed in HVAC award if there was one.
But beyond his dashing apparel, Tersh is a person of many talents.
As a visionary creator of the Service Business Mastery podcast (now with co-host Josh Crouch), he is a font of wisdom and inspiration that has been flowing since 2017 when he became part of Bryan Orr’s Blue Collar Roots Network with me (and this podcast) and others. While the Blue Collar Roots Network is now defunct, the spirit still lives on.

Tersh has a great entrepreneurial mind, building multiple profitable home service businesses that thrive in the small-town market of Savannah, GA. He is a constant learner, in both the technical and businesses aspects of his work, but more than that he is a great communicator of what he learns as he keeps a crazy schedule between his business, his podcast, his community work and most importantly his family.
 
He truly puts people over profits and teaches everyone from his office staff to his technicians to do the same.
Tersh excels in bringing the very best technology to everything he does in the HVAC 
Tersh’s Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tershblissett/
Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/c/servicebusinessmasterypodcast
 
This episode was recorded in October 2023
 

Listen in as Eric and I interview two of the leaders of Malco products and learn how they have become the nation’s leading solution developers and manufacturers of “tools of the trade” for HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning), exterior remodeling, and more.
Joining us is Rich Benninghoff, President & CEO, along with Rebecca Talbot, Malco’s VP of Marketing.
They share with us the rich history and promising future of a successful and well-run manufacturer.
In fact, Rich helped our team at TruTech better understand the principles and benefits of EOS, the Entrepreneurial Operating System which he uses at Malco- you learn more about EOS in Episode 137 of this podcast.
Post recording note: In the trade show part of our discussion, we mention Metalcon as upcoming, but it has already taken place in Oct 2023.
Rich and Rebecca share closing thoughts that illustrate how they keep an eye on the past, remembering how they got here, along with an eye on the future, for growth. 
Rich’s Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-benninghoff
Rebecca’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccajtalbot/
Product Idea submission: https://www.malcoproducts.com/ideas/
Distributor resources: https://www.malcoproducts.com/distributors/
Educator programs: https://www.malcoproducts.com/educators-resources/
Catalogs: https://www.malcoproducts.com/catalogs/
Video Gallery: https://www.malcoproducts.com/videos/
Head of the Class program for HVAC and Building Construction: https://www.malcoproducts.com/educators-resources/
For information on the annual Trade Pro of the Year and Counterperson of the Year programs, be sure to sign up for the Malco Newsletter for the latest news. https://www.malcoproducts.com/mailing-list/  
Want to connect in person, Malco will be at booth S7744 in Chicago, IL for the AHR trade show. You can always stay in touch with Malco on their socials, be sure to follow them on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok.
This episode was recorded in October 2023
 

Another post on LinkedIn is what got this conversation/episode started.
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7104814299386171392/
Perhaps it was the architectural rendering of a piece of cake that caught my eye – well done Steven! (FYI as of this writing this post has 564 reactions, 59 comments and 45 reposts- that’s influence!)
Meet Steven Biersteker, architect by day and content creator by night. Here is his LinkedIn page:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-biersteker/
We explore a lot of topics in this episode including why Steven entered this field and how he got to where he is today. (My favorite part of every episode.)
Other notions we discuss:
Getting to low operational carbon is simple ... in theory.

We are running highly efficient buildings on high carbon fuels.

Citizens need to demand better and use energy smarter.

Designing highly efficient buildings is critical, but so is low-carbon electricity and smart users.
We learned that he’s writing a book (ABCs of Carbon + Architecture) because he sees a big problem: There is a huge gap between the know-it-alls and the know-it-nots.
His book will be simple to read, digestible, and most importantly brief (see the book outline below).
And also see below for 10 important questions about low carbon design for every architect and builder to ask themselves/their client.
It’s on all of us to work together, you can make a difference. Be willing to ask questions.
This episode was recorded in October 2023.




Here is a sneak peak of the key topics in his book:

CARBON LINGO - The Key terms you need to know

GLOBAL WARMING 101 - The basics, nothing more

SCOPING OUT CARBON - Who's scope are carbon emissions?

MEASURING CARBON - How we measure this stuff

WHOLE LIFE CARBON - Embodied & Operational Carbon

LIFE-CYCLE STAGES - EN15978 - A1 - C

EMBODIED CARBON - What's accounted for?

MATERIALS - Emissions & carbon sequestering

ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS - The intro to Epd's

OPERATIONAL CARBON - The basics of emissions

ENERGY USE - How does energy impact GHG

REFRIGERANTS - What's the issue with refrigerants?

CARBON COMPARISON - So what is a ton of carbon anyway?



BONUS: 10 simple questions to achieve a low-carbon design. 

1. Does this building need to be built? 
No - Great, you just saved the planet.
Yes - Move on to question 2. 
 
2. Does this building need to be built this big? 
No - Build what you need and nothing more. 
Yes - Move to question 3. 
 
3. Is there an existing building we could use instead? 
No - Let's try and build the best new building we can. 
Yes - Renovated buildings reduce embodied carbon by up to 70% 
 
4. Can we use a biogenic material as our structure? 
No - Focus on less material and lower impact materials. 
Yes - Stick frame and mass timber are great structural options 
 
5. Can the building be designed to come apart? 
No - Concrete is the worst material for disassembly. 
Yes - Steel and Mass Timber should be bolted for disassembly 
 
6. Can we fully electrify the heating & cooling systems? 
No - Maximize energy efficiency through passive system design 
Yes - Heat pumps will reduce your energy use by 3x's 
 
7. Can we reduce our mechanical system size? 
No - Large mechanical systems are expensive to operate long-term 
Yes - Use south-facing glazing and passive ventilation 
 
8. Can we specify biogenic insulation and cladding materials 
No - Find the lowest impact insulation materials. Try EPS over XPS 
Yes - Cellulose, hemp, denim, and wool are great insulators 
 
9. Do the users know how to best operate the building? 
No - Make sure users are aware of the passive systems that reduce energy use 
Yes - A great building that isn't operated well destroys the design 
 
10. Can we minimize the impervious site materials? 
No - Large parking and sidewalk areas have a large impact 
Yes - Grasse

Eric and I had a great conversation with Cindy Zeis of Performance Systems Development, https://psdconsulting.com/, a company with the tag line: “Moving Energy Efficiency Forward” and description. We combine building science with technology to help utility companies, program implementers, and building performance professionals achieve energy savings.
 
This whole conversation was spurred by a post that Cindy made on Linked in about electrification programs and the need to get our priorities straight.
 
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/electrification-programs-getting-our-priorities-straight-cindy-zeis
 
I was especially attracted to this paragraph in Cindy’s post:
In light of recent developments, such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and other funding opportunities that promote installation of heat pumps and other energy efficient technologies, it's essential to emphasize the importance of considering a building as a holistic system. It's important to highlight the critical role of the building envelope and energy efficient components, such as lighting, in minimizing energy loads before sizing mechanical equipment. It's also important to incorporate third-party verification for both building and mechanical system performance.”
 
This episode was recorded in October 2023.
 
 

DEFINITION of Culture
Learned patterns of perception, values, and behaviors, SHARED by a group of people that are dynamic and heterogeneous. (diverse in character or content.)
 
I like having guests on the podcast share their journeys and important lessons learned along the way. 

We explore these topics and more with Tim Destasio as he explains how he learned what he knows today.
 
From his start in industrial, ending up in residential and now combining building science, Tim shares with us his lessons learned and his perspectives on #betterHVAC
 
Tim is very active on LinkedIn, so follow him here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-de-stasio-0618824a/
 
We spoke of “Corbett’s list”, well here it is: https://homediagnosis.tv/hvac-installers
Look for his HVAC course on Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/user/tim-r-de-stasio/
His YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn6U4wQe3DPYFFp4kiy_z0w
 
 
This episode was recorded in August 2023.
 
 

We had a great time interviewing the man behind the brand “Love2HVAC”.
Ty Branaman’s passion for all things HVAC education certainly comes through in every conversation and interaction we’ve had.
Ty has a lot of patience (and a small pointer finger thing) that help explain and highlight whatever topic is teaching at the moment.
He stresses the use of tools, measurements and your brain to help teach the invisible.
He encourages new instructors to “go for it” and be willing to make mistakes, but observant to learn from them.
He firmly believes teaching helps you be a better person, a better manager. You will learn more when you teach. (I whole heartedly agree, there!)
You will often find Ty on other podcasts, live streams, in conferences and at the HVACR School Symposium. This year he gave a great session on Educating and Training Gen Z
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHs9AD6wRz8
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@love2hvac
His website: https://www.love2hvac.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ty.branaman/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/love2hvac
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/love2hvac/?hl=en
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ty-branaman-cmhe-07604a33/
 
 
This episode was recorded in August 2023.