Can Residential Solar Companies Make Money Doing Energy Audits? When solar companies consider adding energy audits into their service offering, one question always comes up: can you actually make money doing them? In this clip from HeatSpring PRO Circles, building performance expert and “Avoiding Main Panel Upgrades” instructor Spencer… Continue reading “Can Residential Solar Companies Make Money Doing Energy Audits?”
The Gateway to Building Performance | How Solar Companies Can Diversify into New Revenue Streams For residential solar companies squeezed by declining margins and saturated markets, the path forward is clear: diversify. The fuzzy part for many is where to begin. In this clip from HeatSpring PRO Circles, building performance expert Spencer Rosen breaks down… Continue reading “The Gateway to Building Performance | How Solar Companies Can Diversify into New Revenue Streams”
What is Combustion Safety Testing? When building performance professionals seal air leaks and improve insulation, they’re fundamentally changing how air moves through a building. This can have serious consequences for fuel-burning appliances like furnaces, water heaters, and gas stoves. That’s where combustion safety testing plays… Continue reading “What is Combustion Safety Testing?”
3 Ways to Get Cleaner Indoor Air With Filtration So you want to have better indoor air quality at home but you aren’t sure what to do. If you follow my articles, you know you shouldn’t buy an electronic air cleaner. Instead you should stick with the tried-and-true methods of source… Continue reading “3 Ways to Get Cleaner Indoor Air With Filtration”
The 3 Rules of Air Sealing It’s not that hard really, at least in principle. You want to reduce the air leakage in your home so you keep the conditioned air inside and the cold air outside this winter. What’s the advice of all those stories… Continue reading “The 3 Rules of Air Sealing”
Building Performance + HVAC Conferences Happening in 2026 The work of making buildings more efficient, comfortable, and resilient doesn’t happen in isolation. In-person events and conferences remain the most direct way to see what’s actually working in the field – new equipment innovations that solve old problems, code… Continue reading “Building Performance + HVAC Conferences Happening in 2026”
How Airtight Can You Make an Older House? One of the best things you can do to improve your home is to make it more airtight. Yeah, it’s good for energy efficiency, but that shouldn’t be your main motivation. It’s good for indoor air quality. A good air… Continue reading “How Airtight Can You Make an Older House?”
How BPI Certification Opens Doors – A Chat with BPI CEO Amanada Hatherly Sometimes the most compelling endorsements come from unexpected sources. When asked about success stories of professionals whose careers were transformed by BPI certification, Amanda Hatherly, CEO of the Building Performance Institute, didn’t hesitate to share her own journey. What started… Continue reading “How BPI Certification Opens Doors – A Chat with BPI CEO Amanada Hatherly”
The 6 Worst Indoor Air Pollutants Consider the multitude of air pollutants you could inhale. You’re probably inhaling some of them right now. Which of them, though, should you worry about the most? Well, IAQ researchers have begun addressing that question. The early work is showing… Continue reading “The 6 Worst Indoor Air Pollutants”
New Course: 7 Steps to Good Indoor Air Quality When you change the filter in your heating and air conditioning system and see all that dirt and debris collected there, it’s a eye-opening reminder: that stuff was floating around in your home. While you might not be able to… Continue reading “New Course: 7 Steps to Good Indoor Air Quality”
Boost Your Building Science & Heat Pump Knowledge with the Building Systems PRO Badge Heat pumps are replacing furnaces and air conditioners across the US. For professionals in solar, HVAC, construction, and energy efficiency, one of the next waves of opportunity lies in comprehensive building systems – heat pumps, building science, and load calculations… Continue reading “Boost Your Building Science & Heat Pump Knowledge with the Building Systems PRO Badge”
New Course Announcement: Avoiding Main Panel Upgrades Home electrification is accelerating rapidly, but there’s a bottleneck that’s been frustrating homeowners and professionals alike: the dreaded main panel upgrade. If you’ve worked on the residential side, you know the story all too well. A homeowner wants to install… Continue reading “New Course Announcement: Avoiding Main Panel Upgrades”
What Are the Biggest Misconceptions About Building Performance Work? When most people think about building performance work, they immediately picture energy audits, blower door tests, and monthly utility savings. But according to Amanda Hatherly, CEO of the Building Performance Institute, this narrow focus on energy efficiency misses the most… Continue reading “What Are the Biggest Misconceptions About Building Performance Work?”
The Four Major Indoor Environmental Contaminants Every home contains potential health hazards that most homeowners never see coming. Understanding the four major categories of indoor contaminants – lead, asbestos, mold, and carbon monoxide – is essential for anyone serious about protecting family health and safety. These… Continue reading “The Four Major Indoor Environmental Contaminants”
How BPI Creates and Maintains Their Industry-Leading Certifications Ever wondered what goes into creating a Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification? The process is far more rigorous and collaborative than most people realize. These credentials aren’t developed in isolation by a small team (although that would probably be much… Continue reading “How BPI Creates and Maintains Their Industry-Leading Certifications”
BPI Certifications Explained: Insights from CEO Amanda Hatherly The Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification landscape can feel overwhelming at first glance. With multiple pathways, different levels of rigor, and varying prerequisites, where do you even begin? In this clip from our interview with BPI CEO Amanda Hatherly, she… Continue reading “BPI Certifications Explained: Insights from CEO Amanda Hatherly”
New Free LEED Green Associate Practice Exam Brick Maier just published a free LEED Green Associate practice exam. It includes 140 practice questions for the GA Exam and it’s based on LEED v4. All LEED exams are still based on v4, with a switch to v5 expected… Continue reading “New Free LEED Green Associate Practice Exam”
An Inside Look at the Building Performance Institute with BPI CEO Amanda Hatherly The building performance industry has transformed how we think about existing homes, but it wasn’t always this organized or standardized. Enter the Building Performance Institute (BPI) – a nonprofit organization that’s been quietly shaping the home performance industry for over… Continue reading “An Inside Look at the Building Performance Institute with BPI CEO Amanda Hatherly”
Understanding Your Home’s Hidden Air Leaks: The Power of Blower Door Testing Every building has unseen pathways where conditioned air escapes and outdoor air infiltrates – through gaps around windows, cracks in walls, and countless other small openings that together can dramatically impact your home’s energy efficiency and comfort. While these air… Continue reading “Understanding Your Home’s Hidden Air Leaks: The Power of Blower Door Testing”
New Course: BPI HEP Quality Control Inspector (QCI) Certification Training We’re excited to announce Brynn Cooksey‘s brand-new course to help building professionals prepare for the BPI Home Energy Professional (HEP) Quality Control Inspector (QCI) Certification. This credential, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its National Renewable Energy… Continue reading “New Course: BPI HEP Quality Control Inspector (QCI) Certification Training”