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”
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?”
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”
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”
Slipstream’s “Smart Building Training Series” now on HeatSpring HeatSpring has partnered with Slipstream to offer a “Smart Buildings Training Series” designed for building and energy professionals. The whole thing takes about sixteen hours to complete, but it’s broken down into five smaller courses: Slipstream is cool and you… Continue reading “Slipstream’s “Smart Building Training Series” now on HeatSpring”
You can make money selling heat pump water heaters My gas water heater failed and dumped water all over my basement floor. It was a big mess and a huge pain in the neck. To avenge that waste of time, money, and energy we’re offering a great “Heat Pump… Continue reading “You can make money selling heat pump water heaters”
How Much Does Building Commissioning Save? With energy costs continuing to climb, building owners and facility managers are increasingly looking for proven methods to reduce consumption without sacrificing performance. Building commissioning (Cx) has emerged as one of the most effective approaches, delivering substantial returns that extend… Continue reading “How Much Does Building Commissioning Save?”
Why are Homeowners Choosing Heat Pump Water Heaters? The way Americans heat their water is steadily shifting. As homeowners increasingly seek a more energy-efficient lifestyle, heat pump water heaters are emerging as a compelling part of the equation. The numbers tell the story: more than 190,000 heat pump… Continue reading “Why are Homeowners Choosing Heat Pump Water Heaters?”
Residential Heat Pump Water Heater Installation Course – now free for members Ever install a heat pump water heater? The DOE expects heat pump water heaters to increase from 3% to 61% of the electric water heater market by 2029. We need a lot more qualified installers, so starting today, for a… Continue reading “Residential Heat Pump Water Heater Installation Course – now free for members”
Everything You Need to Know to Get BPI Building Analyst Technician (BA-T) Certified Boost your career in home performance with the BPI Building Analyst Technician (BA-T) certification. This early-career credential opens doors while laying the foundation for continued professional advancement. As a certified BA-T, you’ll conduct comprehensive home assessments through precise data collection… Continue reading “Everything You Need to Know to Get BPI Building Analyst Technician (BA-T) Certified”
O&M Training for Commercial Heat Pump Water Heaters (CHPWHs) We just launched “Commercial Heat Pumpe Water Heater Operations and Maintenance”. If you’ve got one of these systems, O&M training is a must. Commercial heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) are generally efficient and reliable, but issues can arise due to… Continue reading “O&M Training for Commercial Heat Pump Water Heaters (CHPWHs)”
How Biomaterials Are Central to Decarbonizing the Built Environment The next frontier of sustainable architecture isn’t about minimizing impact – it’s about actively regenerating our environment through the buildings we create. At the NESEA’s BuildingEnergy Boston earlier this year, experts from MASS Design Group and New Frameworks shared insights… Continue reading “How Biomaterials Are Central to Decarbonizing the Built Environment”
New Free Bundle: NESEA BuildingEnergy Boston 2024 Since 1975, the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) has been at the forefront of sustainable development in the built environment. Among their flagship programs, the annual BuildingEnergy conferences in Boston and New York City stand out as noteworthy events for… Continue reading “New Free Bundle: NESEA BuildingEnergy Boston 2024”
Build your own ACCA Manual J load calculations and energy models Back in the 80’s ACCA created Manual J as a process to do load calcs. It was hundreds of pages of calculations, formulas, factors etc. Then in 1985 the first software was developed following Manual J to speed up the… Continue reading “Build your own ACCA Manual J load calculations and energy models”
What is the Architectural Solar Continuum? The Architectural Solar Continuum is a framework for understanding and implementing solar energy in architectural design. This approach categorizes projects across 6 levels of solar integration, each impacting coordination requirements, costs, and energy density. The continuum provides architects, designers, and… Continue reading “What is the Architectural Solar Continuum?”