Right now, sitting in his office on Martha’s Vineyard, Marc Rosenbaum is building “Deep Energy Retrofits”, the newest Building Energy Masters Series offering. Here’s a recent update from Marc:

I’m happy to report that the ten weeks of presentation powerpoints are done, and I’m starting on the case study powerpoints today. (I am less happy to report that I have taken a week off to accomplish this, and the weather here has been spectacular, always seems to be when Obama is here, and I’m sitting inside looking out the window – duh!).

I think “Deep Energy Retrofits” is the course Marc has always wanted to make. “Zero Net Energy Homes”, his wildly successful course that has helped nearly 300 people design zero net energy homes over the past three years, is focused on new buildings. Having that blank slate makes everything less complicated, which is why it was a great starting point for Marc’s online teaching career. Fixing the buildings we have is messy and requires dealing with the legacy you’ve inherited. While harder, it’s more interesting and has a greater potential impact. Ever since we began working with NESEA and Marc to visualize the Building Energy Masters Series, we’ve had this harder task in mind. New Englanders are distrustful of anything that comes too easy.

Why Do People Like Marc So Much?

I’ve contemplated this question a lot over the past several years. My conclusion is that Marc strikes a better balance of skepticism and positivity than just about anyone. He doesn’t take anything at face value, doesn’t go along to get along, and assumes the worst of everything until he’s proven wrong. Yet he desperately wants to find things that work, and is genuinely delighted when he finds them. He tirelessly pursues and promotes the things that work without regard for where the solutions come from or how convenient they may or may not be.

That’s my take on this guy, and why he’s so highly regarded in the high performance building community. That’s why the image of Marc and his dog cranking away on Martha’s Vineyard captures my imagination and makes me excited for the coming of Fall.