Corey Woods Creative Rebuilding Co Corey was awarded a fellowship as an RFI and is now a HERS Rater. He says today, we are building houses to perform and be as efficient as possible. It not only benefits homeowners but also makes for a greener world. Everyone benefits when it comes to sustainability. As a HERS Rater, he wants to show builders the benefits of Energy Star building, the tax credits, and the comfort it brings to homeowners. Jared Kain-Woods Powerhouse Consulting Jared is a HERS Rater who believes where we live has a much more profound impact on our lifestyle than we give credit to. When building energy-efficient homes we are setting the groundwork for a potential paradigm shift within someone’s lifestyle. Someone whose house has a well-insulated and tight envelope, high-efficiency HVAC, and Energy Star appliances is more likely to make active decisions in their everyday life to continue with their at home lifestyle. Especially when we as HERS raters communicate its importance to the builders and homeowners. While it is undoubtedly incredibly important to reduce each person’s footprint on the planet in a very calculable way, it’s more important to give momentum to a more energy-conscious lifestyle throughout that person’s community. Noah Lawrence Noah was an RFI when awarded an Emerging Fellowship in 2022, and is now a HERS Rater. Noah believes the industry needs to capture new HERS Raters from three primary groups of people. First, tradespeople who are in complementary fields like insulators or HVAC contractors. These professionals could more easily transition to being a HERS Rater than someone without trade experience. Second, high school students who struggle to choose between going to college and going into the workforce. Many of these students have the scientific and mathematical aptitude necessary to be a rater but might not want to spend more time continuing their education; the certifications that RESNET provides are a good middle ground for this group. Finally, college students in environmental or sustainability-focused degree programs. I went to college for sustainable energy management, and it wasn’t until my senior year in the program that I grasped the importance of energy efficiency in the housing industry. Unfortunately, I believe that my experience is very common; a student passionate about making a difference but without a direction to take that passion. We can give those people a direction to apply that passion. Matthew Jansing Sol design + consulting Matthew is a HERS Rater who hopes to create a ripple effect throughout the building industry by helping his clients well enough that they think each new step forward is worthwhile and as easy as the last. In doing so, energy-efficient construction should eventually become the norm, and a culture of continuous improvement should be cultivated. Ryan Goss Midwest Energy Consultants Ryan is a RFI with who values the relationships built with builders and homeowners and their impact at the personal level. “By connecting with people and explaining things in a digestible way I’ve seen the success that others haven’t, I can’t wait to see what else is possible on a grander scale. Energy efficiency goes way beyond insulation and I’m eager to learn more about the nuance of energy efficient homes, from materials used in construction to what appliances are chosen.” Erin Doll Johnson Environmental Erin is a Rating Field Inspector who wants to help builders make better choices during construction in order to build tighter units so they will be more energy efficient. Drew Lynch Modern Home Optimization Drew is a HERS® Rater and the founder of Modern Home Optimization located in Wichita, Kansas, where he works as an electrical engineer and strives to help home owners improve their home’s energy efficiency. Drew is a Veteran from the United States Army Reserve, who discovered his passion for building science after completing his college thesis on how to upgrade a 1950s era home net zero efficiency without spending any additional money other than what would normally have gone to utilities. Stewart Soleman Quality Built Stewart is a Rating Field Inspector at Quality Built, a RESNET Rating Providership. Stewart also discovered a passion for building science in college, and spent time working for a Solar manufacturer and then a local non-profit assisting with weatherization projects before moving to Quality Built. Stewart likes to live close to the outdoors, so he chose Salt Lake City, Utah to settle where when he is not rating homes can be found out skiing, climbing, and mountain biking. Aaron Hope Southern Energy Management – Raleigh, NC How do you think you will have the most impact in your chosen field? I am so excited about the future of our industry. In addition to joining Southern Energy Management as a field inspector, I’ve also connected with local industry partners like North Carolina Building Performance Association (NCBPA) and the North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light (NCIPL). Through these partnerships, I’ve been able to participate two years in a row with both NCBPA’s and NCIPL’s advocacy days. On each advocacy day, we had the opportunity to visit our state Legislative building in downtown Raleigh and meet with state lawmakers to advocate for the “energy-efficiency first” policy. Through these efforts, we have seen several energy bills that were not good for energy efficiency defeated. We have also endorsed several bills that are currently in committee and look promising. Our state implemented a new energy code in 2018 and a lot of our priorities made it through the process and became law. There is still a lot of work to be done in North Carolina. We want to see an “energy seat” added to the state utility commission and the authorization of PACE in North Carolina so that home and business owners will have more options for energy efficiency projects. My goal is to lead the change towards energy efficiency in the southeast and beyond. For more information click on Aaron Hope video Rachel LaMantia EnergyLogic – Berthoud, CO How do you think you will have the most impact in the field? As a student at the University of Arizona, I helped to shape a strong United States Green Building Council (USGBC) student chapter that worked on the USGBC’s ADVANCE Pilot Program in Tucson, Arizona, along with Architecture 2030 to plan for a 2030 District in downtown Tucson. I was elected as the LEED Tour Coordinator and was asked to be the graduate student teacher for the Sustainable Design and LEED initiative class where I gave lectures on eQuest, and energy modelling software and the LEED V4 manual. Upon graduation I went on to achieve my LEED Green Associate. I would like to continue to expand my knowledge on green building and integrate collaboration with green building programs, such as Passive House, LEED for Homes, Energy Star, etc. and green building organizations such as USGBC into my current work. I would also like to one-day apply the work I do with EnergyLogic to homes for low-income, underprivileged communities, ensuring efficient, healthy and resilient homes for everybody, making it a way of life, and not simply a luxury for those who can afford it. For more information click on Rachel LaMantia video Manon Shankle Viridiant – Richmond, VA Why would you like to attend the RESNET Conference? Attending the 2020 conference would support my long-term education and professional goals. It’s an important networking opportunity. I can consume blog posts and other informational content produced by RESNET and other industry leaders, but the conference represents a whole new level of value that can only be obtained through an immersive educational experience. The 2020 conference is my last opportunity to earn the continuing education credits necessary to maintain my HERS® Rater certification. As a young professional working at a nonprofit, unfortunately, I have not been able to afford to attend. My coworkers that have attended in the past always return with renewed excitement and I hope to experience that same drive to implement solutions presented at the conference. For more information click on Manon Shankle video Jonathan Gensler Revive Energy, Nashville, TN Why would you like to attend 2019 RESNET Building Performance Conference? As a new member of RESNET, and having held my HERS® Rater certification for less than a year, I want to dive in and be a part of the growth and transition of the rating and certifications industry from a regional and niche requirement into a baseline expectation of every American, and help shape the future of this great industry. I chose this field deliberately after 5 years as an Army officer and about a decade working in related energy fields, seeing the potential for demand and the real-world need for what we can do with HERS® Ratings. I am well aware that I am not yet the expert I aspire to be, and I am certain that attending and participating in the conference will elevate my technical know-how, and allow me to leverage the national network of existing expertise as we carve out our own growing niche, first in Tennessee, and then throughout the Southeast. Elizabeth Sanfelippo Brayn Consulting, Santa Clarita, CA How do you think you will have the most impact in your chosen field? I hope to have a lasting impact by continuing to help grow the company and further expand the general public’s knowledge of our services and energy efficiency in building. I am currently working on completing 62 HERS® ratings on homes in a recently completed solar-powered development. We worked closely with the local power company to inspect and improve insulation and air-sealing techniques as well as duct system installation and sealing. All of the homes score under 50 on the HERS® Index. That project alone has given me the opportunity to work with and teach various subcontractors, tradespeople, and builders on better building techniques. I would love to continue this work and recruit more staff for our company to train as Energy Auditors, Infiltration and Duct Leakage Professionals, and HERS® raters. I also feel that as a woman in a male-dominated industry I have a different and valuable perspective and approach when it comes to identifying and solving issues. Xavier Walter Energy Efficient West Virginia, Charleston, WV What do you hope will be your areas of professional advancement over the next five years? I look to continue serving the Appalachian region and further promote code compliance and enforcement, increased HERS® rating inspections, and market education around residential energy efficiency. It is vital to continue ongoing training programs specifically in rural communities that support increased jobs in the energy efficiency market. We work at the local and state government level to advocate for policy that is favorable to our industry. We will continue our relationship with the statewide utility company programs to increase energy efficiency spending on new construction rebates and incentives for HERS® rated homes, and increased awareness for the building community working with the State Home Builders Association, WV Office of Energy, among others. Some of our goals include increased utility spending on efficiency programs, 2015 IECC adoption by 2020, and documented job creation through comprehensive training.
