Building HVAC Science

"A day in the life of a smart building. Now spaces have memory and identity." Now more than ever, facility owners and managers are incorporating smarter and more connected building technologies to improve proactive maintenance, reduce energy use, and create operational efficiencies. On todays' podcast, Vineet Sinha, VP of Product management at Johnson Controls joins us to shed light on how connected building systems are operating holistically and working together to create a truly smart environment. Buildings of the future are here today and can do all this. It sounds complex, but these smart buildings cost a lot less to run and use fewer resources, all while ensuring indoor spaces are clean and safe. In this discussion, we walk listeners through a day in the life a smart building from the perspective of an everyday occupant and explain how connected technologies enable an experience that makes people feel comfortable, safe and in control. Vineet shares with us definitions of a building persona and how building are moving to cognition of the occupants. You can connect with Vineet on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sinhavineet/ Learn more about JCI's Open Blue Solutions at: https://www.johnsoncontrols.com/openblue This episode was recorded in Oct 2022.

"Making building IAQ better is a long-term process." "We had all the answers before the COVID-19 pandemic, we just didn't implement them." Bill Bahnfleth has a long and distinguished career as a professor of architectural engineering at Penn State University, a consulting and for the US Army Corps of Engineers. In early 2020, ASHRAE tapped him to become the chair of a rare emergency task force to address managing IAQ in buildings considering the COVID-19 pandemic. We will hear from Bill as he discusses how one puts together and manages a 120-person task force in such a short period of time. Bill also discusses several of the myths that needed to be busted along the way. He also shares with us his passion for music and the parallels his mastery of music has with his mastery of engineering: the fundamentals applied creatively, the art and the craft. Some of the resources mentioned include: ASHRAE Guides for COVID-19: https://ashrae.org/technical-resources/resources The ASHRAE design guides: https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/bookstore/ashrae-design-guides ASHRAE 62.1 https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/bookstore/standards-62-1-62-2 EPA Guides to IAQ:https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/publications-about-indoor-air-quality This episode was recorded in September 2022.

Previously a commercial diver working offshore on all work below the water line Bill now works a lot around the dew point. Bill's roots are in residential construction, yet when he returned to that field he realized he lacked sufficient training he became a sponge for knowledge. He's spent many hours working at the LSU AgCenter work on rebuilding initiatives after Hurricane Katrina. In this episode he describes the LA House and the challenges to building in the hot humid climate he lives in. Check out Bill's website at: www.Train2Build.com And follow him on social media via: Instagram — Bandanna Bill Instagram — 504 Historic Windows Facebook — Train2Build YouTube — Train2Build For more info on the LA House: https://lsuagcenter.com/topics/family_home/home/lahouse "A science-based showcase of solutions to shape your future with resilient, healthy and efficient homes." This episode was recorded in September 2022.

In this episode with Ben Poole, a 3rd generation HVAC contractor and founder of HVAC Tactical, we hear a lot about motivation and mindset. "It's you who decides who you want to be." Ben runs Trusted Heating and Cooling in Austin, TX, yet found time to start the HVAC Tactical Apparel brand as he was searching for a new challenge. You can easily hear from Ben how he practices what he preaches, lays out a plan, and acts on it never letting self-doubt creep in. And in 2020 he doubled down and created the first "Emmy-type" awards for amazing craftsmanship called the HVAC Tactical Awards. The HVAC Tactical Awards Show follows the AHR Expo and will be held for the third time on February 5th, 2023 in Atlanta, GA. 250+ people are expected to attend this black-tie event which will include most of the HVAC influencers across all social media platforms. The event will also be livestreamed, as it was in 2022. You can reserve tickets or nominate someone for the award at this link: www.hvactactical.com/hvac-tactical-award/ Learn more Ben's amazing apparel brand at www.hvactactical.com/ This episode was recorded in August 2022.

The best way to describe Brett Dillon, it the quote his LinkedIn profile: "I am an entrepreneur. Intensely curious, I transform industries because I see connections that others don't, relentlessly pursue better ways of doing things, and then use my influence to effect the desired change. My action-oriented background and experience provides understanding in a broad range of subjects, and deep understanding in residential construction and building science. An international award-winning former homebuilder, pro-wrestler, security consultant, and surveillance operative, I lead our team to provide unique and elegant solutions." In the podcast Brett describes how he is weaving together existing advanced methods for energy rating using a different approach. Listen in as this intellectual ferret describes how is company aims to "help clients build better businesses that build better lives." Learn more about the Building Science Institute: https://buildingscienceinstitute.org/ You can also connect with Brett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettdillon01/ This episode was recorded in August 2022.

Ray Wu, founder of WYND joins us to stress the importance of an optimal air quality by utilizing modern, innovative technology. But not just technology alone, Wynd uses the subsequent data to inform IAQ decisions, allowing consumers and building managers across industries to realize a healthier, cleaner tomorrow. Ray backs up these claims with case studies, in particular one run in a Las Vegas hotel. Wynd also makes their own UV laser particle sensors which yield enhanced capaiulites that Ray describes. Check out the Wynd products at the link and article below. https://hellowynd.com/pages/shop-for-business https://commercialobserver.com/2022/07/wynd-technologies-sentry/ You can also connect with Ray on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raymondwu8/ This episode was recorded in August 2022.

Better Marketing for Better Building Companies- Creating Leads, Lifting Conversions Driving Growth. That's the motto of the Energy Circle, the brainchild of our guest today, Peter Troast, a rare marketer who's taken technical training in building science, a central topic amongst most of his clients. He's also upgraded his office space for better IAQ and he monitors it. The Energy Circle has been in business for 12 years, and I have known Peter for nearly that whole time. We even started a "Mastermind Group" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastermind_group) several years ago with 2 other business owners in this market. We chose TUG as the unglamorous name of our group - The Unnamed Group - as our purpose was simply to connect, yet encourage and pull each other a long Simple, yet effective helpful connections are what drives Peter's company: I think of his 25 person team as data driven, expert communicators who are focused on service contractors in HVAC, home performance, solar and insulation – all key trades in the built environment. If these topics interest you in the least, please take a few minutes and read a few posts from the EC blog or watch a free live or recorded EC webinar. You will walk away informed, if not inspired. Peter is smart, kind, loyal and very hard worker – plus his knows his shit. Peter's email:peter@energycircle.com His company website: www.energycircle.com This episode was recorded in August 2022.

"Who is that guy and what did he just do?" My first formal introduction to Keith was shortly after he crashed his drone into a tree at the HVAC Symposium in Florida a couple years ago. While we did not discuss the drone incident in this podcast, we had a wide-ranging conversation that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I hope you will too. Keith is one of the most unique and fun people I know in the HVAC world. From his hobbies to his projects to the disciplines he employs in his personal and professional worlds, I think he leads quite an eclectic life. This episode is peppered with Keith's life experiences, life hints and life hacks More info on the NERDS The podcast: that we mention: Linktree:www.linktr.ee/nerdsthepodcast Facebook: www.Facebook.com/NerdsThePodcast IG: www.instagram.com/nerdpodcast/ Twitch: www.twitch.tv/NerdsThePodcast Gmail: NerdsthePodcast@gmail.com On Apple podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nerds/id1373170000 Keith's Email: kkeller@navacglobal.com This episode was recorded in July 2022.

If you weren't aware up to now, I am very passionate about Home Performance. So passionate, that I volunteer my time as a board member of, and now, Treasurer of the Building Performance Association or BPA. Among many other things, BPA runs a series of excellent trade shows call Home Performance Conferences (HPCs) (formerly called the Affordable Comfort Conference that started in the late 1980s). It was at a recent HPC that I heard several people remark that they were not clear on what exactly BPA was. To overcome this lack of clarity, I will be running an intermittent series to discuss BPA and its activities, as, frankly, more people ought to know about them and tap into their resources, especially HVAC Contractors. In today's episode I interview Steve Skodak, the CEO of BPA. Steve shares with us his history as a leader of non-profits, the history and activities of BPA, including helping to set policy, state and industry outreach, apprenticeship models, as well as the paid and free membership benefits for those interested in better understanding or doing work in the field of building performance. Listen closely and you will hear of the tie in between Steve's career and expanding foam. Website: www.building-performance.org Membership www.building-performance.org/membership Email: sskodak@building-performance.org This episode was recorded in July 2022.

Today we chat with Bill Graber and Steve Rogers of the Energy Conservatory, also known as TEC, a 40-year-old company that is on a mission to unite the tools and test instruments used in the HVAC and Weatherization markets…an important quest I am also dedicated to. We'll talk what innovation means at TEC. The dictionary says innovation is the act or process of innovating. OK, So what is innovating? "To make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products." "To introduce something new, especially a product." Aha, that is it! It's the ACTION or ACTIVITY that is important. We learn about the challenge of creating something that is "neat" (we engineers understand that you create something because you could, versus creating something that is "neat" AND useful. This is a rare peek inside the doors of a manufacturer into their R&D labs and into the brains of an innovative company discovering the challenges and types of decisions that need to be made to satisfy their customers and advance the trades. Website links: www.energyconservatory.com www.HVACairflow.com Email: srogers@energyconservatory.com bgraber@energyconservatory.com This episode was recorded in July 2022.