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Building HVAC Science — Education
Building HVAC Science

Exploring the science, people, and practices shaping better buildings.

The Building HVAC Science Podcast dives into both the technical and human sides of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and building performance. Hosted by industry veteran Bill Spohn, CEO and co-owner of TruTech Tools, the show reflects Bill’s passion for advancing the HVAC craft through practical knowledge, curiosity, and conversation.

With more than 250 episodes and counting, the podcast features discussions with contractors, distributors, manufacturers, educators, and thought leaders from across the HVAC and building science communities. Each episode blends field experience with broader industry perspective, helping professionals stay ahead of trends, sharpen their skills, and build stronger businesses.

Topics include:

New tools, technologies, and field practices
Real-world case studies and lessons learned
Building performance, comfort, and indoor air quality
Industry innovation, workforce development, and the human side of the trades

Whether you’re a technician in the field, a business owner, a manufacturer, or simply curious about how buildings breathe and perform, Building HVAC Science connects you with the ideas and voices moving the industry forward.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This show is a production of TruTech Tools®, LTD.

Latest Episodes:

EP90 What is the demand for High Performance Contracting Services with Peter Troast (Aug 2022) Aug 26, 2022

Show notes

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.

EP89 How a Kid with a backpack set himself up for success with Keith Keller (July 2022) Aug 19, 2022

Show notes

"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.

EP88 Everything you want to know about the Building Performance Association with Steve Skodak (July 2022) Aug 12, 2022

Show notes

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.

EP87 The Energy Conservatory - Focused on Product Development With Steve Rogers and Bill Graber (July 2022) Aug 05, 2022

Show notes

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.

EP86 The essentials required to build a comfortable, healthy, efficient home with Casey Grey, The Conscious Builder (May 2022) Jul 29, 2022

Show notes

In March 2022, I was invited to be a guest on the Conscious Builder Show with Casey Grey.

I guess all the conversations I have been having about my modular NetZero house had reached north of the border to Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, where Casey is based.

Casey's podcast with me is available here: EP181:

https://theconsciousbuilder.libsyn.com/181-indoor-air-quality-and-net-zero-custom-build-with-bill-spohn_the-conscious-builder-show_05-05-2022

With a 10-minute video excerpt of the podcast interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jXyN3adkY0

We had such a great conversation, I wanted to pick his brain, hence this podcast!

We talk about some of the differences in the Canadian market, as well as how he runs his business (great advice here!!) and the Conscious Builder Academy.

Some Knuggets (knowledge nuggets) that emerge include:

Don't believe everything you think – there can be better ways

Avoid tunnel vision

Website: https://www.theconsciousbuilder.com/casey-grey.html#/

Email: casey@theconsciousbuilder.com

This episode was recorded in May 2022.

EP85 The Heat Exchanger Experts Story with Chris & Russell Prach (May 2022) Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

I came to know of Ellis Prach back in the late 1990's through his traveling classes when I was design engineering manager at Bacharach.

Later in 2000, when I was with Testo, I contacted him as we had just started to market a new visual inspection scope, based on plastic fiber optics.

You see, I have been obsessed for years with trying to solve the problem of more thorough inspections of heat exchangers and who better to talk to than the Heat Exchanger Expert!

His first reaction was, well, less than warm to the concept. However, our relationship blossomed into a true friendship as our families got to know each other.

In the last few years, Ellis has handed over the reins of his HVAC and Heat Exchanger Class businesses to his very capable sons, Chris and Russell.

Listen is as we discuss the important processes they use for their customers including the discussions around this important phrases:

NO GUESSING

We try to make the equipment last longer than us.

The #1 cause of heat exchanger failure.

The class reveals all in the book.

Website to learn more or buy their book: https://www.heatexchangerexperts.com/

Book is also available at TruTech Tools: https://www.trutechtools.com/HXBOOK

Contact form to find about classes: https://www.heatexchangerexperts.com/contact-us

Their class is like NOTHING else you have seen. If you attend, you will never forget it.

This episode was recorded in May 2022.

EP84 Leveraging your technician experience to springboard in the industry with Andrew Greaves (May 2022) Jul 15, 2022

Show notes

Learn about Andrew Greaves non-traditional career journey that took him from building maintenance to Director of Education and Customer Experience for NAVAC Global: www.NavacGlobal.com

He received his HVAC training via Community College Night school but has self-taught in video and audio production.

Andrew suggests if you are looking for a mentor, perhaps you first start with a collection of virtual mentors sourced from social media: Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn

In our discussion he emphasizes there is no excuse for not learning in this trade- there are so many ways. He also notes key traits he has identified that helped in his career: integrity, authenticity, and communication.

Andrew suggests you be bold, put yourself out there, you may need to discover what you can do though trying out various aspects, perhaps learning or honing a skill.

He admits never saw himself in this role 5 years ago.

He also notes you may learn from some what you should do and from others what you should NEVER do.

Andrew suggests you leverage your experiences no matter how basic, by trying to perform the best at everything you do, never strop learning.

And that you may need to ask for help, so have the humility to do so.

And we close with his statement to keep your options open.

YouTube Channel: Search for Andrew Greaves (formerly AK HVAC)

Email: AndrewKGreaves@gmail.com

This episode was recorded in May 2022.

EP83 Mindset makes a difference with Chris Hughes (May 2022) Jul 08, 2022

Show notes

"Don't let fear hold you back."

"If you want something in life, go ask for it."

These are just two of the many takeaways you will get when you listen to this Episode.

Chris Hughes, now the HVAC Business Development Manager for the Energy Conservatory, is a long time HVAC/Mechanical contractor that is now tuned in to Building Performance – a technical area he was never aware of until the last couple of years.

He continues to bring you along on his Building Performance learning journey through webinars and in person trainings acting as a two-way translator between these two worlds for example in his "10 methods of Air Flow training."

Chris details out his career path and some of the crucial decision points he encountered along the way: including the time he walked out of class and his exposure to the purity embodied in the "chamber of truth."

Chris is a great story teller, I am pretty sure you will enjoy this.,,,

Learn more about Chris' background via LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hughes-56550214b/

You can also email Chris at: chughes@energyconservatory.com

This episode was recorded in May 2022.

EP82 Avoiding mold with Cheryl Ciecko (Dec 2020) Jul 01, 2022

Show notes

Listen in as we chat with Cheryl Cieko, a professional with a mission to dispel myths, create awareness, and empower both professionals and building owners, Cheryl is a one-stop source of knowledge, education, and support having been through mold exposure and illness with her own family.

Cheryl describes how, as a licensed architect and industry educator, she provides strategies for professionals, building owners and individuals to better deal with water damage, mold and toxins in buildings.

Her past responsibilities include 5 years as Midwest Regional Director and Senior Technical Director for the wood industry in North America.

She brings tenacious research abilities, analytical thinking and experience to the topic of environmental health, while sharing design and construction solutions that make a difference.

Lean more about Cheryl and her work at: https://cherylciecko.com/ or at https://www.avoidingmold.com/ - Science-Based And Expert-Guided BUILDING EDUCATION For Homeowners And Professionals

You can also email Cheryl at Cheryl@AvoidingMold.com

This episode was recorded in December 2020.

EP81 HVAC Chemistry with Rachel & Eric Kaiser (April 2022) Jun 24, 2022

Show notes

SCIENCE - In pursuit of understanding in the moment.

Join us as Rachel and Eric Kaiser, a wife and husband team from Indianapolis, share with us their perspectives on HVAC Chemistry.

If you've attended or watched Bryan Orr's HVACR School Symposium over the last 3 years you may have seen them present.

We discuss the relative scales of time and size as well as the properties and impact of water on HVAC designs and decisions and so many other topics!

We learn more about the scientific/chemical aspects of dirt on surfaces, coatings and filtration

Some notable thoughts:

Chemistry is like baking, only you shouldn't lick the spoon.

Cooking is like jazz music- in its improvisational aspect.

Watch Ty Branaman interview Rachel at the latest symposium: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPqN5yUNChw

And here are some links to many other podcasts that Eric has done on a wide range of topics from careers to tools to HVAC charging and more.

https://ivy.fm/tag/eric-kaiser

And we are proud to announce that Eric will be sharing his knowledge and skills and working with TruTech Tools on a regular basis beginning in June 2022.

This episode was recorded in April 2022.

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