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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:

EP60: Inside Inficon with Bob Belvick (July 2020) Aug 06, 2021

Show notes

"Research is to see what everybody else has seen,

and to think what nobody else has thought."

Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

I'm certain many of our listeners have had ideas for products of their own.

Trade practitioners are clever and innovative on the job and so, able to see new ways to "connect the dots" and solve a problem.

How do you go from idea to successful product on the market?

How long does it take to develop award winning products?

Today we are joined by Bob Belvick, Product Manager for the HVACR Service Tools division of Inficon, a publicly traded, diversified industrial giant with HQ in Switzerland.

Bob shares his background story and talks about INFICON's other industries and what makes them different from competitors.

Bob focuses in on refrigerant leak detectors, one of the specialties of Inficon dating back to the 1969 founding of the company by scientists and engineers from GE and Syracuse University.

He takes us on a walkthrough of the product development process: eg. capturing customer needs, integrating technologies, analyzing the market, alpha and beta testing, working with his development team, to give us an overview of the complexities and time it takes to do it right – that is an Inficon characteristic!

Among many other tidbits, Bob also shares with us how they arrived at the name INFICON.

For more info on Inficon HVAC products go to: www.inficon.com/en/markets/air-conditioning

You'll also find Inifcon HVAC products at www.TruTechtools.com/Inficon

This episode was recorded in July 2020.

EP59: How I built Halco with Hal Smith (Dec 2019) Jul 30, 2021

Show notes

"Repetition makes reputation and reputation makes customers."

Elizabeth Arden

Fortune may come knocking, but sometimes the sound is very faint, almost imperceptible.

When someone takes you under their wing, how do you know if that's where you want to be?

If the bug to start your own business bites, what do you do next? Where can you learn from others' experience and insights?

We're pleased to welcome the very successful HVAC contractor Hal Smith to the podcast.

Hal shares with us the story of how he started and grew Halco Energy. We learn the ups and downs of growing an HVAC, Plumbing, (and more) contracting business in a mostly rural area of NY State with just 1-2 competitors.

Hal uses straightforward thinking and simple insights to create a business where the goal is to earn customers for life.

We also hear where Hal gains new perspectives and insights including the way he "snacks on learning."

Hal is a hands-on business operator who knows and communicates with his customers.

Hal Smith is founder and owner of HALCO Energy in Phelps, NY servicing Rochester, Ithaca, Syracuse, The Finger Lakes and surrounding areas of upstate NY.

For more info go to: www.HalcoEnergy.com

This episode was recorded in December 2019.

EP58: Genry Garcia: An inspiring contractor's story (June 2021) Jul 23, 2021

Show notes

"I can't change the direction of the wind,

but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination."

Jimmy Dean

Many of the people I meet in the industry have interesting stories.

There are struggles and challenges in all their lives, our lives.

What if a real police state was limiting your options in life?

How would you direct your will? Your desire? Your drive to achieve?

I met our guest today, Genry Garcia during the AHR Expo in Orlando in January 2020.

As I learned more about him, I found his story truly inspirational.

Genry is thoughtful, honest, and avid self-learner. He's also a successful business owner and devoted family man.

While it now makes total sense, based on his approach to customers, I did not learn until lately that Genry has done degree work in psychology.

Genry owns Comfort Dynamics, Inc. in Miami, FL.

This episode was recorded in June 2021.

EP57: IAQ Devices & Technology Perspectives from the Isle of Man with Big Clive Jul 16, 2021

Show notes

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

Arthur C. Clarke

The topic of how to manage and improve indoor air quality comes up a lot lately.

With all this interest come the offer of many "solutions" and devices.

Wish you could learn the back story of and technology inside some of these devices?

Ever wonder about the international perspectives on the topic of IAQ?

The Building HVAC Science podcast is pleased to welcome our very first guest from another continent!

Listen in as Clive Mitchell, better know as Big Clive, gives us his perspectives on a spectrum of IAQ improvement products from beneficial to downright dangerous.

If you have not seen his YouTube Channel, you need to stop and look up BigCliveDotCom on YouTube. He's published thousands of dissection-like, teardown videos on a wide range of electrical and electronic products over the last 13 years.

Clive largely focuses on "cheap junk" teardowns and publishes a video every 2 days. Yet he also finds time to ponder such challenging societal questions like:

"Does pineapple belong on pizza?"

"What happens when you re-distill Jägermeister?"

He calls it the trashiest electronics channel on YouTube. Based on feedback, the bulk of his over 800,0000 subscribers seem to agree.

Big Clive lives on the Isle of Mann, a 221 sq. mile island with population of 83,000 located in the Irish Sea.

This episode was recorded in May 2021.

EP 56 School IAQ and Astrophotography with Steve Pascuzzo from Testo (Jan 2021) Jul 09, 2021

Show notes

"Astronomy's much more fun when you're not an astronomer."

Brian May

COVID-19 has impacted the way people interact for many months.

Especially the way people interact with each other in spaces outside their homes.

What do the air quality scientists have to say about the management of indoor air?

What kind of measurements are significant and important?

Will this pandemic impact the way we do things in HVAC after it subsides?

Steve Pascuzzo, manager of testo's commercial division, joins us to discuss indoor air quality metrics, with a keen focus on managing the return to schools after COVID-19.

Steve also shares with us his background, career path and his keen intertest in astrophotography and shares with us the 7 unusual features of Oumuamua - the first known interstellar object detected passing through our Solar System.

Here is the link to the ASHRAE guideline for reopening schools and universities as mentioned in the podcast:

https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/reopening-of-schools-and-universities

To learn more about testo products visit: www.TruTechTools.com/testo

This episode was recorded in January 2021.

EP55: SpohnHome: The Energy Vanguard Investigates (Apr. 2021) Jul 02, 2021

Show notes

"When you are enthusiastic about what you do, you feel this positive energy.

It's very simple."

Paulo Coelho

The construction is finished. Bill and Mairlyn moved in months ago.

What's it been like for Bill living inside his theories?

Were any late course corrections necessary? Any regrets?

In this podcast, recorded in April 2021, our friend Allison Bailes (The Energy Vanguard) becomes host and interviews/investigates if the SpohnHome as truly a high-performance home.

Bill and Allison exchange thoughts on a variety of topics:

A house needs to breathe

Air as a bodily fluid

Mean (and nice?) radiant temperatures and naked people

Various proven (and some sketchy) means for improving indoor air quality

Our favorite & reliable sources for information

What's a Comparetto Cube?

And more!

Bill shares updates on what it's like living inside his theories.

To learn more about the project you can follow Bill's blog at www.SpohnHome.com

This episode was recorded in April 2021.

EP54: SpohnHome Interview of Bill Spohn hosted by Nate Adams of HVAC 2.0 (May 2020) Jun 25, 2021

Show notes

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful,

or believe to be beautiful."

William Morris

His head has been wrapped up in building and HVAC performance since the late 1980s.

How does he sort through bringing his personal vision for his own home to reality?

What's it like actually living inside your theories?

In this podcast, recorded in May 2020, our friend Nate Adams (from HVAC 2.0) becomes host and interviews Bill Spohn (normally this podcast's host) on the journey he and Marilyn have taken setting out to build a high performance, likely NetZero, home.

Listen in to hear what influences he used in making design and construction decisions. Hear of the goals he and his wife set at the beginning and how close they came to achieving them.

Bill openly describes his thoughts on the challenges they encountered and how well the plans are working out at the time of this recording, when the house is in the final stages of finishing, but they have not yet moved in.

To learn more about the project you can follow Bill's blog at www.SpohnHome.com

This episode was recorded in May 2020.

EP53: Pearl Certification for HVAC- Throw Shade on Your Competition with Cynthia Adams & Robin LeBaron Jun 18, 2021

Show notes

"Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others."

Jonathan Swift

Listeners to this podcast know, it is often very hard to explain what it is we do.

When I try to explain this, people's' eyes and ears glaze over as I get into the technical descriptions of the invisible elements that make a home more comfortable, safer, healthier and energy efficient.

(Wait, can an ear actually glaze over? I think 've done it.)

What if there were an independent, third party means to capture and make visible the values we build into high performance homes and retrofits?

In this episode, co-founders Cynthia Adams and Robin Lebaron join us to explain how Pearl Certification is truly transforming the housing market.

They're on a mission to make visible the invisible aspects that contractors know about. The elements that make all the difference in the comfort, health, safety, resilience, and energy efficiency of a home.

They are achieving this by qualifying an elite network of contractors and real estate professionals. These professionals work to improve home performance and ensure Pearl Certified homes are properly marketed and valued.

This isn't a one and done effort. As your customers improve their homes, they continue to get credit for these improvements over time. The value of their high-performing home becomes visible at the time of appraisal for refinance or sale.

This is a nationwide for homeowners and the businesses that serve them with 45,695 homes Pearl Certified, so far.

I encourage you to learn more about become Pearl Certification contractor:

http://pearlcertification.com/contractors/

And here is information for Homeowners:

http://pearlcertification.com/homeowners/

We have had guests from Pearl join us on this podcast before:

Episode 14: CarFax for Homes with Bethany Profaizer and Amy Beley (1-17-18)

Episode 18: HabitatX Reflections with Robin LeBaron (7-5-18)

This episode was recorded in April 2021.

EP52: Technology in HVAC, Driving Contractor Wins with Joe Samel (SensiPredict - Emerson) & Sam Troyer (Comfort Zone, Inc) Jun 11, 2021

Show notes

"Data, data everywhere, and not a place to sync!"

Eric Preston

Sensor data and oftentimes, the corresponding analytics are popping up everywhere you look.

What is happening in the HVAC world?

In newer systems there are some options; most on the high end.

But are there any reliable solutions that address more basic systems and the aftermarket?

Here comes SensiPredict by Emerson.

Emerson has designed a full eco system that helps to deliver new benefits for contractors; benefits that homeowner value and are driving contractors wins. Providing peace of mind for both!

These smart diagnostic tools have matured and now ensure verified installations and as well as remote fault detection.

Joe Samel (Emerson) and successful Florida contractor Sam Troyer (Comfort Zone, Inc) describe for us real world experience with this impressive new technology that helps to differentiate Sam's pitch and his services.

Contractors, like Sam, are using technology to successful separate their companies against their competition.

Learn more about the product here:

https://climate.emerson.com/en-us/brands/sensi/sensi-predict-for-contractors

SensiPredict is available at leading distributors across the US and at https://www.trutechtools.com/sensi

This episode was recorded in March 2021.

EP51: NH Saves NetZero Home Challenge (Jan 2021) with Joe Rando and Adam Nyborg Jun 04, 2021

Show notes

"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships."

Michael Jordan

Years ago if someone said to me:

"I'm building a Net Zero home."

I would have thought,

"What are they giving up doing so?"

Fast Forward to 2021:

In addition to me living in a prospective Net Zero Home (check out other episodes of this podcast), there are now several national Net Zero competitions with utilities, raters, builders and homeowners working together to raise public awareness of this accelerating trend showcasing the benefits of building beyond code requirements.

Join us to hear Adam Nyborg (Tilia Restoration- the builder) and Joe Rando, a senior engineering assistant and HERS rater with GDS Associates, describe the Drive to Net Zero Competition in New Hampshire.

We learn about the guests' background as well as get up to speed on details of the 2019 winning design, the process, and the competition.

Mike Loughlin from Eversource (the utility sponsor for the 2019 winner) offers his contact info for anyone considering developing such a program in their area: Michael.Loughlin@Eversource.com

For more info:

https://nhsaves.com/blog/winning-drive-to-net-zero-competition-homes-combine-comfort-and-savings-2/

This episode was recorded in January 2021

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