Building standards and regulations have changed A LOT recently. It can be difficult to keep up with and communicate all of the changes, leading to failed inspections and lost revenue. The pace and volume of change is a major challenge for builders across the country and non-profit organizers are stepping into the maze to help solve the problem.

People like Cardice Howard, Deputy Director of RESNET. RESNET is a not-for-profit, membership corporation that created and maintains the HERS® Index to allow for easy comparison of energy performance of homes. Their mission is to make the energy use of all homes transparent, thereby driving residential sector energy use toward net zero.

Cardice has 27 years of operations management experience as an insulation contractor in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas market along with her passion as an insulation Industry advocate for the RESNET team. Cardice has developed and maintained cohesive relationships with builders, code officials, sales and operations staff over that time. She also has built teams to support over $2 million in sales per month in the Dallas/Fort Worth market, focusing on business development and strategic planning.

Ken and Cardice discuss how the HERS rating can be used as a standalone compliance pathway to meet state energy codes, helping builders to qualify for significant tax credits and making green building practices more economically viable. They also talk about software solutions that help achieve energy efficiency requirements in construction projects, prescriptive vs. performance building processes and the importance of unity and collaborative efforts among builders, insulators, code officials, and third-party raters in achieving overall project success.

In this podcast…
1:00 - How Cardice’s wide range of contracting experience and outside-the-box approach helps her help builders dealing with a number of on-site challenges.
8:40 - How RESNET is working to simplify compliance for builders in the United States
12:00 - The dynamics of the HERS Index and a discussion about new regulations and ratings, including how HERS raters can act as code officials in some jurisdictions
17:45 - How RESNET is working closely with distributors and manufacturers in the construction industry to educate them on the latest standards and regulations.
26:38 - What if I’m working on a project that doesn’t have a HERS rater?
31:56 - BONUS: Cardice shares her experiences with projects that she knew would be improved by a HERS rater