The Building Science Podcast — Positive Energy

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The Building Science Podcast

The Building Science Podcast

Energy With Memory

The famous astronomer and educator Carl Sagan once said, “If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch you must first invent the universe.” What Sagan was pointing at is the fact that for us to really do anything from scratch, we have to understand the system in which we exist.

The planet and all its inhabitants exists as a massive, complex system of interconnected systems that we don’t always see. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly shown us that public health is part of a global web, inextricably linked. On a smaller scale, the materials and energy that we use to build and operate our homes and cities rely on these natural interconnected ecosystems. Effortlessly spanning scales from the level of the planet, a vast forest or a single home, the science of Systems Ecology provides a powerful perspective and valuable set of tools that can inform skillful design and construction practices for homes, buildings and cities.

How do natural ecosystems provide us with all that we need for our lives, homes and cities? What are the basic ingredients that are “cooked” in this recipe? Join Kristof as he interviews Miaomiao Hou and Dr. Bill Braham for a fast and furious dive into the infinite complexity of emergy. You’ll never be able to un-hear this. We will unpack some of the terms and concepts needed to unlock this powerful, versatile, quantitative way to understand what matters most when it comes to resources and energy, and why. Along the way we will learn about energy that remembers where it comes from and the layers of transformations it goes through along the way to us, so we can make better decisions on how to use it wisely.

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Keep 👏 It 👏 Dry 👏!

Do we really need dehumidifiers when we’ve got VRF units? How do dehumidifiers work? Why do we need dehumidifiers now when we’ve never had them before? These are valid questions that deserve scientific answers and we’re here to dig in. Join Kristof as he interviews David Treleven and Nikki Krueger of Madison Industries (makers of dehumidifiers, ERVs, and many other innovative indoor air quality products).

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PFAS In Building Products

One of the most uncomfortable topics for anybody to wade through is the nearly ubiquitous and constant exposures to hazardous chemicals and compounds which we all encounter in daily products. The construction industry is no different - many building products are chock full of chemicals that are known health hazards to humans. As the body of scientific knowledge about these chemicals and their health impacts grows, it’s important that professionals and consumers have a sufficient understanding of their presence and purpose.

Join Kristof as he interviews Dr. Tom Bruton, Senior Hazardous Substances Engineer at California Department of Toxic Substances Control and formerly a Senior Scientist at the Green Science Policy Institute, on a class of chemicals called PFAS, which are present in many common building materials and making their way into our bodies through a variety of exposures that are easy to forget in day-to-day life.

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Zen & The Art of Continuous IAQ Monitoring

The world of indoor air quality monitoring can feel like the Wild West and it’s high time we sort it out. What should we measure? What kind of tools should we use to measure? When should we measure? Are there actual answers to these questions? Join Kristof as he interviews Stanton Wong, President of RESET, about the current landscape of sensor technology, sensor accuracy, data reliability, how SARS2 moves around public spaces, and a range of other indoor air quality and data quality topics. You may be surprised by how deep this field of applied science can go.


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To Grow A Home, To Grow A Future

Industrial hemp is poised to proliferate across many verticals in the construction materials marketplace. It’s a raw material with an unfortunately politicized history and so many potential applications it’ll make your head spin. Join Kristof and Miguel in conversation with Mattie Mead and Henry Valles as we explore the many intersections of industrial hemp, the built environment, and a sustainable future.

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One Wheel Down and The Axle Dragging: The Texas Grid Failure Explained

Valentines Day began a hellacious week for Texans as not one, but multiple critical infrastructure grids failed amidst prolonged record low temps. Join Kristof as he interviews Dr. Joshua Rhodes and Dr. Charles Upshaw, of IdeaSmiths (and of Positive Energy if you don't mind the bragging). In this episode we discuss what happened in Texas, separating myth from fact and understanding the role of buildings in the equation.

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Indoor Data Quality

We’ve talked a lot about indoor environmental quality on this show, but what how do we measure that and how do we know that our measurements were consistent and accurate? Turns out, data quality in the built world can be quite opaque and challenging to reign in. But there’s hope. Join Kristof as he interviews Anjanette Green, Director of standards at RESET about the nature of data quality in the built world and how it impacts the daily lives of practitioners and occupants across the planet.

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What Would This Old House Say?

This Old House has been the gateway experience for countless numbers of building science enthusiasts and we’d wager many of you listeners have intersected with the show at some point in your life and career. Media, whether television or podcasting, is about so much more than sharing information - it’s about telling stories. And the important stories are the ones that change paradigms and facilitate progress in the world. Join Kristof as he interviews Chris Ermides of This Old House and the Ask This Old House podcast about leveraging stories to create meaning and context for anyone building a home.

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"Faster Horses" & The Future Of HVAC

When Ken Gehring began his career servicing dairy equipment, who would have guessed that he would go on to pioneer some of the most important equipment to hit the HVAC market? But that’s exactly what he did, leading the charge in the development and creation of the Therma-stor product lines, which include the Santa Fe and Ultra-Aire dehumidifiers that you’ve heard us talk about many times. Join Kristof as he and Ken explore a range of topics on human health, indoor air quality, dehumidification, ventilation, building envelope leakage, and more.

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Ventilation & Virus Transmission Prevention (And Other Topics Too)

How well do we understand the behavior of the novel coronavirus in our homes? What can we do to make our homes healthier? What is a CERV? These questions open the door to a rich exploration of the role of ventilation in healthy indoor environments. And you’ll be surprised to find how intimately connected ventilation is to a future powered by solar PV. Join Kristof as he interviews Ty Newell in a broad exploration of topics relevant to any building science aficionado.

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The Westford Summer Camp Blues

For the first time in its 24 year history, the Westford Symposium on Building Science was forced to take a hiatus by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (it would have began as of the release of this episode). If you’ve never heard of this conference, you’ve been missing out. It’s one of the most incredible hubs of building science knowledge exchange and community building in North America. Obviously, we were sad about missing it so we decided to ask the founders and hosts of the conference for an interview. Join us as Kristof interviews Joe Lstiburek and Betsy Petit about the history, meaning, and impact of “Building Science Summer Camp.”

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Obsessed With Humidity

The world’s climate is changing and so the way we think about design needs to change with it. But before we know what that looks like, let’s dig into the science and understand how it might change. And as we think about expanding humid climate zones in the era of climate change, what does the cutting edge dehumidification technology look like? You’re going to find out. Join us as Kristof interviews Pamela Cabrera about the expansion of humid climate zones in the future and the development of passive, membrane-based dehumidification.

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Constructal Law Meets Building Science - Flow Systems Are Everywhere

Have you ever wondered why the architectural Golden Mean has its characteristic ratio? Why do flow systems like lungs, lightning bolts, leaves, river deltas and well design duct systems have similar shapes? It’s not often that you get to have a discussion with someone who has uncovered a fundamental physical law of the universe, but that’s exactly what we got to do in this unmissable episode. The breadth of this law is staggering. Prepare to never see the world around you quite the same again. These ideas, once they sink in, change the way you'll experience traffic, airports, power lines, the news as well as the way you relate to how you design and build. In a very entertaining and fascinating departure from our usual discussion of building science, we dive deeply into the concepts underlying Contstructal Law with its discoverer, Professor Adrian Bejan of Duke University.

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Stewardship & The Future of Engineering

Engineers can fulfill a vital role in their communities through civic activism, proactive engagement in shaping public policy and leading in the civic realm. This segment of the Ideas Institute will explore the future of civic activism and leadership in the public realm for engineers. It is time for the engineering community to contribute to this re-examination in the spirit of technological and environmental stewardship. Increased leadership from the engineering community is needed to help society prepare for future crises. Join Kristof in an interview with members of the Engineering Change Lab USA as they explore the future of engineering.

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Passive House Accelerator

If you’ve never heard of the Passive House Accelerator, that all changes now. For too long, there has not been a centralized place to find information on all the Passive House resources and efforts. The Passive House Accelerator changes the game by aggregating the already fantastic content from other existing sites while also creating a new platform for people to share new ideas. Join Kristof as he interviews Zack Semke and Michael Ingui of Passive House Accelerator on all the great work they’re doing to build community in the building science field.

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A House Needs To Breathe... Or Does It?

Allison Bailes is writing a book! Allison also writes the popular Energy Vanguard Blog. If you haven’t read it yet, you’re in for a treat. With a PhD in physics and thousands of hours spent in attics and crawl spaces, Allison definitely knows a thing or two about houses. Join Kristof in a discussion with his old friend and colleague as they explore common myths about houses and talk about your next book purchase.

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Death Of The Suburbs: An Urban Manifesto

It’s time to fundamentally reevaluate the way we build - not just at the level of detailing, but at the scale of the city. What are the decisions we make about density and how do they affect our daily lives? Why do we orient our urban infrastructure around cars when they’re incredibly inefficient ways to move people around? Why can’t you get to 90% of your daily needs within a 15 minute walk? Join Kristof as he interviews Ruchi Modi of the architecture and urbanism firm, PAU on a range of topics exploring how urban environments (can and will) actually benefit the entire planet.

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