Michael takes that collaborative spirit further. He describes a recent scene at a Texas conference: five HERS rating companies, all competitors, sharing stories and strategies. “That gives me the warm fuzzies,” he said. “Even if we’re in different companies, we’re all helping homeowners get a better-built home.” He calls it “coopetition.” It’s not a word you’ll find in a business school syllabus - but it captures something real. In an industry that can feel fragmented and technical, RESNET fosters a strange kind of unity. The Challenge of the Patchwork
But it’s not easy. America doesn’t have a single energy code - it has fifty. “The state-by- state nature of how energy codes are adopted makes it difficult,” Ryan said. Add to that a whiplash-inducing federal policy landscape - “One Congress passes a 10-year tax credit, the next Congress kills it in 12 months” - and the challenge becomes clear.
Sometimes
the
hardest
battle
isn’t
technological. It’s bureaucratic.
And even when policymakers are on board, there’s the question of manpower. “Do you have enough HERS raters in the area?” Michael said, quoting a common pushback. “It’s a chicken or the egg situation.” The raters will come, he insists, if the codes make space for quality and certification. But someone has to lead that shift - and RESNET keeps stepping into that role.
S P E C I A L E D I T I O N 62
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