About the Building Science Institute, Ltd. Co.
The Building Science Institute, Ltd. Co. was created in 2021 in response to requests from home energy rating companies who wanted choice in the marketplace.
The founder of the Building Science Institute (BSI), Brett Dillon, was uniquely qualified to do this. Brett is a former Chair of Standards Development Committee (SDC) 300. This RESNET® ANSI Standards committee handles the American National Standards. Software tools use these ANSI standards to calculate the Energy Rating Index. Energy raters use these ANSI standards to conform with testing and verification requirements. Together, they produce the American National Standard Energy Rating Index (ERI). Brett has a reputation for deep and clear thinking on how to improve home energy rating systems.
As a 4th generation homebuilder, he understood the importance of proper quality management. Quality management ensures the public can trust the certification systems. Builders face a lot of risks to reputation and wallet when the people they count on fail to do their job well.
Brett used residential quality management standards when he worked for a developer. He used them in the construction specifications. This ensured the homes built met stringent program requirements.
He used evidence-based training methods to produce qualified workers for the industry. His students consistently out-performed the national average on exams. As a leading trainer, he used data to improve his curriculum and training practices.
He also made learning fun.
While employed at Southface, he saw the importance of integrity in certification programs. The public, government, and finance industry depend on truth in construction.
To build BSI, he threw away everything he thought he knew about the home energy rating industry. His team started from the ground up, using the American National Standards he shepherded as the foundation.
On top of those standards, they layered national and international standards.
He worked with the BSI Quality Council to develop a set of policies, processes, and procedures for our new home energy rating system.
Mike Barcik called Brett an “intellectual ferret” for a reason. Brett looked at other countries and industries. They had faced similar issues and had ideas proven to work. Brett modified them to fit the context of home energy rating systems with one thing in mind…
The new home energy rating system had to meet the customer requirements of the US Environmental Protection Agency and US Department of Energy residential construction certification programs.
He started with the requirements for the US EPA ENERGY STAR® New Homes program, then Indoor airPLUS and the US DOE Zero Energy Ready Home program.
Our competitor had locked down all the software tools through exclusionary contracts. This meant software was the critical linchpin to success.
He needed a software tool that could meet the US EPA and US DOE requirements.
Through his extensive network built over nearly two decades in the industry, he discovered HouseRater.
HouseRater is a software tool originally built by an energy rating company. They built it to help them do their verifications and energy modeling more quickly. It uses a standardized workflow optimized for collection of the required data. This ensures conformance with standards and compliance with regulations.
Brett didn’t know this, but…
While he was writing and publishing white papers during the previous decade…
White papers that illuminated issues the industry faced and potential solutions…
Mat Gates had been reading them and implementing those ideas into HouseRater.
HouseRater uses the US DOE-developed and maintained EnergyPlus OS-ERI calculation engine. This integrates with energy modeling based on plans and specifications.
Those energy models are then modified by data collected in the field, so the final Energy Rating Index reflects the house as-built.
Not some fantasy.
With BSI and HouseRater, what’s in the house is on the label and what’s on the label is in the house.
On May 16, 2022 the US EPA recognized BSI as the second national Home Certification Organization for the ENERGY STAR New Homes program.
With the release of the video “What We Stand For”, BSI left no doubt about our lighthouse identity. We stand as a beacon for integrity, transparency, and professionalism. We guide those who want a better home energy rating system that helps them improve their businesses and their lives.
On August 3, 2023, the US DOE recognized BSI as a Home Certification Organization for Zero Energy Ready Homes.
BSI continues to grow through improvements in HouseRater and our Quality Management System…
Which is overseen by an independent Quality Council responsible for holding us accountable. The Quality Council has a mandate to report our actions to the US EPA and US DOE should we fail to do our jobs.
A mandate we volunteered to put in place.
We produce an annual report on our verification oversight activities in conformance with ISO 17029 “Conformity assessment- General principles and requirements for validation and verification bodies”.
We make that publicly available.
We know that we must first drive out all fear if we are serious about quality improvements. To eliminate fear, we must build trust.
And somebody’s gotta get naked first.
As the leader in proper quality management for the home energy rating industry, we have the courage to go first.
Because that’s what leaders do.
