About this episode

This episode features insights from the 2025 RESNET report on home efficiency and energy ratings in the U.S. housing market.

"RESNET members are now touching about a third of all new single-family homes. That's a big number — and it's only growing." -Ryan Meres In this episode of RESTalk, host Bill Spohn welcomes back Ryan Meres, Programs Director at RESNET®, to explore the key insights from the 2025 HERS® Rated Homes Data Trends Report. This sixth annual edition reveals both expected and surprising patterns in how homebuilders, energy raters, and policymakers are driving efficiency across the U.S. housing market. With over 436,000 homes HERS rated in the past year, the report reflects RESNET®'s growing impact — now touching a third of all new single-family homes and a rising share of multifamily projects. Ryan breaks down regional standouts: Massachusetts leads with 88% of new homes HERS rated due to its Green Communities program, while Texas tops the volume charts with 113,000 ratings. Notably, California showed the most improvement in HERS scores since 2013, driven in part by its solar mandate. Meanwhile, the report tracks construction practices, including the dominance of slab-on-grade foundations and the increasing prevalence of ductwork in conditioned spaces. Other notable topics include the…

People in this episode

Host: Bill Spohn

Guest: Ryan Meres

Topics covered

• home efficiency
• energy ratings
• housing market trends
• RESNET report
• sustainability
• construction practices

Keywords

• HERS rating
• energy efficiency
• homebuilders
• policymakers
• heat pumps
• construction practices
• sustainability

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: RESNET

Places: Massachusetts, Texas, California

More episodes of RESTalk

• EP151 Emerging Leaders, Real Talk: The Future of HERS® Starts Here (March 2026) · April 13, 2026 · 23 min
• EP150 Women Building the Future: Voices from the RESNET® Community (March 2026) · March 16, 2026 · 29 min
• EP149 Inside the 2026 RESNET® Conference: The Next Era of HERS® (January 2026) · February 9, 2026 · 25 min
• EP148 A New Chapter for RESNET: A Conversation with Executive Director Shelby Gatlin (January 2026) · January 12, 2026 · 18 min
• EP147 Best of 2025: The Year RESNET® Hit Another Gear (December 2025) · December 15, 2025 · 21 min
• EP146 Beyond the Score: Market Signals, QA, and the Future of RESNET® with Steve Baden (October 2025) · November 10, 2025 · 33 min

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