Pickett Admin – RobPickett &Associates, LLC

Rob Accepts Position at Harvest Homes

Posted on December 9, 2017 by Pickett Admin

Change is Good

Given a career in the building systems industry, I have taken a new path, a golden opportunity. I began my involvement in building systems as a designer/cost accountant for a mobile/modular home manufacturer in Greeley, CO. Moving to Denver, I joined Colorado Log Homes which became the first of five log home companies. Amidst that was two opportunities in the Big Apple as a building systems consultant and then technical writer. The past 16-year run as an independent consultant provided some remarkable opportunities for product research and testing, code development, and meeting great people along the way.

About 20 years ago, I met Bob Guay and Henry Walthery at a Building Systems Councils (BSC) meeting. Our friendships evolved over the years, so when I was on the BSC Board last year, it came natural to me to call them to invite them back into our association. Instead, they invited me to join their family at Harvest Homes. I accepted and started in January 2017. I’m enjoying a top-notch building system and production team, and the challenges and daily learning that comes with being their New England Region Sales Manager.

Dedicated to the log home industry and green building, my career is reflected in this website and remains available as a source of information. Thanks to my work with the Log & Timber Homes Council of the Building Systems Councils, NAHB, I have contributed to satisfying many of the objectives that spawned its organization in 1977. Today, ICC400 Standard on the Design and Construction of Log Structures is being published in its third edition (2018). It is the culmination of those efforts and has afforded me the honor of working with an assortment of industry peers who will forever be friends.

Career Opportunities and Economics 101

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Pickett Admin

Written by Rob Pickett

May 9, 2016

Back when I barely made it through Paul Samuelson’s Econ 101-102 class at CU-Boulder, I realized that I would not make a career in economics. Since my college days, I’ve learned more about economic impacts. I’ve watched technology advance in Superman terms. And I think of a former office-mate whose favorite saying was “The only constant in the world is change.” Ok, so where am I going with this?

One day last week, I was watching “Real Time with Bill Maher”[1]. Most of the conversation was entertaining but not enlightening. Then Rob Reiner said something to the effect of, “Where are the jobs? They are in green and infrastructure. What are gone? Manufacturing jobs that are not coming back.”

A light went off in my head. Ding!

Have you seen America’s Infrastructure Report Card[2]? America has a GPA of D+ for the dismal quality of our roads, levees, drinking water, and more. The only bright spot is in solid waste – does this mean that we are doing a better job of recycling?

The question is not if jobs exist here, but how to manage them. Funding is a problem, but not the only one. In many cases, the technology must be updated. With photovoltaic solar systems evolving, it would seem that the D+ rating from 2013 may now be a C.

What about recycling nuclear waste?[3] How would that help the Energy & Hazardous Waste grades?

How can wave technology generate power off shore?[4],[5] Denmark “today boasts a world-leading industry with hundreds of companies covering every aspect of the supply chain, ranging from wind turbine producers, developers of offshore wind farms to special vessels for offshore installation, transport, maintenance and service and manufacturers of components and parts for the turbine.”[6]

When I hear about “green” job opportunities, I think about building science, power generation, and environmental studies.[7] [8] Then there was the Bureau of Labor Statistics[9] that covered Green Goods and Services (GGS). Unfortunately in 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the-board spending cuts as required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) had to cut its current budget by more than $30 million, about 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation In seven months.

In order to achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS eliminated two programs and all “measuring green jobs” products. These products include: data on employment by industry and occupation for businesses that produce green goods and services; data on the occupations and wages of jobs related to green technologies and practices; and green career information publications.”

Was this bad news? But “green” had grown out of the fad mode and matured in the U.S. main stream, so it was one budget cut that may have made sense.

Costs related to labor and regulation are accused as primary causes for U.S. jobs shifting overseas. The shift included the production of steel, and some industrialization was permitted to grow without regulation. But now world climate agreements are targeting those countries who absorbed transfers in industry. When one compares the top five steel producers in the world — the People’s Republic of China (nearly 50%), the European Union (just over 10%), Japan (6.6%), the U.S. (5.3%), and India (5.2%) — a correlation can be drawn to those countries contributing the greatest to global greenhouse gas emissions.[10]

The European Union is working on new approaches to finding a balance[11] between industrialization and environmental health. An upcoming conference in Bulgaria[12] will focus on “Forestry: Bridge to the Future”. Their website states, “…recent studies have shown that due to many circumstances such as climate change, social and economic factors, Forestry is becoming very important for the environment and human. As more scientific information about global processes accumulates, climate change is emerging as perhaps the greatest environmental challenge of the 21st century.”

Figure 1 Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions … by Gas, by Economic Sector, by Country

One of the “greenest”, most sustainable, environmentally friendly industry has been a focus of my career. Many good career opportunities are posted online[13] related to engineered wood products, solid wood products, biomass and more. Opportunities begin in the woods, nurturing the lifeforce of the industry – renewable harvesting. Renewable is used in this sense to describe the use of wood now and for future generations. The string of job opportunities runs through the entire supply chain to builders – home builders/remodelers, furniture makers, and others. Global Forest Watch[14] reports that 827,000 people are directly employed by the forestry sector (2011 FAO data).

It seems that the same forces that drove innovation in alternative energy and Internet communications can continue to drive new job opportunities in the U.S. and world wide. Sometimes looking to the industries of the past to “make America great again” isn’t the best investment. How many “Ds” on the report card can become “Bs”?

[1] Real Time with Bill Maher, HBO, telecast 4/29/2016

[2] http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/

[3] https://www.ted.com/talks/taylor_wilson_my_radical_plan_for_small_nuclear_fission_reactors?language=en

[4] http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2014/02/140220-five-striking-wave-and-tidal-energy-concepts/

[5] http://wavestarenergy.com/vision

[6] http://denmark.dk/en/green-living/wind-energy/

[7] http://www.greenjobs.net/

[8] http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/

[9] http://www.bls.gov/ggs/home.htm

[10] https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/global.html

[11] http://ec.europa.eu/eip/agriculture/en

[12] http://conf2015.forestry-ideas.info/index.php

[13] http://www.topwoodjobs.com

[14] www.globalforestwatch.org

Healthy Forests, Happy Industry

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Pickett Admin

Photo Credit: Intermountain Construction – Old Faithful Inn

With so much press about the environment and climate change, it is worthwhile to take in the facts from solid research on the world’s forests. Thanks to a LinkedIn discussion, I came across a site I was unaware of: www.forest.jrc.ec.europa.eu. The site speaks for itself, offering various resources as well as the European Atlas of Forest Tree Species. With the expanding influence of European wood products on U.S. markets, this is a very interesting resource to learn more. To understand the spirit of this website, read the “About FOREST” tab. The charging statement of this page is worth repeating here: “Information on forests is essential for the implementation of EU environmental policies as forests play a key role in aspects related to the protection of European ecosystems, biodiversity, the sustainable use of natural resources, carbon sequestration, and climate change.”

This site complements the message of the Mass Timber Conference that was held last week in Portland, OR. A variety of interests gathered to promote a global coalition of forestry experts and timber industry interests. Organized by the Forest Business Network, the two-day event provided an excellent networking opportunity while promoting the benefits of timber construction and cross-laminated timber (CLT), a technology developed in Europe and expanding to North America. It also complements the work done by WoodWorks and the American Wood Council as published on rethinkwood.com.

For those who make their living from the forests and the products of sustainable harvesting, the above is interesting reading but not news. A healthy forest is the goal of all who use it, and caring for the forest lands perpetuates our industry while contributing to the ecosystem. For those outside the industry, these sites provide excellent information on many levels. I hope you enjoy exploring them.

Certification Levels and Real Estate

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Pickett Admin

As we all know real estate appraisals are huge in the housing market, but many things that make a home energy efficient can not actually be seen which makes it hard to compare homes apples to apples. We may see this change in the near future. The Appraisal Institute and RESNET are now working on getting certification levels posted in real estate documents. This is big!

“The partnership can be a game changer in terms of real estate appraiser evaluation of the energy performance of a home as part of the appraisal process. Residential real estate appraisers will be able to search for homes with comparable HERS Index scores in determining the market value of such feature of a home in the market.”

Read more about what this entails in the Press Release Here.

103% Increase in the Number of HERS Rated Net Zero Energy Homes from 2013 to 2015

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Pickett Admin

Since the development of the 2009 ICC International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), I have been promoting certification of log homes through EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program (www.energystar.gov). With the 2015 IECC comes a new compliance path via Section 406 Energy Rating Index. This Index is very closely related to RESNET’s Home Energy Rating System.

Below is a release from RESNET that shows the growth of RESNET-certified homes over the past few years. With the adoption of the 2015 IECC by state and local jurisdictions, these numbers should increase. However, we do not currently have a way to track how many of these RESNET certifications are log homes.

If you have a log home that has been certified under the ENERGY STAR, National Green Building Program, RESNET or BPI HERS Rating Programs, please share that information. We will share certification information with the respective certification programs to begin to build statistics on how log homes are actually performing. Perhaps, with a strong response, we can generate a similar statistical report as RESNET’s. We look forward to hearing from you!

103% Increase in the Number of HERS Rated Net Zero Energy Homes from 2013 to 2015

The number of net zero energy homes nationally that were HERS rated skyrocketed from 91 in 2013 to 185 in 2015. There were 122 homes HERS rated as net zero energy homes in 2014.

The average HERS Index score of net zero energy homes rated in 2015 was -7. The following is a comparison of net zero HERS rated homes from 2013 to 2015:

In 2015 the five leading states which produced net zero energy homes were:

New York (81 homes – average HERS Index score: -7)
Florida (26 homes – average HERS Index score: -7)
Nevada (12 homes – average HERS Index score – 4)
Colorado (12 homes – average HERS Index score – 8)
Massachusetts (11 homes – average HERS Index score – 8)

The home with the lowest HERS Index score in 2015 was in Maine with a score of -57. This meant that the home will generate 57% more energy onsite than it will consume.

The following is a breakdown of net zero energy HERS rated homes in 2015 by state:

The RESNET HERS Index is a relative measurement of the energy performance of a home. 100 on the HERS Index represents a home built in 2006. A score of 0 represents a net zero energy home that produces as much onsite energy as it consumes. The average HERS Index score in 2015 was 62.

This data is from the RESNET Registry of all of the homes that were HERS rated in the U.S. in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Revisiting Clay-Based Construction Materials

Posted on January 22, 2016 by Pickett Admin

I came across this article by Damon Embling, on Europe’s construction industry cutting carbon emissions and energy consumption by revisiting clay-based construction materials. It was too good not to share:

The concept of building with biomaterials is nothing new – mud and grass has been used in some countries for centuries. “Thirty percent of houses in Germany include clay as building materials. Many of them have stood for more than 100 years,” said Manfred Lemke, from Claytec, a Germany-based developer and producer of clay building materials and systems.”

Ancient buildings with clay can be visited all over the world, the oldest date back to 10,000 BC. Other materials haven’t boasted such a life span.” But in today’s construction industry, bio-based insulation materials are relatively niche. This is due to higher costs and because builders are yet to be fully convinced that alternative ingredients – plant waste, straw, clay, grasses and the like – are reliable, and the way forward. “Of course, modern times need more guarantees than just experience,” commented Lemke.

But there are pros and cons. See the full article here.

If it can’t be solid wood, what’s the next best building material? Here’s an article that discusses how clay-based building systems provide longevity, reduce the total embodied energy of a new home, and provide all of the benefits of thermal mass. Like solid wood walls, the article notes that clay-based materials improve indoor climate while being easy to maintain and repair. Sound familiar? Learn more about this here or from this pdf.

Water Efficiency and Innovation

Posted on January 5, 2016 by Pickett Admin

I recently came across an article that brought me upon NexusHaus. The article focused on the water-saving element of their submission to the DOE Solar Decathlon. They came in 4^th overall, but I found the solution for water efficiency in an arid region exceptional. Not all areas of our country need to collect water in this manner, but integrating some of the project goals and processes into any home can help save the owner money. Less volume through a septic system will lengthen the life of that system. Not drawing fresh water for landscaping will save water resources as well as the energy to run pumps. Their solution brings the horizon of water conservation closer to home.

Take a look at the diagram below to see the system they developed specifically for the climate of Austin, Texas.

Click here to see more from NexusHaus.

Industry Veteran Rob Pickett Honored with S.A. Walters Award

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Pickett Admin

Hartland, VT, Nov. 6, 2015 – Rob Pickett of Rob Pickett &Associates, LLC was honored on Nov. 6, 2015, during the BSC’s Building Systems Showcase, the only national conference and educational event focused exclusively on the systems-built industry.

Pickett has been highly engaged in the building systems industry for over 35 years. Since 1993, Pickett has been an active part of the Log and Timber Homes Council (LTHC), serving as the LTHC Log Grading Program Chairman for five years, the LTHC Technical Committee Chairman for two years, and a member of the LTHC Steering Committee for four years. He’s also a three-time LTHC President’s Award winner.

Pickett has also served as Chair for the ICC IS-LOG Committee for the 2007 and 2012 editions of ICC400 Standard on the Design and Construction of Log Structures. In 2007, he became the Founding President of the ICC Building Safety Association of Vermont, the last state in the U.S. to form a chapter of ICC, serving on the Board of Directors for six years.

Add to this record that Pickett is a Charter Member of Build Green NH Council, is a Quality Supervision Agent third-party log grading inspector, the 2012 NH HBA Associate Member of the Year, and in January of 2013 earned the NAHB designation of Master Green Building Professional.

Pickett credits his friends, associates, and peers in the industry with helping him along his path. His exposure to the Log Homes Council began with Steven Winter Associates and the creation of the LHC Log Grading Program. One of his clients there, was Timber Log Homes where he became friends with Jerry Rouleau (1994 S.A. Walters Award Recipient). Later at Real Log Homes, Jerry convinced Pickett to move to Hartland, VT to join Real Log Homes as Director of Technical Services. Before he settled in, Rich Horn (1991 S.A. Walters Award Recipient) called and asked him to take over as Chair of the LHC Log Grading Committee. Offering an opportunity with Southland Log Homes, Joe E. Taylor (former BSC Chair) convinced Pickett to move to Irmo, SC. When opening a consulting office came up, Joe graciously offered to support the effort and became the first client. Grading Committee work built friendships with Ed Burke, Ph.D and Alex Charvat, P.E. Joining forces, their collaborative effort generated several projects and excellent products under the TimberLogic name.

Working with the LTHC since the early 1980’s, Pickett has gained many great friendships spawned out of a common dedication, enjoying discussions with talented, intelligent peers, committee members and BSC Staff. A long list of accomplishments by the LTHC Committees is testimony to the quality of work that is generated by a united effort of Associate and Producing Members.

Pickett closed by identifying new challenges that will require the cooperative efforts of LTHC Members – Upholding the importance and value of ICC400 which responds to the core issues that spawned the organization; partnering with other organizations to foster sustainable log resources; and continued evolution of business models to embrace the performance of the entire, finished home as a combination of systems.

ABOUT THE S.A. WALTERS AWARD: The S.A. Walters Award for Systems-Built Achievement is the highest honor one can receive in our business. It recognizes a dedication to excellence, advancement of the industry and contributions to the Building Systems Councils.

ABOUT THE BSC: The Building Systems Councils of the National Association of Home Builders is made up of manufacturer, builder, and associate members who advocate building with concrete, log, timber, modular, or panelized systems. Systems-built homes are constructed to the same code standards and reflect the same, and often enhanced, quality levels as any site-built construction. Why systems-built? They are completed in a fraction of the time, with a fraction of the waste, which can significantly reduce costs. Many systems-built homes also are inherently environmentally friendly adding a “green” label to the finished home.

ABOUT NAHB: The National Association of Home Builders is a Washington-based trade association representing more than 140,000 members involved in home building, remodeling, multifamily construction, property management, subcontracting, design, housing finance, building product manufacturing and other aspects of residential and light commercial construction. NAHB is affiliated with 800 state and local home builders associations around the country. NAHB’s builder members will construct about 80 percent of the new housing units projected for this year.

CONTACT: Rob Pickett, RobPickett &Associates, LLC, 1-802-436-1325, robpickett@vermontel.net, www.robpickettandassoc.com
or John Lingerfelt, Executive Director, Building Systems Councils, 1-800-368-5242, x8357,jlingerfelt@nahb.org, www.nahb.org