Brynn Cooksey

08/31/2026

🎙️ **The Heat Pump Conversation You Don’t Want to Miss!**

Check out our conversation on the **Passive House Podcast!**

Brent Davidson and I sat down to talk all things **heat pumps** ahead of the **U.S. Heat Pump Summit** — including practical tips and tricks, what contractors need to know, and where the heat pump industry is headed.

If you work in HVAC, building performance, electrification, or just want to understand where this market is going, give this episode a listen!

🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2iPNHxrk9UXr6p0IYF8NM8?si=43c19211038d4b91

📍 U.S. Heat Pump Summit
📅 September 15–16, 2026 | Worcester, MA

See you at the Summit!

Passive House Podcast · Episode

08/31/2026

I’m headed back to BS + Beer, and this time we’re taking it to Worcester!
On Monday, September 14 at 5:30 PM, I’ll be presenting “Energy Auditing Best Practices” at Building Evolution Corp. We’re going to get into how the Air Doctors team actually approaches an energy audit—from the process and techniques to the tools we use in the field to identify opportunities for better comfort, efficiency, and building performance.

I’ll be in Worcester for the US Heat Pump Summit, where I’m honored to be a keynote speaker, so we’re making this the official “unofficial event of the evening.”

If you’re coming to the Summit, come hang out with the building science geeks Monday night. We’ll talk blower doors, diagnostics, thermal imaging, energy auditing, and probably a whole lot of heat pumps.

📍 Building Evolution Corp.
138 Green Street, Suite 203
Worcester, MA

📅 Monday, September 14
⏰ 5:30 PM

Free pizza and drinks, too!

Big thanks to TruTech Tools for supporting the event, Building Evolution Corp. for hosting, and the BS + Beer crew for having me back.

Register here: https://lnkd.in/gfQ3NAvU

Pre-register for Energy Auditing Best Practices
See you in Worcester!

08/31/2026

MYTH #4: Every home needs a combustion appliance as backup. 🔥

Not necessarily.

There are homes and climates where dual-fuel systems make sense. There are also homes where a properly designed cold-climate heat pump can handle the heating load without combustion backup.

The key word is DESIGN.

Before deciding what backup heat a home needs, we should understand:

The actual heating load.
The heat pump’s capacity at design temperature.
The building envelope.
The duct system.
Electrical capacity.
Utility rates and operating costs.

Backup heat should be an engineering and economic decision, not an automatic assumption.

🎥 Myth #4 of my Heat Pump Myth Busting Series takes on the idea that every heat pump needs a furnace behind it. The video will also be available on YouTube.

I’ll cover heat pump design in much greater detail at the US Heat Pump Summit, September 15–16 in Worcester, Massachusetts.

My session: “Navigating the Heat Pump Jungle: How to Design, Install, and Commission Heat Pumps That Deliver.”

Use BC26 for 15% off registration.

08/28/2026

MYTH #2: Heat pumps aren’t efficient. ⚡

A heat pump doesn’t create heat the same way a furnace or electric resistance heater does—it moves heat.

That distinction is important.

Under the right operating conditions, heat pumps can deliver multiple units of heat for every unit of electricity consumed.

But rated efficiency and real-world efficiency aren’t always the same thing.

Poor sizing, bad ductwork, excessive static pressure, improper controls, unnecessary auxiliary heat, and poor commissioning can turn great equipment into a poorly performing system.

So when someone says, “Heat pumps aren’t efficient,” my next question is:

Was the system actually designed, installed, and commissioned correctly?

🎥 Watch Myth #2 in my Heat Pump Myth Busting Series. The video will also be available on YouTube.

Want to go deeper? Join me at the US Heat Pump Summit, September 15–16 in Worcester, Massachusetts.

I’ll be presenting “Navigating the Heat Pump Jungle: How to Design, Install, and Commission Heat Pumps That Deliver.”

Use code BC26 for 15% off registration.

08/28/2026

MYTH #3: Heat pumps just move the emissions to the smokestack. 🏭⚡

I hear this argument a lot:

“If the electricity comes from a power plant, aren’t we just moving the emissions somewhere else?”

It’s a fair question—but it leaves out a major part of the equation: efficiency and the changing electric grid.

Heat pumps move heat instead of producing all of it through combustion or electric resistance. That allows them to deliver significantly more heating energy than the electrical energy they consume.

At the same time, the electricity generation mix continues to evolve.

The emissions conversation around heat pumps deserves more than a slogan from either side. We need to look at how the equipment operates, where the electricity comes from, system efficiency, and how those factors change over time.

🎥 I break it down in Myth #3 of my Heat Pump Myth Busting Series. The video will also be available on YouTube.

Join me at the US Heat Pump Summit, September 15–16 in Worcester, Massachusetts, where I’ll present:

“Navigating the Heat Pump Jungle: How to Design, Install, and Commission Heat Pumps That Deliver.”

Use discount code BC26 for 15% off.

08/26/2026

💨 200 CFM50.

Yes, you read that correctly.

During our energy audit of the Cochrane Home in Detroit, the blower door came in around 200 CFM50.

Combine that level of airtightness with R-40 walls, an R-60 attic, dedicated ventilation, and an HVAC system designed around the building—and you start seeing what high-performance construction can really look like.

But airtightness was only part of what made this house interesting.

🎥 Watch the full energy audit and Cochrane Home interview on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/Nct0knn20JE

08/25/2026

Are you prepared for the Silver Tsunami? 🌊

The skilled trades have talked about the workforce shortage for years. But we’re quickly approaching an even bigger challenge: experienced workers are retiring faster than we’re building the next generation.

And we can't recruit our way out of this.

I experienced this firsthand. As a small business owner, I was competing for talent against multiple $50M+ organizations right in my backyard.

I couldn't always compete dollar for dollar, so I changed the strategy.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/you-prepared-silver-tsunami-building-pipeline-cooksey-sr-cem-cms-wl9nc

Instead of just recruiting workers, we started building them.

Registered Apprenticeship became a major part of that strategy.

We created apprenticeship pathways for HVAC technicians, electricians, plumbers, energy auditors, appliance repair technicians, customer service representatives, retail sales consultants, and more.

The standards gave employees a clear pathway for training, competency, advancement, and raises. They also created accountability for us as the employer to train fairly, compensate ethically, and deliver on the promises we made.

And organized apprenticeship opened doors to workforce grants and subsidies that could help offset training costs—and, in some cases, wages.

My biggest takeaway?

The workforce shortage won't be solved by contractors stealing the same experienced employees from each other.

We have to build the pipeline.

In my new LinkedIn article, I share how Registered Apprenticeship became one of our recruiting, training, retention, and workforce-development strategies.

Are you prepared for the Silver Tsunami?

The skilled trades have been talking about a workforce shortage for years. I believe we're approaching the point where it becomes something much bigger.

08/25/2026

After **16 years in workforce training**, one lesson stands out:

**Training alone doesn't create a workforce.**

Workforce development is a system of connected parts working together to develop skilled, job-ready candidates.

In my latest article, I share some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned—from involving employers in program design and providing paid internships, to addressing wraparound services, developing contractors, creating career pathways, and tracking the KPIs that actually matter.

Because completing training isn't the finish line.

**Did they get hired? What was their starting wage? Did their wages grow? Are they still employed a year later?**

Those are the outcomes that tell us whether workforce development is actually working.

Check out the article and let me know: **What would you add to the list?**

After 16 years in workforce training, I’ve learned that our biggest workforce problem isn’t a lack of training programs. It’s that too many programs are built around getting people trained instead of getting people into sustainable careers.

08/21/2026

MYTH #1: Heat pumps don’t work well in cold climates. 🥶

This might be the biggest heat pump myth out there.

Modern cold-climate heat pumps are designed to operate at temperatures well below freezing. The bigger question isn’t whether heat pumps work in cold weather—it’s whether the system was properly designed for the climate and the home.

Load calculations. Equipment selection. Delivered capacity at design temperature. Duct performance. Commissioning.

Those details matter.

In this first video of my Heat Pump Myth Busting Series, I break down why cold weather doesn’t automatically mean a heat pump won’t work.

🎥 The full video will also be available on YouTube.

I’ll be going much deeper at the US Heat Pump Summit, September 15–16 in Worcester, Massachusetts.

My session: “Navigating the Heat Pump Jungle: How to Design, Install, and Commission Heat Pumps That Deliver.”

Use discount code BC26 for 15% off registration.

08/21/2026

Okay, energyoutwest — I’m in! 🔥

What an excellent event filled with dedicated building science and energy efficiency professionals who are passionate about moving our industry forward.

I had the opportunity to make some new friends, reconnect with some old favorites, and learn from some of the best people in the industry.

I’m looking forward to staying involved and contributing to Energy OutWest in the future.

Great people. Great conversations. Great building science. 🏠⚡