The Building HVAC Science Podcast: Free, Field-Tested Learning for HVAC Pros

The Building HVAC Science Podcast is an interview-style show for HVAC technicians, contractors, and building performance professionals. Each episode features a conversation with someone doing notable work in the industry, from field contractors sharing hard-won lessons to researchers explaining the science behind comfort, health, and energy efficiency. 

Host Bill Spohn is an HVAC measurement and building performance expert, and it shows in the questions he asks. These are not surface-level interviews. The conversations get into the how and why behind the work, the kind of detail you can apply on your next call. And with more than 275 episodes in the archive, there is a deep library waiting, whether you are brand new to the trade or decades in. 

The show covers the full range of subjects that touch modern HVAC work. Many episodes focus on diagnostics and measurement, covering how to test, what the numbers mean, and how to build confidence in your readings. Building science is another regular subject, since a system's performance depends on the building it is installed in. Other episodes cover indoor air quality, heat pumps, airflow, and energy efficiency, along with the business and career questions that matter just as much as the technical ones. 

Recent guests include Heather Zoberman of Entech who explores predictive heating controls for multifamily buildings. Gabriel Erde-Cohen makes the case for deep cleaning heat pumps. Dan Stradford challenges techs to "think like an air molecule" when diagnosing airflow. Whatever part of the work interests you most, there is an episode about it. 

Manuals and spec sheets tell you how equipment should work. The people on this show tell you how it actually performs in the field. 

Podcast guests bring perspectives you rarely get access to in one place, including contractors who have made the mistakes so you can skip them, manufacturers who can explain what their instruments are really measuring, educators who know how to make complex concepts stick, and researchers working on the questions the industry will face next. Hearing how they think, troubleshoot, and run their businesses shortens your own learning curve. 

There is also real value in hearing peers talk through the same challenges you face. It confirms you are not alone in the tricky calls, and you pick up ideas that may not have reached your market yet. 

Between heat pump adoption, smart controls, evolving refrigerants, tighter building envelopes, and rising customer expectations around comfort and air quality, there is more to keep up with than ever. Techs who keep learning diagnose faster, communicate better with customers, and position themselves for the most rewarding work. 

Podcasts are one of the easiest ways to keep learning. There is no classroom, no tuition, and no schedule. You learn on the drive between calls, and over a year those hours add up to a serious education.