“Five million homes is impressive, but it’s the quality behind those ratings that really matters.” In this episode of RESTalk, Bill Spohn is joined by Marra Ingram of PEG, whose routine field inspection became the official five millionth HERS® Rating, along with PEG COO Matthew Cooper and EnergyLogic CEO Steve Byers to reflect on what this achievement says about the industry’s past and future. The discussion explores how dramatically the HERS Rating process has evolved. Early raters performed only final inspections with relatively simple software, while today’s professionals navigate increasingly sophisticated building assemblies, energy codes, digital tools, and quality assurance requirements. Matthew and Steve describe how Rating Providers have grown alongside the industry, managing hundreds of thousands of homes while developing advanced scheduling, automation, and data systems to keep pace with modern construction. The conversation also highlights the human side of building science. Marra shares how her Air Force construction background prepared her for a career built on technical expertise, professionalism, and builder relationships. Together, the guests discuss why successful HERS Raters are trusted partners rather than inspectors, how the industry can attract the next generation of talent, and why helping consumers understand the value of high-performance homes may be the next great challenge after reaching five million ratings.
