I had a discussion several months ago with a designer I know regarding energy efficiency in a project she is working on. She recently took the initiative to become a licensed residential contractor and is now managing entire projects. I applaud her for making this transition and for working hard to maintain her professionalism in an industry where there are a lot of fly-by-night operators. The homeowner is interested in making the house more efficient, and our conversations focused on those aspects of the project. I offered my services as a consultant to evaluate the house and make a set of recommendations for improvements to consider.Well, I ran into her recently and asked about the project, which is just underway. She asked me about coming in to do blower door and duct blaster tests when the project is finished, to see how it turned out. Since I don’t find running test equipment that much fun, and I believe that my particular talents are better applied earlier in the job, I declined the invitation. During this discussion, it occurred to me that here was a residential designer with little, if any, training or experience in building performance making decisions on insulation, air sealing, HVAC systems, and other critical details. Any wrong choices in products or installation methods on this project would very likely create long-term problems that could be avoided with proper advice up front.