Looking for a speaker who can make building science genuinely engaging—for homeowners and seasoned professionals alike? Allison A. Bailes III, PhD has built a reputation in the field for doing exactly that: taking complex building science topics and making them accessible, interesting, and immediately useful, without sacrificing the depth that experts want.

Dr. Bailes is the founder of Energy Vanguard, a building science consulting and training firm based in Decatur, Georgia, and the author of A House Needs to Breathe…Or Does It? He has delivered everything from keynotes for large conference audiences to daylong workshops for energy auditors and other building professionals. Whatever the format, he brings the same combination of rigor and wit that has made his blog and newsletter a go-to resource in the industry.

Recent speaking events include:
- Fine Homebuilding Summit (2025)
- Finger Lakes Building Officials Association (2025)
- Building Enclosure Council – Iowa (2024)
- Building Science Symposium (2022, 2023, 2026)
- Building Enclosure Council – Kansas City (2023)
- AIA Maine (2023)
- Westford Symposium on Building Science (2017 and 2022)
Topics
If it touches building science, Dr. Bailes can most likely make it work for your audience. He speaks on building science fundamentals, HVAC design and right-sizing, home performance retrofits, indoor air quality, heat pumps and heat pump water heaters, electrification, speeding up hot water delivery, and much more. Some recent talk titles include:
- Solving the Ventilation Puzzle
- The Fundamentals of Flow – Ducts Done Right
- The Importance of Good Mechanical Design
- Filtration, Ventilation, and Indoor Air Quality for Homes
- Building Science for Home Inspectors
- How to Become a Building Enclosure Control Freak
- Fundamentals of Psychrometrics
Fees
Speaking fees usually range from $1,500 to $5,000 plus travel reimbursement, depending on the event. We’re also happy to work out an arrangement based on a bulk purchase of A House Needs to Breathe…Or Does It?, or a combination of book purchases and direct payment — whatever works best for your organization and budget.

Ready to bring building science to life for your audience?
Fill out the form on this page and we’ll be in touch promptly to explore the possibilities.
