Allison Bailes III

Allison A. Bailes III, PhD, is founder and owner of Energy Vanguard in Decatur, Georgia. Like many in the field of building science and green building, he is multi-faceted: His academic credentials in physics (BS, MS, MST, and PhD all in that field) give him a solid foundation in the science that underlies buildings. Having taught physics at the high school and college levels, he's adept at explaining technical concepts in a way that people new to green building can understand. In addition, he has practical, hands-on experience. He built a high-performance home out of structural insulated panels, doing much of the work himself, and ran a home performance contracting business. Numerous homes in the Atlanta area had their ducts sealed and crawl spaces encapsulated by Dr. Bailes himself. Between his first and second businesses in this field, he gained more green building experience by working as the regional manager for the EarthCraft House program in the Southeast. What Dr. Bailes has become most known for in recent years, though, is writing the Energy Vanguard blog. In it he covers everything from building science fundamentals to HVAC particulars to big-picture topics like energy security and peak oil. The blog has gained a wide readership in a short time and is often cited and linked to from other websites. In fact, it is the Energy Vanguard Blog that garnered Dr. Bailes an invitation to become a Green Building Advisor. As a result of his varied experiences and abilities, Dr. Bailes is a highly respected teacher, speaker, and writer, praised for his ability to turn what often comes across as dry and technical into something fun and understandable. As one of his readers commented, "Your blog is off the chain! Your writing is technical yet easily readable, such a rare combination." He travels across North America, speaking, teaching, and leading workshops.