Local residential customers are warming up to a new service that uses thermography to isolate air seepage in their homes so they can better insulate their homes, lower their energy bills and reduce consumption of fossil fuels.
More than 20 customers have sought the innovative home energy audits since Pro Energy Consultants opened their business a month ago at 1549 Michigan St. NE. Co-owner Erin Windemuller says the response has been“fantastic.”
He and his partner, Phil Boogart, believe demand for this service will grow in popularity because people want to reduce rising energy costs and are more aware of the lasting effect of fossil fuels on the environment. Thermography is not new technology, but it is new for residential consumers wanting a more precise detection method of energy loss, Windemuller said.
Consultants begin their audits by identifying the home’s problem areas, such as condensation on windows or cold, drafty rooms. After scanning the building, consultants return a day or so later with a written audit report that includes thermographic pictures indicating where a home is losing energy, how much energy is being lost, and different solutions for those energy inefficiencies. Windemuller said a comprehensive audit of a typical home cost about $400. Audits of commercial buildings are also available.
Windemuller and Boogart, former self-employed construction workers tired of waiting for the recession to end, were among the last in Michigan to be awarded a franchise from Pro Energy Consultants, the nation’s first home energy auditing franchise. Their territory covers primarily Kent and Ottawa Counties, Windemuller said.
The Cleveland-based franchise has signed on and trained more than 30 other franchise-holders since it was established in October 2008.
Source: Erin Windemuller, ProEnergy Consultants
Sharon Hanks is the innovation and job news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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