Podcasts: Oct. 20, 2014

A: It started in 2009 as I was pursuing a degree in environmental engineering at a local community college. From there, I was introduced to Building Performance Institute Inc. (BPI). I was one of the first folks in our local market to obtain BPI’s building analyst certification. I started looking for energy auditing jobs and basically got laughed out of the building, as everyone told me this was a fad that would never be accepted as a valid concept. This prompted me to take a few business classes, and I started the first full-service home-performance contracting business in the Greater Cincinnati market, Cincinnati Home Solutions. … Our area received some of the largest ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) funds in the country to incentivize home-performance work in the area. Luckily, my company was the only one with a business model that fit what they were looking for. This boosted my business exponentially overnight and lasted for about four years.

Q: Home-performance is a buzzword in the industry. But, before we really start talking about home-performance contracting, we have to define it. What does home-performance contracting mean to you?

A: Home-performance contracting is more than energy efficiency. It links building science with performance testing to create homes that are comfortable, healthy, durable, safe, and cost-effective. The basic idea is that all parts are connected as a whole-house system where comfort and performance change based on indoor and outdoor conditions and occupant activities. As homes get tighter, and equipment gets more complicated, it takes a bit of detective work and special diagnostic measurements to determine what is going on and determine if the work you’ve done solves the issue you were called for in the first place.

Jeremy Begley
Home-performance specialist and Web and social media manager
National Heating and Air Conditioning Co.
Cincinnati

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Publication date: 10/20/2014