Going Green
Home & Yard Boulevard Section
“Our company philosophy is that an informed client is a client that can make a reasoned decision about his or her particular situation.”
The company is Hi-Tech Energy Solutions, and President Dan Thees is speaking for the triumvirate that also includes Kyle Tave, Vice President, and Kevin Leehan, CFO.
Hi-Tech has been in business since 2006, and the three already were involved in various aspects of the window, construction, and buildings-material-supply industries.
However, even with the current proliferation of products, residential and even commercial property owners can have a significant amount of confusion as to what specific energy products and applications will be of greatest benefit to them.
“For example,” Thees explains, “a homeowner may want new windows, in the belief that they will make their home warmer or cooler, and more energy-efficient. However, by analyzing the energy dynamics of the home, and taking into consideration other factors, such as how long they intend to remain in the home, it may be the case that the best solution would be to just replace their old furnace.”
To ensure that the client gets the most green-efficient solution for his or her money, a Hi-Tech representative makes an appointment to meet on the property, then, like a good doctor, listens to what the client feels is wrong, what his or her plans and goals for the property might be, and what resources will be used to meet those goals.
“People will tell us that they want to be more ‘green’ regarding their home or commercial building,” Thees relates. “But the term ‘green’ is ambiguous, and can mean virtually anything. Only through discussion and analysis of the problem can something be crafted that delivers a meaningful ‘green’ solution.”
Hi-Tech has worked with new homes that recently won a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Award from the US Green Building Council, and houses built at the turn of the 20th Century that may only have had fresh paint or wallpaper.
Greening the first, Thees notes, may involve only commonsense measures like turning off lights, etc., while the second could require a complete makeover.
According to Thees, “Ideally, we like to develop a plan of action, based on empirical data. Then, what you can’t do this year, you can plan on doing next year, and the year after.”
The company will do evaluations before and after work, and can return in six months or a year to measure progress.
“If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years,” Thees emphasizes, “it is that homes reflect the personalities of the people that live in them. As a consequence, the priorities of what gets fixed, renovated, upgraded, and done away with only vaguely follows what ‘common wisdom’ might dictate.
“For most people, what they want to do with their home is balanced by what they can afford to do, and where their home fits into their life trajectory. Our advice to someone nearing retirement and planning on staying in their home could be quite different from what we would advise someone who plans on selling within a few years.
Thees concludes, “What we strive to do is to make the solution the best available, given the facts and circumstances.”
