A new non-profit, the Virginia Green Initiative, has been started this year by a consortium of local green businesses to offer free green certification to businesses and residences in the state of Virginia. What better way to build momentum in our kickoff year, than to have our first spotlight talk with Justin Dobson of Comfenergy, a home performance solutions company? We had our monthly meeting discussing our new website, vgi.green, and of course getting the word out and holding events. After the meeting Justin gave us a tour of Comfenergy’s facility in Sterling VA.
Comfenergy works with homeowners to make their castle more comfortable, so if your air conditioner or furnace isn’t working, don’t call them. But if you have drafty rooms, or one room is hotter than another room, or you find yourself sneezing, or fighting a lot of dust, that’s the time to call Comfenergy.
Justin started us out in their main lobby where we can see the multiple awards they’ve won, and for previous years in the LC Chamber of Commerce’s Green Business Challenge, and then showing us the room where they hold their internal trainings, whether it’s on new technology or even getting their staff CPR certified!
He next showed us some of the offices, and then took us into their warehouse where they have all their materials and supplies stored. They use a high quality spray foam (when it’s called for) that hardens like a brick which a one inch thickness has an R6 rating. There’s two barrels of chemicals, which get combined as it is sprayed into the wall or floor cavity.
Next he took us up the stairs and showed us where their team leads connect with their production managers at the end of each day and get ready for the next. Here he talked about the training manager, how they hire people, and then onboarding them through a rigorous training process. Their industry is not typical, in that people don’t think of a house or a home performance solution but think in terms of the equipment itself, is it working or not working.
If people find themselves saying it’s drafty in this room, or always warm in the other room, it may not necessarily mean that the windows need to be replaced, it could be for a completely different reason. This is where an energy audit is necessary so that all the parts of the home’s system can be measured, e.g., warm or cool spots on the walls, ARE the windows drafty, what’s the air exchange, the higher it is, the more the equipment has to work to cool or heat it. Comfenergy provides an energy audit free of charge to help their customer assess what the actual comfort issue is.
After taking us through the rest of the office space, we all went back downstairs and gathered for a bit of food, drink and some networking.
Jennifer (left – in for the day to train staff on customer finance options – Yes Comfenergy has financing!) and Crystal (Comfenergy’s new Marketing Manager).
John LeVan of Dr. Energy Saver who partnered with Comfenergy in 2014.
Left to right – Chris Hansen President of C2 Management, Tim Reichert (Energy Sherlock) and Syndi Major-Martinez of CEM Solutions Group, gather for a picture.
Pat Cassidy (left) and brother Mike Cassidy (right) of Change Loudoun Project talking with Carol Kearney of Momentum Realty
Gary Hoffman of WGL Energy, Chuck Birdie of Lead2Succeed, Justin Dobson, Melissa Rios and Mary Haberl of Solar Four
Many, many thank-you to Justin Dobson and his team for opening up their offices for a spotlight talk about their business, the tour and the great conversation.
For more information about the Virginia Green Initiative and its green certification, please see our website at vgi.green, or call us at 571-206-8231.
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