BOULDER, Colorado (June 13, 2011) – In October 2010 when Boulder County awarded Populus, LLC the contract to administer its residential services for EnergySmart, one of the nation’s most ambitious energy efficiency programs, the company knew the industry would be watching.   At the time, the Boulder-based residential energy efficiency firm was a small company of only three people with a big vision of taking its energy consulting services to the masses.  Today, Populus is a company of seventeen that is pioneering a new era of energy efficiency programs in Colorado.

EnergySmart, which launched in January of 2011 seeks to reach 10,000 Boulder County homes by the end of May 2013.  The innovative service pairs clients with an energy advisor to take the hassle out of home energy improvements by helping prioritize upgrades, receive bids from qualified contractors, find financing and complete rebate paperwork.  “To some extent, when we launched, there was this feeling that we were embarking on a mission with impossibly large goals,” said Laura Hutchings, CEO of Populus, “but when you’re a business owner putting it all on the line every day to build a company, you are constantly embracing challenges and nothing seems impossible.”

After less than six months, EnergySmart is reaching a series of major milestones.  “We’ve enrolled over 2,000 homes so far,” said Andy Mazal, Populus’ Existing Homes Director, “what’s more is that we’re seeing proven results from the energy advisor services.  So far, about 58% of the total homes that have received energy advisor services have undertaken or scheduled a major energy upgrade.”

“I’ve always felt that it’s our responsibility to help our community meet its clean energy goals to ensure both the long-term sustainability of our local economy and the health of our planet,” said David Neiger, the founder of Populus and its “Chief Geek,” “We have a unique opportunity to leverage the lessons learned here in Boulder County to assist communities nationwide in creating successful, scalable energy efficiency programs.”  Populus has already begun expanding its services to support other communities by licensing its tailored customer management and data tracking system to the City & County of Denver for their “Better Buildings” residential and commercial programs.

What advice would Populus give to other communities launching a residential energy efficiency program?  “Be sure you are listening to the market and be prepared to change direction quickly if needed,” said Hutchings.   “But, at the same time, you have to have a good deal of ‘stick-to-it-iveness’ – follow your instincts; in the beginning all programs are going to look like they’re falling short of expectations.  It takes time to see results, but once you reach the tipping point, progress can happen very quickly.”

Populus is a residential energy efficiency consulting firm based in Boulder, Colorado.  Populus has worked with municipalities throughout the West to design and implement residential sustainability programs and green building codes for both existing and new homes, including the nation’s first performance-based energy code for rental housing.  Find out more at www.popboulder.com

Boulder County, Colo. – Boulder County residents have a limited time to access new rebates for energy efficiency improvements in their homes.

Through its EnergySmart program, Boulder County is offering up to $1,000 per household in rebates until July 31 or until funds are exhausted. Rebates are for qualifying projects including insulation, furnace replacement, efficient windows and Energy Star appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers and more.

The more than $300,000 in rebates are available to EnergySmart participants only. EnergySmart provides a full suite of services to help Boulder County residents identify valuable energy-saving opportunities. More information and registration is available at www.EnergySmartYES.com or by calling 303-544-1000. Rebate payment takes an average of 6-8 weeks and will be made to qualifying applicants upon completion of projects on a first-come, first-served basis.

The $1,000 in EnergySmart rebates are available in addition to existing utility rebates. EnergySmart also offers 2.5 percent interest “microloans” for up to $5,000 on qualifying energy efficiency projects. More than 1,200 Boulder County residents have enrolled in EnergySmart services since the program launched in early 2011.

“Rebates are generally confusing, but EnergySmart helps people find them and figure them out. We even fill out the paperwork,” said EnergySmart Advisor manager Andy Manzal. “These new $1,000 rebates are really going to get people excited. There has never been a better time or an easier way to make energy efficiency upgrades.”

EnergySmart services and large energy efficiency rebates are also available to all businesses in Boulder County.

EnergySmart is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the U.S. Department of Energy’s BetterBuildings grant program and is sponsored in partnership by Boulder County, the cities of Boulder and Longmont, Xcel Energy and the Platte River Power Authority. Residential services are administered by Populus, LLC.

Please join us on Thursday, April 7th to learn about EnergySmart – a one of a kind service with limited time incentives for homeowners to upgrade the energy performance of their homes.  Enjoy some free appetizers and drink some local refreshments, while showing your support!

SIGN UP HERE

Download the Event Flyer

After several months of “ramping up”, Populus is pleased to announce the launch of EnergySmart: Your Efficiency Solutions!  EnergySmart includes a residential service administered by Populus and funded by a federal grant awarded to Boulder County and its municipal partners.

Are you a home performance contractor, solar company, mechanical contractor, window company or other Boulder County contractor interested in local energy efficiency retrofit programs?  As administrator for EnergySmart (formerly “Two Techs and a Truck”), Populus will be hosting an information session on January 13th for interested contractors.  The information session will provide information about EnergySmart, including the implementation plan, opportunities for contractors and program standards.  The first two hours of this information session is for all contractors, while the entire four hour session is for insulation and air-sealing contractors.

Attendance at an EnergySmart Information Session is mandatory for contractors wishing to provide services to homeowners through the EnergySmart service.  The next information session will be February 15, 2011.  Registration for these information sessions is being handled by the Boulder Green Building Guild (“BGBG”).  To learn more or to sign-up, please click here.