Meet the Team

Russ Hellem – Owner, Building Science and HVAC Expert

[Biography]

Gary Mazade – Founder and Executive Consultant

[Biography]

Tom Hellem – Energy Efficient Construction Specialist

[Biography]

Andy Lemann – Green Building and Design Specialist

[Biography]

Jeanne Rothenbuecher - Finance & Administration Manager

[Biography]

Skander Spies – Commercial Building Specialist

[Biography]

Russ Hellem

Russ Hellem

RUSS HELLEM

Owner – Building Science and HVAC Expert

Russ Hellem is an expert in energy and environmental construction practices, with a long history in the building industry. Russ grew up building energy efficient houses under the direction of his father, Tom, in Colorado and Wisconsin. His work in building continued with a custom builder in Missoula while he finished his undergraduate degree in forestry.

After completing his degree, Russ took his passion for building science and energy conservation to the next level, building and consulting on energy efficient home projects. His desire to help people create the best indoor spaces possible led him to acquire Energetechs in 2006. Energetechs provides a full menu of services for energy and environmental construction, including whole-house energy audits, complete energy upgrades, HVAC system design and installation, and training services.

Russ Hellem is an expert in energy and environmental construction practices,
with a long history in the building industry. Russ grew up building energy
efficient houses under the direction of his father Tom in Colorado and
Wisconsin. His work in building continued with a custom builder in Missoula
while he finished his undergraduate degree in forestry.

After completing his degree, Russ took his passion for building science and
energy conservation to the next level, building and consulting on energy
efficient home projects. His desire to help people create the best indoor
spaces possible led him to acquire Energetechs in 2006. Energetechs provides
a full menu of services for energy and environmental construction, including
whole-house energy audits, complete energy upgrades, HVAC system design and
installation, and training services.

Jeanne Rothenbuecher

Jeanne Rothenbuecher

Finance and Administration Manager

Jeanne Rothenbuecher is a seasoned professional in Finance & Administration. She has over 25 years experience in accounting and office management in small, mid-size and Fortune 500 companies in the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, and Montana. She previously worked for Energetechs as a contracted full-charge bookkeeper providing accounting support for Energetechs for 1 1/2 years before joining the management team as an employee. She strives to provide a high level of service and support to our clients, which includes the goal of reducing our carbon footprint and saving energy for the future of our planet. Jeanne’s outside activities include a passion for handcrafts, camping, kayaking and gardening.

Skander Spies

Skander Spies

Preparing for the Home Star program with BPI certification

HOMESTAR coming to Missoula, Montana.

The HOME STAR program has passed the house of representatives and has strong support in the senate. This $6 billion incentive program is designed to create jobs in the construction and home energy retrofit industries as well as improving the energy efficiency of the existing housing stock in the US.

Silver Star and Gold Star.

The HOME STAR program offers two paths to getting rebate money.

The SILVER STAR program is a prescriptive approach whereby the homeowner will get rebates of up to $3,000 for specific energy improvement upgrades including: air sealing; attic, wall, and crawl space insulation; duct sealing or replacement; and replacement of existing windows and doors, furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, water heaters and appliances with high-efficiency models.

Performing a Blower Door Test during an Energy Audit

The GOLD STAR program is a performance based approach which will provide rebates of up to $8000 for verified home energy performance improvements (up to 50% over current energy usage). This will require having a comprehensive energy audit performed as a first step. The audit must be done by a Building Performance Institute (BPI) Certified Professional (or other approved accreditation) and the predicted improvements in energy performance must be verified by computer energy modeling using an approved software program. The actual improvements to the home must also be performed by a BPI Accredited Contractor.

Energetechs staff preparing for BPI certification.

For this reason Energetechs is sending two of our staff, Russ Hellem and Andy Lemann, to Helena to complete the necessary requirements to become BPI Certified Professionals. This will ensure that both Energetechs and our sister company, Montana Energy Services, will have the qualifications to perform any type of work under the HOME STAR program. We will be one of only a few performance testing companies in Missoula and Montana to carry these highly regarded qualifications. In conjunction with our combined total of well over 100 years of experience in the green and energy efficient design and construction fields this will help to keep Energetechs at the very forefront of the  Home Energy Retrofit industry in Missoula, Montana.

Home Energy Retrofit Improvements under the HOME STAR program.

HOME STAR is just one of many federal, state, and utility company incentives for Missoula’s homeowners to improve the energy performance of their homes. Contact Energetechs today for more information about these as well as the many other benefits of improving your home’s performance including reduced utility bills; improved comfort, health, safety, and indoor air quality; and improved building durability.

CONTACT US – Energetechs, Inc., 615 Oak St, Suite 101, Missoula, MT, 59801 – ph.406.721.2741

Energetechs article in Montana Designs magazine

CLICK HERE to read the article from Montana Designs

Great article about Green Building and Serious Windows

CLICK HERE to read this article from USA Today

Energetechs in the Missoulian

CLICK HERE to read a Missoulian article about Energetechs verifying the energy efficiency of a house in Missoula

2009 IECC – Residential Code Training Seminar, Kalispell, MT

A FULL-DAY, IN-PERSON, RESIDENTIAL ENERGY CODE TRAINING SEMINAR PRESENTED BY ENERGETECHS…. “The code training was excellent….I think this was valuable information.  As an insulator these new changes are critical….I look forward to the new 2009 IECC and hope that we can work towards educating those involved in the building industry.”     Nate Jarosch, Manager, Installed Insulation, BMC Select, Missoula, MT. (Attended our code training seminar in Missoula on April 23rd, 2010)

2009 IECC – How to Meet and Exceed the New Energy Code for Montana.

REGISTER NOW!

SPACE IS LIMITED – CALL THE FLATHEAD BUILDING ASSOCIATION (406) 752-2422 OR EMAIL staff@buildingflathead.com

Topics Covered:

• Residential Code Compliance
• Energy conservation.
• Green building
• Insulation
• Air-sealing
• Blower Door, Duct Tightness, and IR Camera Testing
• Heating and Cooling
• Ventilation
• Moisture control
• Comfort
• Safety
• Health
• Durability
• Affordability

WHEN: FRIDAY, May 6th, 8am – 5pm.

WHERE: Hampton Inn, 1140 US Hwy 2, Kalispell, MT

COST: $85.00 per person FBA members (lunch included)

: $95.00 per person non-FBA members (lunch included)

COURSE OUTLINE

(Continuing Education Credits available with self reporting – a certificate will be provided)

Morning Session

8:00am    – Welcome, introductions and overview of the day’s activities.

- Preview of the Jobsite Booklet with Checklist and Examples

- Overview of Performance Based Design and Energy Efficient Construction principles.

9:00am    – 2009 IECC residential requirements in detail – point by point analysis with  reference to the code, photos, Jobsite Booklet, Checklist, Examples, and Best Practices.

10:00am  – 15 minute break.

10:15am  – 2009 IECC residential requirements in detail (continued).

Lunch Break

12:00 noon      (Lunch is included in the cost of the class).

Afternoon Session

12:45pm  – Demonstrations of Blower Door, Duct Tightness, and Infrared Camera testing in action,  air-sealing details, and heat recovery ventilation system requirements.

4:00pm    – Return to conference room for Q&A.

5:00pm    – Close.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES – by the end of the day you will:

• Be familiar with the format and layout of the 2009 IECC.
• Understand the Montana amendments to the code.
• Understand the differences between the current version and the new version of the code (with amendments).
• Be familiar with the JOBSITE CHECKLIST provided and how to use it to ensure that nothing gets overlooked during the construction process.
• Understand exactly what is required to meet the requirements of the 2009 IECC and the Montana amendments.
• Know what is involved in Blower Door, Duct Tightness, and IR Camera Tests.
• Understand the fundamentals of Heat and Energy Recovery Ventilation systems and their ducting requirements.
• Have a better understanding of energy efficient building design and construction, building science, and Green Building in general.
• Understand how energy efficient construction can affect the Health, Safety, Comfort, Durability, and Affordability of homes in Montana.

TAKE-HOME MATERIAL

• Jobsite Booklet – developed exclusively for this training program. Includes a thorough checklist and relevant examples (with photos) to help Project Managers ensure that every residential job meets or exceeds the requirements of the 2009 IECC. (1 copy included in price – more available for purchase)

Optional Extras (additional price per copy)

• 2009 International Energy Conservation Code $35.00 Paperback version of the 2009 IECC – keep one on every jobsite!
• 2009 IECC Study Companion $48.00 Comprehensive study guide to help you better understand the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code®

For more information and to register call THE FLATHEAD BUILDING ASSOCIATION (406) 752-2422 OR EMAIL staff@buildingflathead.com

Energetechs’ Passive Solar Advice on HGTV-Pro

We were honored recently to receive a call from Kara Wahlgren, a writer for HGTVPro.com. She found our web-site when she searched the internet for a Passive Solar Design Consultant. Kara had a number of questions for our Passive Solar Design expert, Andy Lemann, for an article she was writing on Energy Efficient Windows. Here’s a brief excerpt from the her article…

“…the growing trend of passive solar design allows homeowners to harness the sun’s energy without spending a fortune or cluttering their property with solar-energy collectors. Instead, the key to a successful passive solar design is a strategic approach to installing windows.”

Click on the link below to read the full article or CLICK HERE to visit the HGTVPro.com website which contains a wealth of information aimed at homebuilding professionals.

http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/di_green_sustainable/article/0,2618,HPRO_20616_6025009,00.html

SeriousWindows for Passive Solar Design

Energetechs recently became a dealer for SeriousWindows, the most energy efficient windows made in North America. These windows are perfectly suited to Passive Solar design because every window that Serious sells comes with the option for either Low-gain or High-gain glass.

One of the beautiful things about Passive Solar Design is that, when it’s done right, it keeps a home warmer in the winter AND cooler in the summer. To achieve this we rely on very high performance windows that have very low U-values (high R-values) and SHGC’s (Solar Heat Gain Coefficients) that are tunable to different orientations. Here’s another quote from Kara’s article…

“…Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC). The SHGC measures how much solar heat comes through the window. Lemann recommends a high SHGC on south-facing windows; they’ll let heat in during winter months and proper shading will keep the sun out during summer months. On all other walls, opt for a low SHGC. “It’s difficult to shade windows on the west side because the sun comes in so low — so that’s when you want a window that doesn’t let too much heat through…” (i.e. a window with a low SHGC).

Selecting Energy Efficient Windows

For this reason we always encourage our clients to select the most high-performance windows they can afford. To help with the decision making process we have put together a Window Comparison Spreadsheet that directly compares U-values, R-values, SHGCs, and Prices for High-Performance Windows from a variety of different manufacturers. CLICK HERE to view our Window Comparison Chart.

Or contact us if you have any questions about Passive Solar Design or Energy Efficient Windows.

Energetechs, 615 Oak St, Suite 101, Missoula, MT, 59802 (406) 721 2741

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