What do we do?

Energetechs is committed to building energy efficiency. We offer a wide range of services aimed at helping our customers and clients reduce their energy use, utility bills, and environmental footprint.

Our highly trained and experienced staff can provide sound and in-depth advice on every aspect of building energy efficiency, from CONSULTING with architects and builders on ENERGY EFFICIENT DESIGN of new buildings to performing BLOWER DOOR TESTS and INFRARED CAMERA ANALYSIS on existing buildings. We have expert knowledge of MECHANICAL SYSTEMS, PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN, building science, and GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATIONS.

We also sell a number of PRODUCTS specifically for energy efficient construction.

We invite you to explore this website to learn more about the many things we do or CONTACT US directly and we’ll be more than happy to chat with you about your energy efficiency needs.

CONTACT US – Energetechs, Inc., – ph. –

Energy Audit, Missoula, MT

Energetechs has been performing Energy Audits in the Missoula, MT area for 21 years!

What is an energy audit?
An energy audit is a type of home inspection that focuses primarily on the energy that a building uses for heating and cooling. The main areas of interest to the Energy Auditor are the insulation, the windows, the mechanical system, and the air tightness of the structure.

How can you test the insulation?
The best way to test the insulation in an existing home is with an Infrared Camera. It’s like an x-ray for your home and allows us to see what’s happening behind the drywall. We can see where insulation is missing or inadequate and we can very clearly see where air is leaking into and out of the building.

A Thermal Image taken with an Infrared Camera during an Energy Audit

The Thermal Image above was taken with an Infrared Camera during an Energy Audit and clearly shows where insulation is missing and air is leaking at the top of the wall behind the drywall. Without the infrared camer it is impossible to see what’s really going on in the hidden parts of your home.

Why is air-tightness important?
Air tightness is critical for an energy efficient structure and goes hand-in-hand with good insulation. You can’t achieve good energy performance without both of these working together. Insulation without good air sealing is like being out on a cold windy day in a thick blanket that has a bunch of holes in it. It’s not going to keep you warm. Similarly, air-tightness without insulation is like being out on a cold windy day wrapped only in a garbage bag. It’s not going to keep you warm either. Everyone knows that you need good insulation in a home but air-leakage is the hidden thief that can rob a home of a great deal of heat. The way to find him is with an Energy Audit.

How does an Energy Audit measure air tightness?
We use a special piece of equipment called a Blower Door to test how much air is moving through the shell (or envelope) of the building. During a Blower Door Test we measure the amount of air that we have to blow out of the building to reach a negative pressure of -50Pa. While the blower door is running we go around the home with the Infrared Camera and we can easily spot all of the places where air is leaking into the building. These can then be sealed up to help improve the overall Energy Performance.

Performing a Blower Door Test during an Energy Audit

The picture above shows one of our Energy Auditors performing a Blower Door Test on a home. The red tent seals the doorway while the fan blows air out of the house and calibrated gauges measure the pressure and amount of air flow. This tells us exactly how much air-leakage there is through the building structure.

What are the benefits of an Energy Audit in Missoula, MT?
Missoula and the surrounding area have a cold climate. Without good insulation, windows, air sealing, and efficient mechanical equipment it can be very expensive to heat a home in this area. In new homes it is possible to get very good levels of insulation and air-tightness if the builder is paying attention to detail during construction. But in existing homes it can be hard to tell where heat is being lost and the only effective way to find out is with a professional energy audit.

Why use Energetechs?
We have been around for 21 years and our team has a combined total of over 100 years experience in design, construction, heating, cooling, ventilation, and energy conservation. All of our staff have spent significant time in the construction industry which gives us a major advantage during an Energy Audit. Because we understand very clearly how buildings are put together we can tell you WHY you might have a problem and HOW to fix it. Which is a lot better than just telling you that you have a problem. All of our staff have put considerable time and effort into studying Building Science so we also understand in great depth how heat and moisture move in and through buildings. We can help you to solve and hopefully avoid many of the problems that arise in so many homes. We are committed to helping our customers achieve healthier, more affordable, and more energy efficient buildings.

CONTACT US – Energetechs, Inc., – ph. –

Free Consultations for Designers

Energetechs is now offering a FREE ONE-HOUR CONSULTATION to architects and designers on EVERY NEW PROJECT!

As part of our ongoing efforts to improve the energy efficiency of ALL buildings, we are offering these free consultations to assist architects and designers with improving the performance of their buildings. The earlier we can be involved in the process the better as fundamental decisions like site selection, building size, and orientation can dramatically affect the end result in terms of energy performance.

Ideally we would like to encourage all building designers to establish performance goals for their buildings from the very beginning. These goals could be in line with existing programs like The 2030 Challenge or Passive House Standard or they could be goals that the design team establishes specifically for each project. Once the performance goals have been set, the building is then designed to meet the goals. This is known as Performance Based Design and is the most effective way to ensure that energy conservation is made a top priority in building design.

TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE BENEFITS!
We can also assist with ensuring that health and safety as well as financial goals are met for each project. Our practical understanding of building science, moisture control, indoor air quality, HVAC systems, construction methods, and cost management makes us a highly valuable member of any Integrated Design team.

2009/10-AIA Sustainable Practice Conference

Energetechs welcomes architects to Bozeman.

We are very excited to be a part of the 2009 AIA Sustainable Practice Conference. We are looking forward to meeting with as many architects as possible and explaining how we can help to set and meet high performance goals for buildings. Not only that, but we can help improve all three of the triple bottom lines, the financial, the ecological, and the social. With our help buildings can be made healthier, safer, more energy efficient, and more cost effective.

The theme of this week’s conference is sustainable practice and much of the focus is on Integrated Design. And this is exactly where we feel we can be of the most service, offering our energy efficient design and construction expertise as part of an collaborative design process. If you are an architect attending the conference in Bozeman, please stop by our booth and learn about the services and products that we have to offer.

We are also using the conference as an opportunity to launch an exciting new program. Energetechs is now offering a FREE, ONE-HOUR CONSULTATION to architects and building designers for EVERY NEW PROJECT! Let us give you some free advice regarding building science and energy efficiency with no obligation whatsoever. Naturally, we’ll be thrilled if you decide to hire us to be part of your project team but we’ll be more than happy to give some free advice if it helps make your buildings better, safer, and greener.

For some time now we at Energetechs have been fostering the goal of working more closely with architects to make buildings more energy efficient. We love being part of an integrated design team from the earliest stages of a project to help set energy efficiency as a top priority. We’d like to see every design team choose energy performance goals (preferably in line with the 2030 Challenge) from the very beginning of every project and work to meet those goals throughout the entire project.

Ideas for living more energy efficiently

And saving on utility bills!

Turn it down! – In the winter use your programmable thermostat to lower the heat when you’re asleep or away from home. When you’re in the house set the thermostat to a lower temperature and put on a sweater, a pair of warm slippers,  and some more bed covers.

Use your blinds! – In winter keep the blinds and drapes of sun-exposed windows open in the daytime and closed at night to conserve heat. In the summer open windows and blinds at night to cool the house and close them in the daytime to keep it cool. If you don’t have good blinds consider installing insulating window coverings. They can be a great way to affordably reduce heat loss and gain through windows as well as adding privacy and beauty to your home.

Use your fans! – Ceiling fans are a much more energy efficient way to stay cool than air-conditioning. PLUS they can help to keep you comfortable in the winter too. Reversing the direction of the blades in winter pushes warm air up to the ceiling then brings it down the walls. This evens out the temperature without creating a cooling breeze. If you don’t have ceiling fans consider installing Energy Star models in your bedrooms and living room.

Fill it up! It takes almost as much energy and water to wash a small load as a big one so hang on to those dirty socks!

Wash ‘em cold! - unless clothes are badly stained, wash in cold water; always rinse clothes in cold water.

Hang ‘em up! (or on drying racks inside but watch out for too much humidity causing condensation inside your home). Clothes dryers use an enormous amount of energy and, most of the time, are not essential when clothes will dry perfectly well outside.

Cut the power! Turn off office equipment (TVs, radios, computers) and other appliances (the toaster, DVD, coffee maker, stereo, microwave) when not needed, at night or on the weekends. Home electronic products use energy when they’re off to power features like clock displays and remote controls. (In the average home, 40% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off.) At the very least pull the plug on these appliances if you go on vacation.

(Tip: If you put several appliances—your TV, DVD, VCR and stereo, for example—on a surge protector, you can turn them all off at once with the flip of a switch)

Don’t blow it! Use your exhaust fans sparingly; in just one hour they can remove a houseful of warmed or cooled air. BUT you do need to remove stale air, odors, and excess humidity from the house and bring in fresh air so consider installing a Heat Recovery Ventilation system. CLICK HERE to learn more.

Micro it!Use your microwave to reheat food; it uses 60% less energy than reheating on the stovetop.

Keep your cool! refrigerator coils—usually located on the back of the refrigerator—are used to expel heat, and if they are dusty it makes your fridge use more energy. Vacuum the coils once a year, especially if you have dogs and cats. Animal hair can really inhibit heat loss.

The 2030 Challenge

Energetechs has officially adopted the 2030 Challenge which aims to bring all new buildings and major renovations to carbon-neutral by 2030. The 2030 Challenge is designed to rapidly slow, then reverse, the increase in global greenhouse gas production. We’d like to encourage all members of the Missoula community who are committed to a sustainable future to consider signing on to the 2030 Challenge and join us in fighting global warming.

Credible scientists give us 10 years to be well on our way toward global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions in order to avoid catastrophic climate change. Yet there are hundreds of coal-fired power plants currently on the drawing boards in the US. Seventy-six percent (76%) of the energy produced by these plants will go to operate buildings.

Buildings are the major source of demand for energy and materials that produce by-product greenhouse gases (GHG). Slowing the growth rate of GHG emissions and then reversing it over the next ten years is the key to keeping global warming under one degree centigrade (°C) above today’s level. It will require immediate action and a concerted global effort.

To accomplish this, Architecture 2030 has issued The 2030 Challenge asking the global architecture and building community to adopt the following targets:

• All new buildings, developments and major renovations shall be designed to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or country) average for that building type.
• At a minimum, an equal amount of existing building area shall be renovated annually to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or country) average for that building type.
• The fossil fuel reduction standard for all new buildings and major renovations shall be increased to:

  60% in 2010
  70% in 2015
  80% in 2020
  90% in 2025
  Carbon-neutral in 2030 (using no fossil fuel GHG emitting energy to operate).

  These targets may be accomplished by implementing innovative sustainable design strategies, generating on-site renewable power and/or purchasing (20% maximum) renewable energy and/or certified renewable energy credits.

(Source: http://www.architecture2030.org/2030_challenge/index.html)

Check out architecture2030.org to learn more and to sign on to adopt the 2030 Challenge.

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]

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.

Andy Lemann

Andy Lemann

ANDY LEMANN (B.Sc. Arch – LEED AP)

Green Building and Design Specialist

Andy was born in Australia and studied architecture at the University of Sydney. He has been involved in energy efficient design and Green Building since 1988. He moved to Montana in 1992 and to Missoula in 2004.

Andy is an expert on Passive Solar Design and specializes in all areas of Green Design and Construction. In the past he has owned and operated his own design-build firm and has worked for General Contractors and Architects as a project supervisor.

Andy has a real passion for Green Building in general and Energy Conservation in particular.

Tom Hellem

Tom Hellem

TOM HELLEM

Energy Efficient Construction Specialist

Tom has 35 years experience in residential construction & carpentry with 10 years as an Energy Star builder partner.

Tom completed  the Passive House  consultants training course in June 2009 and is excited about taking energy efficient construction to the next level.

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