Building Energy

This is mostly a review for Jacob Smeriglio, who we worked closely with when we hired Building Energy to do a weatherization audit on our home. I found him very capable, and he offered a large menu of different options of varying cost levels that we could try for reducing our energy usage. The attic insulation was too pricy for me, but the basement sill worked just great. I looked forward to discussing technical details of weatherization with Jacob because he clearly knows his stuff. He also clearly cares about the mission of making homes more efficient.

We need to have our roof re-done last year. It meant taking off the solar panels and reinstalling afterwards. The original installer was out of business BUT Building Energy stepped up to help us. They worked with the roofer on timing to mitigate the solar loss while the panels were off the roof. They did an assessment of the existing equipment and advised us of some safety systems that were not available when we originally installed our panels 14 years ago. With the upgrades and replacement of outdated equipment our panels were producing more than before it seems. Thank you !!

We would like to thank the crew at Building Energy for a job well done spraying new cellulose insulation in our attic. They were prompt and courteous right out of the gate. Every time I called or emailed I received very quick responses. Two trucks and 5 guys showed up exactly when they said they would and were done in three hours. They covered all of the surrounding areas in the house and cleaned up, vacuuming their way out the door. There are too many companies these days that barely give you the time of day, let alone even answer their phones or mail. These guys get a huge thumbs up!

We used Building Energy to replace our aging roof and then install a photovoltaic system. They were very easy to deal with, were very organized and detailed, and did quality work using quality components. We look forward to working with Building Energy again in the future.

Building Energy installed solar on our garden shed this summer and they were clear, helpful, and considerate. The crew worked quickly and amicably with each member knowing their role and doing it well. Their expertise is broad so they can adapt to special situations.

I want to thank Building Energy for doing spray foam in our cathedral ceiling. The quote and scheduling process was simple, accurate, and easy. The work was completed VERY efficiently and to great quality. Admittedly, I was super worried about all the horror stories online regarding spray foam. But with Jacob's experienced guidance and knowledge he assured me the safety measures his team takes, the materials they used, and the differences in closed cell vs open. He also told me that is one reason why picking the right day is critical too. I noticed ZERO residual smell (and I tend to be rather chemical sensitive) and am very pleased with the work. We've already begun sheetrocking over it without issue.

A special shoutout again to Jacob regarding the Efficiency Vermont rebate for Spray Foam. I dropped the ball due to some life events and forgot to submit. Jacob gently reminded me I had a rebate waiting! He also helped me through the process to submit, despite my rather simple questions. I'm so glad they submit the initial application (I had to provide very few details since they had done so much work up-front) and conduct the energy audit (blower test) which we saw a 30% increase on!

They were even able to make recommendations for some future projects we had planned, so I look forward to working with them again for my solar needs!

Thanks again

Just had Building Energy upgrade our inverter on a system they put in 10 years ago so we can continue to build our solar array and off grid capabilities. Glad to be able to use them again, top notch service and quality products. We will use them again when we put more panels on our house.

Recently had a heat pump installed through building energy. Installation was fast, clean, and done professionally. Very satisfied with experience.

We had Building Energy's WRJ branch install 3 heat pumps in our house last February and we've been really happy with both the products and the service!

We hired Building Energy to do an energy audit on our home. The resulting report was nothing short of a DISASTER. We had replaced our bath fans late 2020 with energy efficient well respected models. Both fans cost a total of 315.00. The energy audit suggested that we replace both fans with...THE SAME MODEL...and at a line cost of 1000.00 PER FAN. Our report was
'plumped up' 3k alone in fan costs. The report had pictures of locations of interest with no captioning to identify location and reason for interest. NOTHING indicates that these prices were assembled using any tool other than the auditor's greedy imagination. The audit suggests using less heat and taking less showers...when there are two people living here and there was never one question regarding our usage habits. This is a greedy company making fantastical projections on what your job is going to cost. You may see many of their trucks around and think they're a reputable company but beware the access you give them to your hard earned funds. The appalling thing is that any consumer can highlight these line items and do a google shopping search to see actual costs. The audacity of this company to stretch the truth is really remarkable. CAVEAT EMPTOR

We've been working with Building Energy for years. We started with a solar domestic hot-water system (back when that made economic sense ;), and it's still working perfectly. About 9 years ago, they installed a ground-mounted photovoltaic system for us and have taken excellent care of it ever since; we're currently working with them on expanding that system. We've recommended them to several neighbors and friends, and all seem to be quite satisfied with their work. We recommend them without hesitation.

We were in the unfortunate situation of needing full-attic insulation on someone else’s timeline following a remediation. From the first time I called, Andrew from Building Energy was responsive, professional, and willing to help. When the remediation was delayed he kept in touch. When I had (many) questions about the conditions that caused our problems and the best ways to prevent recurrence, he thought through all the options with me and even spoke to a roofer on our behalf. We have a challenging space to say the least. When the time finally came, the team showed up on time, was very professional, took care to protect parts of the home, evaluated other potential sources of problems, and did an outstanding job. The budget was accurate and transparent. In the nightmare that was an asbestos and mold remediation project, Building Energy was the silver lining.

Yesterday, 2/2/22, our new heat pump was skillfully and neatly installed by Mike, Isaac and David from Building Energy. They were very respectful of us and our property and cleaned everything up before departing. The installation was the final step following several months of discussions with Technical Sales expert Joel Jackson. Joel listened to our needs and proposed a system that met our needs, without overselling a larger system. He has provided excellent guidance and been very responsive to our questions throughout this timeframe. We are very pleased with the services and heat pump system we have received from Building Energy.

Building energy did quality work for us. Their communication left a little bit to be desired, but the work was done well. I would recommend them.

We previously, about 8 years ago had a great experience with Building Energy on making our 1800 farmhouse much more energy efficient. They were expensive but did good work foaming our basement, which made a huge difference and insulting roof and attic spaces.
We hired them to foam under our new small home which has a lot of windows and needed sealing up and the foam job was horrible. We had another contractor look at why we had a terrible time keeping the room warm after they foamed and put in a heat pump that is very costly to run and they said there were huge gaps that had no foam, and insufficient foam throughout. We also made it clear that we didn’t want to just put in a heat pump and have the rooom not be well sealed. We had work done due to feeling cold air blowing in on the west side and there was no insulation in the wall or around window and door frames.
Previously they did test that would make sure we sealed up a room before investing in a new heat source.
When we called to complain they were rude and disrespectful.
I have also heard ever since they stopped hiring company employed contractors and just pay them by the job the workmanship they have has dramatically decreased. This likely explains why when they did work 8 or so years ago the contractors were fast and proficient and this past experience they were incredibly slow, costly us thousands of dollars and the work was shoddy.
It is too bad. We thought highly of them until what happened three years ago.

quality installation but time required to micromanage them to get a date for installation and stay in communication leaves a lot to be desired. They charge you 3% to put your install on credit card despite install being well over $10,000 - asking you to pay hundreds of dollars to pay them in full for large purchases - it's poor form. They offer no financing alternatives and they can't tell you if your spray foam is fire/heat retardant despite spraying it on heating ducts (the gas company flagged a concern as nothing should come within 3 inches of the exhaust pipes). I'd look elsewhere if you value proactive communication, an ability to schedule your job with more than 48 hours notice, and if you don't want to pay hundreds of dollars just to pay them in full.

We had a very positive experience with Building Energy and I would recommend them to everyone! They were communicative and prompt and professional every step of the way, from the initial communications with the office manager, to the scheduling of the energy assessment and the energy upgrades project, to post-project follow-ups regarding the rebates. Whenever I had questions or concerns at any step, they were there to answer my questions. The staff are very knowledgeable and were a wealth of information about how to improve the energy efficiency of our home, both in the short term and long term. They completed the work within the planned time frame, and we're very happy with the improvements that they've completed-- the upgrades have made a big difference in the efficiency and comfort of our home, and we're already seeing improvements with our energy bills!

Scott and his team were fabulous to work with. The quality of their work and the attention to detail were really first rate. They were professional, showed up on time, cleaned up after themselves, and were always responsive to any questions or concerns we had. I won't hesitate to call them again in the future!

They provided a variety of quality reasonably priced services in a professional, flexible and friendly manor. Easy to do business with. We recommend them.

Worked with them to install spray foam insulation in our attic and around the edges of our basement. They also installed a bath van and redid some ducting work. They were quick and efficient. We can already feel the difference in our house. I highly recommend them if you're looking to have some energy work done on your house.