We are very grateful to have worked with the client, Sally Pick, who is an advocate of building performance industry and a consultant in the environmental and energy conservation fields. Keep your eyes peeled to our blog for the detailed case study written by Sally about this project.

For now, here are some basic photos. Thanks for looking.

Sections of the wall had very poor insulation. The walls connected with uninsulated rafter slopes. After fiberglass was removed, spray foam and cellulose was installed.

The wall connection with closed slopes show airbarrier flaws in an infrared image

This wall area fixed. Notice the spray foam of the rafter tails which reduces ice damming, seals the wall top plate, and stops air-leakage.

A vented crawl space ceiling gets foil face rigid foam board with cellulose dense-packed in the joist bays. Spray foam is used to seal the perimeter. We often take a 'mixed assembly' approach in this way to use the best performance characteristics of each material.

The basement walls were insulated with a relatively 'green', water based blowing agent, closed cell spray foam.

These testimonials arrived just before the Thanksgiving break:

“Is fortunate were we, Sue and I, to have worked with you and CHP. I am most sure we will ALL be most happy with the results. Your crew- everyone , most professional, friendly, and knowledgeable of all that “thermal stuff” ! I hope you and your company have a good year. Thanks. “

-Residential retrofit, Nov. 2011  Wibraham MA

“We could not be happier with Cozy Home Performance.  You performed an in depth energy analysis and I learned a lot more about my home.   Your team (Brian and Randy) always came on time, were very professional, even putting up with our dogs, and completed work ahead of schedule.  You have been responsive, happy to explain and answer questions, and have done excellent quality work.  You made getting rebates from Mass Save easy, and helped us with what we needed to get the tax savings.  Best of all, we’ve already noticed that we don’t need to turn on the heat as often.  We’re sure after insulating our attic and skylight we won’t have any more ice dams that were staining around our upstairs bathroom skylight.  Thanks again for such a great experience. “

-Residential retrofit, Oct. 2011   Westhampton, MA

“We noticed a difference in the way our home felt on day two of the five day project. After the work was finished the comfort, absence of draft and eveness of heat is notable. Our final cost landed at about 75% of what we were expecting (with rebates) and though I’ve not yet done the calcs, I expect to realize a full recovery of the expense with lower fuel costs in a little more than 5 years. I’m calling this a win-win-win.”

-Residential retrofit, Nov. 2011   Florence, MA

The main house is a historic 17th century post and beam structure. The carriage house is a converted barn. Both houses suffered from ice damming and comfort issues.

A Colonial beauty with many thermal boundary issues

Ductwork in the attic was encapsulated with close cell spray foam to improve distribution efficiency. R-60 cellulose was added to the attic flat

The large beams in the attic flat were sealed with closed cell spray foam

The large South facing knee wall rafter cavities were expanded with new lumber. This enabled optimal insulation performance in the cavities of closed cell foam and denspacked cellulose.

Carriage house roof slope that had ice damming. The closed slopes and knee wall attic space were treated

Who says a Director of Operation, doesn't get dirty?! (your's trully in action) Foil faced rigid foam board added, seams air sealed.

A fan box in a tight eave can contribute to ice damming. This one is airsealed. The rafter slopes, empty in the pic, will get densepacked with cellulose

After the Carriage House attic is airsealed, R60+ cellulose insulation is added.

We  patiently wait for the first heavy snow fall of 2011, to hear from these clients with confirmation that roof melt patterns and roof eave ice build up, has changed for the better.  The comprehensive attic retrofit will result in improved comfort and energy savings.

The original ranch, with two story addition.

The attic flat before: Some cellulose was added, yet due to recessed can lights and other airleakage pathways, there was rampant heat loss.

The chute vents were not functioning properly. Spray foam ensures air is going over the soon to be installed final insulation layer.

Non-IC rated recessed can lights are covered with the appropriate fire rated cover, sealed and made airtight. Two skylight boxes are encapsulated with closed cell spray foam. Skylights have so many framing seams that they are often major sources of energy waste.

Are some of these changes needed in Massachusetts to achieve deeper energy savings and create robust green industry growth? You bet.

Cozy Home Performance is looking to hire a Field Technician and Crew Manager. This opportunity is in direct response to an increased demand for advanced building performance services attributed to our company’s reputation for excellence and recent utility program opportunities. Additionally, our outlook is positive as there is a greater societal awareness of the necessity to reduce fossil-fuel energy use through advanced building energy performance solutions.

Download full job descriptions here:

Field Technician job description [pdf]

Crew Manager job description [pdf]

1. Position Opening: Field Technician

The field technician reports directly to the Crew Manager. As part of a dynamic and skilled team of experienced Technicians, your primary objective is to install various building performance materials and assemblies to exacting specifications as delegated by the Manager and senior Technicians. Your success will be demonstrated by your ability to apply what you learn, follow instructions, and communicate effectively as a professional. The work will be difficult and dirty. Maintaining the required balance between physical stamina and mental focus will be challenging. You will need to show commitment to the purpose of our work and have a consistent level of energy and positive mental state. Our company is built upon high standards of professionalism. We value respectful and honest communication within the company and with our clients. Self accountability is taken seriously.

Field Tech tasks include, but are not limited to:

• Work in a wide variety of building environments including crawl-spaces, attics, and basements
• Perform targeted, general/advanced air sealing
• Install insulation including cellulose, spray foam, and rigid foam insulation
• Clean and maintain equipment: have a high standard for organization.
• Follow health and safety personal protection protocols
• Install ventilation components- mechanical and passive
• Represent Cozy Home Performance in a professional manner when in dialogue with clients.

Requirements:

• Home Performance, weatherization, carpentry or insulation experience
• Strong interest in building science, and systems thinking
• The ability to work and maintain focus in dusty small spaces.
• Be consistently attentive to detail and organization.
• Communicate directly and honestly with team members and clients
• The willingness to learn and invest in self promoted professional growth.

Preference will be given to:

• BPI B/A or other BPI certifications
• Experience working to Mass Save program Standards (assessments or installs)
• Comfort working in small, confined spaces
• Experience with HVAC systems

To apply, submit a cover letter, resume and references to info@mycozyhome.org

Thank you for your interest.

Adin Maynard
Director of Operations
Cozy Home Performance LLC

______________________________

2. Position Opening: Crew Manager

As Crew Manager you will be responsible for ensuring the successful completion of building performance improvement projects. Working with the Energy Assessment Provider, you will be independently responsible for job preparation and will manage a team of Field Technicians to meet project goals and timelines. As a leader, you will set an example for your colleagues. Success will be determined by meeting the prescriptive and performance goals of the project, providing outstanding client relations and effective communication and delegation. A successful Crew Manager will maintain a broad perspective on each project as a skilled systems thinker, by effectively delegating, and holding others responsible for their actions, you will be a successful Crew Manager. Our company is built upon high standards of professionalism. We value respectful and honest communication within the company and with our clients. Self accountability is taken seriously. Crew Manager reports to Energy Assessment Provider and Company Principal.

Crew Manager tasks include, but are not limited to:

• Design the flow and pace of work to efficiently complete the project goals. This includes delegating work-scope measures to the crew and providing quality control to ensure effective and efficient project operation on a daily basis.
• Work in a wide variety of building environments including crawl-spaces, attics, and basements. Exacting installation of weatherization and insulation materials including, but not limited to: closed cell spray foam, cellulose insulation, rigid foam board, vapor barriers, and active and passive ventilation systems.
• Administrative requirements including daily tracking of job-sheets, job material receipts, health and safety test data, change order forms, and program related paperwork.
• Oversight of job site safety and building performance diagnostic testing including combustion safety testing to BPI Standards, air-barrier diagnostics, and infrared scanning.
• Work with crew to maintain material and equipment condition and organization. Order materials to maintain appropriate inventory levels.
• Represent the company and the crew in a professional manner in dialogue with current and prospective clients.

Requirements:

• Home Performance, weatherization, carpentry or insulation experience.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Keen interest in building science and a desire to develop expertise
• Work and maintain focus in dusty tight spaces for extended periods of time
• Be consistently committed to details and quality control
• Ability to communicate effectively with team members and clients

Preference will be given to:

• Relevant managerial or leadership experience
• BPI B/A or other BPI certifications
• Experience working to Mass Save program Standards (assessments or installs)
• Proven success as a leader in similar work environments
• EPA Lead Safe certified, OSHA certificate.
• Passion for green building services and  environmental sustainability.

To apply, submit a cover letter, resume and references to info@mycozyhome.org

Thank you for your interest.

Adin Maynard
Director of Operations
Cozy Home Performance LLC

Home heating fuel prices will remain manageable this heating season, according to the experts, who gather that recession and corresponding limited demand is more influential than climate change, major systemic perils to US and Euro economies, and partisan US political infighting.

Cozy Home Performance had the busiest summer yet. Demand is up, utility programs are becoming more regular, and we are adjusting business and retrofit systems to better serve our clients and to make our company more sustainable. As all small business have to do, we are constantly reflecting, evolving, and reminding ourselves of the purpose of our work. As the summer wanes, we are looking hard at the numbers to understand profit margins and market drivers. We have a new streamlined database systems up and running. We have clearer protocols and are using more straightforward approaches to communicating our services and value. Some learning has not been easy. We have been mildly burned at times and realize that in this day and age, official contracts are imperative, even when a hand-shake deal seems adequate. Bumps and hiccups in the last several months inspire us to be better and clarify our services and purpose of fixing an aging Western MA building stock. In an age of rapid growth defining success, we are constantly tightening our belts to be more efficient so we can help raise the bar for our industry. Through diligence and patience, we are finding the balance that will enable us to scale.

Spring is time for renewal for the birds. For the energy efficiency industry, Fall is the start of the busy time. We must be ready for synapses to connect when everyone who has been intending to button up their homes, wake up one morning and realize that the heat is going on in a few weeks.

We are ready. Though small as Cozy Home is, we continue to refine our deliverable. As the culture, economy, and necessity changes, we stay true to what we specialize in by providing comprehensive building performance retrofit services.

Happy Fall

Cozy Home values strong customer relationships and everyone on our team embodies this value, which transfers to the job site. As Irene acknowledges in her note below, this work benefits quality of life and is necessary for transitioning to an ‘energy smart future’.

You can see images of the Fradet attic project here.

Testimonial , June 22, 2011:

I want to thank everyone for doing such a great job in my attic.
Your guys did an excellent job air sealing and insulating to my requested specifications.
Everyone has been a joy to work with. My special and specific requests regarding certain details were well interpreted and skillfully accomplished.

While it may not seem so on a daily basis, your guys are doing very important work moving us towards a carbon neutral future one project at a time. I can only hope that more homeowners will be willing to go the extra mile. And, I would be happy to talk with anyone interested in your services.

In my home, I could feel the temperature difference immediately upon completion of the job. During our recent hot days, my house stayed comfortably cool- without air conditioning. I kept it closed down, shades drawn, and opened it up at night and it was great.
Thanks again!
I. Fradet

Maintain momentum, but come-on already:

It is very important to continue the momentum. Participation Agreements should remain in effect and be revised asap for more clarity and completion, but not majorly restructured. If there are more delays it will ultimately hurt MassSave customers as well as the contractors ready to move ahead.

Though momentum should be maintained, there are major issues that need to addressed asap. More  coordination between PAs and LdVndrs is needed for program consistency as well as the basic mechanics necessary for a timely program launch. As Tina advocated at the EEAC meeting for the prioritized creation of an official contractor forum, a similar ‘all hands on deck’ approach is needed for PAs to increase coordination so that issues such as those presented below are dealt with immediately.

HPC on-boarding training requirements:

CSG and CET are requiring that HPCs interested in working in NGrid and NStar territories attend a two-week training session at the end of July for which they are not compensated for. The first week is to be focused on program standards/ implementation and the second is on the CSG new software tool.  It would be sensible for HON and CET and other LdVndrs to include their own training on the topics covered, during the week of July 18th during the CSG training session. Software training is specific to each platform, yet should be able to be completed in 3 days for each tool.  To keep program launch on track, and for efficiency’s sake, more coordination is needed.

Assessment Standards:

The HPC Participation Agreement presented by CSG for NGrid/NSTAR territories is missing core information that is required for a business person to make a well informed decision to sign. These issues include  ‘subsidized contractor customer acquisition costs’ (compensation for bringing customers to program)  as well as ‘permit fee subsidized’ (taking the burden of permit fees off of contractors).  These are challenging issues to resolve, yet fully impact the cost of doing business for contractors.

The most startling omission to the presented  HPC Participation Agrmnt is the lack of updated ‘Mass Save Home Energy Assessment Standards’.  In 2010, a lot of very good work went into the creation of statewide Assmnt Standards. The 2-audit visit approach is being retired, yet the Standards have not been revised to reflect that. The transition back to a single ‘comprehensive visit’ can not taken lightly. It is of dire importance that the repercussions of this are considered out for all stakeholders, program process and flow, and especially for customer health and safety.

What was communicated at the CSG/CET  HPC meeting demonstrated that there was not adequate thought put into how the change in Standards will impact work-scope designs. The most blaring omission is that of a blower-door test during the comprehensive energy assessment. It is not clear that the $150 price per energy assessment- the most essential component of the HPC Participation Agreement- was meant to be for an assessment, of which the protocols were not presented in the included ‘Assessment Standards’ ! From the perspective of ‘whole house’  approach and in context of the mandates of the GCA, these errors are very serious.

Solutions:

-Program designers and implementers need to work together more.
-Make decisions thinking of  the Mass Save Home Energy customers first. Don’t present participation agreements that have been anticipated for two years, incompletely.  Good customer service requires that contractors can thrive working in tandem with the Mass Save program. (note to contractors: be weary of any business model solely focused on utility programs!)
-  In the long-term, a  ‘pricing’ resolution requires re-evaluation of what is deemed cost-effective.  In line with the mandate to ‘go deeper’, expand the definition of cost-effectiveness to include more non-energy benefits, or find another solution.
-Immediately create a forum so that rational long-winded ideas, such as those presented here, can be heard and considered.
-The EEAC and the State should also be held accountable for not catching the issues identified above. Create a focus group to work on program implementation issues and seek input from those working in the trenches.

Download the NGrid/ NSTAR HPC Participation Agreement here.

p. 36 – Mass Save Standards, version 1.0
p.6 – price for comprehensive energy assessment

As the first phase of a comprehensive retrofit, the attic was insulated with R-60. A custom super insulated storage platform was constructed as well as a custom airtight hatch .  A new bath fan was installed and the kitchen hood-vent was ducted to the exterior. This project was done as part of a WMECO Mass Save pilot program so parts of it qualified for Mass Save rebates and the Heat Loan (0% financing)

When we got there, there was no insulation in the attic. Soffits are unvented and easily accessible to properly seal.

A first step in attic prep is sealing and insulating the soffits with closed cell spray foam. Soffits are responsible for airleakage and the tight angle limits the amount of cellulose that can fit here. Before sealing the soffit, it was confirmed that there was adequate ventilation already in place.

Before-  a very normal looking leaky stair access

After-  a custom, pully-wheel counter weighted insulated hatch door. With the blower door running, it was confirmed that the hatch was airtight.

R-60 cellulose, insulated platform, very nice work. While the flat was done, some wall cavities were accessed , fiberglass removed and walls properly densepacked. The final blower door = 900CFM50