2000 homes enrolled in Boulder County EnergySmart

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.