Reiss Building is dedicated to moving Vermont towards a more sustainable energy future house by house. Our goal is to get homes off of fossil fuel. The first step towards this goal is the have a comprehensive energy evaluation of your home. Our company is BPI (Building Performance Institute) certified. BPI is the third party organization that sets the standards for home performance contractors. We have worked extensively with Efficiency Vermont (www.efficiencyvermont.com) in the Home Performance with Energy Star program which is an incentive program for Vermonters who want to do energy efficiency work. An audit by our company includes a blower door test, which measures the air infiltration of a house, infrared camera work to identify the cold sections, an evaluation of the renewable energy potential of the house, combustion appliance analysis and health and safety issues. Because of our extensive construction experience we can also assess the house for potential water issues that can lead to mold and other complications. Our projects have been able significantly to reduce energy consumptions in homes - in some cases reducing energy use by 30 – 40%.
Reiss Building is also a Renewable Energy Vermont solar partner. We've been installing solar hot water and solar photovoltaic panels for decades. Our evaluation of a house includes an analysis for solar potential. We often suggest placing the solar system on the roof of the house (if it is orientated south and clear of obstructions), or on a structure we build (tool or wood shed). The hot water systems we install can reduce the fossil fuel consumption by 60 – 70%. We have also installed solar pv in conjunction with air to air heat pumps to offset the thermal loads of a house. There are presently federal solar credits up to 30% of the cost of the system, as well as state incentives for solar pv and solar hot water. Another renewable resource that makes sense for Vermont is wood heat. We have worked with customers to weatherize a home and then introduce an advanced combustion wood stove to supply the space heat.
The Vermont State Employee Credit Union (VSECU) has a VGreen loan program that has several different loan options to help finance efficiency work and renewable energy (www.vsecu.com). Efficiency Vermont is also working on a financing option for homeowners who can use help coming up with the capital expenditure to do this type of work. Many towns also have a PACE program (Property Assessed Clean Energy) that will loan money that can be paid back through property tax and can be passed along with the house if the house gets sold. We will work with you to help you navigate the incentives, credits and financing.
Our goal is to help you understand how your house works as a system, tighten it up, insulate it and then consider how we can supply renewable energy to reduce your fossil fuel consumption to near zero. We will help you produce a road map to energy independence that can be phased in as the budget allows. The critical aspect of our work is that we can help you identify your path to energy independence. We have the knowledge and skill to get you there.
We look forward to helping you to help to us all move toward a more sustainable energy future.
Reiss Building is also a Renewable Energy Vermont solar partner. We've been installing solar hot water and solar photovoltaic panels for decades. Our evaluation of a house includes an analysis for solar potential. We often suggest placing the solar system on the roof of the house (if it is orientated south and clear of obstructions), or on a structure we build (tool or wood shed). The hot water systems we install can reduce the fossil fuel consumption by 60 – 70%. We have also installed solar pv in conjunction with air to air heat pumps to offset the thermal loads of a house. There are presently federal solar credits up to 30% of the cost of the system, as well as state incentives for solar pv and solar hot water. Another renewable resource that makes sense for Vermont is wood heat. We have worked with customers to weatherize a home and then introduce an advanced combustion wood stove to supply the space heat.
The Vermont State Employee Credit Union (VSECU) has a VGreen loan program that has several different loan options to help finance efficiency work and renewable energy (www.vsecu.com). Efficiency Vermont is also working on a financing option for homeowners who can use help coming up with the capital expenditure to do this type of work. Many towns also have a PACE program (Property Assessed Clean Energy) that will loan money that can be paid back through property tax and can be passed along with the house if the house gets sold. We will work with you to help you navigate the incentives, credits and financing.
Our goal is to help you understand how your house works as a system, tighten it up, insulate it and then consider how we can supply renewable energy to reduce your fossil fuel consumption to near zero. We will help you produce a road map to energy independence that can be phased in as the budget allows. The critical aspect of our work is that we can help you identify your path to energy independence. We have the knowledge and skill to get you there.
We look forward to helping you to help to us all move toward a more sustainable energy future.
