Energy Conservation

Watershed LLC Energy Conservation

I have thirty years of energy efficiency work with homeowners and businesses.

I have completed thousands of energy audits and inspections.

In the last two years I have carried out over 40 residential energy audits on Vashon Island.

If you are a homeowner on Vashon Island and you are a customer of Puget Sound Energy, consider contacting me about scheduling a free energy audit.

Here are some testimonials from a few of my Vashon energy audit customers:

“Michael Laurie recently completed a home energy audit for us and we were very happy and satisfied with his services. His work was thorough and the suggestions he made were many in our older, drafty house. We've implemented most of his suggestions, including the use of a PSE-participating-contractor to add ducting and crawl space insulation. Michael's audit is the kind of service that you don't regret doing, and only wonder why you didn't do it sooner.” Charlie Peterson

"Michael Laurie on Vashon did an energy audit recently. I was certain he would not find anything, but he found a lot and the recommendations will keep us far more comfortable this winter, and ultimately save us money. So worth it, made possible by the significant help of Puget Sound Energy. Michael did a great job." Sheila Brown

“I was very pleased with the thorough audit of our home provided by Michael Laurie as part of Puget Sound Energy’s HomePrint program. I was impressed by Michael’s professional approach and the tools he had to pin-point energy conservation opportunities. In particular, his use of an infra red camera revealed air leaks we were totally unaware of. His detailed recommendations included actions with immediate payback, such as sealing around furnace vents. He also helped us prioritize larger projects with the potential for longer term savings, most notably upgrading the insulation under our floors. As a result of Michael’s audit, we saw an immediate drop in our energy consumption, most likely from the free CFL light bulbs. We look forward to additional savings as we invest in further energy conservation measures. Thank you PSE for providing the HomePrint energy audit. It was a significant help to our pocketbook and to the comfort of our home.Sincerely yours,”Mark Musick Vashon, WA

Some of my Trainings and Certifications in Energy Conservation

Associate of Technical Arts, Energy Management, Edmonds Community College, 1985

Certified Energy Manager, The Association of Energy Engineers, 1989

Air Conditioning Fundamentals, 12 session college level class, ASHRAE/University of Washington, 1989

Air System Design and Retrofit, ASHRAE, 1990

Automatic Temperature Controls, ASHRAE, 1992

Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor, The Irrigation Association, 1993

Certified Plans Reviewer & Inspector, Washington Non-Residential Energy Code, 1994

Air Conditioning Design, Twelve session college level class, ASHRAE/Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Washington, 1995

HVAC Efficiency Improvement, Boiler Efficiency Institute, 1996

Special Topics in Air Conditioning, Twelve session college level class, ASHRAE/Department of Mechanical Engineering, Univ. of Washington, 1997

Residential Energy Auditing, South Seattle Community College, Seattle, WA, January – March 2009. 120 hour class on the latest residential building science and energy auditing tools. Class included hands on audits of 14 homes.

Building Performance Institute Building Analyst 1, Written and Field Test, Seattle, WA, March and April 2009. Received a Successful Passing Score on the Written and the Field test.

Healthy House Training for Building Professionals, Bellevue, WA, March – April 2009, 8 session class for professionals on healthy buildings, moisture and ventilation, building science, materials and toxicity, dust, filtration, legal issues, construction defects, designing for indoor air quality, how to sell healthy homes, and the green real estate market.

Introduction to Energy Effective Light Sources and Efficient Lighting Techniques and Applications, Lighting Design Lab, Seattle, WA, May 2009, Two 2-hour classes on the latest efficient lighting sources and design ideas.

Energy Star Homes Accredited Verifier Training and Test, Washington State University Energy Extension, Olympia, WA, January 7, 2010, 2 day class and test to become certified as verifier for Energy Star New Construction in Washington State. Updated Training November 2010.

Work Experience in Energy Conservation

Weatherization Bidder, Comfort Zone, Seattle, Washington, 1985 (3 months)Bid on home weatherization work at homes served by Seattle City Light, Puget Sound Energy, Snohomish PUD, and Cascade Natural Gas. This work included some work installing windows, attic vents, wall insulation, and attic insulation to better understand the details of how to properly weatherize a home.

Energy Researcher, Ecotope, Seattle, Washington, 1985 (3 months) Developed conservation strategies and cost estimates as part of a Seattle City Light apartment building study. Also audited apartments, tested boilers, and evaluated costs and energy savings for the study.

Energy Conservation Specialist, Snohomish PUD, Everett, Washington, 1985-1987Conducted residential energy analyses and explained energy concepts and utility programs to homeowners. Researched energy-efficient appliances and developed new programs for the residential sector.

Residential Weatherization Analyst/Inspector, Branch, Richards, Anderson & Co., Seattle, Washington, 1987 Performed Quality Control reviews of residential energy audits and inspections. Documented results, and provided briefings and hands-on training.

Commercial Energy Analyst, Pacific Energy Institute, Seattle, Washington, 1987-1988Performed commercial/industrial energy analyses of new and existing buildings. Each analysis included auditing, spreadsheet analysis or hourly modeling, and writing specifications.

Resource Analyst, BRACO Resource Services, Seattle, Washington, 1988 to June 2001 Resource Analysis: Performed energy efficiency audits and provided design assistance for new and existing commercial projects. Taught classes. Performed audits, analysis, life cycle costing, and provided specifications for installation of conservation measures. Performed computer simulations of buildings and recommended resource efficient design strategies. Worked for a year in the Technical Advisory Group that revised the Washington State Non-Residential Energy Code.Field Inspections: Reviewed energy efficiency analyses and conducted inspections of energy efficiency measures in commercial buildings to ensure compliance with various commercial conservation programs.

Sustainability Consultant, Watershed LLC, Vashon, WA, June 2001 - Present. Commercial, Industrial, and Residential Energy Audits. 2010 - Ongoing, approved residential energy auditor in the Puget Sound Energy sponsored energy audit program, Home Print. Carried out over 150 audits in the last few years.