One of the most significant aspects of the impact that buildings have on the natural environment is the amount of energy that they consume. Here in Maine, where 80% of our homes are heated by oil, many of us are consuming a non-renewable resource in large quantities which gives rise to air pollution, climate change, and political instability, among other problems. Many of the existing homes in Maine are heated and insulated using very outdated and inefficient technology, and most homeowners can save hundreds or thousands of dollars per year by improving the energy efficiency of their houses.

We would be happy to schedule a site visit to assess the energy efficiency of a prospective client's home based on its insulation, heating system, air infiltration and other factors, and in many cases we may recommend that clients hire one of our colleagues to perform an energy audit, which is the first step for several of the tax incentives and rebate programs available through the federal government, the state of Maine or the local gas utility. For those who are interested in building a new house, please feel free to contact us to inquire about our Yankee Ingenious envelope house design, which is heated entirely by the sun without the use of any fossil fuels, solid fuels or electric heat, or our Neo-Federalist house design which is an extremely energy efficient and lower cost alternative option.