Why Work With Us?

As a conservation professional, energy efficiency is very important to me and I got an energy audit with Viridiant soon after moving. As a first time homebuyer, learning the ins and outs of our home’s energy consumption was daunting but Andrew really broke it down for us in a way that was understandable and engaging. The prioritized report provided afterwards was comprehensive but easy to navigate and we will definitely refer to it often. I found the whole process fascinating and am looking forward to making the recommended improvements to our home!

Piedmont Housing works with Viridiant on all our affordable multifamily apartment projects. Viridiant helps us identify sustainable products, advanced building techniques and comprehensive development strategies that assure long term durability and improved energy efficiency. This leads to better buildings with more comfortable living spaces and dramatically reduced utility bills for our low-to-moderate income residents.

Andrew’s knowledge of 1930’s homes was really helpful. He was able to identify a number of easy fixes, as well as help talk us through accomplishing the more intensive ones. As new homeowners, his encouraging demeanor was so lovely. We felt comfortable asking questions and trusted his recommendations. We have continued to use him as a resource as we move forward with solar installation.

We worked with EarthCraft builder Mark Waring last year to build a near net-zero 3,200-square-foot home in Chesterfield County, at surcharge of approximately 5 to 10 percent over current code construction. The entire energy bill for the first 10 months of 2011 totaled approximately $900. With the sale of our Solar Renewable Energy Certificates, our annual energy cost is estimated to be under $500. The home is very solid, still, quiet, comfortable and conventional appearing. We are secure in the idea that we have reduced our annual operating expenses while conserving dwindling resources. Enlightened individual decisions will continue to make the Richmond metropolitan area a wonderful place to live in the years to come.

Viridiant staff is always available and ready to answer questions or troubleshoot issues that come up during construction. They understand that design and construction is a fluid process and there are often unique circumstances that need to be addressed quickly and thoughtfully.

We have found the EarthCraft home to be another important benefit. This home is roughly 25% larger than our previous one, yet the heating and cooling bills appear to be less than that from our last home. This was a pretty hot summer and we were pleasantly surprised by the utility bills.

I plan to spend the time working on my yard under the expert direction of my Mother-In-Law. We have a very established yard and every year we go through a period I lovingly call ‘The Culling’ where she identifies anything that is overgrown and we take out a metric ton of brush. I’ve already taken down 1 entire tree and one hedge row was brought back into compliance. Way more to go!

My family will be admiring and watering our freshly planted garden, blowing bubbles, smelling the flowers, sharing some sprouted sunflowers, and street chalking some Earth Day love!

Andrew’s breadth of knowledge of historic homes was immediately evident during our consultation, giving guidance on our highest priority items (along with an idea of the most affordable items to hit first). With his experience in historic homes dating back to living in on in the Fan while attending VCU, Andrew had a wealth of knowledge to share about our new 107 year old home and how we could improve its environmental impact.

Working with Viridiant since ’06 has been a wonderful experience, the combination of their knowledge about building science and their goal to make the building industry more efficient and sustainable fits with Green Valley Builders core values and best building practices.