History

Founded in 2020, Goldfinch Energy has worked with almost a thousand homeowners and helped hundreds of them install insulation, heat pumps, electric water heaters and solar panels. Many of these homeowners have been able to disconnect from the gas network and are delighted by a home that is comfortable year-round and more affordable to operate. We are committed to increasing the rate of home retrofits in Canada and love collaborating with likeminded people and organizations.

What services do you offer?

Goldfinch Energy’s team provides a range of services that can help homeowners select the right clean technology to electrify their homes, improve comfort and efficiency, make sense of retrofit possibilities and navigate green home rebate programs.  We can also help to turn plans into action by supporting with the quoting process and connecting with contractors. Our services include:

• Goldfinch Energy Audit – a thorough energy assessment that helps homeowners to understand where their home is losing heat so that different potential upgrades can be prioritized.

• Cleantech Roadmap – a customized report that compliments an energy audit and is helpful for homeowners who want to electrify their homes, get to net zero or to significantly reduce their energy consumption.  It is also helpful for those who are planning a green renovation.

• Heat Pump Selection Service – for homeowners who are ready to install a heat pump and want unbiased expertise in sizing and selecting a heat pump that will work with their home, ductwork, bills and goals. We take detailed measurements of your home to calculate the heating/cooling load using the industry standard CSA F28 method and perform airflow testing to understand the limitations of existing ductwork.  We also connect you with contractors and help you make sense of the best options for your home.

• Retrofit Installation Support– for homeowners who want additional support seeking quotes, making sense of options provided by contractors, and occasional support to help ensure that the work is done well.

• Hot and Cold Assessment – for homeowners looking for root causes and potential solutions to temperature discomfort in their homes.

• Airtightness Testing – to quantify and locate drafts within a home.

Tell us about your team

Goldfinch Energy is a collective of independent Certified Energy Advisors.  Each of our four members has additional credentials and background that they bring to the team which include in-field experience, certifications from continuous learning and personal experience from retrofitting our own homes. Some of our credentials on top of being Certified Energy Advisors include certification in:

• Multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs)

• HRAI Residential Heat Loss and Heat Gain

• HRAI Residential Air System Design

What are your organization’s strengths and focus areas?

Goldfinch Energy’s strengths lie in our commitment to thorough assessments and data-driven recommendations.  We take detailed measurements (including blower door testing) to calculate the heating/cooling load of the home and the airflow in the existing ductwork.  Using the data from these measurements helps us to be more precise with our recommendations than a “rule of thumb” approach.

We are motivated by the overarching goal of emissions reduction but also help homeowners to realize co-benefits like improved comfort and lower energy bills along the way.

How do you interact with homeowners?

Our support typically begins with a detailed in-home assessment.  We take the time to sit down and discuss our findings with the homeowner and to hear their concerns and goals so that we can help to provide a helpful path forward.  We also provide additional support by phone and email as needed.

Is your company’s staff certified by NRCan to perform EnerGuide audits?

Yes.

Has your company’s staff completed the HRAI Residential Heat Loss and Heat Gain Calculations course for sizing heat pumps?

Yes.  We believe that an important first step in sizing heat pumps is to take detailed measurements of the home following the CSA F280 calculation method.  Following this industry standard can help to ensure that a heat pump will be right sized for the home – allowing it to operate more efficiently and avoiding pitfalls of poorly sized equipment like discomfort, high energy bills and premature equipment failure.

One of our team members has also completed the HRAI Residential Air System Design course to build further knowledge in this area.

Do you have any commercial/financial relationship with contractors or equipment suppliers?

No.  We have chosen to not have financial ties to installers/suppliers so that we can give completely unbiased advice to the homeowners we work with.