Chevy Chase Resident Helps Town Go Green With Home Energy Audits

One of Mike Whelan's primary concerns during his workday is insulation. But during a recent home energy inspection in Chevy Chase on a warm Thursday morning, Whelan himself looked a little too insulated as he extricated himself from a sweaty full-body cotton suit that he wears on the job.

"Every house has its own unique characteristics," Whelan said.

A Town of Chevy Chase resident, Whelan has been conducting home energy audits and overseeing energy efficiency improvements for about nine months, performing on average 10 home audits per month as part of his business, Live Green, which he runs out of his home.

Although his environmentally friendly service is not unique in the county, Whelan is the only contractor in Chevy Chase participating in the Maryland Home Performance with Energy Star program, sponsored by the Maryland Energy Administration. The program trains and certifies contractors to perform home energy audits and install whole-home energy improvements.

He also volunteers with the town's Climate Protection Committee and helped start the town's Climate Corps, which plans to send young people on free home energy inspection tours. His energy audit demonstration at a home last July drew about 20 residents, and he also hosted a free workshop at his home last November about how to install weather stripping, which is used to seal air leaks around windows and doors.

"He's like our point man on all of the technical stuff," said town resident Judith McGuire, chair of the Climate Protection Committee. "He really keeps us up to date on what's really the reality of home energy efficiency."

Using a variety of tools, including an infrared camera that analyzes temperature disparities between a home's interior and exterior, and a "blower door" fan device and pressure gauge that show how much air is flowing through a home, Whelan tries to maximize home energy efficiency.

"I think there's a lot about our homes that most of us don't know," said Suzanne Parmet, Whelan's wife, who keeps the books for Live Green.

A registered architect, Whelan decided when he moved to the town about two years ago that he didn't want to work for an established company. So he started his own business.

During the past winter, Village of Martin's Additions resident Jackie Roberts became tired of her family room and kitchen getting too cold. After seeing Whelan's service advertised at a discount in a local newsletter, Roberts called him for help.

"We were really trying to figure out where to get the biggest bang for our dollar," she said.

Whelan noted that many homes in Chevy Chase are relatively old, including Roberts's house, with several built in the 1920s. Many homes also have additions, he said, which create additional efficiency problems.