enabled it to also go after the utility market. The ability to evaluate a building’s energy consumption and potential for efficiency upgrades remotely works best for utilities, because they can compare a large number of properties and prioritize which ones need to be worked on first.
But buildings ultimately do need a physical, on-site audit, which is why Retroficiency’s original software is still crucial, says Fisher. The technology allows energy service companies to more efficiently navigate specific building characteristics and upgrades. “It’s a sales tool to help them streamline their approach,” he says.
By putting the two products together, Fisher says the company is helping its customers “fine tune which buildings they want to focus in on, and the auditing product is squeezing out all the inefficiencies.”
The pairing of the two technologies has been a boon for Retroficiency, which is also on a hiring spree. The company grew from 10 to 19 employees when it picked up the Nexamp energy efficiency division. It’s looking to add about six more employees, in positions like sales, web developer, and front-end and server-side engineers.
Earlier this month Retroficiency announced its Virtual Energy Assessment software was a finalist for the Utility Technology Challenge, designed to help utilities with their energy efficiency programs. The competition is sponsored by the Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization, TechConnect, Fraunhofer TechBridge, the Department of Energy, and the Kauffman Foundation.
And if you want to hear more from Retroficiency, Fisher will be sitting on a breakout panel at XSITE, the Xconomy Summit on Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship, which will be held at Babson College on June 14.
