Positive Energy Review

As a high end home builder and building science practitioner, I am very excited about this young company. It is packed full of young energetic professionals with very impressive credentials.

They are becoming the go to source for the building community in Austin with their knowledge of building science, building performance and HVAC design. I have worked with them on my projects utilizing their skills in integrated building design and their full range of testing services to guarantee and verify that the building performance target goals were successfully met. They have been invaluable in making that happen.

Positive Energy has also become a leader and a driving force behind the dissemination of accurate accessible information about how to build, smart, comfortable, healthy, energy efficient buildings. Presentations and panel discussions by their co-founder, Kristof Erwin have an avid following at venues like Austin Energy, AIA Austin, and their roving Building Science Happy Hour. If you have not seen any of their blogs or pod casts they are well worth watching. Especially if you would like to learn more about the cutting edge of todays technologies and building challenges.

The team at Positive Energy is top notch. I ve been using them since they started and I m incredibly happy with their work. I can t imagine a build without them involved.

I have been working in custom residential architecture in Austin, Texas for over 15 years. Our firm prides itself on thorough attention to detail, and to the resolution of technical issues especially as they relate to the broader experience of the architecture. For many years I had sought out a partner that could work with us on the integration of HVAC systems. We tried everything: working with design/build installers in the design phase, subcontracting with mechanical engineers whose specialty was obviously commercial, and reaching out to companies outside of Austin that claimed to specialize in residential HVAC. The results ranged from modest regrets to full on disappointment. When we came across Positive Energy, we finally felt like we had a dedicated and knowledgable team member that would help us take our projects to another level of resolution. It has truly been a successful partnership.

Positive Energy is the best of the best! They are setting new, important trends towards a more environmentally conscious way of designing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

This is my second project with Positive Energy and I highly recommend their services. For our first project, they designed our mechanical systems and worked closely with our architect and builder to ensure the designs were feasible. Four years later, we still love the indoor air comfort at our place. The system is quiet and consumes very low energy. We are now into our second project and have completed the design phase for it. Once again, it was a great experience working with the Positive Energy team and I'm excited to implement their plans for our second project.

As an architect involved with high performance building projects I turned to Positive Energy for mechanical system sizing and layouts, energy modeling and building enclosure detailing. The team at Positive Energy is at the leading edge of applied building science in the residential building industry - no one compares.

Their services are a must have if you are building a high performance home. We often install HVAC systems designed by Positive Energy and the plans are extremely detailed with 3d models of equipment and duct routes.

Their team spends a lot of time on the pre-construction stage with the home owners, architects and builders to calculate and lay out the mechanical systems to optimize routes for the air distribution and to make sure the home works and performs for optimal human comfort and efficiency.

It is always a joy to work on projects designed by Positive Energy as the team is knowledgeable, professional, friendly and always available for support.

They are pioneers and advocates for better building techniques and are in the leading edge of building science.

The entire team at Positive Energy has an incredible, forward-thinking approach to design. I'd recommend them for any and every project, regardless of size.

Every time I have the chance to work with the team at Positive Energy, I am impressed. They have a way to make the science of buildings approachable and relevant to any client. Whether it's helping someone understand why rooms in a house aren't comfortable, or deciphering the source of a mold/moisture/chemical sensitivity problem, or even designing a high-performance healthy home from the ground up, they have so much knowledge and experience from which to draw.....and if they don't know, there's probably someone in their network that does. I've dealt with consultants who bogarted all their knowledge but PE is the opposite...they desire genuinely to move the dialogue forward and empower clients to a higher understanding about how their environment impacts their health and the health of their loved ones.

My wife and I employed PE a couple of years ago to come out and assess the energy needs of our 67 year old north Austin home. This is an old, not so tight home, certainly not up to today's efficiency standards. Kim Llewellyn was thorough, knowledgeable, and had excellent suggestions for improvements. PE's recommendations were practical and helpful - they worked with us to come up with a satisfactory plan for improvements. We used those suggestions in contracting for AC and insulation work, and have been very pleased. These past two summers have been so much more comfortable (with substantially lowered bills, too)!

Positive Energy's knowledge is tremendous, professionalism is unparalleled, and leadership within the industry is inspiring. Consider them for your next project as their value will not disappoint!

The team at Positive Energy has been collaborating with us on several challenging projects, both residential and light commercial, and brings a real passion for human comfort, energy efficiency and also practicality that is spread across all systems (mechanical, plumbing, refrigeration, solar, etc), as well as building science. Having synergies across disciplines is critical for a successful project and we look to Positive Energy first on every new project. They are definitely more than just mechanical engineers .

Positive Energy is the best! As an architect, they have been great to work with on the design side of projects, and invaluable at addressing issues post occupancy to make sure their design becomes reality.

I highly recommend this company! Everyone we worked with from scheduling to consulting to execution went above and beyond my expectations. They obviously care about what they do. Knowledgeable, efficient, and all around good people!

Some of the greatest people and quality service the world has ever seen!!

Their services offered are unparalleled. The knowledge and deliverables received are incredible. We have used them many time for comprehensive mechanical design and have always been pleased.

I have followed the work of Positive Energy for a long time, as peer in the field and sometimes collaborator I know there is no company more knowledgeable than them. Through their community outreach programs like the podcast and monthly happy hours I have learned so much and been able to apply that knowledge to my own clients and homeowners. As far as their work with homeowners they have been instrumental in pushing the industry in the right direction by providing the best designs possible for building top notch mechanical systems.

If I run across a project to complex or above my pay grade this is the company I send people to without question. They are leaders and trail blazers in this complex field of comfort, indoor air quality and best practice building, cant recommend them enough.

Kristof at Positive Energy did an energy audit for us after we bought our first home. His knowledge about green building is vast, and he has a real passion for what he does. In a matter of a one hour, I learned so much about the construction of my home and ways to make it more energy efficient. The folks at Positive Energy have an eye for detail, and explain their findings in a way that make them immediately understandable. In addition, their company is aptly named - they have "good energy" - it was a pleasure having them in my home, and I've already seen a substantial reduction in our electric bill.

Our group at Air Rite By Design Inc has worked with Positive Energy for many years. Their design and expertise has been an asset to construction and building science. I really appreciate what they do, learning and working with them.

I cannot recommend the perfectly named Positive Energy enough. We work with them on many projects (we try to get them on all our projects) and love hanging out with their team of experts. They are capable, competent and passionate about building healthy homes for their clients. Some clients scoff at the idea of hiring a mechanical designer when the installer claims to be able to do it for "free" but after designing and building many homes, it is well worth the cost in the long run. They help prevent structural coordination issues, change orders, and poorly performing and uncomfortable homes.

Many of the best builders and architects in town won't even do a house unless Positive Energy is on the team and if that doesn't speak to the value they bring I don't know what else will.

I highly recommend Positive Energy! As leaders in the industry, they are incredibly knowledgeable about all building systems and how they impact occupant health and building performance.

Have done a lot of work with PE. Always impeccable.

Positive Energy continues to be a strong advocate for healthy, efficient and socially responsible mechanical system designs for residential dwellings. As a member of Mitsubishi Electric HVAC systems, we are proud to partner with a company who challenges the norms and demands more..."You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." -Buckminster Fuller

This awesome team of passionate people is dedicated to the human-centric science of indoor air quality and how it affects the health and well-being of building occupants. Their intelligence, expertise, and research into the best systems and building materials for optimum health is what sets them apart from any other firm that I am aware of in Austin. They are educators as well as systems and design experts. Though my interaction with them has only been through their leadership in their local association, I have learned so much from listening to presentations they share with the various groups there, and their knowledge and genuine interest in improving indoor environments runs deep. Fantastic people and incredibly skilled group of professionals with a unique mission!

Positive Energy is really the only firm in Austin doing building science in a big way. As I've started to expand my property assets in Austin, I really had no idea what I was getting into. Having Positive Energy consult with me on the design of a new home I'm building to sell was immensely insightful. I'd never thought about comfort being the driver of a home build, especially when you're the one building it. I was just trying to conceptualize the end product without really knowing how to navigate inbetween. All in all, I couldn't be happier. Kristof and his crew are super helpful and will teach you SO much about the science involved in building. Highly recommend.

Positive Energy is the human-comfort-centric engineer we all need to involve in building out our spaces as air quality, energy efficiency and comfort all become more critical. I highly recommend making these 'comfort engineers' a part of your process.

The best group of building science problem solvers I have the pleasure to work with!

Loved their videos. Everything I read and saw had me wanting to use them. Miguel the Business Manager scheduled 2 calls with us and no showed on both of them. When I contacted him afterwards (they won't give out their phone number) he complained that I wasn't understanding enough that he was busy (he picked the call times -- not me) and refused to talk to us!

No idea what he is like if you actually talk to him, but if he doesn't like you you might be treated poorly (like us).

PE is the gold standard for mechanical design. Very methodical, professional, and passionate about the work they do. Looking forward to our next project together!

The trusted expert on green building strategy, accurate HVAC load calculation, and integrated design with mechanical systems. Highly recommend.

Positive Energy is a top notch mechanical firm, that does so much more than heat load calculations and duct sizing. They focus on the bigger picture of how to holistically supply the occupant with the utmost comfort, while not sacrificing efficiency and performance. I can't speak highly enough of what a stand up firm Positive Energy is!!

It was a pleasure to work with the team at Positive Energy. We had purchased a new home and were having issues with our A/C as well as our windows. Positive Energy was able to assess the situation for us and give an assessment and feedback to us and the contractors. Issues were attended to that would not have been if we did not have the help of their team. They are very professional, detail oriented, and care about their clients.

Positive Energy is second to none when it comes to intelligent mechanical design! Their whole staff is extremely professional, knowledgeable, and fun to work with!