City Green Certified Energy Advisors
City Green's knowledgeable and friendly Certified Energy Advisors can give you expert, independent, and customized advice about improving your home's energy efficiency. Read more about your local advisors in:
Victoria and Area
Niels Anthonsen
(Bio coming soon)
Paul Butler
(Bio coming soon)
Brooke Gallupe
Brooke uncovered an interest in home energy assessments when he started helping an advisor as a favour in the summer of 2008. It was an odd turn for a graduate in French Literature, but his favour turned into a thorough apprenticeship and since then, he has kept very busy with his own energy consulting. Speaking of keeping busy, Brooke travels around the world playing with his indie rock band, Immaculate Machine. He is a multi-instrumentalist involved in a number of musical projects, from rock bands to symphonic pieces. He is based in his hometown Victoria, where he eats his vegan food in his tiny downtown apartment.
Trevor Hoskins
(Bio coming soon)
Scott Lipinski
Scott graduated from the Residential Energy Efficiency program at Vancouver Island University organized by City Green Solutions. This led him to be a certified energy advisor for the ecoENERGY Retrofit program and Built Green BC. He attended the University of British Columbia in the Okanagan Valley from 2000 to 2005, where he successfully earned his Business Degree. His attention was focused on the environmental impact of business today, and the sustainable options for the future.
During the University summer semesters, Scott traveled to a new spot each year including Lake Louise Alberta, Dawson City Yukon, Saltspring Island BC, Aviemore Scotland, and Gabriola Island BC. To fund his education, Scott worked construction in many of these areas that started him on his building science path. After University, Scott began traveling, and volunteered on two amazing projects building eco-homes in France. The homes were constructed completely from environmentally friendly, recycled and salvaged materials and designed with the latest "green" concepts and energy efficient systems. While abroad, he also acquired the role of Environmental Coordinator at Canon Europe in Amsterdam Holland. His duties were to coordinate energy reduction and recycling programs and implement the environmental plan. His travels took him through Europe, Africa, North, Central and South America. During much of this time he created a business plan for a Platinum rated LEED, sustainable lodging development to be located in Sooke, British Columbia. During this project, he furthered his knowledge in alternative building practices, green systems and products, and the grants/incentives in place for home-owners and businesses.
Scott now looks forward to all his meetings with the friendly local BC residents and helping them with their efforts to make their homes more environmental and energy efficient. He especially loves hearing the napkin plans for green building ideas and alternative energy plans, and helping to make them reality.
Kenton Preston
Kenton relocated to Victoria from Vancouver in 2006 while working as an Operations Manager and Trainer with a big box home improvement retailer.
He honed his practical renovation skills at an early age while assisting with his father’s home renovation business - straightening nails and insulating attics - which led him to later design and renovate numerous secondary suites in Kitsilano. For many years Kenton contemplated a career change within the residential building industry that would satisfy his entrepreneurial spirit and capitalize on his customer service and training skills in a more sustainable way. This search led him to study for and successfully complete the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) exam in the summer of 2008. He joined City Green Solutions shortly thereafter. As a student of building science he keeps current on the newest green building technologies and is able to provide knowledgeable advice to home owners wanting to make their homes as healthy and energy efficient as possible.
Nicholas Read
Nicholas Read has completed nearly 400 home assessments with City Green. He comes to his work as an energy advisor with a degree in Natural Sciences, a background in the trades building homes, and experience as an educator, having taught Industrial Education in Victoria High Schools for many years. His background in the residential sector and a rising concern for energy conservation issues motivated him to become a Certified Energy Advisor. Nicholas now enjoys sharing insights on effective home improvements with homeowners. Nicholas is raising a young family, enjoys sailing and kayaking, and is currently an MBA Candidate at the University of Victoria.
Torsten Reimann
While living in Germany, Torsten Reimann completed Bachelor degrees in both Environmental Science and Civil Engineering as well as ongoing training in such areas as green building, clay construction and rainwater catchment. He traveled extensively and participated in numerous social justice projects such as building homes for orphans in Russia, protecting sea turtles in Greece, forest restoration in Germany and wolf conservation in Poland. He worked in many stages of the building industry, including bricklayer, roofer, carpenter, civil engineer, renewable energy trainer at SolarCity in Leipzig and project manager for building schools using best practices for energy efficiency. Torsten is now based in Victoria with his family and is dedicated to providing valuable energy efficiency planning advice to homeowners in the CRD region.
Wendy Smith
Wendy Smith has a background in facilities management, building maintenance and building operations. Since starting work for City Green in 2001, she completed over 1000 high-quality EnerGuide for Houses assessments throughout Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Plus, as one component of a recent provincial Energy Savings Plan pilot project, she designed a successful energy assessment process for both churches and multi-unit residential buildings. Wendy loves the interaction with clients and is inspired by their energy efficient choices.
Wendy is dedicated to energy efficiency and green initiatives both at work and at home. Home renovations include installing a heat pump, building the deck with secondhand wood, eating local from her personal vegetable garden, reducing grass space with drought tolerant plant materials, as well as sharing appliances with a second family that shares her home with her and her partner.
Vancouver and Lower Mainland
Philip Be'er
Philip Be’er is a Certified Energuide Energy Advisor, a Mechanical Engineering Technologist and an experienced Educator who has worked in renewable energy, social and community development, building-energy efficiency, and farming for over twenty years. For many years, Philip was a member of Kibbutz Lotan http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/in Israel, where he pioneered some of the alternative building and sustainability projects that distinguish that community.
Today, his energies are directed at developing effective responses and adaptations, at the personal and the societal level, to changes in global weather patterns (Climate Change), increasing fuel prices (Peak Oil and Peak Natural Gas), and the effects that these changes are having on our economies and on our food security.
Philip works through his company, “Be’er Necessities Sustainable Solutions” http://www.beernecessities.org/ teaching a workshop on Sustainability called “Shifting from Knowing to Doing” and offering instructional, program development, and building energy consulting services through City Green Solutions. He is actively involved in Village Vancouver (www.ecovillagevancouver.ca),in the Vancouver Peak Oil Executive (www.vancouverpeakoil.org), and in various community and Food Security initiatives.
Jim Campbell
Jim completed a marketing degree in business from Ryerson University in Toronto and has a successful and varied career that began in the oil sector in the mid 70s. Recognizing that this was not a desirable career path for him, Jim sought out and found a new career in telecommunications with Bell Canada, specializing in applications sales and implementation. This problem solving area was of great interest and held Jim’s attention until the market bubble burst of 2000, when telecom became only a commodity and operations cost & not a solution to customer problems and issues. Jim then, through research, determined that the Certified Energy Advisor career held promise in many ways, and he immediately enrolled in many courses and classes to bring himself up to industry knowledge standards. Problem solving remained the core issue and interest for Jim, but in a much greener way.
Jim has become certified to advise on energy efficiency for new homes, as well as existing homes, enabling him to offer services to builders, architects, developers and homeowners. On Bowen Island where he resides, Jim has held joint seminars with BC Hydro, and is an active member of the Neighbourhood Emergency Response Planners. Jim works with both builders and developers to help deliver homes with high Built Green™ or EnerGuide new home ratings, and with existing homeowners looking to save some money and the environment at the same time.
Patrick Caraher
Pat brings to City Green a passion for energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. Originally from the wilds of NorthWestern Ontario, he has received degrees in History and Anthropology from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. Being raised in close proximity to nature has infused him with both an appreciation of and concern for finding a balance between our day to day activities and the natural environment.
A veteran of over 550 Energuide For Houses and ecoENERGY home assessments in the Toronto area, he is well versed in the problems and solutions endemic to building design. He is a strong believer that environmentalism begins with the individual and their own backyard, and that groups of these individuals create the momentum for real social and environmental change. A supporter of a number of organizations committed to making the world a better place, his enthusiasm for green building design and retrofits is contagious.
In his spare time, Pat enjoys cycling, paddling around on the water, and playing with the cats.
Gwendal Castellan
Gwendal Castellan lives in Vancouver with his family in a home that he has renovated with the design guideline being finding the positive relationship between home comfort and environmental footprint. He has completed nearly 500 home energy assessments, and nearly 200 energy assessments for low-income housing energy efficiency projects.
Gwendal has a BSc. Geography from the University of Victoria where he developed his interest in the built environment and the transformation of housing in urban neighbourhoods.While at UVIc, he also developed his interest in carpentry, volunteering with the SALTS shipyard building the 125' replica of the schooner Robertson II. He has worked as a planner programming Radarsat images over most parts of the world from Antarctica to the Arctic. He is also a filmmaker who documented his journey by bicycle from the southern tip of South America to Inuvik in the North West Territories, in the film Long Road North (www.longroadnorth.com).
What attracted him to City Green is that through our work, we are reaching out and helping to facilitate change one home at a time in cities and towns across the province. He takes great care in listening to his clients concerns and enjoys sharing the information that will help them make decisions that help them feel more comfortable in their home. You have a good chance to see him arrive at your home energy assessment with all his equipment loaded on his cargo bicycle.
Peter Cho
Bio coming soon.
Hans Edstrand
Hans comes to City Green with over 15 years of experience in construction, development and business. Following his undergraduate degree Hans found himself in Central America during the worst natural disaster on record. As Hurricane Mitch ravaged the region he found himself drawn into both the emergency relief as well as the long term reconstruction. Over the next five years he was able to found and direct a non-profit development organization, Fundación Nueva Esperanza, focused on housing, education and health care. Through his tenure the FNE was responsible for the planning, urbanization, and construction of two villages totalling over 250 homes, numerous schools, as well as countless scholarships and micro-credit enterprises. Hans remains actively involved as a member of the board of directors of Nueva Esperanza where he continues to push for education and women’s rights as the founding pillars of long term sustainable development.
Since returning to Vancouver in 2004 Hans has furthered his construction, envelope and energy expertise through a transitional career in high rise construction management. He recently left this endeavour to join the talented people at City Green.
Through all of his adventures Hans has also managed to complete his MBA, finished his Built Green certification and become a LEED Accredited Professional. He is currently completing the 9 month Sustainable Building Advisor program and remains an active voice in the Vancouver green building community.
Hans lives on the North Shore and spends his free time enjoying the mysteries of life with his wife and two little daughters.
Doug Horn
Doug Horn is a Certified Energy Advisor, Building Technologist and a LEED© Accredited Professional who joined the City Green team after working at Light House Sustainable Building Centre. As a Green Building Consultant Doug's role at Light House focused on LEED© consulting on green building projects, energy modeling and researching technical aspects for various Light House projects.
Doug’s passion for the environment and sustainability is quite evident from his bicycle oriented lifestyle and generation of 100% of his homes electrical needs from his roof-top photovoltaic system. With a combination of energy efficiency upgrades and small behavioural modifications Doug was able to reduce his household total energy usage to 75% of European ‘Passivhaus’ standards in his 100 year old house .
Prior to completing BCIT’s two year Architectural Building Engineering Technology programme, where he specialized in Building Science and worked in the Building Science Centre of Excellence Doug spent over 20 years as an IT professional performing a number of roles from network design and computer management to coordinating and managing IT projects.
Stan Jang
Stan has surprised many homeowners by arriving at their homes for an energy assessment on a bicycle pulling 45kg of equipment. As an advocate for sustainability, he lives car-free with his family in Vancouver in an R-2000 home heated with a geothermal heat pump.
With a background in math and computer science, Stan worked in software development for 15 years. The research and design of his home spawned his interest in sustainable building practices. A few years later, he made the career switch to an energy advisor to share his knowledge of sustainable building and promote energy conservation.
Stan is a certified energy advisor for the ecoENERGY Retrofit program as well as Energuide for New Homes and Built Green BC.
Mark Miao
Mark pursued his Bachelor and Masters degrees of Architecture at Tianjin University in China and started practice as an architect in mainland China. After several years working as an architect, Mark realized that it is the innovations in technology and materials that are pushing architecture and home design towards a smarter and more sustainable future. He started studying Building Engineering and became a member of the research team for the NRC funded project: “Experimental Evaluation of potential mold movement form inside the wall cavity into the indoor living space,” working as a research assistant in Montreal for four years. Living with his family in beautiful Port Coquitlam, Mark has also been operating his own residential building inspection business since 2006.
Always interested in energy efficiency and green building technology, Mark now works as an NRCan certified Energy Advisor for the ecoENERGY Retrofit program to help home owners implement energy saving projects that reduce energy-related greenhouse gases and air pollution, thereby contributing to a cleaner environment for all Canadians.
Robyn Smith
Robyn has been influenced by a long line of green-minded women before their time, including her grandmother who worked for Greenpeace for many years and instilled environmental consciousness in Robyn at an early age. She was born and raised on a farm in Delta where her parents grew vegetables and raised their own meat, stressing the importance of what is now referred to as “The100 Mile Diet”.
Robyn's background in building science comes from her in-laws' renovation business, which has been flourishing for over 20 years. Her family's commitment to helping people improve the efficiency of their homes has demonstrated to her the immense amount of environmental neglect that is a pure result of unawareness. A clear mission was then before her to join the City Green team in informing people of not only the retrofits they can do to improve their homes' efficiency and reduce GHG emissions, but also the simple lifestyle changes they can make to vastly reduce their personal impact on the environment.
Robyn is grateful for the opportunity to work amongst such inspiring people who are also devoted to environmental responsibility and education.
Vancouver Island
Zak Cross
Bio coming soon.
Gerry Schreiber
Bio coming soon.
Warren Scott
Bio coming soon.
Nico teWinkel
Nico has been researching sustainable energies and efficiencies in his spare time for much of his life before finally realizing that it was time to switch to a career to suit the obsession.
He successfuly completed the Residential Energy Efficiency program at Vancouver Island University, which led him to become a Certified Energy Advisor for the ecoENERGY Retrofit program. He is also Built Green certified and is currently working on his Energuide for New Homes certification.
In his spare time he is still exploring sustainable methods, which includes biodiesel and electric vehicles.
Nico is enjoying this opportunity to make a difference not just to the lives of the individual homeowners he is providing advice to, but also to the environment.
Coastal and Interior BC
Len Freeth
Experienced in home renovations and real estate, Len is a recent graduate of Vancouver Island University’s Residential Energy Efficiency program. Len's approach to assisting homeowners with their renovations is to help them to look at their homes in a different way, seeing not just the surface appearance, but how heat and energy move through the home, and ways to optimize their use. He can also share his interest in alternative energy technology. Len is pleased to be able to help people conserve energy in their homes while making them more comfortable and more affordable to run. When not doing home assessments, Len enjoys hiking, canoeing, and other outdoor pursuits in the beautiful Slocan Valley.
Don LeFaive
Bio coming soon.
James Rodgers
Bio coming soon.
John Suttie
John has completed over 350 home energy assessments in the Kelowna area. His interest is to help homeowners to reduce both their use of energy and their ecological foot print, saving them money in the long term.
Over the past three years, John has been renovating his family's 1970s residence to make it much more energy efficient and comfortable. The renovation has included greatly increasing insulation, improving air sealing, installing high quality windows, and having a heat pump installed.
In 2008, John designed and installed a solar hot water system for his residence and is recognized by Apricus, Enerworks and Techno-Solis as a qualified installer. He was one of several members of the Okanagan Chapter of the BCSEA instrumental in installing a solar hot water system on a Habitat for Humanity house in Kelowna, in 2009.
John chaired the Okanagan Chapter of the B.C. Sustainable Energy Association (BCSEA) for two years, from 2006 to 2008. He has spoken about sustainable energy to a number of groups and is knowledgeable about sustainable technologies and their use for our communities and our homes. He has also been an advocate for safe and improved cycling facilities in Kelowna and he and his wife are active cyclists.
Rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau.
