Core Values – Energy Efficiency at Heart

We have worked hard at Verde Energy Efficiency Experts to make sure we understand and reflect our core values. Believing that these core values be public, so both our clients and partners know what to expect from working with us.

Curiously Exploring New Solutions

At Verde, our core is exploring new solutions. We look for the newest ways to save our clients energy, from the newest LED fixtures to the smartest new smart thermostat on the market. We were the first in our local industry to incorporate advanced lighting controls into our playbook, and we recently completed the very first VHE HVAC retrofit in Oak Park, Illinois. We have installed EV Car Chargers with great software from EV Match that enables different users to access and pay for charging at public facilities like Vernon Area Public Library.

Verde continues to innovate internally as well. We are constantly exploring new processes, such as our inventory system and light meter tools. While it can be tiring to keep on the hunt for new solutions, it is essential to be ahead of our competition and at the forefront of technology. In 2002, we implemented a new system named Netsuite for our inventory. We use Google BARD to help do market research, as well as proofreading our posts and making sure our client communication is strong.

In just a few years, LED lighting will be the standard. If we don’t innovate, we won’t be around to keep serving our customers, so we must keep advancing in our offerings for energy efficiency.

Eloquent Communication

We work to communicate in a way that our clients understand, while making sure we get our point across. Eloquent communication is not technical jargon that confuses a client, nor is it exact grammar.

We were born out of firefighters, and half of our installation team are firefighters. Our goal is to communicate eloquently what matters – why are we here, who we are, with honesty and integrity.

Eloquent communication is important for energy efficiency because it can help us to:

• Clarify our needs and expectations. When we are able to communicate clearly and concisely, we can help others to understand what we need and expect from them. This can lead to more efficient use of energy resources, as we are less likely to waste time and energy on tasks that are not necessary or that are not being done correctly.
• Persuade others to take action. When we are able to communicate eloquently, we can be more persuasive in convincing others to take action to improve energy efficiency. This could include persuading colleagues to adopt more energy-efficient practices at work, persuading customers to switch to energy-efficient products, or persuading policymakers to implement energy efficiency policies.
• Educate others about energy efficiency. When we are able to communicate effectively about energy efficiency, we can help to educate others about the importance of energy conservation and the ways in which they can save energy in their own lives. This can lead to a more energy-efficient society as a whole.

Humble and Gracious

We are grateful to work in the greatest city in the world – Chicago. Additionally, we are grateful that Chicago has a ton of neighborhoods, as well as suburbs and exurbs that are diverse and provide an intense opportunity to reduce energy. The city has old bones, with lots of opportunities to upgrade lighting, upgrade HVAC systems, and to use smart lighting controls and smart thermostat controls.

We are grateful that the Illinois taxpayers have invested in an energy efficiency program – or we wouldn’t have jobs. We are also grateful that it is slightly complicated, creating the role of expertise that we fill.

Finally, we know it takes an ecosystem and that we are a part of a team in Illinois. We need to work closely with our utility, we need to have partners to recommend when we are not the best, and we need to know that the better the competition in our space – the better we will be as well. A rising tide can lift all ships.

Confident and Resilient

Confidence is the belief in our abilities and our ability to achieve your goals in your building. It is our experience that helps us be confident and it gives us the courage to take risks, try new things, and persevere in the face of challenges.

Resilience is our ability to bounce back from setbacks and adversity. It is important to be resilient because life and business is full of ups and downs. Everyone will experience challenges and disappointments at some point in their lives. Resilient people are able to learn from their mistakes, pick themselves up, and keep going. We seek out resilient employees, because we have an important task at hand.

Confidence and resilience are closely related. Confident people are more likely to be resilient because they believe in themselves and their ability to overcome challenges. Resilient people are more likely to become more confident because they have experienced overcoming setbacks and challenges in the past.

We go into all kinds of neighborhoods in all kinds of weather and traffic. We must be resilient to get our jobs done. We make commitments to our customers, and must be confident we can keep our promises.

Taking Pride in Our Work

We partner with brands like Signify (Philips), and we use higher end products than most of our competition. We do this because we want a product that lasts longer than the competition, and both our experience and our customer’s experience shows that Signify products last longer.

Not only are our products high quality, but so are the installers who put them in for us. While most energy efficiency companies use subcontracted labor – we have our own employees that are embedded into our organization. We are proud that six of our electricians have been with us long enough to become licensed in various municipalities in their time at Verde. We are also proud that we have won the “Partner of the Year” award three times since 2015 in the Small Business Offering at Comed.

In fact, our biggest source of clients is through referrals, a testimonial to our work.

Positive Contagious Energy

Form our newest analyst to our longest running installers, you’ll see a positive and contagious energy. Work is a job – and what we do is tough work. However, we believe in taking our day on with a good attitude, and that sharing that attitude with our colleagues makes our day better. It also spills over to our clients – making their experience with us better and stronger.

If you see us at an event or on a job site – we intend to share our positive energy with you. What you do with that is up to you.