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One evening 18 months ago, Mark Giardini was doing something he did frequently – surfing the Internet for ideas. What he saw sparked a concept in Giardini’s entrepreneurial brain. Infrared technology, which has been long used by the military for surveillance purposes and by fire departments to locate hot spots in buildings, could be useful in fighting rising energy costs.
After 28 years in energy management in large commercial buildings, Giardini was interested in beginning a part-time business that would eventually lead to a second career when he retires from the large engineering firm where he has been employed for much of his career.
“Mark has a lot of ideas,” said his wife Joan, who is business manager of the couple’s start-up business, Infrared Inspection Technologies, which they currently operate from their Mentor home. “This one really grabbed me when he told me about it.”
Within a year, the Giardinis had developed a business plan, created a Web site and marketing strategy, purchased and been trained on the use of an infrared camera, and begun helping area homeowners discover those energy leaks that cost an increasing number of dollars as energy costs rise.
“All the things I do are trying to reduce energy costs,” Giardini said. “With infrared you can look at a building envelope and see exactly where energy is being lost.” He said when a building is losing heat, even the best heating and cooling system will not be efficient.
Infrared Inspection Technologies’ Giardini is taking one path toward a future green career by using his established skills in the energy and environmental management industry to create a service business that will uncover areas where energy is lost in both residential and commercial buildings. He projects hiring additional technicians in his inspection business as early as the upcoming heating season.
An offshoot of the company’s infrared studies will be the potential employment of plumbers, electricians, carpenters and other workers who will correct the energy leaks that are found.
Andrea McGovern is a Mentor freelance writer.
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The colors on this infrared camera show if a building is leaking heat, has proper insulation, or if there are hot spots in electrical wiring. Mike Giardini, owner of Infrared Inspection Technologies in Mentor, is checking the building of one of his clients, Jennifer and Co.
Photo by Rick McPeak
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