We’re proud of the intelligent, passionate, and hardworking people that make up the Bright Power team. Each month, you’ll get a chance to meet one of them, understand how they contribute to the organization, and what makes them excited to come to work every day.
Meet Geoff Teigen, Project Manager, Retrofit Installation.
What are some of the things you like most about working at Bright Power?
No two buildings are identical, and there are always new challenges to overcome with each project I touch. Because of that, the variety of energy-saving measures and technologies that I manage is far more diverse than in my previous roles.
I like to think of myself as a lifelong learner, and, at Bright Power, I get to work with and learn from my colleagues who come from an array of backgrounds with lots of expertise that is different from mine. They are also some of the most intelligent people I’ve met.
What are some projects and accomplishments you’re most proud of?
Two of my first projects with the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC): SOMA Apartments and Curran House Apartments. Both were hybrid heat pump water heater (HPWH) retrofits. Hybrid HPWH systems use the electric HPWH as the primary source for heating hot water while existing natural gas boilers are used as a secondary source. Having both types of equipment in place, you can use a smaller sized HPWH which can provide owners with a more favorable return on their investment while building in resiliency—if one system needs to go down, you have the other to supply hot water. While there were challenges, they have been successful installations and have taught us, and TNDC, a lot about hybrid HPWH systems. We’ve been able to collect a lot of incredible data that will help us and TNDC in future hybrid HPWH retrofits.
I also must credit my colleague, Amy Nagengast, for masterminding this design. I like to think of myself as the nanny to her brainchild on this! Amy also wrote a blog about HPWHs that shares more information about HPWHs.
What’s something people might not know about you?
I have raised, shown, and judged show pigeons since I was a kid! There’s actually another Bright Power employee who also has show pigeons. This is a red check hen Old German Owl of mine from 2018. Through pigeons, I was exposed to genetics early in life which eventually found its way into my future graduate school research, which is also quite interesting!
I have also spent hundreds of hours traversing the Amazon rainforest at night searching for amphibians. While the everpresent green of a rainforest is impressive during the day, many of the most fascinating animals are best seen at night. Here are two photos from my time in the Amazon.
How has the pandemic impacted some of your projects?
As a project manager, I’m constantly navigating how different properties operate and how different real estate owners and property managers manage their properties. In the pandemic, this is compounded—not only are there the usual preferences and management styles at play, but there are also the important safety protocols and precautions that each community institutes to keep in mind.
Additionally, with people staying at home, they are more likely to be aware of when, for example, hot water temperature drops. Having that information and data is very helpful and, in normal circumstances, might take weeks to uncover.
What’s the one service offering we have that you think is the most beneficial to clients and why?
I would say it’s an outcome that many of our services provide and is especially the case when it comes to retrofit projects: decrease energy consumption, lighten maintenance staff’s load, and improve the quality of people’s homes.
There’s nothing like the face of a maintenance or operations staff person when you come to their property with new equipment that will help them do their jobs more efficiently and effectively.