Recurve may have the exterior of a home retrofit company, but as we've been saying for a year, its soul is in software.
Recurve Software combines the company's application that allows contractors to determine the optimal repairs for a building with new features that engage the customer on the spot and drastically cut down on the time it takes to process an energy audit.
"Our in-house auditing team is generating these reports in under an hour," said Adam Winter, senior vice president of building science and co-founder of Recurve (formerly Sustainable Spaces). "The customer is staying engaged. Customers have that 'a-ha' moment and then we can present them with a solution."
The web-based software is currently being tested with six partners. Winter said some contractors were spending upwards of 20 hours on a single home audit, from the visit to the house to compiling all of the data in an energy-modeling program and then presenting the findings to a customer. One contractor described the current generation of programs as having "a lot of knobs to nerd out on."
Enter Recurve Software. The company's approach takes all of the tools, including building simulation, solution optimization, and photo management, and puts them in one place with a basic user interface. Recurve has been fine-tuning the software in-house to account for all of the variables that go into building efficiency to create a program that even less-experienced auditors could learn quickly.
Contractors can input all of the information in real time and then deliver solutions to the customer directly after the audit. Winter said that beyond the speed of the program, getting customers excited on the spot is a highlight of the software.
Initially, the interactive touch screen was an interface that was designed just for auditors, but as customers got a look at the screen, they wanted to play with the software and build their own solutions.
"That transfer of ownership is so important," said Winter.
Currently, the software is being run on small netbooks with touch screens, but the company envisions it also being used on tablets (although iPad loving-auditors will be out of luck, as the software does require Java and Flash).
Recurve is not licensing the product just yet and is still only working with select partners, but with the growth of PACE financing around the U.S. and the proposed Home Star legislation, the company will be looking to cash in on the expanding industry. "It's really coming together right now," said Winter, "and we're excited to provide the shovels to the gold rush."