Blink Energy Services

All this change in weather around these parts has us excited for the cooler temperatures. Most of us can agree that fall is a wonderful time of year. But is it best for energy inspection work?

The most preferred weather of our team is anything that is *not* “room temperature.”

Why? Energy inspections are best done when there’s a contrast between the indoor and outdoor elements.

❄🥵 Cold, snowy days or hot, summer days, mean it’s easy to feel air leaks

☔ Rainy days easily show actual leaks

🌬 Windy days mean lots of free-flowing air—the air leaks really show themselves

We never schedule around weather conditions. Unless it’s dangerous for our team to drive, we’ll be there. Never let a weather forecast stop you from reaching out for services—your home and office works year-round, and so do we.

Working with Clune Construction always brings smiles to our faces, especially when we get to be at Victory Plaza in Dallas to do lighting control commissioning.

The bigger the project, the bigger the smile. What’s making you smile today?

Three cheers for Blink’s Partner/CEO, Maverick Allen, for becoming a Certified Building Commissioning Professional —CBCP®!

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As Blink continues to help Texans comply with energy code requirements across various municipalities, he saw the need to earn this credential. This is Maverick’s 5th certification that directly benefits Blink’s clients.

Next time you see him, give him a firm handshake, tip your hat, then join this guy for some coffee!

Just a little light reading that started over the weekend. 🤓📚

Someone on our team is always working toward obtaining new certifications. Our goal is to be able to offer quality inspections for more services beyond energy to ensure that the buildings are built to a higher standard.

Reading is just the beginning.

Aside from energy inspections and reviewing plans, our calendar has some exciting things coming up.

🏗🚧 Is anyone else going to the B.O.A.T Conference this week? Let us know so we can connect and talk shop! The conference is from August 6 - August 9, but we’ll be there only on the 7th and 8th.

👷‍♂️👷‍♀️ Are any of you members of the Fort Worth Chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers? If so, we’ll see you next week!

🎉🥳 Of course, we are already looking forward to our next big team meeting. While we have monthly team meetings, we only gather in-person once per quarter, and we are excited for some Puttshack action in Addison.

What conferences are you attending this season?

Could your team benefit from a Lunch & Learn presentation from us?

Let’s connect and enhance the construction experience for everyone from architects, construction crews, inspectors, and occupants.

There’s no way around it, folks: you must comply with the energy code when constructing new homes, office buildings, or apartments.

And we think that’s seriously a good thing! Energy efficiency is helpful for the occupants of buildings; it makes for lower electric bills, and cleaner air inside. That’s something we want to spread through Texas like bluebonnets.

Let’s work together, building our local cities better for the current—and future—residents.

💡 Here’s an idea: scroll through our profile and learn why hiring us will be awesome for your construction project.

You’ll find things like:

📱 Reels with applicable tips and tricks

😂 Funny memes

‍👷‍♀️👷‍♂️ Team introductions and events

🤓 Posts with industry information

We’re just a small business working all over, from DFW to Austin, to San Antonio, to Houston AND beyond. We bring clarity and efficiency to the energy code inspection and energy code compliance phase of construction. If you’re in the business, then you know that every new construction project must pass their energy inspection to obtain the ever-desired certificate of occupancy.

That’s our specialty, folks. 😎

Send this to the decision maker of your business so we can work together.

It’s a short week here at Blink as our team scatters to celebrate Independence Day. Whatever you’re doing today or this weekend to honor this holiday, we hope you stay safe out there.

We’ll be back in action next week, folks.

Anyone else totally relaxed indoors hiding from the heat? ☀️

Between good insulation, our radiant barrier in the attic, and a well-sealed building envelope, our A/C doesn’t have to work so hard in this heat which means we get to relax, stay cool, and not pay a ton in energy bills.

Who’s with us? 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️

If you’re not feeling like this, give us a shout to schedule an energy diagnostic test. We can help you be the coolest house on the block.

…did you really swipe just now? 🫢

Listen. Legally, a project is required to have an energy inspection performed—and must pass it, giving you the ever-desired Certificate of Occupancy.

Efficiency isn’t just about energy. Energy inspections are detailed and vary from city-to-city. This is why you need a local on your side. We know the ins and outs of the DFW area energy codes and can translate it all to your building and design team. Having an energy code inspector involved from the beginning of your project allows for the most efficient outcome.

Building energy efficiency into your home or office building is the way to go, folks. We love to about the ways that going is the best option overall.

Hiring us as your energy inspectors is optional; passing your energy inspection with an energy inspector is required.

Reach out whenever you’re ready to build together.

Shout out to @‌grandcanyonnps for inspiring this post. They are hilarious, and we recommend giving them a follow for beautiful images and education about the Grand Canyon.

Some solutions are simple. 🤓

To weatherize your home or office, be sure to properly seal the building envelope. An envelope that is properly sealed will be protected from most weather. 🌡⛈☀❄💨

These fixes cost various amounts, so if you would like assistance to pay for weatherization efforts, call 211, or go to 211Texas.org to see if you qualify for assistance. 💰

👷‍♂️👷‍♀️ There are more things you can do to accomplish weatherization though! For the full rundown, give us a call and we’ll talk through everything that fits your specific situation according to your specific municipality codes.

We all need reminders from time-to-time, so here is your reminder about Air Tightness Testing. 🤓

Historically, this was only necessary for residential buildings under 3 stories. Times have changed! Per the 2021 IECC section C402.5.2, it is required for residential and commercial projects, including but not limited to: multifamily, hospitality (hotels), assisted living, and dormitory projects.

We are continually seeing projects that follow the IECC 2021 yet the design team is unaware of this requirement (or misinterpret it). This mistake is costly for clients in terms of money and time. 😳 This is why we like to work with clients from the beginning of a project in the design phase so that we can educate everyone involved ahead of time—thus, saving our clients money and time!

To quote the IECC 2021 directly: “Both the residential and commercial provisions require testing in accordance with ANSI/RESNET/ICC 380, ASTM E779 or ASTM E1827, but the testing requirement is slightly less stringent than the residential code, requiring 0.30 cfm/ft2 compared to the 0.28 cfm/ft2. The lessened requirements are a more reasonable target for these units, which are typically smaller and have less total leakage than detached residences.”

📝 One last note: If a project has fewer than eight units, then *each* unit will be tested and must pass before obtaining the Certificate of Occupancy.

Send this post to anyone you know who is building ANYTHING—contact us to make sure your project is set-up for success!

Being around other business owners in the construction industry is one the best parts of the job, and learning alongside them is even better. Recently, along with 80 others, Gary attended a lunch and learn featuring STC () and hosted by Swingle Collins Insurance ().

We take a lot of pride in being lifelong learners and we believe that benefits you as our clients. Loss prevention and efficiency go hand-in-hand since loss prevention on a construction site helps reduce costs and materials for projects. This solidifies our commitment to being efficient with resources, both environmentally and fiscally.

Let’s talk about what you’re building next.

In less than one month, we will join forces with Form Follows Fitness 5K for their annual presented by Blackson Brick Company, Inc to benefit the Architecture and Design Exchange and their mission of “fostering access to architecture and design for all.” They offer affordable walking tours, host camps and classes for K-12 kids, and gather the best architecture minds to present exhibitions showcasing how architecture changes lives.

Join us! Meet our team at the booth and ask any and all questions in person. Then let’s jog through the beautiful architecture of downtown Dallas together. It’s the best combination of our favorite things: and . Don’t forget about the after-party filled with live bands, food, and local beers.

If you’re interested, there is still time to register before the event.

Come, chat, and run.

Who’s in?

There is one thing that our CEO, Maverick, wishes more people understood about energy code requirements:

“It is easier (and cheaper) to meet energy code requirements when you plan ahead to solve air leakage problems before drywall is installed.”

When you wait until construction is complete (or even close to done) to involve your local energy code inspectors, problems cost exponentially more time AND money to fix.

When you include us in your planning and design phase, we get to work directly with your other contractors to ensure the current energy code requirements for your municipality are built into the project from the beginning.

Involve us in your planning. Streamline everything.

Share this with someone building their dream home, and someone in the construction industry.

We are proud of the productive year we had in 2023 and are well on our way to doing more in 2024. We know our consistency and reliability pave the way for our goals while helping our clients reach theirs.

Every building in every municipality is different, and our expertise is further solidified with each project completed. Let us join your project team, and we’ll be here for you from start to finish

Raise your hand if you love all animals equally, but “love cats a little equal-er.” 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️

Meet Manuel, everyone! We are thrilled to have him aboard the Blink Team, and to finally fill the long-dreamed-of role of Sustainable Project Coordinator. He is excited to learn about the building process and the different ways we can choose to be more sustainable at every step. He is also excited for the opportunity to grow with the company and see how much we can push the envelope in the coming years.

He is clearly the right guy for the job, and we are excited, too! Swipe to learn why he is here and some fun facts about him.

👀 That’s not a typo: The 45L Tax Credit has been extended to 2032!

One of the services we provide involves federal tax incentives. The 45L Tax Credit is just one that rewards developers and owners who construct energy-efficient dwellings (single-family homes, multifamily homes, and manufactured homes). It’s not just any energy efficiency standards; the dwellings must meet ENERGY STAR program requirements and be certified as such. ✅

There are many details to this credit so give us a call to talk through it all.

Schedule your project’s preliminary evaluation today!

From all of us at Blink, we wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas. We hope you get to spend the holiday doing what energizes you, that your celebratory meals are efficiently executed, and you have nothing but fun with your family and friends.

Let’s keep learning! Get some water while we discuss a moist aspect of the : the v***r barrier.

The v***r barrier is synonymous with “v***r retarder.” It is a layer of material that reduces the rate at which water v***r can move through to other materials. We all agree that getting water in your home is a bad thing. Well, even getting too much moisture causes mold and accelerates the deterioration of building materials. All around bad, don’t you think? That’s why the overall moisture control strategy of a construction project includes v***r barriers.

Moisture can get into your walls, floors, ceilings, basements, foundation, and crawlspaces—and that’s exactly where v***r barriers are placed. The precise location of the v***r retarder depends on your climate zone. There are three classes of this product, divided by efficacy, which is measured in “perms” (short for permeability). The climate zone determines the requirements for placement and class.

New construction is the best time to install a v***r barrier. If your home is already completed, then this product is not for you. Luckily, the required use of v***r barriers has been around since the 1940s, so it’s likely that your home already has it. If you’re interested, let's do an energy assessment to help you locate possible leaking spots. In general, we recommend filling those spots instead of tearing down your house to install a v***r barrier.

There are many layers to the walls of the buildings we work and live in. The ***rbarrier is just one. From slab to roof, we are here for every layer of your project. Let’s build together!

***rretarders

Official petition to have puppies at every conference ever; please comment below to sign. 🐶😍

Earlier this month, the Blink team gathered to host a booth at TxA’s 84th Annual Conference & Design Expo in Fort Worth, Texas. It was a treat to convene with colleagues and other local businesses who are all doing the good and hard work of building up our communities. Special thanks to @‌TXArchitects for hosting such a great gathering of minds.

Swipe to see photos of , some of , the one and only figurine, and the (thanks to the title sponsor, @‌AcmeBrick) which was made on July 4, 2007 in Denton, Texas.

As your local , we are always here for your energy code compliance needs. When your project is ready, we’ll be ready for you.

To all military veterans: we celebrate you, honor your service, remember your sacrifices, and give thanks for it all.

Let’s hear it for the Lone Star State because we’ve been all over it this week, y’all. 🤠📢😎

Do we have any Johnny Cash fans in our community here? You remember that glorious song, “I’ve Been Everywhere” That’s exactly how we feel this week. 🚗🚗

With new projects sprouting up, Gary and Rossy happily traveled down to San Antonio to meet with a new client who wants to pursue NGBS work in Austin. While they were adventuring down there, the rest of the crew held it down here all over the city of Dallas with inspections and plan reviews galore.

We love all Texas cities and it’s a point of pride to get to be part of building up the communities across our great state. Got a new project starting in Dallas or anywhere along the 35 Corridor? We’re here, and there, and everywhere in between!

Remember folks, energy code isn’t just a bunch of boxes to check off during your construction or renovation process; there is a big reason it exists!

Energy codes help make the world a cleaner and better place, and that’s precisely why we do what we do!

Today, we want to remind y’all to do two things:

☝ Go find a nice patio and enjoy the weather because it’s patio season!

✌ Check the building envelope of your home (or office)!

Here are a couple of things that are easy to check on this time of year. More importantly, swipe to see WHY it’s important to check these things.

Spoiler alert: we want to keep the patio outside! The ambiance is great, especially as it cools more and more before our big freezes…but it doesn’t belong in your home. When a building is not sealed properly, rodents, pests, leaves, dust, and allergens can all get inside. These same cracks and holes often allow your conditioned air or heated air to escape—and that’s just downright expensive, folks.

If you need help with checking any of these things, contact us today to schedule a blower door test. We are happy to find the air leaks specific to your home anytime.