Our Staff

Scott Gardner, founder of Building Energy, has been building and remodeling energy efficient homes and businesses in the Northeast for more than thirty years. He has national training and has earned certification in sound building practices and energy conservation technologies. Scott’s peers and clients acknowledge him as a leader in environmentally responsible construction. He created the Building Energy team to carry forward his unsurpassed commitment to environmentally responsible building practices, energy efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Scott has built a team of Building Energy professionals with solid track records and years of experience with energy conservation technologies and products.

Andrew Charbonneau joined Building Energy in 2001 as a Project Manager after earning a Construction Management degree from VT Tech. Andrew manages many aspects of day-to-day business operations with a focus on customer satisfaction. He schedules and manages all weatherization, ventilation, and small construction projects and oversees our insulation crew and construction teams as well as the warehouse. Andrew has been a volunteer firefighter for over 25 years. He lives in Essex with his wife and two children and in his spare time enjoys fishing and hiking.

Nik Ponzio is a co-founder and co-owner of Building Energy and senior project engineer. He oversees the solar and heat pump divisions of the company. Nik has a background in electrical engineering and has been designing and installing solar PV, solar thermal, and off-grid power systems since 2001. In recent years he has led the push for the use of air-source heat pumps for super-efficient heating and cooling. With a highly detail-oriented approach to design and an engineer's insight into problem-solving, Nik brings a disciplined creativity to challenges in new and existing systems.

Russ Flanigan joined the Building Energy team in January 2014 as a Senior Energy Specialist and Project Manager. He works with the solar team managing solar operations and with the thermal team performing energy audits. Russ has been involved in the building trades since the early 1980s and has focused on energy efficiency since 2005. He is a veteran of hundreds of energy audits and efficiency projects from insulation to solar to carbon accounting and reduction both in Vermont and in Southern California. He has a long-standing relationship with Efficiency Vermont and has been a Building Performance Institute certified professional since 2008.

Russ lives in Burlington in his “work-in-progress” 1890's home with his wife and boys. He dabbles on the fiddle, piano, and guitar in his rare spare time.

Joel Jackson joined the Building Energy team in 2016 as our Lead Technical Sales Representative specializing in Solar PV and Heat Pump sales. Along with the rest of the Building Energy team, he is focused on delivering quality products and customer service to help our customers reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. Customer satisfaction is his number one goal.

Joel and his wife Laura live on their “one-acre” farm in Hinesburg where they enjoy beekeeping, gardening, and developing a small orchard. A true renaissance man, Joel enjoys hiking, post and beam construction, and landscaping in his spare time.

Brent Mellen joined the Building energy team in 2009. He operates Building Energy’s White River Junction office where he performs residential and commercial energy audits and manages insulation/air sealing projects. Brent earned a bachelor’s degree in ecology and spent several years in the research field before focusing on reducing energy use in buildings. By conducting a thorough assessment of a building’s current energy use and implementing targeted approaches, Brent’s goal is to make buildings more efficient and comfortable, while lowering the operating costs and reducing carbon emissions.

Jacob Smeriglio joined the Building Energy team in September 2020 as a Weatherization Technician and has quickly become an asset to the company. In June 2021, Jacob began a new role as a BPI Certified Energy Auditor and is now one of our Senior Energy Auditors. With a passion for the environment and experience in construction, communications, and sales, he is a great fit for the role and well-suited to help our customers reduce their carbon footprint. Originally from Connecticut, Jacob holds a B.A. in Communications from the University of Hartford. He looks forward to using his problem-solving and hands-on skills to help both people and the environment. In his free time, Jacob enjoys rock climbing, fishing, hiking, and working on cars.

Carl Engvall joined Building Energy in March of 2023 as an energy auditor after retiring from 22 years of teaching high school math and science. His two-decade project of renovating his 1860s farmhouse has given him firsthand insight into weatherization and renovation. He's excited to be battling climate change by helping Vermont homeowners reduce their carbon footprint while saving money and making their homes more comfortable.

In his spare time, Carl enjoys hiking, mountain biking, and acting in community theater.

Bryan Bergeron started with Building Energy in 1998 as a job supervisor and lead carpenter. Bryan has 30 years of experience in the building industry as both a site supervisor and energy consultant specializing in deep energy retrofits. Currently Bryan conducts Home Performance Energy Audits and Manages Sales of all services offered by Building Energy from construction and remodeling to insulation and weatherization.

Bryan lives in South Burlington with his wife and four children and is an active member of his community volunteering his time with the South Burlington Little League and local soccer clubs.

Elizabeth Austin is the Office Manager responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the accounting department. Her main role is to monitor and analyze accounting data to produce financial reporting but she is focused on providing excellent customer service for all our customers. Elizabeth joined the Building Energy team in April 2015. She lives in Essex with her husband Jim, their three sons, and a pug. In her spare time, she coaches at Green Mountain Aquatics.

Laura Lurie joined the Building Energy team in June 2020 after retiring from a career in dental hygiene and office management. As our Accounting Assistant, Laura is responsible for accounts payable, data management, and secretarial duties. Laura has been living in Williston with her husband since 2008 and has two children and one grandson. In her spare time, Laura loves gardening, horses, and swimming.

Kristen is a marketing-savvy graphic artist who joined Building Energy in August of 2023 as the Marketing and Customer Service Manager. Born and raised in New York State, Kristen studied Graphic Design and received her B.F.A. from The Sage Colleges in Albany, NY. She has traveled the country and beyond before settling in Vermont in 2017, with her husband and two kids. Her experiences both professionally and personally continue to fuel her passion for building relationships and helping others in creative & meaningful ways. Outside of her life with Building Energy, Kristen waits tables one night a week and does some freelance graphic design work at home. If there is any free time available you will find her making art with her daughter, working in her garden, enjoying live music, watching football, and loving on her two dogs Georgie and Tela.