James "Jim" Patterson

Independent Home Energy Auditor

Denver, Colorado

The Guy Who Reads Electric Bills for Fun

I spent 25 years inside the utility industry, watching families pay for electricity they didn't need to use. I left in 2018 to become an independent auditor because I believe every homeowner should be able to read their own electric bill like a roadmap.

I've personally audited over 1,200 homes across Colorado and neighboring states. I maintain a database of utility rate structures for all 50 states, and I can tell you within five minutes whether your power company is charging you a fair rate or padding your bill with hidden fees.

I live in Denver with my wife, two college kids (20 and 18), and a border collie named Sparky who sheds enough to insulate an attic. I collect vintage analog electric meters as a hobby. My garage looks like a museum of obsolete metering technology.

Education & Certifications

• BS Electrical Engineering, Colorado State University (1994)
• MS Energy Systems, University of Colorado Boulder (1998)
• NABCEP PV Installation Professional — License #NAB-2017-045832
• BPI Building Analyst — Certification #BPI-2015-11047

Professional Experience

• 2018–Present: Independent Home Energy Auditor, Patterson Energy Consulting
• 2010–2018: Senior Energy Engineer, Xcel Energy — Head of Residential Energy Audit Department
• 2001–2010: Energy Efficiency Program Manager, Xcel Energy
• 1998–2001: Distribution Planning Engineer, Public Service Company of Colorado

What I Actually Do

When I'm not writing for WattWise, I'm in someone's basement with a thermal camera, finding air leaks they didn't know existed. I specialize in:

• Residential energy auditing and blower door testing
• Utility rate structure analysis and bill decoding
• HVAC efficiency optimization and SEER/SEER2 modeling
• Solar ROI modeling with NEM 2.0/3.0 and net billing scenarios
• Insulation R-value engineering and material selection
• Vampire load identification and mitigation