Who we are
Headquartered in Richmond, VA, Sustainable Building Elements is a licensed Class A Contractor specializing in residential and commercial energy conservation projects across Virginia.
We help homeowners, builders, and property owners reduce energy costs by identifying efficiency opportunities and leveraging utility rebate programs to offset upgrade expenses.
Our team brings deep experience and professionalism to every project. We provide tailored recommendations—and handle the implementation too. Whether your goal is to meet code, qualify for rebates, or lower long-term utility bills, we offer customized support and proven solutions designed around your unique needs.
At Sustainable Building Elements, we’re proud to support affordable housing communities across Virginia through targeted energy efficiency upgrades. We partner with property owners, developers, and housing authorities to help meet funding, compliance, and sustainability goals—without burdening residents or budgets.
How SBE Began
When I started thinking seriously about energy efficiency, it wasn’t as a contractor or an energy auditor. It was as a homeowner.
At the time, I was living in Richmond’s Northside and commuting to Lake Anna every day for work. The travel time was a burden so my family and I decided that a home somewhere in between the two points would be the right move. Housing options in the area we wanted were limited so we hired a contractor and built a new home.
Construction was going well until I began asking what could be done to improve the home’s energy efficiency. The contractor dismissed my questions and suggestions as things that would complicate the construction process. The house was completed and we moved in. Then winter arrived.
Floors were cold, rooms were drafty, heat was running non-stop and it quickly became clear that many of the problems we were experiencing could have been prevented during construction. The house was new and the countertops were pretty, but that didn’t necessarily mean it had been built to be efficient, comfortable, or durable.
I reached out to several respected energy professionals in the Richmond area who generously shared their knowledge and helped me understand both what had gone wrong and how the house could be improved. So I began the process of fixing my new house. That experience sparked a determination to learn more about building science and help other homeowners avoid finding themselves in the same position.
Over the years, that determination grew into a career. I became an ENERGY STAR New Homes inspector, a Department of Housing quality control inspector, a building science adjunct instructor for workforce-development programs, and an independent energy auditor working with contractors throughout Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. More recently, SBE has served as a participating contractor for regional and utility-sponsored energy-efficiency programs and still provides independent energy assessments.
Although the work has evolved, the purpose behind it has remained the same: to evaluate homes honestly, explain the findings clearly, and help residents identify the most practical ways to lower their energy bills and make their homes healthier, more comfortable, and more durable for years to come.
I hope we can do the same for you.
Rich Gajarsky