Andrea Salazar, M.S., E.I.T.
Managing Consultant
I always knew I wanted to make a positive impact on the world, but didn’t always know how exactly how I’d do that. I realized I could use my engineering degree to help mitigate climate change (duh) after teaching in Mexico, some soul searching, and a little documentary called An Inconvenient Truth. Working in energy efficiency allows me to continuously learn, feel that I am a part of something larger than myself, and know that I am doing all I can to make the world my little ones will inherit a livable one. Energy efficiency isn’t just my job, it’s my passion.
Andrea joined the Michaels Energy team in 2019. As a Managing Consultant, Andrea’s role is to help utilities and other entities working in energy efficiency understand whether their programs are working, and where improvements can be made to ensure energy savings are maximized. She also helps with research projects aimed at better understanding customers, market conditions, and barriers to the adoption of energy efficiency.
Andrea began her career designing (and sometimes even installing – despite her fear of heights) solar PV systems. She performed feasibility studies, participated in design charrettes, and prepared design documents for permitting and interconnection. It was at this job that Andrea noticed a disconnect between utility programs and the needs of customers and contractors. Paperwork could be onerous and rebates took too long to process. This disconnect was a problem, and Andrea’s next move was to try to help solve it.
In 2010 Andrea began her work in demand-side management programs. She researched best practices in program design, tracked and presented on new technologies for utilities to consider incorporating into their portfolios, and published reports on changes in the industry. She also evaluated utility programs, performed research to inform baselines, hours-of-use, and other technical parameters, and conducted interviews with market actors to discover non-technical, human-based factors that created barriers to the adoption of energy efficiency.
Andrea earned both her Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics and Master of Science degree in Architectural Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Andrea is also a member of AESP’s DEI Council and the Michaels Energy DEIC committee.
Outside of work, Andrea cherishes family time with her husband and two boys. Her newest interest is in mindfulness, meditation, and the mind-body connection. She loves reading, cooking, exercising (especially in the beautiful Colorado outdoors) and taking time to connect with family and friends.
