#142: Building the Future of Energy Efficiency One Hire at a Time
From Building Efficiency Podcast by Jim Schafer and Nenni & Associates
January 30, 2026 · 42 min · Season 6 · Episode 142
About this episode
Kate Heidinger discusses her career and insights on hiring in the energy efficiency sector.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Kate Heidinger, CEO of Allumia. Kate and I dug into her career path from solar finance and water efficiency to leading a growing energy as a service company focused on small to mid-size commercial projects. We talked about how Allumia partners with utilities leverages technology and data transparency and makes energy efficiency accessible without upfront capital. We also spent time on something that really matters right now. Hiring. Kate shared what she looks for in talent, why problem solvers and adaptable generalists thrive in this industry, and how company culture plays a huge role in scaling smart, resilient teams.
People in this episode
Host: Jim Schafer
Guest: Kate Heidinger
Topics covered
- energy efficiency
- hiring
- company culture
- technology
- data transparency
Keywords
- energy efficiency
- hiring
- Allumia
- company culture
- data transparency
- solar finance
- water efficiency
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Allumia, utilities
More episodes of Building Efficiency Podcast
- #145 How Private Equity Is Reshaping the Energy Sector's Talent Landscape · June 5, 2026
- #144 Why Energy Projects Stall — and How to Fix It. · May 15, 2026
- #143 From Jazz to Infrastructure: David Karlsgodt’s Unconventional Career Path · April 22, 2026
- #141: Entrepreneurship, Energy, and Leaving Things Better Than You Found Them · January 14, 2026 · 30 min
- #140: Hiring the Person, Not the Paper with Bryan Lang · December 9, 2025 · 38 min
- #139: Building Careers That Last: Inside RVE with Stephanie Cuthbert and Mark Annunziato · October 31, 2025 · 38 min
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