OUR STORY

About the Owner - Mitch Ruter

Qihaus (pronounced chē-house and meaning "energy house") Solutions is the culmination of my two decades of education and devoted non-profit service to the community.  After receiving my degree in Architecture from the University of Minnesota, I began a long career of non-profit work spanning the country and various roles.  I followed my heart to the rural communities of central Appalachia where I had been volunteering as early as 1999.  Working for the Appalachia Service Project, I supervised thousands of volunteers and managed 80+ emergency home repair projects in some of the most impoverished counties in the country.  I met my wife through the organization, and together we moved to Denver for an adventure out west.  Little did we know this would become home!

My first professional stop in Colorado was with Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver, where I oversaw construction on home repair and full home rehabilitation projects, and built new Energy Star certified affordable housing.  It was my passion for energy efficient housing that inspired me to work as an energy auditor for Groundwork Denver.  I performed over 1,000 energy audits, identifying opportunities for improvement, and installing efficiency upgrades.  The fulfillment I received from reaching so many homes and helping to improve peoples' utility bills, comfort in their daily lives, and even their health, made me jump at the opportunity to ultimately manage statewide residential efficiency programs for Energy Outreach Colorado.

Creating Qihaus Solutions was a response to my ever-present passion for direct service to the community.  Meeting people where they are, learning about their lives and the place they call home, and doing everything I can to improve their daily experience through housing ... these are my pillars of personal fulfillment.  To highlight the quote on my homepage, "The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit"  - Nelson Henderson