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Marketing and Selling Energy Services

From Contracting Business magazine, January 2010

The last in a 3-part series on energy services, this article explains how going to market with your services in a slightly different way, you can be a significant player in the energy services business.

Energy Services for Commercial Contractors (part 2 of 3)

From Contracting Business magazine, December 2009

Creating a successful energy services program is not difficult, but it requires a few key skills and a clear definition of what constitutes your service offering. This article will detail the steps that need to be taken to quickly begin realizing the financial benefits to your business.

Energy Services for Commercial HVAC Contractors

From Contracting Business magazine, November 2009

HVAC contractors have the inside track to billions of dollars in new profit in a red hot market that has little or no competition. That market is energy services.

Monsen Engineering Uses AirAdvice Technology to Quantify Energy Costs

From MCAA Smart Solutions newsletter, Winter 2009

To persuade current and potential clients to view them as a money saver rather than a cost center, Monsen Engineering of Fairfield, NJ, provides energy assessments, or technical energy reviews, to show how much their clients can save in energy.

BuildingAdvice Allows Hill York to Expand Energy Services to Midsized Building Customers

From MCAA Smart Solutions newsletter, Summer 2009

As part of its hygreen branded program for building optimization and sustainability, Hill York uses BuildingAdvice to offer customers energy-saving solutions that drive its service agreement revenue growth and help to justify energy-saving retrofit/replacement projects.

Energy-Saving Opportunities in Green Buildings

Original article by Tim Kensok on HPAC.com - September 2009

All buildings ? even high-performing ones ? have room for efficiency improvements.

The U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System provides many paths to certification, some of which result in a more energy-efficient building than others. Thus, just because a building is LEED-certified does not mean significant opportunities for energy savings cannot be found. As the case studies at the end of this article show, savings usually can be had for little or no capital investment by fine-tuning the operations of a building.

The Reinvention of Energy Services

Original article by Tim Kensok on AutomatedBuildings.com - May 2009

With the current push to reduce energy consumption in commercial buildings energy service companies (ESCOs) are seeing rapid growth.  According to a report issued by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ESCO industry revenues rebounded with growth of 20% per year in 2004 to 2006.  This is up significantly from growth rates between 2000 and 2004, which averaged only 3%

The Best Undergrad B-Schools

BusinessWeek.com - February 26, 2009

BusinessWeek's fourth annual ranking reflects a treacherous job market that is putting America's colleges to an unfamiliar test

Market for sustainable strategies

Original article by Barb Checket-Hanks in ACHR News- February 9, 2009

It didn’t take long for the word “green” to make New Year’s lists of stale words and phrases. However, the market for truly green and sustainable strategies is strong and getting stronger. Leaders among mechanical contractors can help their clients by becoming leaders in energy management, green building, and sustainable practices.

Message for Commercial HVAC Contractors

Original article by Tim Kensok on AutomatedBuildings.com- March 2009

Listen up HVAC contractors. How would you like to have the inside track to billions of dollars of new profit opportunities for your industry, in a market that is red hot, and where you have little or no competition?

Indoor Air Quality - Myth or Money Generator

ContractingBusiness.com- December 10, 2008

"If you?re in the HVAC industry and you?ve heard anything about Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), you know it?s important. You know that energy efficient homes seal in and recirculate the same germs, allergens, and chemicals. You know this can cause health issues for occupants within the home. You know that indoor air can be 12 times more polluted that the air outside.

That?s the point. You know, but your customers don?t. Hence one of the largest issues facing IAQ in HVAC?credibility."

As conservation efforts grow, AirAdvice prospers

Portland Business Journal - November 28, 2008

"It began with a wish to improve a woman?s health. That sensibility still undergirds AirAdvice Inc., a Portland company fast gaining a national foothold in the commercial building industry."

AirAdvice Touts Higher Closing Rates

March 3, 2008

"Consumers are looking to spend money on their homes to make them a better investment," said Middleton. "So we need to talk to them about indoor air quality and to differentiate ourselves from other HVAC contractors."

IAQ Sales Success

August 27, 2007

Over the last five years at K&S Heating and Cooling, our annual indoor air quality (IAQ) sales have grown from zero to $2 million. If you think this is unusual or that this kind of growth doesn't apply to you and your business, I ask you to think again. When I joined K&S five years ago, IAQ didn't exist as a business segment. I took on learning IAQ and building an IAQ sales program. It took commitment to get it to today's $2 million a year, but I assure you, there's nothing I did that you can't do.

Taking IAQ to Market

February 28, 2007

No matter what your business' size or location, it's really pretty straightforward. I don't mean to say that IAQ marketing is a quick fix. You can't expect big things without being willing to commit to it through time. But getting started is simple.

IAQ: Getting Started in the Indoor Air Quality Business

November 21, 2006

The test stunned us - the customer and I watched smoke pour into the eaves and into the space between the home's two stories. All that dust and bad air was being brought in by negative pressure. We got things fixed for him thanks to that test, and as a byproduct of finding the solution to the problem, we sold some equipment. I was hooked.

IAQ: Why Now is the Time to Capitalize on the Market

September 20, 2006

IAQ successes are happening for HVAC businesses of every size, in all kinds of locations and situations. IAQ is not just a "city" or "big contractor only" ticket. As the early movers already know, people everywhere want to be sure they're breathing clean air inside their homes and businesses.

Contractors Use Many Internet Tools

Publication: ACHR The News

Date: January 22, 2007

Author: John Hall, Editor

What are HVAC contractors using the Internet for these days? AirAdvice Inc., developer of the AirAdvice HVAC-IAQ™ program, recently asked some HVAC contractors for their input for its online IAQ management tools, titled AirAdvice SmartWeb™ Tools. The goal was to learn what contractors thought about this new Internet business tool.

"At AirAdvice, we count on contractor input to drive all of our IAQ product innovation and development," said Lucas Klesch, AirAdvice product manager.

"For each new development, we choose an innovation team. These groups of HVAC industry volunteers come from a broad range of business types and locations and each bring different areas of expertise. Their feedback helps us ensure that we’re meeting real-time, right-now contractor needs and providing real value with every diagnostic and business management IAQ tool we deliver."

One contractor, Jonathon Moscatello of Oregon Heating and Air Conditioning Inc., Beaverton, Ore., said this new online tool is as good as anything he has used. "I now have a tool that will rival my [AirAdvice] IAQ business advisor in terms of the power this system gives me," he said. “The placement and proposal features are going to be invaluable. Process is critical—SmartWeb Tools is going to make my job a lot easier. It puts everything at my fingertips."

Speaking of Fingertips

The NEWS wanted to know what some AirAdvice users felt about the importance of the Internet in their business—not just for the SmartWeb Tools but also for all applications. Contractors talked about the biggest Internet benefits to them and their businesses.

"Speed and flexibility is important to me," said Scott Needham of Princeton Air, Princeton, N.J., "It also gives you the ability to transact business when it fits your schedule. It has become a huge timesaver when you are working on an obscure piece of commercial equipment that no one has any info on, and you Google the model number to find all the info and parts you need to fix it."

An educated customer is the kind that contractor Gary Dorman of M.E. Flow, Leesburg, Va., wants and the Internet is a great educational tool.

"The biggest benefit is that the customers who use the Internet, on average, are better informed as to the quality of the equipment being sold and make their decision with more research," he said. "This decision-making process gives our company a leg up on our competitors that don’t offer the same quality and level of expertise."

B.J. De Waal, general manager/IAQ Specialist at BCS Mechanical, Barstow, Calif., operates her business in a high desert area. IAQ selling tools via the Internet are very important to her. She noted that there are new commercial/industry opportunities thanks to Web-based IAQ/zone monitoring. Web-based tools allow her to tap into markets that before, without the Web-based tools, were prohibitively expensive.

"The HVAC industry can be proactive and identify problems before the building management is even aware, and also really help building management control costs, save time, and cut down on complaints," De Waal said.

Using the Internet to Communicate

Some AirAdvice contractors noted specific ways that they use the Internet as a communication portal with existing and new customers. Charles H. Martin III of Woodfin Oil, Mechanicsville, Va., said, "On a direct level, I keep in touch with homeowners throughout the sales process and beyond.

"One such customer for whom we installed a complete heat pump system asked that I assist her dad, who resides here but works in California, on the installation of a new natural gas hot water boiler. After much correspondence, we were chosen to install the system (yes, we were much higher than others) and we now have another very satisfied customer!"

Needham listed a number of ways he communicates with everyone:

  • Process all of our manufacturer warranties online.
  • Visit manufacturers’ Websites for parts searches and service bulletins.
  • Internet banking with direct deposit and funds transfer.
  • Pay payroll taxes and submit forms.
  • Receive electronic funds from customers and partners.
  • Run credit checks on prospective new commercial customers.
  • Order equipment and supplies.
  • Order office supplies.
  • E-mail.

He added his company also uses Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) on all field and sales vehicles that allow them to keep an eye on the fleet and to "help a bit with efficient dispatching of both techs and salespeople."

Some of the other benefits of having a Website include sales lead generation, offering online discounts, and free tech support for customers. Having a Web presence is an important business tool, according to Martin.

"We try to be proactive in having a good Website," he said. "It is a good reflection of our company and its potential to assist homeowners."

AirAdvice SmartWeb™ Tools was released to AirAdvice customers in October 2006.