Offering home-performance services can set a contracting business apart from its competition, help bring in new business from both existing and new customers, and create interesting work for its employees, all while providing a comfortable and safe home for your customers.

A big part of the challenge of promoting home-performance contracting is that, for homeowners, the performance of the mechanical side of their homes is largely invisible.

The right tools in the right hands can make all the difference when it comes to home-performance services. NCI president Rob Falke and other contractors provide a list of the tools required to be successful in home-performance work.

Contractors are challenged with presenting and selling the industry’s most efficient products to consumers. Manufacturers are largely responsible for improving efficiency within their product lines while at the same time ensuring their products are desirable, affordable, and ahead of all the other roadblocks the industry may throw their way.

A recent American Home Comfort study from Decision Analyst reinforces this revelation, reporting that, for the first time in years, homeowners are more trusting of the internet for HVAC information than they are their contractors. In today’s marketplace, customers are opting to educate themselves on HVAC products via the internet prior to a contractor’s arrival. 

Energy Star certification is an important distinction HVAC manufacturers aim for their products to achieve. The designation recognizes highly efficient performance, and 2016’s list of the most efficient central air conditioners and heat pumps delivers a bevy of products from a wide range of manufacturers.

Depending on who you’re talking with, the phrase "green ductwork" can mean different things, though most agree it typically encompasses recycled materials, various IAQ elements, duct-sealing products, and more. 

Because it uses the earth as a free heat source or heat sink, geothermal is inherently a highly efficient technology that can help homeowners and building owners save a significant amount of energy and money. And, as advances in technology continue to improve the efficiency and controls of these units, the industry is concurrently investigating ways to make geothermal an affordable option for all.

For the past decade, those in the geothermal heating and cooling industry have benefited from two tax credits that incentivize residential and commercial geothermal installations. But both of these tax credits are four months away from expiring, and all efforts to extend them have failed thus far.

Geothermal manufacturers, distributors, and organizations like the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) have stepped up their training efforts to ensure HVACR contractors are installing and servicing geothermal equipment to the highest standard.