Energy Circle

Most insulation contractors know the work. Fewer have figured out the business model that makes it worth doing at scale. In our newest episode of The High Performance Edge podcast, Peter Troast talks with Ken Allison, who leads training and business development at IDI, about why the contractors who test the house and treat the envelope as a system close jobs that are four to five times bigger than those who don't. Ken breaks down the economics in plain terms, including how to get started without a big upfront investment in equipment and crews. https://hubs.ly/Q04njqkd0

You may have heard of the "Maine miracle": how a small, cold, oil-dependent state crossed 200,000 heat pump installations. But how did it actually happen, and what does it mean for everyone else? In our latest High Performance Edge episode, Scott Libby of Royal River Heat Pumps, who's had a front-row seat, takes us inside the miracle: how the market tipped, and what contractors anywhere can learn from it.

If you're an HVAC, plumbing, solar, or electrical contractor, you could qualify for FREE TICKETS to the US Heat Pump Summit in a limited time giveaway offered exclusively for contractors new to the conference: https://hubs.ly/Q04lfpdz0   The Summit brings together some of the brightest minds in the industry. It's a chance to learn from industry experts, discover emerging trends, and connect with contractors who are growing their businesses in a changing market.   As a Silver Sponsor of the event, Energy Circle is excited to support this opportunity for contractors to learn, network, and stay ahead of the curve! #hvacmarketing #solarmarketing #digitalmarketing #energyefficiency #energytransition #hvac #electrification #decarbonization #solar #solarpv #buildingscience #heatpumps #insulation #buildingenvelope

Google made a lot of changes in 2026, and most contractors don't have time to track them. But some of these updates, including the first search bar overhaul in 25 years, an updated review policy, the AI Optimization Guide, and a new feature called Ask Maps, have real implications for how homeowners find and hire high performance contractors. In our latest episode of The High Performance Edge, Peter sits down with Abby Yolda, our Director of Digital Marketing Strategy, to sort through what actually matters and what contractors should do about it.

Most HVAC contractors know duct work is critical. They also know it's high labor, low margin, and rarely fits neatly into how their business runs. In our latest episode of The High Performance Edge, Peter Troast talks with Zach Ortwine of Southeast Clean Air Solutions about how he built an entire business around exactly that work, and what his specialist model reveals about how comprehensive high performance work can actually get delivered in the real world: not always by one contractor doing everything, but by specialists feeding work back and forth to each other.

Load calculations aren’t just a box to check: they shape the entire retrofit conversation. In this clip, The Energy Conservatory's Chris Hughes breaks down how contractors can use them to recommend the right system and build more trust with homeowners. Check out the rest of this episode of The High Performance Edge on our website or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Catch our upcoming episode with Zachary Ortwine of Southeast Clean Air Solutions next week!

🎧 We've got your weekend listening all tee'd up! Most high performance HVAC contractors know that a poor envelope will undermine even a well-designed system. But a solution that includes permanent load reduction means a bigger scope, a harder conversation with the homeowner, and a real risk of losing the job to a competitor who just swaps the box. In our latest episode of The High Performance Edge Podcast, Chris Hughes of The Energy Conservatory breaks down why that friction exists and shares a practical path for contractors who want to start doing this work the right way.

The high-performance contracting industry has long faced a trade-off: profitability vs. doing high-quality work. But could that be changing? With the right tools and technology, we are seeing a shift. The key lies in two areas: 1. Reducing Overhead: Automating custom quoting and diagnostics using AI to save valuable time. 2, Customer Education: Translating complex technical knowledge into clear, homeowner-facing insights. Technology is making invisible quality visible, allowing contractors to communicate their true value and do more with less. 🎧 Want to hear more about how this works in practice? Check out the full discussion with Peter Troast and WorkHero's Furman Haynes on the High Performance Edge podcast episode: https://lnkd.in/ey5aPG9V

Most AI discussions aimed at contractors are long on promises and short on specifics. It's left many businesses watching from the sidelines, unsure where to start. So in our latest episode of The High Performance Edge, Peter Troast sits down with Furman Haynes, co-founder of WorkHero, to talk about what AI can actually do for a small contracting operation today. Furman walks through real examples: automating job costing across disconnected systems, generating custom education-first quotes, and handling rebate processing without the manual legwork. The deeper question the conversation raises is one the high performance industry has wrestled with for a long time: whether quality work and healthy margins can coexist. Furman makes a compelling case that the economics are starting to shift. 🔗 Listen here, or wherever you find your podcasts: https://bit.ly/3QrquNS

We're big fans of The Heat Pump Summit and the value it brings to the industry. Make sure you're planning to attend this year—you don't want to miss it!