Clean Heat Connect

Heat Pump Contractors Boost Their Business with Clean Heat Connect

Contractors across the State report success when they access technical resources and partnerships through NYSERDA’s Clean Heat Connect.

About Clean Heat Connect

Clean Heat Connect is NYSERDA’s network of heat pump manufacturers and distributors dedicated to expanding the adoption of heat pumps in homes across New York State. Clean Heat Connect provides contractors with educational tools, training, resources, and support, building contractor confidence and capacity to grow cold-climate air source heat pump installations.

More Resources, More Support

Currently, Clean Heat Connect partners include 14 heat pump manufacturers and 15 distributors supported by NYSERDA. Clean Heat Connect partners provide contractors with:

• Educational Tools
  Clean Heat Connect offers a range of free resources, including short videos, fact sheets, checklists, interactive tools, and comprehensive guidance documents.
• Training Opportunities
  Both online and in-person trainings cover topics such as sizing, installation, maintenance, sales, and marketing. Trainings are often held at distributor locations including train-the-trainer options.
• Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) Sizing Tools
  Contractors use these cold-climate ASHP sizing and selection tools early in product selection, supported by a Clean Heat Connect how-to video.
• Installation Checklists and Policy Fact Sheets
  Tools like the ASHP Commissioning Checklist improve installation thoroughness, while information like the refrigerant regulation fact sheet keep contractors informed on compliance.
• Centralized Website
  Clean Heat Connect’s website consolidates resources, incentive program materials, and links to NYSERDA funding programs, helping contractors navigate rebate programs and workforce development funding.

In Their Own Words: Seven Featured Contractors

NYSERDA surveyed 52 contractors about their Clean Heat Connect experience. Among the respondents, 7 were selected that included a mix of small firms (fewer than five employees) and large (25 or more employees), geographically spread across New York State, with varying experience levels in heat pump installation.

1. Adema HVAC, Buffalo
2. Bill’s Appliance, Hurley
3. Dell’s Plumbing, Chatham
4. High Peaks HPs, Wilmington
5. NP Environmental, Waterville
6. Weston Bros, Forest Hills
7. Zoom HVAC, Rochester

Some firms specialized exclusively in heat pumps, while others integrated heat pumps into broader HVAC services. Both new entrants and experienced installers benefit from Clean Heat Connect resources.

Here’s a look at their Clean Heat Connect experience.

Reported Benefits: A Closer Look

Respondents shared these insights on four key benefits.

1. Sales Growth

Five of the seven featured contractors experienced increased ASHP sales, with some seeing heat pumps grow from 20% to 50% of their business. Heat pumps are the largest growth sector across both small and large firms. As ASHPs become more widely known and trusted by consumers, more contractors enter the market.

2. Hiring, Workforce Expansion

As consumer awareness of ASHP technology grows, contractors hire and train staff to fulfill demand. Relatively early to enter the heat pump market, NP Environmental has already experienced enough growth in demand for heat pumps to hire more technicians and administrative staff.

Several other contractors expect to hire new staff in the coming years and are optimistic about using NYSERDA Workforce Development funding to train future employees.

3. Increased Confidence

Four of the seven featured contractors reported increased confidence in ASHPs. Staff at Adema HVAC were initially hesitant to embrace heat pumps as a primary whole-home heating source, but education and support has helped them feel more comfortable recommending the technology to customers.

Confidence is also related to real-world experience and grows with every additional job completed. Training and access to resources have boosted employee confidence in recommending and installing heat pumps, even among initially hesitant contractors. 

4. Customer Satisfaction

Six of the seven contractors reported improvements in installation quality and performance, avoided callbacks, and improved customer satisfaction. Trainings are critical drivers of quality improvements. Zoom HVAC noted how attending a training at Meier Supply directly improved the service quality Zoom offers its customers.

Clean Heat Connect marketing and customer-facing resources can help contractors communicate with customers and set expectations. The Clean Heat Connect Commissioning Checklist helps installers ensure consistency and completeness, improving installation quality and reducing the likelihood of callbacks.

Quality installations and better communication with customers have reduced callbacks and improved overall customer experience.

Partnerships and Communication

Respondents were asked to describe the role of partnerships and communications and what made Clean Heat Connect such a valuable resource.

• Contractors trust Clean Heat Connect partners to provide information on heat pumps.
  Distributors have cultivated a high level of trust with their customers, and contractors describe distributor branches as their “first stop” when seeking information on technology best practices or policy changes. Contractors also speak highly of the resources shared by manufacturers, which regularly feature co-branded Clean Heat Connect content.
• Clean Heat Connect partners and contractors communicate by email, phone, and face-to-face.
  Partners use multiple communication methods (e.g., email, phone calls, in-person visits) to reach busy contractors. Six of the seven featured contractors receive heat pump-related emails from their partners, four have regular phone conversations, and one is visited by a sales representative once per quarter.
• Distributor branch locations are a central hub for information exchange.
  Distributors provide a crucial link between manufacturers and contractors through in-person contact at physical branch locations where contractors purchase equipment, receive technical support, and attend training courses. Distributors also share educational materials and alert contractors to new trainings, programs, and policy changes. Contractors interact with distributors frequently: four of the seven case study contractors communicate with their distributors weekly and the remaining three report near-daily interactions.

Clean Heat Connect successfully supports contractors in New York State by providing comprehensive technical resources, training, and trusted partnerships that foster confidence, increase sales, improve installation quality, and enhance customer satisfaction.

Leverage Clean Heat Connect's tools and resources together with NYSERDA funding programs to capitalize on the growing demand for cold-climate air source heat pumps.

Clean Heat Connect Partners

The Clean Heat Connect partner network is a collaborative of industry leaders in the cold-climate air source heat pump supply chain. These distributors, manufacturers, and manufacturer representatives are committed to supporting New York State’s clean heat goals and advancing heat pump adoption across the State.