Conferences are an invaluable tool for anyone in the home performance, HVAC, and solar industries. For Energy Circle, attending has two main purposes: to offer our thoughts and expertise on digital marketing tactics for the industries we serve, and to spend time talking shop directly with our own clients, as well as contractors, manufacturer representatives, energy policy administrators, and more.
Conferences give Energy Circle the chance to speak directly with our clients and contractors in our industry.
At any one of the many conferences we attend over the course of the year, you can find our founder, Peter Troast, giving numerous presentations outlining his unique insights into digital marketing for the home performance, HVAC, and solar industries. Even more than our regular webinar series, conferences let us connect directly with contractors around the country, answering questions and providing valuable advice to improve their online marketing efforts.
We are right in the middle of the spring conference season currently, but we wanted to take some time today to highlight just two of the more recent conferences we’ve attended in 2020, and give you a behind-the-scenes look at what goes down!
Efficiency Vermont’s Better Buildings by Design Conference
The seventh annual Better Buildings by Design conference started off with a rousing keynote on “Carbon Drawdown Now: Turning Buildings into Carbon Sinks”, presented by Chris Magwood of Ontario, Canada’s Endeavour Centre, alongside Jacob Racusin and Ace McArleton of Burlington, VT’s New Framework.
Chris, Jacob, and Ace set the tone for three days of addressing the largest gathering of Vermont’s building industry, helping contractors discover better ways to tackle Vermont’s built environment. With over 40 workshops, 70+ exhibitors (including a Tesla, offering free test drives of their electric vehicles through the streets of Burlington), there was a lot to take in, including two presentations from our own Peter Troast.
We were however, able to take in some particularly useful presentations, like the two-part workshop from Efficiency Vermont guru David Keefe on “Fixing Existing Homes”, a pun-laden and laugh heavy presentation from RDH’s Dr. John Straube on “Water, Vapor, Air: How Physics Can Help You Choose the Right Membrane”, and an impressive outline of solar and electrification from Revision Energy’s Kimberly Quirk on “Solar Plus—Electrifying Our Lives Provides a Better ROI”.
BPA’s Northeast Regional Home Performance Conference
The Building Performance Association (BPA) hosted its Northeast regional conference in Saratoga, NY, this year on February 11 and 12, with nearly 500 attendees. This year the conference was hosted by NYSERDA, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
Over 500 attendees gathered in the main expo hall for opening day remarks from several NYSERDA leaders.
In 2019, New York State signed “the most aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goals of any major economy,” according to NYSERDA’s Janet Joseph. The state aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030, and 85% by 2050.
“We’re going through a revolution,” emphasized NYSERDA’s Courtney Moriarta. To reach the state’s ambitious emission goals, she said, 700 to 750 homes would need to be decarbonized—gas and oil heating systems and appliances swapped out for electric models—every single day for 30 years. “There’s enough work for everybody,” she added, for the benefit of the many contractors in attendance.
Over the course of the two days of the conference, nearly 40 breakout sessions covered a wide variety of topics of interest to the home performance industry, from contractor panels on more effectively closing sales calls to information about new and emerging technology, including smart home appliances and electric heat pumps.
Where Will Energy Circle Be Headed Next?
Our busy spring conference schedule takes Energy Circle founder Peter Troast and many members of our digital marketing team across the country. Are you attending any of the below events? If so, make sure to say hi!
From live streamed interviews to digital marketing presentations, conferences keep Energy Circle busy!
03/09 - 03/11: Better Building Better Business WI | Wisconsin Dells, WI
03/17 - 03/18: Building Science Conference and Expo | Knoxville, TN
04/27 - 04/30: 2020 National Home Performance Conference | New Orleans, LA