Last week, Energy Circle Founder and CEO Peter Troast was joined on our weekly Wednesday Webinar by Joe Medosch, a Healthy Building Scientist with Hayward Healthy Homes and our go-to expert on all things indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring.
As awareness around ventilation, indoor air quality, and the healthy home concept has grown over the last year, Joe has had his finger on the pulse of where IAQ device manufacturers are trending with their new products, and what is becoming most important to homeowners and property managers who want to make their homes and businesses safer.
So, why should you care? Because IAQ monitors are quickly becoming an important part of the built environment, and learning how to market them could lead to big first-mover opportunities for your HVAC or home performance business.
Trends in IAQ Monitoring Devices
While there were many trends Joe spotted within the IAQ monitoring industry, a few stuck out as particularly relevant to our industries:
Supply Chain Issues Impacting Prices
Not even IAQ monitors are safe from the perils of the supply chain log-jam. This can greatly affect delivery times and inventory, so prices are going up in some cases.
Simplified Connectivity
Some devices, like the Ventacity IAQPro, are making connectivity as simple as turning the device on. Automatic connectivity to LTE and 5G networks makes setup and data collection easy. However, Joe notes that no one has seemed to nail the creation of a report that is easy to print and understand.
Demand Shift to Commercial
Employees are becoming more and more concerned with the health of the air in their workplaces, and employers are following suit. Manufacturers are shifting focus to commercial demands and making IAQ devices that work on a larger scale.
Wildfires
“The wildfire-smoke-resistant home” was a concept Joe mentioned as a benchmark that many IAQ-focused companies are looking towards. With wildfire severity increasing in California, and growing awareness of just how far wildfire smoke can travel, more and more homeowners want to know when their indoor air quality is being negatively affected by wildfire smoke.
New IAQ Monitoring Releases for 2022
Looking for a brief overview of the new and updated IAQ monitoring devices that are planned for late 2021 and 2022? Have a listen as Joe gives a brief overview of each:
Devices | Sensors | Unique features | Dashboard | Price Point |
Awair Element | CO2, PM2.5, VOCs, Temp, Humidity, | 30 day download | No | $299 |
Awair Omni | CO2, PM2.5, VOCs, Temp, Humidity, Light, Noise, | Battery | Yes | $399 + $60/year |
Haven | PM2.5, VOCs, Temp, Humidity | Yes | $800 | |
AirThings | CO2, PM2.5, VOCs, Temp, Humidity, BP, Radon | Battery | Yes | $299 |
iQi | CO2, PM2.5, VOCs, Temp, Humidity, Dewpoint | Yes | ? | |
iQi Visual Pro | CO2, PM2.5, Temp, Humidity, Local AQI | Battery | No | $295 |
uHoo | CO2, PM2.5, VOCs, Temp, Humidity, CO2, NO2, BP | No | $330 + $99 | |
Air Advice | CO2, PM2.5, VOCs, Temp, Humidity | Automated report, Battery | Yes | $2490 for year 1, $995 for year 2 |
Senseware | Customizable | 5G, Multiroom, Commercial & Schools | Yes | $$$ |
Ventacity IAQ Pro | CO2, PM2.5, VOCs, Temp, Humidity | 5G, Multiroom, Commercial & Schools | Yes | TBD |
Marketing Your IAQ Services
Whether you are just starting to add IAQ and ventilation-related services to your HVAC or home performance business, or you are a veteran of the struggle to sell IAQ related services, you’re going to want to know where the puck is going to be when it comes to IAQ monitoring devices of the future.
In the first part of our blog series A Closer Look at Ventilation, we learned that “search volume and awareness around IAQ ... usually tended to center around a test or an evaluation first”. If we have learned anything from studying the search volume related to the solar sector, it is that specific brands and products can have a more broad awareness level than complicated, overarching topics like solar energy, home performance, and HVAC.
By choosing which IAQ monitoring devices you are going to offer your customers, and marketing them using an integrated strategy, you can offer a long-term IAQ evaluation solution that opens the door to other IAQ services. Services like air sealing, ventilation, air purification, and insulation.
Looking for some help kick-starting the digital marketing of your home performance, HVAC, or solar business? We’ve got the tools and industry expertise to help! Start a conversation today.