With similar data collected in the future, incremental costs and market trends could be established. This three-part video series educates consumers who are building their own homes on how to incorporate energy efficiency into the process. As restructuring of the Wisconsin utility industry goes forward, many organizations are rethinking how energy efficiency should be promoted. To design new programs, these organizations need information about how HVAC contractors view energy-related products and services. This study establishes a baseline of energy efficiency attitudes and practices among Wisconsin's HVAC contractors.
Few contractors offer energy efficiency services like energy audits and blower-door tests.
Most focus their work on equipment installation, repair, and service. However, most contractors support energy efficiency, as long as they feel it benefits the customer. Contractors support utility rebates and utility promotion of energy efficiency, but do not want utilities to sell, install, or service HVAC equipment. But they are associated with relatively high installation costs and perceptions of poor reliability, and they have not achieved widespread use in Wisconsin. This study assesses the market potential for new heat pump technologies in Wisconsin, and reports how a variety of people and organizations view heat pumps and how some have attempted to promote them.