So Now What?

There are five steps to consider to get into the sale, installation, and service of economizers:

Know Your Market – Are economizers necessary in your area? If so, work with your local distributors and the economizer manufacturers they carry. You also need to learn more about the controllers because everything boils down to them.

Include Economizers in Your Maintenance Agreements – This is a must.

Develop a Sales Strategy – Anticipate and know how to answers customer objections to the costs of adding a new economizer or renovating an old one. Show customers how this equipment will help their system provide better comfort, energy savings, and longer overall equipment life. Then make sure to add economizer service to your Maintenance agreements.

Price Your Work Appropriately – Like all good business practices, you need to know what your costs are and price your economizer service/installation offerings with the appropriate profit margins for your company.

Train Your People – Train them in economizer technology and make them into better craftsmen. But also train them in how to best communicate with the customer, to help them better understand the advantages of having a working, functional economizer as part of their HVAC system.

Yes, the economizer business seems like it is doomed from the start. But it does offer contractors opportunities to help clients resolve real, longstanding energy cost and comfort issues. Contractors who do these things will experience success and profits from guaranteeing economizer performance to their customers.

Don Langston is president and CEO of Aire Rite Air Conditioning & Refrigeration. His company has worked on economizers for more than 40 years. He also works on emerging technology projects with funding from DOE, California, and state utilities.