Show Notes
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In this episode of the Heat Pump Podcast, host Ed Smith, co-founder of Amply Energy , is joined by three innovators in the HVAC and heat pump space at the US Heat Pump Summit. Mark Kasdorf (Forge), Grant Gunnison (Zero Homes), and Evan Anderson (Pearl Edison) share their unique business models and approaches to accelerating the adoption of heat pumps.
Guest Introductions:
Mark Kasdorf - Founder & CEO of Forge. Mark brings a background in software development and an entrepreneurial approach to HVAC, focusing on high-quality heat pump installations with a heavy emphasis on training and technology integration. Grant Gunnison - Founder & CEO of Zero Homes. With a background in general contracting and small satellites, Grant focuses on building a tech-forward home upgrade marketplace with a primary focus on heat pumps and energy efficiency. Evan Anderson - Co-founder of Pearl Edison. Evan has a background in automated driving and focuses on supporting homeowners in energy efficiency and electrification retrofits through a network of high-performance contractors.
Key Takeaways:
Every model dies if installs fail. All three CEOs — remote, hybrid, and in-person — built quality controls into their process. Cutting corners on design might win the sale, but callbacks and bad reviews will kill the business. Software can let junior salespeople do expert-level work. Forge uses embedded tools so 27-year-olds can run load calcs that would normally require a master electrician — and they're hitting revenue-per-salesperson numbers well above industry standard. Remote design works in some markets, not others. Forge tried it in New England and called it "a disaster." Zero Homes makes it work elsewhere. Experiment to see if it can cut down on your soft costs for acquiring a customer. Ducted systems still need someone in the home. Evan Anderson is pessimistic — short, medium, and long-term — about getting airflow and static pressure data remotely. If you're touching ductwork, plan on a site visit. Utility and municipal partnerships can cut acquisition costs to near zero. All three companies get leads through partners instead of paying for Google ads.
Timestamps:
[03:44] – Introduction To The Panelists
[06:44] – Discussing Challenges And Their Solutions In The Hvac Industry
[14:20] – How Each Company Uses Technology To Improve Processes
[23:37] – Sales Process And Customer Engagement
[26:55] – Lead Qualification To Closing The Deal
[32:29] – Scaling The Businesses, and Conversion Rate Success
[39:04] – Discussion On Financing Options And Their Impact On Affordability
[47:17] – Closing Thoughts: Reflections On Electrification And The Future Of The Market
Connect with the Guests:
Mark Kasdorf
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markkasdorf/ Website (Company): https://www.forgeco.com/
Grant Gunnison
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantgunnison/ Website (Company): https://www.zerohomes.io/
Evan Anderson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evananderson313/ Website: https://www.pearledison.com/
Check out The US Heat Pump Summit:
Website: https://www.usheatpumpsummit.com/
Follow Brent Davidson:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentdavidson/
Follow the Hosts:
Ed Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-smith-5aa8716 Eric Fitz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ehfitz/ Amply Energy Website: https://www.amply.energy/ Amply Energy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@amplyenergy
More from The Heat Pump Podcast
What does it take to build a home services company that solves far more than a single HVAC problem, and keeps customers for decades? In this episode of The Heat Pump Podcast, hosts Ed Smith and Eric Fitz welcome back Hal Smith, founder and owner of Halco Home Solutions, who first joined the show on Episode 4. Over 42 years, Hal has grown Halco into a roughly $40 million business with a couple hundred employees and four offices across upstate New York.
Water heating is the second-largest energy use in American homes, and most water heaters still run on decades-old technology. Luke Winston-Almanzar, co-founder and CEO of Reservoir, walks Ed and Eric through the heat pump water heater install problems contractors already know, how predictive controls make recirculation work with a heat pump, and why he thinks 80-gallon tanks are over-recommended. The surprise: Luke found he was using more energy to heat his water than to drive his electric car.
What does it actually take to transform a regional HVAC market — not just by offering heat pump rebates, but by building the workforce, contractor ecosystem, policies, and consumer demand needed to make heat pumps mainstream? In this episode, hosts Ed Smith and Eric Fitz sit down with Robert Spotts and Clay McCombe of the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) to unpack Power Ahead Colorado, an ambitious $200 million EPA-funded program focused on accelerating heat pump adoption across the Denver region.
Running a successful HVAC business takes far more than technical expertise. As companies grow, owners often find themselves buried in paperwork, invoicing, rebates, permits, warranties, and back-office operations that consume 20+ hours every week. In this episode, hosts Ed Smith and Eric Fitz sit down with Furman Haynes, Co-Founder and CEO of WorkHero, to discuss why administration — not installation — is often the biggest barrier to growth for small HVAC businesses.
In a crowded HVAC market, differentiation doesn’t necessarily come from adding more trucks, spending more on advertising, or racing through more sales calls. For Derek Aarstad, owner of DNA Heating and Cooling in Richmond, Virginia, it has come from doing almost the opposite: staying intentionally small, testing before guessing, and building a customer experience around evidence and education.