July 19, 2024

Tools in the Toolbox

Hi all,

I was catching up with an old colleague of mine who works in the cooling tower business and knowing that I was in the heat pump and VRF world, he asked, "Are these heat pumps really going to take over?"

His question was both surprising and unsurprising.

Surprising in that he asked that question in the first place. Unsurprising since his livelihood was based off the hydronic side of the HVAC business.

I know the stereotypical salesperson answer would be, "Of course they are! These things are more efficient, take up less space, they're less complex. You don't have to deal with huge chillers, cooling towers, pumps, and piping!"

My answer?

I said no.

In reality, heat pumps and VRF are just another tool in the tool box for addressing building comfort. Some applications make sense for heat pumps and VRF. Dorms, hotels, office buildings, retrofits would all make good applications for heat pumps and VRF.

But some applications make sense to go with another method, whether its simple RTUs, evap coolers, or a traditional chiller/boiler/AHU/cooling tower set up. It really depends on the application.

I think honesty vs. the hard sell goes further in today's world. Sometimes the hard sell is necessary to get to the finish line, but I think you get a lot closer to that line with a more nuanced approach. I think customers appreciate the honesty even if it doesn't work in your favor. Even if you don't get that job now, your customer will remember your honesty on future projects.

If You Watch One Thing

A few weeks ago, I gave my thoughts on Quilt. This week, they posted a video tour of a home with their systems installed.

The video answers a few of my initial questions. It looks like we are stuck with the 2 indoor units to 1 outdoor unit set up. It also looks like this is the same space where they held their launch event. Looks like more of a marketing piece, but still looking forward to installs in the wild.

Quick Links

Gen Z Plumbers and Construction Workers Are Making #BlueCollar Cool - I appreciate what these folks do out in the field. No shame in earning a pretty decent living in the trades.

Nation’s 1st all-electric hospital coming to UCI Health medical campus - Proud to see my alma mater going all electric for its new medical center.

Trane Mitsubishi Launches New Light Commercial Heat Pumps - As far as I know, LG and Mitsubishi are the only manufacturers who make this style heat pump. I would be shouting this from the mountaintops.

California Grid Breezes Through Heat Wave due to Renewables, Batteries - This news that California’s electrical grid was able to withstand these recent heat waves due to the availability of more clean energy and energy storage through batteries is our best argument against all-electric naysayers who say the grid cannot support it.

Thanks for reading! Whenever you're ready, here are ways I can help you.

1. Online VRF Boot Camp - An online course designed to give you the fundamentals to understanding VRF and its applications from a sales perspective.

2. Lunch and Learns - If you're in California, I'd love to come out and speak on VRF, heat pumps, and electrification.

3. YouTube Channel - You can find all my video content at my YouTube channel.

4. Consultations - Are you looking to use heat pumps or VRF on your next project? Let's talk.

5. Buy me a coffee - Want to support what I do? Buy me a coffee