Energy efficiency is a growing concern throughout the United States. Energy bills have been rising for the last several years, which have led a lot of home and business owners to begin to look for ways to cut costs. But using energy efficient appliances and devices can only do so much if the construction of the home isn’t working with them. Having a tight building envelope, adequate insulation, minimal air gaps, and green building techniques throughout the home can do a lot more to make a home efficient.
So for homeowners looking to remodel or those looking to build, they’ll be turning to contractors who have experience and knowledge in this field. Because energy-efficient homes tend to offset their own costs over time, smart homeowners will want to make sure that their new remodel will include these types of changes.
This, in turn, is spurring enormous growth within the construction industry. Contractors who are savvy enough to begin offering energy efficient improvements will be better able to compete in an already tight market. A contractor who has a good grasp on energy efficiency and how it matters to their client, will often be able to upsell projects and gain referrals to help their business grow. In fact, according to the Energy Efficient Jobs in America report, 55.6% of all energy efficient jobs are found in the construction industry.
To take advantage of this growing trend, contractors need to educate themselves on existing technologies as well as upcoming technologies that will improve the energy efficiency of the homes and buildings they work on. This includes understanding how to integrate high efficiency systems into the homes they’re working on or the projects they're planning for in 2020.
Contractors can make recommendations to clients on which high efficiency systems, controls, insulation, building materials, windows, appliances, HVAC systems, etc. to use to improve the energy efficiency of the finished building. Contractors can also aim to construct buildings that meet LEED certification requirements. These types of upsales not only benefit the client, they also benefit the contractor in the way of increased profits.
General contractors need to educate and train themselves on trending energy efficiency techniques and technologies. However, simply knowing what they are is not enough. To fully take advantage of the trend, they need to market themselves as energy efficiency specialists. When marketing their services, they need to highlight any certifications or training they have completed about different facets in the energy efficiency field, such as the latest technologies and materials.
Not all materials are created equally, so the savvy contractor will need to stay on top of things and continuously update its marketing tactics as well. By focusing on this in their marketing (in addition to their other qualifications and experience), contractors can attract clients that are looking to incorporate energy efficiency into their existing or upcoming projects. They’ll also be able to generate a higher rate of referrals, more effectively growing their businesses.
It is forecasted that there will be 7.8% growth growth in energy efficiency jobs in the coming year, according to the Energy Efficiency Jobs in America report. But this growth is likely to expand into future years as well.
With the continued rise of energy costs, general contractors should expect clients to begin demanding skills and qualifications associated with energy efficient techniques. If general contractors want to stay ahead of the curve, the time to act is now.
They need to look into learning as much as they can about current and forecasted energy efficient trends so that they can integrate it into their own service offerings. The construction industry is always a tough market for contractors, especially those that don’t specialize.
By gaining these credentials and making them better known to their clients, a contractor can give himself an edge. It’s the smart contractor that will get in on these trends now, and be best poised to ride the wave as it grows in the future.
