Dear DHP Installers,
This
month's edition of the newsletter includes important updates on key changes
being made to the Project's consumer facing website, www.GoingDuctless.com, as well as
information from the Project's Cooling Season marketing campaign and Quality
Assurance notes from the field. If you have any questions on the content of
this publication or the Project in general, please contact us at info@nwductless.com.
|
|
Top Contractors by State
Congratulations to the contractors
listed below! As of August 25th, these contractors have the highest
number of Project DHP installations in their state.
|
Our consumer website, www.GoingDuctless.com, is intended to provide consumers with
key information on ductless systems, while also serving as a lead generation
tool for contractors. The site has recently undergone some changes that we
wanted to bring to your attention: -
The website is now available in
Spanish; Spanish speaking website visitors may click "Espanol" in the upper
right hand corner of the homepage.
-
A list of Participating Utilities has been added as a reference for
homeowners
-
Updated state incentives have been listed along with links for additional
information
Contractor Finder Refinements
The contractor finder tool is a valuable
resource for customers interested in installing ductless systems; over half of
those visiting the site end up searching for contractors. To ensure that
consumers visiting the website are driven to contractors who are familiar with
the Project and who currently install ductless systems, the Project has
developed new criteria for listing contractors. Beginning August 30th,
contractors must meet ONE of the following requirements in order to remain
listed on the website: -
Contractor has had at least one approved installation through the NW
Ductless Heat Pump Project, OR
-
Contractor has attended a Project orientation within the past 12 months
The Project will notify companies of their removal via email; in
order to be re-listed on the website, the company must either attend a NW DHP
Project orientation or successfully install a Project qualified DHP. If your
company is removed, please note that as an oriented contractor you are still
qualified to install DHPs in the Project. The www.GoingDuctless.com contractor list
will be updated on a quarterly basis.
Verify Your Listing
If your company is currently eligible to
be listed on www.GoingDuctless.com, please verify that your company is
listed in the appropriate region and that your contact information is current. - If you would like your company name to appear in bold, please provide us
with a link to your website
-
If your company has multiple locations or should be listed in more than
one region, please provide us with specific contact information for each
location and explain where you would like to be listed. Please note: each company can only provide one listing
or location per region.
To
request modifications to your listing, contact us at info@nwductless.com. |
|
Success with Consumer Marketing
Traffic to our consumer website increased visibly with the start of
consumer marketing in mid-May, with the launch of the PSA campaign. The
internet campaign launched June 1st, and on July 26th the Cooling Season radio
campaign launched, resulting in the highest traffic spike yet to www.GoingDuctless.com.
The Project is halfway through the eight-week Cooling Season radio
campaign, which will reach approximately 33% of the population in 12 markets
across Oregon, Washington, Montana and Idaho an average of 20 times. This
campaign has been very successful, resulting in increased traffic and
contractor searches to the unique URL (www.HeatingAndCoolingUpgrade.com)
aired in our PSA commercial as well as our toll-free number (1-888-95-UPGRADE).
We expect to see continued response, as we are only halfway through the Cooling
Season campaign.
www.GoingDuctless.com
Year-to-Year Traffic Comparison
Because 2010 is the first year that the Project has launched consumer marketing
campaigns, we can gain an understanding of the impact of these efforts by
comparing 2009 website traffic to the traffic we have seen so far this year.
Overall, traffic has increased 134% in 2010 when compared with the same dates
in 2009.
|
|
Thru-Wall Fans
The Project is exploring the applications and availability of
"thru-walls", or room-to-room fans that allow conditioned air to be
transferred between rooms, and how these products may allow for broader
application of single zone systems. Please let us know about your experience
with the use of these fans in conjunction with DHPs, and if you have installed
similar products by emailing us at info@nwductless.com.
|
|
Customer Satisfaction
The Quality Assurance team
has investigated some instances of DHPs being installed in homes that are only
occupied for part of the year, resulting in decreased energy savings for those
homeowners. Customers that do not occupy their homes in the winter months may
not see a 25-50% reduction on their energy bill. To ensure customer
satisfaction, the Project encourages you to address the expectations of your
customer prior to system installation.
|
Program Contacts
If you have general questions
about the NW Ductless Heat Pump Project or for more information, please contact
us at info@nwductless.com or call
(503) 808-9003.
Thank you,
The NW Ductless Heat Pump Project Team
|
|
Project orientation webinars:
September 8th at 8am
September 22nd at 8am
For more information on or to register for any of the following technical trainings, please view the Project event calendar here, and click on the training you want to attend.
Sanyo technical training webinar:
September 14th from 8am to 12pm
Daikin Altherma Air-to-Water Heat Pump trainings:
September 14th from 8am to 12 pm at Puget Sound Energy Auditorium
September 15th-16th at the Bellevue Club Hotel in Bellevue, WA.
Daikin technical training: September 22nd from 8am to 12pm at Hilton
Garden Inn in Portland
Mitsubishi Technical trainings:
September 20th from 5 to 7 pm in Spokane, WA - location TBD
September 21st from 5 to 7 pm at Gensco in Missoula, MT
September 22nd from 5 to 7 pm at Gensco in Billings, MT
September 23rd from 5 to 7 pm at O'Hare Motor Inn in Great Falls, MT
|
 |
|
Technical Trainings
Please let us know of any technical trainings
that you are looking for in your region.
The Project is continuously working with manufacturers and distributors
to coordinate trainings in the region where contractors need them. Scheduled trainings are posted to the event calendar on
nwductless.com and highlighted in the monthly newsletter. See the 'Upcoming Events' section above for
trainings scheduled in September.
|
|
