Ask any businessperson if they’d like to double their sales within two years and they would gladly sign on the dotted line. That’s the achievement that CMC’s heat pump team working for ComEd accomplished with little fanfare. Until now.
Led by Travis Lennon, field operations supervisor, the team has more than doubled the number of heat pumps expected to be installed in income-eligible, multifamily homes. Initially, CMC—working as a subcontractor to Franklin Energy—was contracted to administer the installation of 1,100 heat pumps during a four-year program as part of ComEd’s multifamily program.
Based on the initial success of the CMC team, ComEd and Franklin continue to increase the budgets for heat pump installation. For example, in the first year of the program, the CMC team oversaw the installation of 241 heat pumps instead of the 116 that were planned. In the second year, the team more than doubled the heat pumps that were installed by jumping to 460 installations, way above the planned goal of 240.
“ComEd sees CMC as a good partner that is doing a good job on this project,” said Brad Warrenburg, program manager. “Travis works really hard to avoid shifting costs to the property owners to maximize all available funding for the project. That’s all the work of Travis and his team. They represent CMC so well.”
So well, that ComEd has set a goal now of installing 1,000 heat pumps in the fourth year of the project. That’s tremendous growth, but Lennon was quick to note that it’s a team effort.
“Brianna Mackey, Tim Nystrom and Rachel Psolka all play a vital role in this program and we wouldn’t have the success we’ve had without them,” Lennon said, who added that service to others drives what the team does. “It’s nice to be able to help people who need the support to save money and energy. It’s why most of us are in this industry.”
The CMC team’s efforts have earned Franklin Energy’s praise, too.
“While heat pumps gain popularity, there are many obstacles to market transformation—which is where CMC comes in,” said Eve Pytel, Franklin Energy program manager. “CMC works with property managers and residents to resolve complicated implementation details that would otherwise be a barrier to success. Without the support CMC provides, many heat pump projects would not materialize due to a myriad of implementation challenges that CMC addresses through its program support.”
Ever the entrepreneur, Lennon also alerted the ComEd team to the possibility of including heat pump water heaters into the program, which can save money and energy. Although none have been installed yet, it’s another opportunity to expand CMC’s work with ComEd.
The team also supports the single-family Go Electric program under an agreement with Resource Innovations for ComEd. And, they are adding the multifamily Go Electric program into the work CMC does.
“Since Travis joined CMC a little more than a year ago, we’ve been able to more than double our production and our staff,” Warrenburg noted. “It all starts with Travis, but this team has done a tremendous job.”