The Heat Pump Podcast

In this episode the hosts Ed Smith and Eric Fitz from Amply Energy sit down with Eric Kaiser (aka ELK), a leading voice and trainer in the HVAC space. Known for his dynamic and insightful presentations at virtually any and all HVAC events, ELK shares his journey from growing up around creative energy solutions to becoming the Industry Engagement Manager at TruTech Tools . With a passion for teachi...

In this episode of the Heat Pump Podcast , co-hosts Ed Smith and Eric Fitz dive into the fascinating world of low-load homes and home electrification with John Semmelhack , a home performance expert and co-owner of The Comfort Squad . They explore the evolving landscape of energy-efficient HVAC systems and discuss practical solutions for retrofitting homes and embracing electrification. John share...

In this episode of The Heat Pump Podcast , co-hosts Ed Smith and Eric Fitz welcome Silas Hoeppner , a building performance expert and resident “Air Space Archaeologist” at Modern Heating and Air Conditioning . Silas shares his journey from working in his family’s insulation business in Iowa to becoming a leading HVAC consultant. He delves into the importance of airflow, designing efficient heat pu...

In this episode of the Heat Pump Podcast, co-hosts Ed Smith and Eric Fitz are joined by Mike Missimer , an HVAC industry veteran and principal owner of MGI Mechanical Services . The conversation dives into how Mike leveraged decades of experience to build a thriving heat pump-focused business during the pandemic. They explore the nuances of starting a business, designing efficient heat pump system...

We (Eric and Ed) started the Heat Pump Podcast on a whim. After two years immersed in HVAC, heat pumps, and home electrification, we had a realization: there’s a lot of great HVAC content out there, but heat pump-focused conversations? Surprisingly scarce. This didn’t sit right with us. Aren’t heat pumps the best HVAC equipment on the market today? Aren’t their COPs practically magic? Aren’t heat...

What if you could do to construction what Amazon did to retail? Or what Uber did to taxis?  Mark Kasdorf has an ambitious vision to do just that, and his journey starts with heat pumps. Mark is the founder and CEO of Forge, a venture-backed, mission-driven startup tackling one of America’s biggest challenges: the skilled labor shortage in the trades. Forge’s secret? Recruiting great talent, traini...

Adam Mufich is a multi-generation HVAC entrepreneur and now trainer for the National Comfort Institute. What does Adam like to do in his free time? Talk about HVAC. Adam first caught our attention with his HVAC School article Good COP - Bad COP . He impressed us again with his presentation at the NCI Summit "How to Properly Design with Today's Heat Pumps." We highly recommend both. On this podcast...

Steve Rogers, head of The Energy Conservatory (TEC), leads one of the most influential companies in HVAC. TEC’s True Flow Grid has transformed how many Amply customers approach home analysis and system design—and in this episode, Steve explains why airflow and duct analysis are crucial for building efficient, high-performance heat pump systems. Steve is an engineer’s engineer, the kind of person w...

Jim Bergmann’s journey through the HVAC industry is one for the books. From riding alongside his dad in the truck to launching industry-leading companies like TruTech Tools and measureQuick, Jim has seen it all. With a storied career as both a teacher and an entrepreneur, Jim has earned his place as one of the most respected voices in the industry. We were thrilled to sit down with Jim for this po...

The timing was perfect to interview David Daher because, after 20 years in HVAC, he's on the cusp of launching a brand new heat pump-focused business. With a clear vision and unwavering commitment to achieving it, David doesn’t want just any business—he wants the right one. David began his journey in the trades in the US military. After returning to civilian life, he quickly entered the HVAC world...

So far, most of our episodes have focused on HVAC companies. Today, we branch out, interviewing Fortunat Mueller, co-founder and CEO of ReVision Energy. ReVision started out as a solar company, but over time has become an "energy transition company." A major part of their business is installing heat pumps. In this episode, we dig into what it means to be an energy transition company. Fortunat expl...

This week, we welcome a guest who truly needs no introduction: Alex Meaney, founder of MeanHVAC. For many in the industry, Alex has taught us much of what we know about Manuals J, S, D, Zr, and more. In this episode, we dive straight into the intricacies of Manuals J and S, especially their application to heat pumps. Unlike traditional HVAC systems, heat pumps—capable of both heating and cooling—a...

Peter Troast is the founder and CEO of Energy Circle, a unique and differentiated marketing agency that exclusively works with high performance contractors.  Early in this episode, Peter shares two important definitions:  Marketing is anything you do that gets the phone to ring with high quality leads High performance contractors are contractors who understand the home as a system, where HVAC is t...

Ilija Crnobrnja was an exchange student in Massachusetts waiting tables, learning English, and studying agricultural economics. When he met and married his wife, he realized he needed a new job, so he found himself in the HVAC business. He worked his way through almost every role in HVAC.  Along the way, his love for building science, customer service, and high efficiency homes was ignited. As you...

Kevin Brenner started his career as Dr. Brenner, destined to take over the family podiatry business. But he loved to swing a hammer more than he liked being in an office, so he jumped ship and landed in carpentry. His first company, Brenner Builders, started with a $627 job fixing deck stairs. It ended as Westchester County's premier high-end home builder, with an average value of $11M per project...

This episode is a fun experiment for us. At Amply, we LOVE doing ride alongs with our customers. It gives us insight. It gives us energy. It's how our customers turn into our friends. So we tried to capture that experience in a podcast. Ed jumps in the car with Aleisha Stenson, co-founder and co-owner of My Diamond Comfort.  Before getting into HVAC, Aleisha was in law enforcement and social work....

Hal Smith followed his passion and ignored his teachers' advice by going to trade school. He founded Halco 40 years ago. By listening to his customers and helping them "fix their old homes" in upstate New York, he gradually added new service offerings. From plumbing and HVAC he added electrical. Then insulation and air sealing. Then Solar and geothermal. Windows and doors. Now basement waterproofi...

In this episode of the Heat Pump Podcast, Laura and Joe Wood tell the story of how they went from one person in 2008 to over a hundred 14 years later and a successful exit to private equity. When they finished, they had not one but two premier HVAC brands in the competitive Boston market. They founded Boston Standard in 2007-2008 to be a standard-setting plumbing + HVAC + electrical brand, and the...

In this episode of the Heat Pump Podcast, Ed interviews Mike Cappuccio, founder and former CEO of N.E.T.R., one of New England's largest heat pump HVAC contractors, and owner of Dominate Ductless, a training and advisory business focused on educating the next generation of heat pump contractors to build profitable businesses.  Mike describes his journey from employee to entrepreneur, as well as hi...

In this first episode of the Heat Pump Podcast, Eric Fitz and Ed Smith interview Matt Scott, one of the co-owners of Dave's World. Dave's World is the largest heat pump installer in Maine, which has more cold weather heat pumps installed per capita than any other state in the US.  Matt tells the remarkable story of how he first stumbled upon the magic of heat pumps, against the odds and against th...