IRVINE, Calif. - GreenHomes America, a national provider of home performance contracting (HPC), has signed a franchise agreement with Hayward, Calif.-based ABC Cooling and Heating Services Inc. ABC is a 55-year-old HVAC enterprise with offices in Hayward and Fresno and more than 40 employees. It serves homeowners in the San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley, and the Central San Joaquin Valley region.

“We are always looking for better ways to serve our customers and HPC provides us with a new offering that will make them more comfortable, energy efficient, and help them save money on their utility bills. And because GreenHomes is the industry leader and has already developed a complete business system, we anticipate a quick start-up and early success,” said Jerry Unruh, ABC owner and president. “Mostly, I’m excited to be growing the business and creating new jobs with the anticipated growth of HPC despite the economy. HPC is the next evolution of our industry and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

“We are pleased to have ABC join our rapidly expanding network of HPC franchises. They are well-known and have a reputation for great customer satisfaction, technical expertise, and honesty,” said Brett Knox, GreenHomes America president. “We are committed to providing ABC with world-class leadership, service, and support and our primary focus, as always, will be on their profitability, satisfaction, and success.”

GreenHomes America is headquartered in Orange County and has several other offices in Southern California including Rancho Cucamonga, Simi Valley, and Irvine. A San Diego office is coming soon. Now, with ABC Cooling in central and northern California, GreenHomes America said it is taking another step to meet the growing demand in California for HPC.

“Like many states and cities, California has established aggressive energy efficiency goals, including a 40 percent reduction in overall residential energy consumption by 2020,” said Knox. “Our goal is to continue to add locations so we can help states meet their energy goals while we work with homeowners all over the country to reduce their carbon footprint, make them more comfortable in their homes, and save them money at the same time.”

GreenHomes America said home performance contractors begin their work with a home energy audit, which uses such technology as blower doors and infrared cameras to assess a home’s energy usage and comfort issues. The audit diagnoses where the home is leaking air to the outside; measures the efficiency of heating and cooling systems; determines the effectiveness of insulation, ducts, windows, and doors; and checks combustion safety. After work on the home is completed, the home energy audit is performed again to ensure issues are fixed and the project is successful.

According to Knox, “GreenHomes’ solutions are based on an integrated, whole-house approach that includes air sealing and insulation, duct sealing, right-sizing cooling and heating equipment, high efficiency windows, and more. Our comprehensive approach helps customers achieve as much as a 40 to 60 percent reduction in home energy consumption. And, the improvements significantly improve their comfort and indoor air quality. Plus, there are government and utility company incentives available to help fund the upgrades.”

For more information on GreenHomes America, visit www.greenhomesamerica.com.

Publication date: 06/21/2010