October is probably best known as Breast Cancer Awareness month. Everything becomes pink – from certain food items in the grocery store to NFL football cleats and jerseys. But did you know that October is also National Energy Awareness month? President George Bush declared the first National Energy Awareness month back in 1991 to encourage government and organizations to raise awareness of the importance of sustainability and managing the nation’s energy resources.

Energy efficiency is actually the third-largest resource in the U.S. electric power sector, according to a report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The report estimates that energy-efficiency efforts have averted the need to build the equivalent of 313 power plants since 1990. Additionally, ACEEE concludes that efficiency reduced the annual CO₂ emissions by 490 million tons in 2015.

It’s not just the electrical sector that benefits from energy efficiency. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the transportation sector accounts for 26.5 percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S., followed by industrial at 21.4 percent, buildings at 12.4 percent, and agricultural at 9.2 percent. It’s the buildings part that HVACR contractors should aim their focus. High-efficiency equipment equals savings in operations costs. It also means greater comfort for building inhabitants.

What kind of energy efficient HVAC systems are you selling in your market and how are you pitching the sale to building owners?