The High Performance Edge Podcast

By Peter Troast, CEO/Founder Energy CircleBusiness Entrepreneurship Marketing Management

The High Performance Edge Podcast episodes

January 15“Yes, We Do That”: How Halco Embraced Home Performance and Became a 40 Year Success Story
If there’s proof that treating the house as a system isn’t just good building science, but a powerful business strategy, Halco Home Solutions is it.
In this episode, Energy Circle founder and CEO Peter Troast sits down with Hal Smith, founder of Halco, one of the largest and most successful true high-performance contracting companies in the country. Over four decades, Halco has grown from a traditional HVAC company into a full whole-home organization offering HVAC and heat pumps, insulation and air sealing, solar and electric, plumbing, basement waterproofing, indoor air quality, and much more.
Hal shares the candid story behind that evolution: why he moved beyond equipment-first thinking, how diagnostics became central to sales and trust, what it really takes to add services sustainably, and why “customers for life” has guided every major decision. The conversation also explores maintenance agreements, compensation, new diagnostic tools, and how Halco has remained independent, and values-driven, in an increasingly private-equity-dominated market.
This episode is packed with practical insight for contractors at any stage who believe high performance should lead to stronger homes and stronger businesses.
Episode Links:
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTube
Energy Circle website
Energy Circle LinkedIn
Peter Troast Energy Circle CEO and Founder LinkedIn
Halco
30 min
January 02From Envelope to HVAC: Lessons Learned Bringing Heat Pumps In-House
Adding HVAC can feel like the natural next step for a building-envelope-first business, but knowing when to make the move, how to do it well, and what pitfalls to avoid is anything but simple.
In this contractor roundtable episode, host Peter Troast is joined by Matt Hargrove of Total Home Performance (Maryland) and Kevin Brenner of Healthy Home Energy (New York), two high-performance contractors who spent years focused on audits, insulation, and crawl spaces before bringing heat pumps and HVAC services in-house.
They speak candidly about what finally pushed HVAC from “someday” to “now,” the realities of subcontractors versus in-house crews, the challenges of hiring from the traditional HVAC world, and what happens when high-performance standards collide with a commodity heat pump market. The conversation also digs into training, culture, compensation, commissioning standards, service agreements, and why patience (and humility) matter more than most contractors expect.
Episode Links:
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTube
Energy Circle website
Energy Circle LinkedIn
Peter Troast, Energy Circle CEO and Founder LinkedIn
Matt Hargrove
Total Home Performance
Kevin Brenner
Healthy Home Energy & Consulting
30 min
December 18, 20252026 Predictions for HVAC, Home Performance, and Solar Contractors, With Peter Troast
We’re back for an annual end-of-year tradition! For our last podcast episode of the year, join host Peter Troast, CEO and founder of Energy Circle, as he looks back at 2025 and ahead to 2026. He’ll discuss what the Energy Circle team is thinking about to help high performance contractors stand out in their markets and grow their businesses in the coming year, including:
The economic landscape for home services
Homeowner sentiment about home improvements
How AI is changing the way homeowners find contractors (and the way contractors run their businesses)
The state-of-the-state for incentives
Getting customers to recognize the difference between high performance contractors and everyone else
Episode Links:
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTube
Energy Circle website
Energy Circle LinkedIn
Peter Troast, Energy Circle CEO and Founder LinkedIn
22 min
December 04, 2025A Special Tribute to Dan Wildenhaus
This episode of The High Performance Edge honors the memory of Dan Wildenhaus, a longtime trainer, former contractor, and one of the most gifted educators in the high performance world. Dan had an extraordinary gift for making complex building science feel clear, practical, and doable, especially for contractors and techs newer to the idea of the high performance approach. His energy, humor, and generosity left a mark on everyone who learned from him.
Before his unexpected recent passing, Energy Circle CEO and Founder Peter Troast recorded a webinar with Dan on new tools for specifying and sizing heat pumps. This tribute features select clips from that session, along with additional audio shared by close friends. Our thanks to Joe Medosch for helping us assemble this episode.
We share this in appreciation of Dan’s clarity, his passion for doing things the right way, and his lasting impact on our industry.
Episode Links:
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTube
Energy Circle website
Energy Circle LinkedIn
Peter Troast, Energy Circle CEO and Founder, LinkedIn
20 min
November 20, 2025Rethinking Success: The Heat Pump Business Model That Actually Works With Ed Smith from Amply
For many heat pump contractors, the biggest question is how to consistently win jobs without racing to the bottom on price. The answer is building a business that stands out for the right reasons and is set up for long-term success.
For the fifth episode of the High Performance Edge,we are sharing a conversation Energy Circle CEO Peter Troast and Amply co-founder Ed Smith had about what truly separates sustainable, trusted heat pump businesses from the pack. Ed explains Amply’s unique framework for understanding contractor business models and why many companies find themselves stuck in the middle, trying to be everything to everyone.
You’ll learn what defines the most successful heat pump contractors today, as well as concrete steps any contractor can take to get out of the middle and grow a stronger, more resilient business.
Episode Links:
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTube
Amply Energy website
Ed Smith, Amply Energy co-founder LinkedIn
Energy Circle website
Energy Circle LinkedIn
Peter Troast, Energy Circle CEO and Founder LinkedIn
Amply Blog: Stop Competing on Price, Start Winning on Trust: The Heat Pump Business Model Matrix
31 min
November 06, 2025What Is Solar Going to Do Without the Tax Credit? With Abby Yolda
What happens when one of the solar industry’s most important incentives disappears? In this episode of The High Performance Edge Podcast, Energy Circle CEO Peter Troast is joined by Abby Yolda, Director of Solar and Digital Marketing Strategy at Energy Circle, to unpack how solar companies are preparing for a world without the federal tax credit.
They discuss what this policy shift means for contractors, how messaging and positioning will need to evolve, and what opportunities still exist as the industry adapts to a new normal.
Episode Links:
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTube
Energy Circle website
Energy Circle LinkedIn
Peter Troast, Energy Circle CEO and Founder LinkedIn
29 min
November 06, 2025Standing Out as Local: Marketing Differentiation in a Private Equity Landscape
Private equity ownership is changing the game for service contractors nationwide. Bigger players bring more marketing dollars, but that doesn’t mean they tell a better story.
In this episode, Energy Circle CEO Peter Troast explores how local, independent contractors are differentiating themselves in an increasingly corporate landscape. From emphasizing community ties and accountability to highlighting authentic, personalized service, you’ll hear real examples of how small companies are turning their local identity into a competitive edge.
Episode Links:
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTube
Energy Circle website
Energy Circle LinkedIn
Peter Troast, Energy Circle CEO and Founder LinkedIn
26 min
November 06, 2025The Behavioral Science That's Holding Your Customers Back, With Guest Denny Duchene
Even the best home performance solutions can fall flat if your customers are hesitant, overwhelmed, or skeptical. The biggest obstacle to closing the deal? Fear—of high costs, confusing processes, or making the wrong decision.
On the inaugural episode of The High Performance Edge Podcast, Energy Circle CEO Peter Troast and special guest Denny Duchene of Safe Haven for a practical look at the mental roadblocks that prevent homeowners from moving forward. They’ll discuss a simple, proven framework for spotting client anxieties early and shaping your messaging to build trust, lower resistance, and close more jobs.
Episode Links:
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTube
Energy Circle website
Energy Circle LinkedIn
Peter Troast, Energy Circle CEO and Founder LinkedIn
30 min
November 06, 2025Making Air Quality a Part of Every Conversation, With Brynn Cooksey
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a $10 billion market—but most homeowners aren’t even thinking about it when they call a contractor. That’s a missed opportunity. In this episode of The High Performance Edge Podcast, Energy Circle CEO Peter Troast talks with Brynn Cooksey, owner of Air Doctors and HVAC U, about how his team makes IAQ a natural part of every home visit. Brynn shares his “Test In, Fix, Test Out” approach, the tools they rely on, and the ways they position filtration and ventilation as essential to real home comfort. Learn how focusing on IAQ can deepen customer trust and turn routine leads into high-value jobs.
Episode Links:
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTube
Energy Circle website
Energy Circle LinkedIn
Peter Troast, Energy Circle CEO and Founder LinkedIn
Brynn Cooksey, LinkedIn
Air Doctors website
29 min
November 05, 2025 Trailer: The High Performance Edge Podcast
3 min

About The High Performance Edge Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to the podcast for contractors who lead with building science and want to turn that advantage into a stronger, more successful business. Whether you’re in HVAC, insulation, solar, or home performance, we dig into the strategy, sales, marketing, operations, hiring, and customer experience approaches that power stable, more profitable companies. Hear from top contractors and industry experts as we explore what it really takes to thrive as a very different kind of contractor.