An interview with Jeff Lawrence
GeoComfort by Enertech, headquartered in Greenville, Illinois, produces residential and commercial geothermal systems. While geothermal energy systems have become more popular in homes, utilizing GeoComfort by Enertech in commercial projects gives businesses and facilities access to features that create industry-leading efficiencies. Additionally, it reduces the costs of hot water, which is especially important for healthcare, education, hospitality, and pharmaceutical.
Jeff Lawrence, Director of Commercial Sales at Enertech, explains that its decades of experience in residential geothermal systems gave his team confidence when it ventured into commercial markets.
Lawrence says, “Enertech has been doing geothermal for 25 years in the residential market. When we entered the commercial market, we used the same technology to manufacture our commercial units. We didn’t change anything to manufacture a commercial equipment, we have the same components as residential units, so we have the same confidence in commercial equipment as we do residential. We have been doing this for a long time and really know how to help out our customers with successful geothermal systems.
Enertech’s Customization Puts Them Above Competition
By working closely with the customer, Enertech modifies its units to create the perfect fit for the needed application. “In competitive markets such as manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and higher education, it’s important for us to go above and beyond with our service to ensure the customer is getting exactly what they need.” Lawrence explains, “We have a strong connection through our rep network, which works well with the engineer network, to really focus on what the owner wants. We tend to have the most appeal to customers that are more in tune to maintenance and reliability.”
He adds, “We truly feel that our people are the best in the geothermal industry, including our tech support, our application people, design build people, and our territory managers. We just have some really talented people that are truly passionate about the geothermal industry and heat pump technology. We are a service-oriented company, and our sales show it.”
Every Single Unit is Tested Before it Exits Manufacturing
At Enertech, each geothermal unit goes through testing, and in the manufacturing process, every part is bar-coded. For example, it’s common to build a three-ton unit next to a five-ton unit. Bar-coded parts protect against errors, but that’s not Enertech’s only failsafe measure. “We do very thorough refrigeration tests. We check for leaks. We do all sorts of electrical testing to make sure we’re in compliance with ETL and UL,” Lawrence reports. “We then run tests and make sure that each unit is going to run within the correct heating and cooling specifications.”
Concentration on Continuous Improvement
Enertech’s commitment to continuous improvement is accomplished by a talented engineering staff that focuses on staying ahead of market needs. “It seems like there is an endless number of ideas coming from our engineering staff and our customers, and we try to implement them into our equipment,” says Lawrence. “Enertech wants to be in the mix of the leading edge of technology and bring things to the market that it needs or is going to need.”
More specifically, “We’re vastly evolving with controls because everything nowadays is through your phone. In commercial applications, our innovations allow building maintenance people to use smartphones so they are able to check on things remotely.”
He adds, “Enertech also has a brand-new air to water product that has just come to market. We are blown away by the reaction of the industry and see how desperately our customers need this product because of building codes.” Lawrence explains, “Enertech is constantly watching and learning from what’s going on in the market, and we always do what we can to adapt to those changes.”
Enertech Provides Solutions in Unlikely Places
Lawrence recalls a sales trip to a dilapidated paper mill in Florida. “They had refrigerant leaks that were causing failure on their evaporator coils.” Continuing, he adds, “I went there not knowing what I was getting into. Enertech could have the best-built unit in the world, but in that abrasive environment, rapid deterioration seemed inevitable.”
“Out back, the mill’s brick exterior was crumbling. There was a graveyard of old units. It looked like I was walking into Gotham City,” he said, laughing. “As we were leaving their maintenance shop, by chance, I happened to look up. I saw a cable tray made of aluminum. It was the brightest, shiniest thing in the whole mill. The aluminum wasn’t reacting with the harsh chemicals in the mill.”
“Enertech uses an aluminum microchannel for our evaporator coil. When I explained this, they were instantly sold. They bought one as a trial, and now they always order our microchannel equipment,” Lawrence notes. “We’re always looking for ways to help our customers, even when the challenges seem unsurmountable.”
Want to Learn More About GeoComfort by Enertech?
Coward Environmental Systems, Inc. is proud to represent Geocomfort by Enertech in the Philadelphia region, Central PA, Delaware, and Maryland. Contact us today to discover how Enertech can be a part of your next project.
