I presented a “Business of Contracting” seminar at the 1997 Radiant Panel Association (RPA) meeting in Providence, RI, on April 16-17. Radiant heat is growing fast from a tiny base but still comprises just a niche market. Forced air systems comprise over 90 percent of the market. Many customers are not even aware they have other options.
How to market radiant heat is a subject that has come in for much discussion among the so-called “Wet Heads,” led by my friend Dan Holohan. At the 1996 RPA convention, Dan shared his vision of building two houses, side-by-side, identical except for their heating systems. One would have state-of-the-art hydronics, including radiant panel heat. The other forced air. Customers could compare the comfort of the warm floors to what Holohan sarcastically refers to as “scorched air.”