Why Cooperative HVAC

The system is designed against you

Your HVAC system is one of the most expensive purchases you will make for your home, including install cost, it can be nearly as expensive as a new car! Despite that, we don’t know why it’s so expensive, how much of the cost comes from the mechanical components, how much from labor, how much is invested back to engineering, or how much is added for service, install or even profit for the sales chain.

Like a car, you will use your HVAC every day, and with climate change that usage will only continue to increase. But, in contrast, you know when something is wrong with your car. You know when it needs an oil change, a warning light comes on when a sensor goes bad, and often, the car is designed so you can fix most things yourself. For most homeowners, when their HVAC stops working they only know because their home is suddenly unbearably hot.

Now that you’re sweating through your second shirt and coming off a sleepless night to cranky kids, you call your local HVAC tech.

Technicians are Magicians

Technicians are magicians. They use special tools and knowledge to make this wonderful tech that is HVAC keep working.

Unlike magicians, they crawl through your disgusting attics and crawlspaces, languish outside on the hottest and coldest days of the year and pee into bottles in the back of their van.

Then, after figuring out what is wrong with your system, they need to sell you a few hundred dollars in refrigerant, replace a circuit board or motor that might take a few days to come in, or scrap an entire machine. After those fixed costs they need to bill you for all that grueling labor.

No one feels good in this situation, after you’ve been uncomfortable and a technician has been working hard all day. What if this interaction could be different?

Making the System better

When I say System, I don’t just mean the HVAC System itself, although that is obviously a piece of this puzzle, but also:

• a collaborative support structure for technicians
• sales transparency to homeowners
• visibility of and into your HVAC unit
• challenging the exploitative nature of HVAC manufacturers

I want to create open source HVAC products that can be produced locally integrating a cooperative manufacturing business and similar servicing models. I’ve worked with major HVAC manufacturers, and want to take what I’ve learned there to create products for the homeowners, technicians and enthusiasts. I believe it is necessary for society to take back ownership of the products and services we use every day. To that end, I want to build a sustainable business that supports the community, pays living wages, and favors labor over executives and investors; where the community can come together to design, manufacture, sell, and service HVAC for the common good, while also creating jobs and careers.

This is about creating open product designs (open source), and in addition, being radically transparent on the business practices, wages, and profit. Why is now the time that this can be successful?

• there is a desire to push back against corporate consolidation
• HVAC is a necessity for everyone, and global warming makes that more relevant
• people want to support local businesses and groups that respect their workers
• people want ownership and transparency in their technology

Let’s Cool, Heat, and Collaborate together for a better System with Cooperative HVAC.

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