Podcast Air Date

July 16, 2026

 

 

 

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Silicon Valley startups are betting they can out-compete traditional HVAC contractors on speed, technology, and customer experience. In this episode of The High Performance Edge, Peter Troast talks with Larry Waters, a 40-year industry veteran and founder of Electrify My Home in Northern California, who was running that playbook years before the startups made it a pitch.

But the real story is differentiation: how a quality-first, whole-house company stands apart, not just from venture-backed newcomers, but from the entire HVAC sector still doing things the old way. Larry breaks down his all-electric model, why he tackles the envelope and mechanicals together, and how a rigorous intake and virtual assessment process lets him invest only in serious buyers: 10 of his last 11 closed. Most importantly, the process and technology serve the work; they don’t replace it.

Listen to hear how one contractor thrives in a crowded market while never compromising a high-quality, house-as-a-system approach.

Episode Links:

- [Listen on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-high-performance-edge-podcast/id1850981282)
- [Listen on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/7FDtXrTnfsckZ9yPeMq3Jf?si=0f6f2b7109384585)
- [Energy Circle website](https://www.energycircle.com/)
- [Energy Circle LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-circle-llc/)
- [Peter Troast, Energy Circle CEO and Founder LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/petertroast/)
- [Larry Waters](https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-waters-31677b19/)
- [Electrify My Home](https://electrifymyhome.com/)



 

 

 

 

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