Testimonials for Halco

Purity Ice Cream Company, Inc. was established in 1936 in Ithaca, New York and it's been a local institution since then, serving delicious ice cream and baked goods.  Bruce, owner of the establishment since 1998, is a firm believer in renewable energy and decided to upgrade to Solar Energy while renovating the facilities. Halco was the company he chose for the job, and he is very happy with the results. "Upstate New York is not known for super sunny days but despite that we get a lot of good power production out of these panels,” says Bruce, who is also considering the addition of a few more panels in the near future.

Ithaca, NY customers, Charles and Susan, started working with Halco around ten years ago when they had plans to build a home that would utilize geothermal heating and cooling.  Well, they ended purchasing a home instead, and that home was using 2,000 gallons of propane a year! They contacted Hal, CEO and owner of Halco, who helped the couple design and retrofit a geothermal system for the home. Right away, the new system took the customers from around $8,000/year in heating costs to less than $2,000/year.  After replacing their old propane boiler with geothermal, Charles and Susan added solar to help offset their electricity usage. A few years later they added some more solar, bought an electric car, and now they are very close to net-zero, meaning they are producing just about as much energy as they are using! Recently, the pair hit 100 MWh of electricity produced with their Halco installed solar arrays.  To put this number in perspective, 100 MWh is enough to offset 12.3 homes' electricity use for one year, 7,957 gallons of gasoline consumed, and 77,308 pounds of coal burned! Of this milestone Charles said, “It feels big, it feels like we really did something. Maybe it's just a little step and we're only one house and we're only one family, but we're doing what we can, we're doing the best that we can."  Charles often recommends Halco, stating, “I highly recommend working with Hal Smith because he is an honorable man and he gets the stuff done. He makes sure that it works!" 

Fred B., from Freeville, NY wanted to upgrade the heating and cooling system in his beautiful 190 year old house and move away from fossil fuels.  Halco installed the geothermal system, upgraded the duct work and improved insulation so that the old house could conserve as much energy and be as comfortable as a newly constructed, energy efficient home.  Fred is very happy with the results stating, "I would recommend myself to use them again, and I would recommend to people that ask me. Halco would be an excellent choice", says Fred.

Hal,   I wanted to drop a quick note of appreciation for the crew that handled the recent mechanical install of our LG heat pump system. I have to say that I was initially skeptical that such a large company could maintain such a client-centered approach, but your people pulled it off. From my first meeting with Matt Dennis, where I explained that we were just looking for a ballpark cost and some design ideas for our 200-year old farmhouse (so many small rooms...), I could see that HALCO was going to be easy to work with. He took his time, walked through the house, discussed some options and his thoughts, and didn't try to sell us anything. I knew we were at least a few years out from buying anything, so he was just establishing a relationship.   Then the NYSERDA rules changed, and suddenly "a few years" became "a few months". Matt came out again and did a full study of the house, including a blower door test. He went back and designed a system for us, and about two months later (delayed for a refi on our house), Dan and Rob showed up to install. Even though our crazy-complicated install (kind of a complex attic) took two days longer than expected, they took the time to do everything right and asked for my input as they went.   I grew up in an HVAC business household. Both my father and grandfather owned companies and have run service calls their entire lives, so I know just enough to be dangerous. Plus, I grew up in Florida 20 years ago, so I know nothing of the current state of the art in a cold climate. Nonetheless, everybody was willing to answer my questions and listen to my suggestions about where we might run ductwork, place the air handler, run linesets and electrical, and everything else. As a result, I have a system and an install where there's nothing that forces me to say "I would've done that differently".   And I imagine that thanks also go to you for building a culture that encourages getting it right. The fact that all of these guys are trusted enough to work it out in the field and make sure the customer is satisfied and the system is right is a testament to that culture. Thank you. I will definitely call HALCO in the future when the need arises.  

Honey and Steven G. recently had a solar energy system installed by Halco at their Port Byron, NY home. In this video the couple speaks about the impact of this solar upgrade in their lives and their experience with Halco. "This company has done a wonderful job, and the people that have come out, everybody has been spot on! If they said they were gonna do something or be there at a particular time, they were there or you got a phone call 24 hours in advance," says Honey. "It really was professional from the start to the finish. The company should be just over the moon with pride because of the workmanship and quality work," adds Steven.

James first contacted Halco 6 years ago on a recommendation from his friend and neighbor. He was spending over $6,000 a year on fuel oil to heat his home and was looking for a better solution. James ultimately took his friend's advice and chose to work with Halco. Now, six years later, he has two solar systems, geothermal heating and cooling, and an electric water heater and says, “I’ve never been sorry. It’s a good company, reliable, and I have nothing but good to say about it!”

Kitty had been concerned about climate change for a while and was researching ways she could help combat the issue on an individual level. After connecting with HeatSmart CNY, Kitty choose to work with Halco to install her new air source heat pump system!

102 was the temperature that Connie's home reached during the summer before Halco installed an air source heat pump (ASHP) system. We installed a multi-zone ductless system accompanied by three units spread throughout her home. Connie took advantage of many state incentives, rebates, and grants. Halco supported her in all phases while making sure she got all opportunities she qualified for. As she puts it herself, “You cannot go wrong with Halco.”

Tim had a conventional tank-based water heater and he wasn’t happy with its performance. But thankfully, we were there to install a nice, efficient unit! Go here to watch the video from Tim! http://www.halcoenergy.com/about-us/testimonials/20100-syracuse-ny.html  

We can't say enough good about Halco as a company and as an organization with people that I would trust for anything that may come up in the future. There is only one phone call that I'm going to make, and it's always going to be to their number because that's the easiest route for me to take. 

This Manlius, NY customer discusses his experience with converting his home to geothermal heating and cooling with Halco! 

The original furnace in Honey and Steven G.'s home in Port Byron, NY was running non-stop during the winter. It would often overheat the house way above the set temperature. As a result, not only they had an uncomfortable home but their energy bills were also extremely high. The couple then decided to call Halco to replace their outdated oil furnace with a brand new geothermal heating system. In this video the couple talks about the results. Their home is much more comfortable and the energy bill is much lower each month. The air in their home is also much cleaner. According to the couple, there is less dust and since the new geothermal system was installed the chronic night time headaches Steven used to have vanished completely. "We both couldn't be any happier", says Steven. "It is worth every penny and... just incredible!"

Because Ron and Nancy of Blossvale, NY had plans to construct their retirement home, it made sense to consider geothermal and solar as part of the planning process. Hal Smith, owner and CEO of Halco, met with Ron and Nancy during the planning process and it became clear to the couple that creating an energy independent home was completely possible. Once they crunched all the numbers, they realized they could complete the energy projects within their construction budget and begin seeing a return on investment as soon as they were hooked up to the grid. They were looking at a 6-10-year payback at the onset and at year 4 they are well on their way to reaching that goal! Ron stated, “In our five decades of adult life we have rarely experienced the attention to detail and customer satisfaction that we received from Hal Smith and his company. Our recommendation to any inquirer is to start planning now, get started soon, and contract with Halco.” 

We had airkrete and foam insulation installed as part of an energy conservation upgrade. Everyone went beyond my expectations regarding timeliness, work ethic, consideration of entering house and overall professionalism.

Ed Okonsky and his crew did a wonderful job at our residence, installing a furnace and insulating our mobile home. We are very satisfied with all that they did. Thank you very much! We are super pleased!!!