Innovation Takes Center Stage at Worcester Spring Home Show

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Joe Parello, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

New England Breeze specializes in home solar panel installation.

The largest commercial home show in Central Massachusetts returns to the DCU Center this weekend, and brings with it a growing trend of energy innovation.

The 66th Annual Worcester Spring Home Show will feature over 330 booths from exhibitors in all areas of the home construction industry. While many of these exhibitors have been returning to the show for years, there is a new group of companies looking to make their mark this year.

“The show is usually a pretty good indicator of where the economy and the housing industry are going,” Builders Association of Central Massachusetts Executive Officer Guy Webb said. “And right now we’re seeing more solar companies than in the past. We’re seeing more ‘green’ companies than we ever have before.”

One such company is New England Breeze Solar, a solar panel installation company centered in Hudson, Massachusetts. New England Breeze has been a regular at the home show since 2006, and can say it was the first solar company to exhibit there. Owner and President Mark Durrenberger has been pleased with the growth of solar technology over the past several years, and knows the show gives his company an excellent chance to meet new customers.

“Well, when we first started coming here in 2006, there were around 25 solar panel companies in New England, now there are about 250,” Durrenberger said. “We get to meet a lot of people at the show, and teach them about the benefits of solar, and what it will take to install. We’re not a company that spends a lot of money on electric advertising, so at the show we get to reach out personally to potential customers and speak with them face-to-face.

While the show will have its fair share of small organizations that specialize in alternative energy, it is not just new companies getting in on the ‘green movement.’ Dave Budnick , President of the show’s producing company Expo Management Group, thinks that the economy and other factors have lead to established companies seeking innovation.

“We’ve probably doubled the amount of solar exhibits from last year,” Budnick said. “But it’s not just that. We also have established companies, I guess you could call them ‘traditional’ companies in air conditioning and other fields that are getting in to solar and wind power. In this economy it’s all about high efficiency, and I think people are more conscious about the environment now.”

New energy sources are one way to find value at the show, but with so many companies competing for potential customers’ business, there are also deals to be had in other areas. The high number of vendors creates competition, and leads to ‘show sale discounts’ that consumers would not otherwise get. It also offers the opportunity to meet with industry professionals from nearly every facet of home construction and maintenance all in one place.

The home show will feature over 330 exhibitors.

With this in mind, Webb views the show as a win-win for both exhibitors and consumers. He also urges those that attend the show to take advantage of the opportunities in front of them, not just stroll through.

“We will have trained professional there to help answer any questions people might have about an upcoming home job,” Webb said. “They can find out what they should be asking a contractor, what kind of licenses and insurances a contractor should have, things like that. Now we’re seeing consumers at the show are engaged. They’re talking to exhibitors, they’re taking notes, they’re not just walking through the show.”

The Worcester Spring Home Show will run this weekend from Friday to Sunday at the DCU Center. General admission is six dollars, and children under the age of 12 may enter for free. You can find complete hours of operation here.