ClimaSense AI
Cold Walk-In Discovery Questionnaire
Purpose: Validate that GTA warehouse owner-operators are the right customer segment and that the problem is
real, frequent, and worth paying to fix.
Interviewer: _________________________ Date: _________________ Location:
_________________________
↓ INTERVIEWER: Start with a warm open: 'Hi, I'm [name] — we're talking to business owners in the area about their
energy costs. Do you have 5 minutes?'
1 Is the hydro bill in your name — you pay it ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Not sure
directly, not included in rent?
✓ GATE: Must answer YES to continue. If NO: 'Thanks so much — have a great day.' Leave politely.
2 How long have you been in this location? ☐ Less than 1 year
☐ 1–3 years
☐ 3–5 years
☐ 5+ years
3 Roughly how many sq ft is your space? ☐ Under 2,000 sq ft
☐ 2,000–5,000 sq ft
☐ 5,000–10,000 sq ft
☐ 10,000–15,000 sq ft
☐ Over 15,000 sq ft
4 What's your monthly hydro bill ☐ Under $300
roughly ☐ $300–600
☐ $600–1,000
☐ $1,000–2,000
☐ Over $2,000
5 Has your bill gone up in the last year or two? By ☐ No change
how much? ☐ A little (under 10%)
☐ Noticeably (10–30%)
☐ A lot (30%+)
☐ I don't track it closely
6 When your space is empty — evenings, weekends, ☐ Yes, always running
lunch — is your HVAC still running? ☐ We turn it off manually sometimes
☐ It's on a timer
☐ No idea — never checked
☐ We have a smart thermostat
↓ INTERVIEWER: If they say 'smart thermostat' or 'timer' — ask: 'Does it adjust based on whether someone is actually in
the building, or just based on the clock?'
7 On a scale of 1 to 5, how much of a problem is 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐
energy cost for your business right now? Not at all Very much
8 Have you done anything to try to reduce your ☐ Nothing yet
energy bill? ☐ Changed thermostat settings manually
☐ Installed a programmable thermostat
☐ Already have a monitoring system
☐ Other — write below
9 Do you ever compare your bill month to month, ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Not sure
or track energy use over time?
10 Have you ever downloaded your detailed usage ☐ Never heard of that
data from your utility provider — like hourly ☐ Heard of it but never done it
consumption? ☐ Tried but couldn't figure it out
☐ Yes, I've done it
11 If someone showed you exactly how much energy 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐
you wasted last month — in dollars — would that Not at all Very much
be useful to know?
12 If you found a way to cut your energy bill by ☐ Just me — I decide
$150–300 a month with no upfront cost — who ☐ Me and my business partner
would you need to check with before agreeing to ☐ I would need landlord/property manager
it? approval
☐ Corporate/head office
☐ Other
↓ INTERVIEWER: Say: 'We build a small IoT sensor kit that tracks when your building is empty and automatically reduces
HVAC when no one is there. Every month we show you exactly how much you saved vs your real hydro bill. If we install it for
free and only take 50% of the verified savings — would that be worth exploring?'
13 On a scale of 1–5, how interesting does that 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐
sound? Not at all Very much
14 What questions do you have about something ________________________________________
like this in your building? ________________________________________
Note: Common answers: 'who has access to my data?', 'what
if it breaks my HVAC?', 'is this a subscription?'
15 Would you be open to a free 2-week energy audit ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Not sure
with no commitment — we install sensors, show
you the data, then you decide?
✓ GATE: YES = qualified lead. Log immediately. Offer follow-up appointment before leaving.
16 What option would you choose: Option A: We ☐ Option A — free install, share savings
install everything for free and take 50% of your ☐ Option B — buy kit, pay monthly fee
verified monthly savings — so if you save ☐ Neither — I'd want to think about it
$300/month, we get $150. Option B: You buy the ☐ Depends on more details
sensor kit and pay for the subscription for the
monitoring service.
↓ INTERVIEWER: Thank them: 'This was really helpful. We're running a pilot in this area over the next few weeks. Can I
leave you a card and follow up once we have the first data?' Record everything below before you leave the building.
17 Overall qualification rating: ☐ 🔴 Not qualified (utilities not in own name,
under $300/mo)
☐ 🔴 Marginal (interested but key info
missing)
☐ 🔴 Qualified lead (utilities direct, $600+/mo,
interested)
☐ ⭐Hot lead (ready to talk audit,
$1,000+/mo)
Slide7: Key Resources – LEO WALK IN
Need to identify how many buildings already have smart systems (split systems), and how
many don`t have them (Roof top units with manual control) - can be checked during walk-
in (questionnaire)
- as we know 40% of NEW commercial buildings have energy-efficient or smart HVAC
systems ([Link]
- I walked in 20 buildings interviewed some people, so we can conclude
40% (new + upgraded buildings)
60% still legacy / manual systems
• 40% of commercial buildings use smart or energy-efficient HVAC systems, while
60% remain legacy/manual — representing our primary opportunity
Building automation systems (BAS):
• 25% adoption overall
• Lower in small retail / older buildings
OCCUPANCY SENSORS / SMART CONTROLS
Small businesses → low adoption
Occupancy sensors in small commercial buildings:
• 30% adoption in real time with good price
HVAC = 40% of building energy use
1. Need to identify how many buildings already have occupancy sensors, airflow
sensors, and humidity sensors - - can be checked during walk-in (questionnaire)
• 40% of commercial buildings use smart or energy-efficient HVAC systems, while
60% remain legacy/manual — representing our primary opportunity
1.
2. Need to identify how many buildings already have remote control systems to
manage HVAC- can be checked during walk-in (questionnaire)
• 40% of commercial buildings use smart or energy-efficient HVAC systems, while
60% remain legacy/manual — representing our primary opportunity
•
1. We can ask about air curtains (they are being installed above entrance doors and
dock doors to prevent hot/cold air from outside – help save energy. I saw them in
a couple of buildings. There is a possibility to manage them automatically
through the app)
• Used mainly in:
o warehouses
o retail entrances
• Not widely automated
No exact % → but strong qualitative insight:
✔ Adoption:
• Present in specific sectors only
• Rarely connected to smart systems
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ClimaSense AI
Cold Walk-In Discovery Questionnaire
Purpose: Validate that GTA warehouse owner-operators are the right customer segment and that the problem is
real, frequent, and worth paying to fix.
Interviewer: ___Gurpreet singh______________________ Date: _____April7,2026____________ Location:
_______8875 torbram rd,Brampton__________________
↓ INTERVIEWER: Start with a warm open: 'Hi, I'm [name] — we're talking to business owners in the area about their
energy costs. Do you have 5 minutes?'
1 Is the hydro bill in your name — you pay it ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Not sure
directly, not included in rent?
✓ GATE: Must answer YES to continue. If NO: 'Thanks so much — have a great day.' Leave politely.
2 How long have you been in this location? ☐ Less than 1 year
☐ 1–3 years
☐ 3–5 years
☐ 5+ years
3 Roughly how many sq ft is your space? ☐ Under 2,000 sq ft
☐ 2,000–5,000 sq ft
☐ 5,000–10,000 sq ft
☐ 10,000–15,000 sq ft
☐ Over 15,000 sq ft
4 What's your monthly hydro bill ☐ Under $300
roughly ☐ $300–600
☐ $600–1,000
☐ $1,000–2,000
☐ Over $2,000
5 Has your bill gone up in the last year or two? By ☐ No change
how much? ☐ A little (under 10%)
☐ Noticeably (10–30%)
☐ A lot (30%+)
☐ I don't track it closely
6 When your space is empty — evenings, weekends, ☐ Yes, always running
lunch — is your HVAC still running? ☐ We turn it off manually sometimes
☐ It's on a timer
☐ No idea — never checked
☐ We have a smart thermostat
↓ INTERVIEWER: If they say 'smart thermostat' or 'timer' — ask: 'Does it adjust based on whether someone is actually in
the building, or just based on the clock?'
7 On a scale of 1 to 5, how much of a problem is 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐
energy cost for your business right now? Not at all Very much
8 Have you done anything to try to reduce your ☐ Nothing yet
energy bill? ☐ Changed thermostat settings manually
☐ Installed a programmable thermostat
☐ Already have a monitoring system
☐ Other — write below
9 Do you ever compare your bill month to month, ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Not sure
or track energy use over time?
10 Have you ever downloaded your detailed usage ☐ Never heard of that
data from your utility provider — like hourly ☐ Heard of it but never done it
consumption?
☐ Tried but couldn't figure it out
☐ Yes, I've done it
11 If someone showed you exactly how much energy 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐
you wasted last month — in dollars — would that Not at all Very much
be useful to know?
12 If you found a way to cut your energy bill by ☐ Just me — I decide
$150–300 a month with no upfront cost — who ☐ Me and my business partner
would you need to check with before agreeing to
☐ I would need landlord/property manager
it?
approval
☐ Corporate/head office
☐ Other
↓ INTERVIEWER: Say: 'We build a small IoT sensor kit that tracks when your building is empty and automatically reduces
HVAC when no one is there. Every month we show you exactly how much you saved vs your real hydro bill. If we install it for
free and only take 50% of the verified savings — would that be worth exploring?'
13 On a scale of 1–5, how interesting does that 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐
sound? Not at all Very much
14 What questions do you have about something ________________________________________
like this in your building? ________________________________________
Note: Common answers: 'who has access to my data?', 'what
if it breaks my HVAC?', 'is this a subscription?'
15 Would you be open to a free 2-week energy audit ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Not sure
with no commitment — we install sensors, show
you the data, then you decide?
✓ GATE: YES = qualified lead. Log immediately. Offer follow-up appointment before leaving.
16 What option would you choose: Option A: We ☐ Option A — free install, share savings
install everything for free and take 50% of your ☐ Option B — buy kit, pay monthly fee
verified monthly savings — so if you save
$300/month, we get $150. Option B: You buy the ☐ Neither — I'd want to think about it
sensor kit and pay for the subscription for the ☐ Depends on more details
monitoring service.
↓ INTERVIEWER: Thank them: 'This was really helpful. We're running a pilot in this area over the next few weeks. Can I
leave you a card and follow up once we have the first data?' Record everything below before you leave the building.
17 Overall qualification rating: ☐ 🔴🔴 Not qualified (utilities not in own
name, under $300/mo)
☐ 🟡🟡 Marginal (interested but key info
missing)
☐ 🟢🟢 Qualified lead (utilities direct,
$600+/mo, interested)
☐ ⭐ Hot lead (ready to talk audit,
$1,000+/mo)