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The Congressional Family Business Caucus is a group of Members of Congress that promote family businesses' role as community economic drivers, job creators, and significant donors to charitable and local needs, while strengthening the national economy and contributing to government revenues. Its core purpose is to educate Members of Congress on the substantial contributions that family businesses, like ACCA members, make to the American economy, the nation, and local communities. To do so, the Caucus seeks to create awareness within Congress on critical issues impacting family businesses like workforce challenges, tax policy, economic issues, and community development. Moreover, it supports a regulatory landscape that is less burdensome to family businesses, while also promoting entrepreneurship and free enterprise. Finally, the Caucus will connect Members of Congress with family businesses in their districts/home states and create a dialogue that promotes a productive exchange of ideas. Please take a moment to ask your elected officials in Congress to join the Congressional Family Business Caucus.
If you have questions about the Congressional Family Business Caucus or any of ACCA's advocacy efforts, email Chris Czarnecki, ACCA's director of government relations & advocacy, at govt@acca.org or call 703-575-4477.
Prepare your business for the future with a morning of in-person heat pump workshop sessions. This free summit will bring together manufacturers and distributors to hone in on the heat pump topics that matter to you. We'll outline the changes happening in the market and identify resources you need to succeed through the transition.
Thursday, October 26 8:00 AM – 1:30 PM EDT Detroit Marriott Southfield
PLUS! Get first hand insights into rebates and how to get projects funded, and take the opportunity to engage with our vendors, manufacturers and distributors to dig into the specifics of your business.
Find more details on the event website, and register to join us today!
Maximizing our fresh and clean air in the places we live, work, and play in any energy efficient and decarbonized way is the future.
How do we get there?
We will discuss a solution that includes all-in-one ventilation, filtration, cold climate heat pump heating, and cooling system that can be used to meet air quality needs of many different spaces.
Lessons Learned
Discover how harmonizing IAQ and energy efficiency contributes to optimal environments while reducing environmental impact.
Articulate the new ASHRAE standard 241 (control of infectious aerosols) and how it can be addressed.
Understand better approaches to prioritize IAQ, comfort, and cognitive performance, while optimizing energy efficiency.
Review a a real-world energy and IAQ retrofit project with applied recommended approaches to assess its impact on occupant health, and energy consumption.
Continuing Education Units (CEUS) 1 hour in
Speaker
Victor G. Niño, Ph.D., PE, serves as the Director of Business Development at Build Equinox, leading advancements in fresh air technology for both residential and commercial markets. With over 20 years in the HVAC industry and degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Business from the University of Illinois, he has pioneered innovations in the heat transfer management and HVAC industries moving technologies towards sustainability. As a dedicated ASHRAE member, he currently serves as the Government Affairs Committee Chair for its Wisconsin Chapter, and co-chairs the Market Leadership and Advisory Board of USGBC in Wisconsin. Victor also instructs HVAC Fundamentals at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Register Here
The Bureau of Construction Codes will be conducting a public hearing on proposed administrative rules entitled "Part 9A Mechanical Code – Rule Set 2022-55." We are conducting this hearing under the authority of the Administrative Procedures Act, Public Act 306 of 1969. The hearing will be called to order at 01:00 p.m. on August 22, 2023, at the Michigan Library & Historical Center's First Floor Forum, 702 W Kalamazoo St, Lansing, MI 48915.
In addition, please use the link below to search for any pending activity within LARA Rule sets.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released its long-anticipated guidelines for state energy offices to implement the Inflation Reduction Act's residential rebate programs. Together, the (newly renamed) Home Efficiency Rebates Program (HOMES) and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates Program (HEEHR) are expected to deliver $8.8 billion in rebates for residential energy efficiency improvements, mostly targeted to low-to-moderate income households. Read more in ACCA's member-exclusive IRA Resource Center.
With rebates up to $14,000 and 100% of improvement cost, these programs could greatly expand the home performance market. That's a huge opportunity for savvy contractors but will likely attract new competition. In fact, program documents explicitly list Home Depot, Ace, and Lowes as key implementation partners.
Technologies like heat pumps can be complex. Without attention to proper training and quality installation, ACCA is very concerned that inexperienced installers will undercut quality contractors and leave consumers with systems that raise their energy bills while making their homes less comfortable – a black eye for our industry. That's why ACCA has been working with its state and local Allied Contracting Organizations (ACOs), the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), and the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) to ensure that these programs prioritize quality installation and support contractor-led training efforts.
Now that the DOE has released its guidance, state energy offices have until January 2025 to submit their program designs. Some states – notably Florida – may choose not to participate, but most are expected to submit their programs within the next 60-90 days, making this a critical period for contractors and ACOs to weigh in on what these programs should look like.
ACCA has developed two documents to support quality program design:
Guidelines for Residential Heat Pump Initiatives – ACCA's Products Committee developed these guidelines to help states understand the complexity of heat pump system design and design contractor-friendly rebate programs. Please share any comments you may have on this public draft with David Bixby.
ACCA's Proposed Program Element: Quality Installation Certificates – Adherence to the ANSI/ACCA 5 Quality Installation standard has always been difficult to verify and incentivize at scale – until now! ACCA recently re-launched its Quality Installation (QI) certificates with verification using smart diagnostic tools through the measureQuick® app. ACCA's proposal to NASEO suggests prioritizing HVAC installations verified by an ACCA Quality Installation (QI) certificate. Learn more at www.acca.org/prove-it.
Products Committee co-chair Eric Woerner from A1 Mechanical of Dayton and four members of the ACCA staff presented these resources at a July 11 meeting co-hosted by AHRI and NASEO and attended by about half the state energy offices.
As this battle shifts to the states, ACCA's state and local Allied Contracting Organizations will be critical allies in seeking contractor-friendly program design and giving quality contractors the inside scoop on implementation plans. In fact, the DOE guidelines say that "States are strongly encouraged to establish partnerships with and provide funding to" entities, including "contractor organizations." IRA experts Maddie Koehler of NASEO and Cynthia Adams of Pearl Certification briefed ACCA's ACOs at the ACCA 2023 Conference and we're working to schedule a virtual update now that guidelines have been released.
There is reason for hope that our message is getting through! The DOE guidelines require states to submit a "Consumer Protection Plan" that must "establish minimum quality installation standards" and establish "QA processes that allow the state to verify and document whether installation standards have been met."
We'll also need to work to fend off burdensome requirements. While the law itself makes no mention of union-backed prevailing wage rules for HOMES and HEEHR, the DOE guidelines require a Community Benefits Plan that "might include" provisions such as "paying at or above local prevailing wages."
ACCA will continue analyzing and developing materials regarding the new DOE Guidelines and the related contractor training grants announced by DOE a week earlier. In the meantime, it's important to remind your customers that even the most aggressive states will unlikely have programs available to consumers until 2024. ACCA's IRA Resource Center has information about the greatly enhanced 25C, 25D, 45L, and 179D federal tax incentives available today for residential and commercial customers at all income levels in all 50 states.
Congressman Lloyd Smucker (R-PA) recently reintroduced the Main Street Tax Certainty Act in the House. You might have seen that Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) already reintroduced the bill in the Senate. This important legislation would make the 20 percent 199A deduction of Qualified Business Income for small businesses structured as 's-corporations' or 'pass-through entities' permanent. 199A provides greater tax parity between small businesses and typically larger 'c-corporations.' The deduction is currently set to expire at the end of 2025. Please take a moment to participate in ACCA's Main Street Tax Certainty Act Action Alert to let your elected officials in Congress know why they should support the bill.
If you have questions about the Main Street Tax Certainty Act or any of ACCA's advocacy efforts, email Chris Czarnecki, ACCA's director of government relations & advocacy, at govt@acca.org or call 703-575-4477.
ACT NOW! Support SMART Energy Efficiency Standards
By now, you've probably heard about the Department of Energy's regional energy efficiency standards. And if you live in the Southeast or Southwest, you've probably already been affected by them. This policy has caused the HVAC industry needless confusion and headaches by using the date of installation as opposed to the date of manufacture when deciding what systems you can legally install. As a result, distributors and contractors in the southern regions who are affected by this policy have been left with 'stranded' equipment that's illegal to install in their regions, but perfectly good in the north. It's not all bad news, though. Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) recently reintroduced the SMART Energy Efficiency Standards Act. This bill would simply amend the date that furnace, central air conditioner, and heat pump manufacturers must comply with regional energy efficiency standards from the date of installation to the date of manufacture. It really is that easy. You can do your part today by taking action to let your Representatives in Congress know why they should support bill H.R. 4378 and how important it is to your business.
If you have questions about H.R. 4378, the SMART Energy Efficiency Standards Act, email Chris Czarnecki, ACCA's director of government relations & advocacy, at govt@acca.org or call 703-575-4477.
TAKE ACTION
One of my first promises when I became Governor was to pass legislation to protect Michiganders from the dangers of distracted driving. Last week, we delivered on that promise when I signed a package of bipartisan bills that will reduce crashes and save lives.
These bills will ban the use of a phone while driving, including sending texts, watching or recording videos, or engaging with social media. This will reduce distracted driving crashes that have taken too many lives across Michigan. Too many Michiganders have lost loved ones to distracted driving, and everyone should be safe on their way to school, home, or work.
So far this year, we have had 322 deaths on Michigan roads. Last year, 1,120 died on Michigan roads. Young drivers accounted for 8% of all drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2018, even though they were only 5.3% of all licensed drivers.
That's unacceptable. Our goal is to get to 0 traffic deaths by 2050.
This legislation will make a real difference in working towards our goal by:
Every driver in Michigan knows that their attention must be on the road—not their phone.
Let's keep working together to make our roads safer for everyone.
Sincerely,
Gretchen Whitmer Governor
Free Webinar M 31st Noon - 1 p.m.
Registration ends May 30th
The industry has moved from gauges to Smart Probes and Intelligent Apps that go beyond the measurements to providing system targets and in-depth diagnostics.
Multiple studies have found that 70-90% of Residential cooling systems have at least one fault, add duct leakage increases, this increases to 90–100%. This poor performance creates comfort issues, wasted energy (including water as an energy source) and cost society billions each year. Are techs finding the issues and correcting them and leaving them?
These faults can be significantly reduced and eliminated with prober design and commissioning and confirming the actual measurements - not pencil whipping!
This session will cover the tools, apps and standards for proper compliance including ACCA Quality Installation (QI), Energy Star Verified Installation (ESVI), and the similar pathways for Energy Star, DOE Zero Energy Ready Certification which may net Inflation Reduction Act Tax Credits.
Bonus - We will discuss how this fits in with the LEED for Homes Rating Systems requirements and align with the 310 standard.
Join us for a conversation on the new path for compliance as we cover the options from verifying the HVAC operation to full system commissioning.
Joe Medosch {med-osh} - Client Success Manager for measureQuick, Owner of Energy & Environmental Consulting. He is an Industry Master Trainer, national presenter, and his diverse background in multiple trades provides a unique understanding of "The House and occupants as a System." Joe has been evaluating homes for 20+ years and has been a Comfort Consultant /Trainer for over 15+ years providing solutions on Healthier/Energy Efficient Home Performance and co-creator of Retrotec rCloud app.
Certifications / knowledge base and committees include: Board Member on Healthy Air Research and Certification Authority (HARCA), ACCA, IAQ/IEQ assessments, ICC, BPI, RESNET, SMACNA, ASTM ...
L essons Learned
1- Explain that existing gauges to measure refrigerants are outdated, they release global warming refrigerants, and cause cross contamination in units. How does this comply LEED V4BD+C & V4.1 Residential EA Prereq Minumum Energy Performance?
2- Identify that Smart Probes are only a smart as the Intelligent Apps that interpret the measurements
3- Name 2 standards for compliance and how to implement them and how it will comply LEED V4BD+C & V4.1 Residential EA Prereq Minumum Energy Performance?
4- Review are the only adjustable parameters or settings in a standard AC system? How does it align LEED V4BD+C & V4.1 Residential EA Prereq Minumum Energy Performance?
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