Alexandria, VA (October 19, 2022) - The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) notified the Department of Energy (DOE) this month that it opposes the July 7, 2022, notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) to revise the energy efficiency standards for residential natural gas furnaces. The proposal, if adopted, would negatively impact ACCA's over 3,000 member companies, individual homeowners, including low-income households, small businesses, and seniors. Federal and state lawmakers and regulators focus a significant amount of time on the HVACR industry because of the energy its products consume. Former Secretary of Energy, Ernest Moniz believed energy efficiency improvements within the HVACR industry could have an enormous impact on addressing peak demand for electricity going forward. ACCA agrees with the Secretary, but the DOE is not focused on the problems that ACCA's contractor members work on every day: incorrect equipment sizing and poor equipment installations. "The problem of poor HVAC installations is rampant in part due to many public officials believing that industry-recommended installation standards and training programs are aspirational and do not require trained technicians," said Barton James, ACCA president and CEO. "If DOE would turn their attention to educating and incentivizing homeowners to demand that HVAC systems are installed according to the industry's recommended minimum standards, then the HVACR industry would be able to meet Secretary Moniz's wish for a 25 to 30 percent improvement in efficiency, and far exceed the goals from this furnace rule." "ACCA strongly believes that America's HVAC Contractors should have options for their customers based on their applications needs, fuel and installation cost, energy reliability, and product availability when it comes to heating homes and businesses. ACCA once again opposes this latest attempt by the DOE to offer a solution that does not address the root energy problem," added James. "This regulation will create an unnecessary burden on homeowners, who already are facing increasing costs of living, by demanding them to install equipment that they can neither afford nor will reach the desired efficiency that the DOE claims this regulation is needed to meet. ACCA firmly stands by the position that HVACR contractors and consumers should have access to whatever source of fuel makes the most sense for their business and economic needs. If the DOE wants to have a real impact on reducing fuel use and increasing the energy efficiency of heating systems, they should focus on proper equipment sizing, correct duct design, and quality installations based on nationally recognized standards such as ACCA's Manual J®, Manual S®, and Manual D®, which help ensure that systems are properly sized, have the correct ductwork, and are installed in a manner that allows the equipment it reach its stated efficiency rating." You can read the full letter that ACCA sent to the DOE here. ACCA will continue to keep its members updated on the status of the DOE's rulemaking activities regarding energy-efficiency standards for furnaces and fight for common-sense regulations and legislation that leverages our members' expertise.

For more information about ACCA, please contact Melissa Broadus, ACCA director of member communications, at melissa.broadus@acca.org or (703) 824-8842.

CSD-1 NATE Certified Training

October 27, 2022
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Behler-Young

3607 Midlink Dr, Kalamazoo, MI 49048

Register Here

Instructor - Phil Forner

Cost includes Lunch

MIACCA Members: $250

Non Members: $350

3607 Midlink Dr, Kalamazoo, MI 49048

Attendees need to bring a copy of:

• ASME CSD-1-2018

• Article 9 of the Skilled Trades Regulation Act

• Michigan Boiler Rules

Not a Member ? Join Today! Your $300 MIACCA membership includes:

Membership for up to 10 employees
Free SBAM and Service Rountable memberships valued at $950
Member discounts on MIACCA training events

EVENT FLYER

HARDI, the national industry association of HVAC/R Distributors, is conducting a national survey of HVAC/R Contractors to find out how distributors can improve and adapt their services.

As a thank you for completing this survey, if you provide your name and contact information at the end of the survey:
- You will be entered into a drawing to win 1 of 25 $50 VISA Gift Cards.
- You will receive a complimentary summary report of this survey's finding so that you can compare your company to national HVAC/R contractor averages.

Please take 10 minutes to complete this online survey and help your distributors service you better. 

CLICK HERE TO TAKE SURVEY

California proposes ban on natural gas heaters by 2030

California's clean air agency has approved a proposal that would ban natural gas heaters and furnaces in the state by 2030.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) last week unanimously supported the 2022 State Implementation Plan Strategy, whose goal is to meet the federal ozone standard for the level of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere by 2037, according to a press release.

Natural gas combustion from residential and commercial buildings make up 5% of California's nitrogen oxide emissions, according to the plan's text. Space and water heating account for 90% of all building-related natural gas demand.

CARB said the state's less-fortunate residents are the primary beneficiaries of this proposal.

"While this strategy will clean the air for all Californians, it will also lead to reduced emissions in the many low-income and disadvantaged communities that experience greater levels of persistent air pollution," CARB Chair Liane Randolph said in the release.

The plan, which was first published last month, said it is relying heavily on heat pumps to electrify new and existing homes moving beyond 2030.

Consumers Energy and SEMCO Energy has partnered with Environmental Protection Agency-recognized third-party training organizations are excited to announce another round of the ENERGY STAR® Scholarship Pilot Program to grow our highly skilled trades network. Consumers Energy will provide 2022 ENERGY STAR scholarships, valued at $1,050 each, to 15 HVAC contractors who sign up.

The training will begin in September of 2022 with flexible schedule options available.

Benefits of becoming an ENERGY STAR certified HVAC Contractor:

· Gain a competitive advantage in the market

· Provide a higher quality install

· Align with a growing demographic of consumers

· Provide services for ENERGY STAR new home builders

· Market your affiliation with EPA's well-recognized ENERGY STAR program

· Bring additional revenue into your company

Participation is on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are interested in participating, please complete the interest form here.

Sara.Millies-Lucke

517-545-7194

Sara.Millies-Lucke@icf.com

Consumers Energy Trade Ally Website

Alexandria, VA (August 31, 2022) - The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) announces its success in achieving the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) exemption of all outdoor HVAC equipment from the 2020 and 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) protection. The exemption is in place until September 2026. 

This achievement stems from a two-year-long campaign of proposals and appeals submitted to the NFPA Standards Council by ACCA, Leading Builders of America (LBA), and the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). 

"It has been a long battle trying to convince the NFPA to exempt all outdoor HVAC from the NEC's GFCI protection," said David Bixby, ACCA manager of codes and standards. "It was critical to expand the exemption for all equipment until September 1, 2026. This will give the industry time to research the reasons behind the nuisance trips and develop technical solutions for the applicable appliance standard. This code change would have crippled our industry. Thanks to a concerted effort between ACCA members, its committees and Allied Contracting Organizations (ACOs), and our trade association allies, we were able to help educate the NFPA on a better course of action."

On August 10, 2022, Ed Lehr, president, Jack Lehr Heating, Cooling, & Electric in Allentown, PA testified on behalf of ACCA at an NFPA Standards Council hearing. He was joined by representatives from LBA and AHRI. Lehr's testimony proved to the Council that the current code requirement would cause excessive nuisance trips for the HVACR industry, wasting thousands of hours for technicians and putting customers in harm's way if they tried to reset or bypass the GFCI device to keep equipment operative. 

"Thanks to the group effort, ACCA succeeded in leading the charge to rewrite this bad code," said Barton James, ACCA president and CEO. "This code was already negatively impacting contractors, their customers, and the entire HVACR Industry in states that had adopted it. Its impact would have only been compounded with future adoptions. ACCA is thrilled to announce the success of this campaign."

ACCA recognizes the following for their part in this achievement: Ed Lehr; Devorah Jakubowsky, executive director, Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association (TACCA), an ACCA Allied Contracting Organization (ACO); ACCA's Products Committee and its Codes Subcommittee; and ACCA's Allied Industry Organizations. 

To learn more about the GFCI exemption, click here.

For more information about this issue or other codes matters, please contact David Bixby, ACCA manager of codes and standards at david.bixby@acca.org or (301) 525-5503. 

For more information about ACCA, please contact Natalie D'Apolito, ACCA communications coordinator, at natalie.dapolito@acca.org or (703) 824-8873.

Biden Signs Inflation Reduction Act — What Does This Mean for HVACR?

On 8-17-2022 President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), 

The bill extends several tax credits aimed at bringing down the cost of residential energy-efficiency improvements such as heat pumps, rooftop solar systems, and electric HVAC systems and water heaters. along with other forms of cleaner technology.  It also includes incentives for companies to manufacture that technology in the United States.

ACHR News reports:

Reaction is mixed in the HVAC industry to the passage of the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a sweeping proposal aimed at addressing health-care costs and climate change as well as tackling the nation's deficit.

The bill, which will raise an estimated $737 billion through a 15% minimum tax on large corporations, increased tax-code enforcement, and other revenue measures, passed both houses of Congress by party-line votes in August and was expected to be signed by President Joe Biden on August 16.

Among its provisions are incentives for the use of higher-efficiency HVAC technology in homes and commercial and public buildings. But while those incentives are embraced by the HVAC industry, other facets of the IRA, for some, outweigh its benefits.

"Unfortunately, it looks like Congress chose politics over good policy in crafting this bill," said Alex Ayers, the government affairs director at HARDI, in an emailed statement.

"We are very disappointed with this outcome and will work tirelessly to impact the rule-making process to improve the impacts on America's HVACR contractors," said Barton James, the president and CEO of ACCA, which was among dozens of trade and interest groups lobbying against the act.

Both HARDI and ACCA objected to the legislation's funding of an expansion of the Internal Revenue Service, which they said will lead to more audits of small businesses.

"From ACCA member experience, we know many, if not most, of these additional audits will be conducted on the owners of family businesses who have fully complied with the tax code," James wrote in an August 8 letter to top Congressional leaders.

Association representatives are also wary of an extension of loss limitations that will keep pass-through businesses from fully writing off business losses. James contended that provision is intended to offset the potential revenue lost by exempting private-equity investors from the minimum corporate tax.

"The cap on active pass-through loss deductions is bad policy at any time, but it is particularly harmful when the economy is weak, and businesses are trying to keep up with inflation," he wrote in his letter.

Ayers also objected to the prevailing-wage and apprenticeship requirements attached to some of the tax incentives, saying they "will likely prevent full utilization of these tax credits with the current workforce issues facing the industry."

The incentives, Ayers said, had bipartisan support and would likely have been passed without prevailing-wage and apprenticeship rules.

HVAC manufacturers praised the IRA's energy-efficiency incentives.

"Trane Technologies is looking forward to helping our customers access incentives and rebates for energy-efficient HVAC solutions, including heat pumps, thermal management and storage, smart thermostats, and other sustainable innovations," said Paul Camuti, the chief sustainability and technology officer at Trane Technologies Inc., in an email.

At METUS, or Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC U.S., a joint venture, Jason Rosenthal, the vice president of marketing, said the incentives will boost the heat-pump market.

"The IRA pushes heat pumps further into the mainstream and closer to becoming the standard for heating and cooling our homes," he said.

According to a Senate summary of the IRA, of the $737 billion expected to be raised, $369 billion will be invested in energy security and fighting climate change, $300 billion in deficit reduction, $64 billion in Affordable Care Act improvements, and $4 billion in drought resiliency programs in the western U.S.

Click for this ACHR article

Andrew Brisbo has been named the Bureau of Construction Codes' (BCC) Director.  You may know Andrew as the Executive Director of the Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA), where since March of 2017, Andrew has overseen the operations of CRA, working hard to establish the mission and vision of the agency while focusing on education, outreach, and collaboration in the formulation of policies and programs to regulate the cannabis industry in the state.

Andrew has spent nearly 20 years serving the public in a variety of leadership and frontline staff roles both within LARA and some of our sister state agencies.  His professional background includes significant hands-on work with the residential builder program, as well as BCC's Ski and Carnival-Amusement programs.  This invaluable experience will help to ensure he will hit the ground running as the Bureau Director.

Andrew will begin as director of BCC on Monday, September 19^th, and he and the BCC team will continue with the good work they do every day to protect the people of Michigan.  Should you have questions for BCC, please contact the Bureau by phone at 517-241-9313 or email at LARA-BCC-ASD@Michigan.gov.

Keith Lambert will remain on in his role as Deputy Director.