It seems as though every day, there is some new "eco-friendly," "good-for-the-environment," "green" product or service on the market. In fact, I'd argue that in the HVACR industry, we're seeing about one every hour! But at the end of the day, these green "innovations" are only valuable if :
a.) your customers want this type of unit/service/technology; and
b.) you have personnel capable of properly installing and servicing this equipment.
The need for qualified, well-trained industry pros helping provide energy-efficient indoor comfort is nothing new. I attended FRACCA's 2010 Educational Conference down in Orlando, FL, last weekend, and over and over, the topic of quality installation was addressed. HARDI vice president Talbot Gee (who has a pretty good blog that you may want to check out here) was the event's keynote speaker, and in his talk he shared with contractors just how important quality installation is going to be to any future tax incentives and breaks our industry might see.
That point is one I couldn't agree more with. The much-discussed HOMESTAR program - "Cash for Caulkers" if you will - is a topic that the industry is watching closely. Yet many feel that the only way that any incentives or breaks will be extended to the home-improvement/construction sectors (at least in the HVACR department) is going to be results-based. That means that contractors and technicians are going to have to perform initial performance tests, install and improve upon the building and its air-movement systems, and then test the building again. The amount of improvement will then determine how much of a rebate the contractor will be entitled to (and the savings that they can in turn pass along to the homeowner).
Again, much of this is still in discussion stages, and NOTHING has been set in stone, but this is a model that is being looked at more and more. Stay tuned to see what is coming down the pike next. The odds are, it won't take long for it to get here.
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