Over the past few years, there has been a marked increase in the amount of regulatory involvement by state and federal agencies as it relates to the HVACR industry. I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. Certainly too much regulation can hamper productivity and potentially thwart business growth - but in our trade, one of the long-standing knocks has been the LACK of equality in terms of regulation. By that, I mean that the lack of national standards or guidelines has resulted in a pathwork quilt of regulations that varies from state to state - and in some states, from county to county or even city to city. And that's something that in the long-term, could seriously stunt and hamper the growth of our industry.
There is no question that the current administration is looking for more ways to promote energy-efficiency and create "green" jobs concurrently. With heating/cooling systems serving as the single largest user of energy in our homes and businesses, the focus over the past few years has been to push initiatives that will makes this equipment more efficient. It also explains why initiatives such as the $1,500 Energy Star tax break and other incentives have been cornerstones of these programs. There certainly is some correlation to the fact that homeowners can receive a rebate good for 30% of the total cost - with no upper limit - on the installation of a geothermal heat pump and the significant growth that sector is seeing right now. And the new Energy Star requirements for furnaces, heat pumps and air conditioners certainly will present new opportunities - and potential headaches - for HVACR contractors and technicians in North America.
But at the end of the day, the training and education that HVACR professionals receive will dictate just HOW efficient these systems are. As more than one OEM executive has shared with me, "we can design equipment to be 20-SEER-plus efficient...but if the installer doesn't put the equipment in properly, or if the ductwork isn't properly installed, that efficiency is never going to be realized."
That brings me to my point. Too much regulation is harmful, and can decimate an industry (just ask railroad executives who were around in the 1970s how good things were for them then before deregulation under the Staggers Rail Act helped them level the playing the field with trucks driving over federally subsidized highways). But not enough regulation can open the door to inefficiency, poor workmanship, disgruntled customers and put a black eye on an entire trade.
In March, the Iowa Department of Public Health's Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board announced that it found RSES' Certificate Member Specialist (CMS) and Certificate Member (CM) designations acceptable for satisfying the state's educational training requirement to obtain its Service Technician HVAC Specialty License. Certainly from RSES' perspective, it's exciting to see a state body value the training and education needed to pass a CMS or CM exam, and allow it to serve as a means of qualifying licenses for HVACR professionals.
But my question is, why does Iowa require this degree of education and training, but if you live across the Mississippi River in Illinois, all an individual must do is pass an EPA 608 test to handle refrigerant - and that person is now somehow qualified to work on any piece of HVACR equipment in the state? THAT is the larger issue that regulation must look to address. RSES is working closely with partners such as NATE, HARDI, ASHRAE, ACCA, PHCC, NEBB and other organizations to raise awareness to the fact that while equipment may be extremely efficient, it still takes well-trained people to install that equipment properly and allow it to operate in the manner in which it was designed.
Too much regulation has the same effect as a micromanaging boss - it makes us nervous, uncomfortable and unsure as to just how we are supposed to operate on our own. But too little regulation leaves much to be determined by individuals who may or may not be qualified to make decisions that can seriously impact the efficiency, air quality and even health of people everywhere. A little regulation, with a touch of moderation, might go a long way to having every state be a little more like Iowa.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
The Runner and the HVACR Professional
For the record, I'm a runner. I didn't always used to be. In fact, when I was playing football and basketball, I looked at running not as a sport, but as something to be loathed. Despised. Hated. It was punishment for us because we lost by a certain score, didn't beat someone out on a play, etc. I think there is a part of my feet that will forever be permanently worn into the floorboards of the old indoor track upstairs at Loyola University of Chicago's Alumni Gym (that place was a sweatbox in the summer...that's why we always ran and played unofficial pickup games there).
Between the heat and the running, it was brutal. It was miserable. It certainly kicked my behind on more than a few occasions. But as I look back in hindsight, it also made me better. And almost ironically, now I love to run in the heat. I am not a huge fan of going outside when it's 45 degrees here in Chicago and trying to put in 10 miles. But if it's 90 and climbing, get me out by the lake and let me see if I can do 15+.
So just what does this have to do with HVACR in any remote manner? Like my loathing for running, many professionals I've met and spoken with would prefer to pass on attending seminars, training courses or workshops. This is perhaps because a.) they aren't working, and if their company isn't paying them while they train, it's valuable free time (which many of us don't have much of to begin with) they have to surrender; or b.) they would rather spend that time in the field staying on top of service calls and not getting behind. This is ESPECIALLY true during the busy summer months.
But when I was putting together an article on training and testing for the June 2011 RSES Journal, I took note of an interesting comment I heard from an HVACR professional who also serves as an instructor at a community college in southeastern Virginia. He noted that the HVACR industry was constantly changing, and "how can we ask our customers and students to never stop training if we are not willing to do so?"
As an example, tomorrow (June 4) RSES and its Central New York Chapter are teaming with Danfoss to put on a Natural Refrigerants Seminar. The program, which will have a focus on carbon dioxide, has attracted registrants from Missouri to Arkansas, and all points in between. We are hearing more and more about companies and industries exploring expanded use of C02, butane, ammonia, and other "natural" refrigerants. While these materials have always been used in the heat-transfer cycle, it appears the onus to put them into more widespread use is growing. And though it is true that these refrigerants must be handled very carefully (not that others shouldn't, but the toxicity/flammability issues with these are tremendous), they certainly aren't going away.
That hasn't been lost on the attendees going to tomorrow's seminar. It certainly hasn't been lost on the individuals that have been coming to training seminars held at RSES Headquarters in Des Plaines, IL (as well as at other locations around the country); and other organizations such as Emerson, Honeywell and Carrier have seen full-room turnouts at educational sessions they've held. What does this mean? It means that despite all the pain and suffering, industry professionals recognize the benefits of training. It makes them more employable. It makes their jobs easier. It makes them better. And it has them coming back time and time again.
The motto of "practice makes perfect" is true in many areas of life, from training for a marathon to preparing for a marathon day of service calls in 100-degree heat. But knowing that the training and continuing education helps make those calls a little shorter or a little easier is exactly why it is imperative HVACR service professionals never stop learning. And if you see that guy running by the side of the road waving at your service truck, feel free to wave back. I'll be glad to get home and step inside a cool room after I feel and enjoy the heat during that run.
Between the heat and the running, it was brutal. It was miserable. It certainly kicked my behind on more than a few occasions. But as I look back in hindsight, it also made me better. And almost ironically, now I love to run in the heat. I am not a huge fan of going outside when it's 45 degrees here in Chicago and trying to put in 10 miles. But if it's 90 and climbing, get me out by the lake and let me see if I can do 15+.
So just what does this have to do with HVACR in any remote manner? Like my loathing for running, many professionals I've met and spoken with would prefer to pass on attending seminars, training courses or workshops. This is perhaps because a.) they aren't working, and if their company isn't paying them while they train, it's valuable free time (which many of us don't have much of to begin with) they have to surrender; or b.) they would rather spend that time in the field staying on top of service calls and not getting behind. This is ESPECIALLY true during the busy summer months.
But when I was putting together an article on training and testing for the June 2011 RSES Journal, I took note of an interesting comment I heard from an HVACR professional who also serves as an instructor at a community college in southeastern Virginia. He noted that the HVACR industry was constantly changing, and "how can we ask our customers and students to never stop training if we are not willing to do so?"
As an example, tomorrow (June 4) RSES and its Central New York Chapter are teaming with Danfoss to put on a Natural Refrigerants Seminar. The program, which will have a focus on carbon dioxide, has attracted registrants from Missouri to Arkansas, and all points in between. We are hearing more and more about companies and industries exploring expanded use of C02, butane, ammonia, and other "natural" refrigerants. While these materials have always been used in the heat-transfer cycle, it appears the onus to put them into more widespread use is growing. And though it is true that these refrigerants must be handled very carefully (not that others shouldn't, but the toxicity/flammability issues with these are tremendous), they certainly aren't going away.
That hasn't been lost on the attendees going to tomorrow's seminar. It certainly hasn't been lost on the individuals that have been coming to training seminars held at RSES Headquarters in Des Plaines, IL (as well as at other locations around the country); and other organizations such as Emerson, Honeywell and Carrier have seen full-room turnouts at educational sessions they've held. What does this mean? It means that despite all the pain and suffering, industry professionals recognize the benefits of training. It makes them more employable. It makes their jobs easier. It makes them better. And it has them coming back time and time again.
The motto of "practice makes perfect" is true in many areas of life, from training for a marathon to preparing for a marathon day of service calls in 100-degree heat. But knowing that the training and continuing education helps make those calls a little shorter or a little easier is exactly why it is imperative HVACR service professionals never stop learning. And if you see that guy running by the side of the road waving at your service truck, feel free to wave back. I'll be glad to get home and step inside a cool room after I feel and enjoy the heat during that run.
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