Squarely in the Center of Energy Efficiency

After two recent weeks spent at three conferences devoted to energy efficiency (the annual meeting for state energy officials in mid-September, the Consortium for Energy Efficiency's Industry Partners Summit and the AHRI/ACEEE Energy Efficiency Summit last week), a few brief observations will help set the state for more thorough summaries to come later:

• HVACR cannot help but be a major focus for any energy efficiency discussion
• Industry input to efficiency officials- government, utilities, consultants- continues to be lacking but is extremely appreciated
• HVACR distributors are absolutely essential for the success of utility efficiency programs which are growing rapidly and experiencing ever-increasing pressure to achieve greater energy savings
• HVACR distributors have a role with state energy offices, but exactly what that is remains uncertain much like the prospects for their robust, long-term energy efficiency funding at the state level
• Big changes are inevitable for any industry tied to the built environment and energy efficiency because the whole-building approach isn't going away
• HVACR distributors will be needed/expected to fill the competency and quality gaps (in terms of infrastructure, administration, and support) as the bar raises ever-so-slowly for HVACR contractors