2750 South Towne Avenue Pomona, CA Phone: (909) Fax: (909) or

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1 2750 South Towne Avenue Pomona, CA Phone: (909) Fax: (909) or Dear Customer: As your HVAC wholesale distributor, we always want to bring you the very best. This is something we were pleasantly surprised to discover and recommend to you. Southern California Edison California Utility Ratepayers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission are funding a couple of educational programs you ve got to know about: HVACR Technician Education and NATE Certification Exams Contractor Business Courses Yes, we ve verified, it s free to you and your technicians. But, you may wonder, where do you have to go? How will you release your best technicians for class time? No problem, it s online at your convenience. HVACRedu.net, a well known online HVAC school, is powering the educational programs through You can trust their quality. In fact, the program is so excellent that HVACRedu.net recently won the Gold Dealer Design Award from The ACHR NEWS. HVACRedu.net is accredited by HVAC Excellence, and their courses are recognized by NATE and BPI. To get started, visit and create your own user name and password, follow the instructions. Then, go to the Program Lobby and click on Q Review for a program overview. Technicians who want to earn their Certifications, but don t know where to begin, have nothing to worry about. Start with the Technical Core Assessment to reveal your strengths and weaknesses and begin your personal education plan. HVACRedu.net will walk you through the program. Contractors, for you there is the Contractor s Hall. Register yourself onto the ItsAboutQ online campus and choose from contracting business courses that will help your business survive and thrive in today s market. We don t often get a chance to recommend something this significant, and we encourage you to take advantage while the funding lasts. Sincerely, Steve Adams Ferguson Heating and Cooling General Manager Nobody expects more from us than we do SM

2 Quality CONTRACTING Summer 2011 ItsAboutQ.net CA$H IN Become an Energy Star Quality Contractor NATE-certify Your Business for Profit California Utility Launches $2,000 Rebate Online Training Paves the Way

3 CONTENTS Cash In on Quality Installation... page 3 Contractors in Southern California Edison territory are offering up to $2,000 rebates to customers. Investment That Pays...page 5 The AC-Quality Program offers free online training at for contractors to become NATE-certifi ed, and Energy Star-qualifi ed. Energy Star Guidelines... page 6 It s the shape of things to come in Southern California: Ensure that your installations are meeting all of the current requirements. Energy Conservation for HVAC...page 7 New installation requirements come with support from utilities and state agencies. Attention HVAC Contractors & Technicians! Are You Energy Star Quality Installation Contractor Material? SIGN-UP TODAY for the NEW Energy Star Quality Installation Program funded by California utility ratepayers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission and qualify your customers for up to $2,000 in rebates. To learn more, please visit: and follow the path to ItsAboutQ.net. Here s How to Qualify Contractors need a NATE C-3 Classification (50% of technicians are NATE Certified). You can fast-track your technicians NATE Certification training ONLINE, at no cost to you! Become an SCE Energy Star Quality Contractor for NATE Certifications. 2

4 It s Time to Cash In on Quality Installations Contractors, Customers Benefit From Utility Rebate Program By Angela D. Harris of The NEWS Staff It s time to join the Southern California Edison (SCE) AC-Quality crew. This elite group of contractors is leveraging SoCal s local utility rebate program to its maximum potential by providing significant money savings and proven comfort to new installation customers. Ready to join the club? Head to and sign up. But, before heading there, take a minute to read more about the program and what it means for participating contractors. AC QUALITY PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS SoCal s utility rebate program is not like other typical rebate grams. Instead of focusing strictly on the type of equipment that is pro- installed, the SCE rebate also looks to reward how the equipment is installed. Following the Energy Star Quality Installation (QI) Guidelines, participating contractors are required to prove that not only have their customers chosen efficient equipment, but that the contractor has installed it correctly, ensuring the efficiency. The first step in offering customers this installation rebate up to $2,000 is becoming an SCE participating contractor. To do that, contractors must complete the following. NATE C-3 Certification: All participating contractors must be eligible for the North American Technician Excellence (NATE) C-3 program, which requires that at least 50 percent of a contractor s technicians are NATE-certified. Some contractors have already fulfilled this requirement, but for those who haven t, SoCal has partnered with HVACRedu.net to make the process smooth and simple for contractors to complete in a successful and timely manner at Load calculation software training: Once a contractor s status Quick Steps to Becoming an SCE Energy Star Quality Contractor Visit and take an assessment. Register to see if you qualify. Receive technician personal education plans online to prepare for NATE certifications. Qualify as a NATE C-3 Contractor. Promote your business with special marketing materials. Leverage your quotes with a customer rebate up to $2,000 customer funded by California utility ratepayers. Generate new leads and close more sales. as a NATE C-3 (Consumer Contractor Connection) contractor is confirmed, they must attend software training sessions for Manual J, D, and S load calculations. The three-day training session provides an overview of both the administrative and technical requirements of the program; and it must be completed in its entirety. SoCal s call center provides training information, dates, and scheduling at Field commissioning training: This training session provides an overview of the proper documentation and process to commission a unit using the ANSI-ACCA 5 QI-2007: HVAC Quality Installation Specifi cation. This is also commonly known as ACCA Standard 5, and was developed through the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA). This training must be scheduled after a contractor has attended the load calculation software training. Once all of the program training requirements have been satisfactorily met, contractors are ready and eligible to participate in the program and distinguish themselves as Energy Star QI contractors. Sign a participation agreement: The final step is to complete and sign a Contractor Participation Agreement. This is a formal agreement between SoCal and the contractor that defines the program rules and contractor participation requirements. ITSABOUTQ SoCal has partnered with HVACRedu.net to help contracting shops of all sizes quickly navigate the NATE C-3 waters successfully. To prepare for NATE certification exams without a classroom, and on your own schedule, visit and click on the It s about Q link. Once there, at self-register into the Campus Lobby (first access level) and complete the short qualification questionnaire. While HVACRedu.net is checking on a technician or contractor s individual qualifications for the program, be sure to check into every resource that is available at the online campus. Qualification for the 3

5 program is simple, be a licensed contractor or technician employed by a licensed contractor, working in the SCE service area. If the technician or contractor qualifies, they will receive an notice that their access has been elevated to the second level where they may take the Technical Core Assessment (TCA). The TCA is a series of assessment sections designed to find out how much an HVAC technician already knows about their job in relation to NATE certification. The TCA is mandatory for all interested in becoming NATE-certified through this program and is something handy to know about yourself. Following the TCA, HVA- CRedu.net will provide the best education track for the technician with an ed Personal Education Plan (PEP), designed to get you to NATE-certified status. This will also provide access to the Course Level (third access level). At the third access level, a list of partner schools in the SCE service area will be available from which technicians may choose to be enrolled into their personal HVAC certification track. Participants are limited to one course or review at a time, and must complete it before they may enroll into the next SCE Rebate Opportunity Equipment Type Equipment Tier SEER EER HSPF Rebate Split Central Air Conditioner* Tier 1 - Minimum $1,000 PROMOTE YOUR COMPANY With training complete, requirements met, and final agreement forms signed, it is time for contractors to start advertising their AC-Quality Program status and start reaping the benefits. SoCal has made this simple as well by providing technicians access to brochures, door hangers, flyers, etc. Backed by a specially designed logo and a complete marketing campaign, customer recognition of AC-Quality continues to increase the demand for quality installations and the rebates that come with them. Beyond increased customer demand for QI and the increased profits and notoriety that comes with certification, contractors receive Tier 2 - Minimum $1,250 Tier 3 - Minimum $2,000 Packaged Central Air Conditioner* Tier 1 - Minimum $1,000 Tier 2 - Minimum $1,250 Split Heat Pump** Tier 1 - Minimum $1,000 Tier 2 - Minimum $1,250 Packaged Heat Pump** Tier 1 - Minimum $1,000 Tier 2 - Minimum $1,250 * AC Units must meet both SEER and EER minimum requirements per Equipment Tier to qualify for rebate. ** Heat Pump Units must meet SEER, EER, and HSPF minimum requirements per Equipment Tier to qualify for rebate. tangible benefits via a performance bonus program from SoCal for their participation as an AC- Quality contractor. The performance bonus helps in the acquisition of qualifying tools and equipment that are commonly used to comply with quality installation standards. The program reimburses contractors a portion of the costs incurred for the purchase of these tools based on the number of completed installations, and is paid out in three installments. Silver Level Bonus: Must complete five qualifying installations to receive a bonus of 10 percent of the purchase cost of qualifying tools and equipment, up to $2,000. Gold Level Bonus: Must complete 30 qualifying installations to receive a bonus of an additional 25 percent of the purchase cost of qualifying tools and equipment, up to an additional $5,000. Platinum Level Bonus: Must complete 50 qualifying installations to receive a bonus of an additional 15 percent of the purchase cost of qualifying tools and equipment, up to an additional $3,000. These are just some of the benefits of partnering with SoCal and being an Energy Star Quality Contractor. Go to to begin an adventure towards certification, rebates, and quality installations. For more information, head over to page 8 SCE Qualifying Tools Refrigeration Testo refrigeration analyzer(s) Digicool refrigeration analyzer(s) course on their PEP. Some technicians will have a few; others will have more, it all depends on their individual Technical Core Assessment. According to HVACRedu.net, once all the courses and/or reviews on a contractor s PEP are complete, participants should be fully prepared to take their NATE Certification Exam. A list of authorized proctor centers will be provided in the third access level. Did we mention that this is at no cost to qualifying individuals? This is the industry education deal of the century! 4 Air Flow Testo 416 anemometer Testo 417 anemometer TSI 8371 flow hood TSI 8375 flow hood Energy Conservatory True Flow plate Alnor ABT Series flow hood Alnor EBT Series flow hood Duct Leakage Retrotech Q-32 duct-tester Energy Conservatory Duct Blaster w/dg 700 Temperature and Humidity Testo 605 H2 humidity stick w/ wet bulb calc Testo wireless humidity probe Electrical Fluke 902 true RMS multi meter Fluke A/C current clamp Software Elite software Wrightsoft software Get-Cool sotware

6 Get Energy Star Qualified Today What s in it For Contractors? An Investment that Really Pays. By Mike Murphy of The NEWS Staff There are not many places where an HVAC contractor can offer customers up to a $2,000 rebate for high efficiency products, and get free training to qualify for a NATE C-3 status. Cold, hard cash and certified technician excellence is a combination that alone packs a lot of customer appeal in the Southern California Edison markets, and is good reason for contractors to want to learn more about how they can participate. Even better news is that a contractor who qualifies for the AC-Quality Program offered by SoCal Edison Ratepayers, can receive any needed training at no cost. The training is available online through one of the top education providers in the United States, HVACRedu.net. The Bottom Line: If you re not already an AC- Quality Contractor, you will want to be as quickly as possible so that you can take advantage of the rebate offers for your customers. Only contractors that qualify for the program can offer the rebates to customers in the utility s service area. Customers can t qualify on their own, they must work through a company like yours in order to take advantage of the rebates of up to $2,000. SHOW ME THE MONEY What is the AC-Qualty Program? NATE C-3? How does all this work? The complete story is on page 3, but the short story is that SoCal Edison Ratepayers have put their money where their mouths are. The utility company is serious about saving energy and believes one of the most effective means to accomplish that is through conservation of energy in the State of California. Go to to start offering up to $2,000 in rebates. The HVAC installation and service industry is a focal point because so much energy is consumed by homes and buildings. However, to ensure that the energy efficiency that is commonly promised from HVAC equipment is also the same energy efficiency that is delivered, SoCal Edison realized that the contractor is the critical link. A NATE-certified technician delivering quality installations and quality service is the key to the utility program s success. Paul Kyllo, senior project manager at SCE, manages the Residential and Commercial HVAC program area which involves the entire HVAC value chain in a comprehensive approach to improving the energy efficiency of HVAC systems through equipment technology, technician training, and system installation and maintenance practices. Kyllo said, We want the work being done in the field to be high-quality work, and NATE certification helps ensure the contractors are top notch. BENEFITS OF ONLINE TRAINING Being a NATE C-3 contracting company is a requirement of the SCE AC-Quality Program. Fortunately, getting prepared for NATE-certification is very user friendly and any training that may be needed is funded by SCE s Workforce Education Program. One-man shops to multi-location businesses are eligible to become NATE C-3 (Consumer Contractor Connection) contractors. It is simple to get started: You become a NATE contractor by employing NATE HVACR Certified Technicians. The SCE AC-Quality Program requires participants to be at the NATE C-3 level, which means 50 percent of the technicians employed by a contractor must be NATE-certified technicians. The first step is to get your technicians certified. To be NATE-certified a technician will have to take the NATE exams. The NATE technician certification requires the technician to pass two exams. The first is a core exam in which the technician selects either the installation or service track. The second exam is in the technician s specialty. Again the technician selects either installation or service, however, it must be in the same track as the core exam selected. Rob Minnick is a contractor in Laurel, Md., who has used the online training program provided by HVACRedu.net to help prepare many of his technicians for the NATE exam. Minnick owns Heating Cooling Energy Solutions, and Geothermal, and has been using this HVACRedu.net s online learning program for four years and has found it to be very convenient and effective. Minnick said, It makes it easy for our employees to learn at a time that is convenient for them, instead of being rushed and pressed to make it to the training facility on time. We like this way of alternative continuing training. Minnick also said, The only negative I can think of is that there is less personal networking and hands-on training when a person is online, but I am working with our employees on a combined training program of online learning during the week, and then we follow up here in our offices on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Minnick described the online approach as being very easy to manage. Once he coordinates a time frame with HVACRedu.net, he tells the student when each course has to be completed and meets with them each week to discuss what they have learned. If they have any questions about what they have learned online, we review the material with them, and also make sure that the supervising tech they are working with has the student perform any work they are learning that particular week. We do everything we can to help the student succeed, said Minnick. He also likes the fact that the students can easily connect with the online instructors via , I the instructors with any questions I have and receive a reply within a few hours. And, I can also get in touch with someone directly if needed. PREPARE ONLINE 24/7 IN 4 EASY STEPS Prepare for NATE Certification Exams without a classroom, on your own schedule; powered by HVACRedu. net and funded by SCE s Workforce Education Program. 1. Visit and click on the ItsAboutQ link. 2. Self-register into the Campus Lobby where you will find everything available to technicians and contractors. 3. Start with the Technical Core Assessment, an individual preassessment that identifies your NATE knowledge strengths and weaknesses. 4. Work through your Personal Education Plan (PEP) with your local partner school online, one course at a time. 5

7 Energy Star Quality Installation Guidelines The Shape of Things to Come 6 Typical Furnace Installation Energy lost duct leakage, 15% Heating Delivered, 85% Typical Air Conditioner or Heat Pump Installation Cooling/Heating Delivered, 73% Energy lost to improper refrigerant level, 4% Energy lost to improper air flow, 3% Energy lost to improper equipment sizing, 5% Energy lost to duct leakage, 15% You may be familiar with the Energy Star label on energy efficient heating and cooling equipment, but did you know there are also Quality Installation (QI) guidelines to help ensure that heating and cooling equipment is installed properly? Nearly half of all heating and cooling equipment in U.S. homes never performs to the advertised capacity and efficiency due to installation problems, which means homeowners pay higher operating costs over the life of the equipment. As an HVAC contractor in Southern California, you may already know that utility companies are very interested in conserving energy. When HVAC systems are installed to meet the Energy Star QI Guidelines, homes may be able to reduce energy bills by an average of up to 30 percent. Only those contractors who install HVAC equipment to the QI Guidelines can qualify to offer their customers rebates of up to $2,000 from the utility company. PROGRAM BENEFITS Energy Star Quality Installation Guidelines, are based on the Air Conditioning Contractors of America s (ACCA) ANSI/ACCA 5 QI-2007: HVAC Quality Installation Specification, which is recognized by the American National Standard Institute (ANSI). These industry best practices help ensure that equipment is: 1. Correctly sized to meet the home s needs 2. Connected to a well-sealed duct system 3. Operating with sufficient airflow in the system 4. Installed with the proper amount of refrigerant Installing equipment properly is essential to getting the best performance. The estimated savings potential from following the QI Guidelines ranges from 18 to 36 percent for air conditioners and heat pumps, and 11 to 18 percent for furnaces. COMPONENTS OF AN SCE QUALITY INSTALLATION If you are a contractor who is already performing installations according to the Energy Star QI Guidelines, then you should immediately enroll in the SoCal AC-Quality Program this is old hat for you. Start offering SCE rebates to your customers and begin to further differentiate yourself from your competition. However, if any of this is new to you, or you are not yet NATE-certified, then now is a good time to click on register for the SoCal Edison program, and seek further online training at The FREE training will help you prepare to qualify for the AC-Quality Program. At you will find an assessment questionnaire and the opportunity to create a Personal Education Plan (PEP) for your individualized training. If you qualify, your training program will be subsidized 100 percent by the SoCal Edison program funded by California utility ratepayers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. You won t know until you go to to check it out. Proper Sizing of Equipment Installing the right size equipment is essential to getting the best performance for heating and cooling equipment and maintaining comfort. In the Energy Star QI program, you will take measurements of the home, then perform Manual J calculations to determine the appropriate size for the air conditioner, furnace, or heat pump. Sealing Ducts Ducts often have been damaged, or have poor connections that leak the hot or cold air and waste a lot of energy. The Energy Star QI program requires that you measure duct leakage and make necessary repairs to minimize losses, which may include duct sealing. Optimizing Air Flow In the Energy Star QI program, you will measure air flow and make any adjustments necessary for optimal performance. Proper Refrigerant Charge An improperly charged system may consume more energy and provide less dehumidification. As a contractor participating in the Energy Star QI program, you will test refrigerant charge and adjust if necessary to make the home comfortable and reduce energy consumption. The QI Specification was developed by a broad coalition of industry experts, including contractors, original equipment manufacturers, utilities and industry associations. The core areas include: Equipment aspects such as building heat gain/loss load calculations, equipment capacity selection and matched components (indoor and outdoor) Installation aspects such as airflow, refrigeration charge and electrical requirements Duct distribution aspects such as duct leakage and air balance Documentation aspects such as proper system documentation and owner education. Now is a good time to take the next big leap in your business it s the shape of things to come. more on page 8

8 Energy Conservation Is California s Top Strategy Utilities and Contractors Work for Energy Conservation California is leading the nation in energy efficiency efforts and conservation strategies. Countless pieces of legislation and new building codes require that energy usage be considered in every commercial and residential structure. With these laws and codes in place, contractors in Southern California find themselves on a new learning curve as they work to understand, navigate, and implement the energy conservation mandates required of them. To the state s credit, it hasn t required these new energy practices without providing support for the contractors. As the state pushes its energy efficiency agenda, agencies like the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) are setting goals, and providing guidance to contractors. WHY IS CALIFORNIA CONCERNED? California s energy initiatives stem back to just before the 1980s, but in the 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy report presented to the governor, the California Natural Resources Agency warned that climate change was already affecting the state. Sea levels have risen by as much as seven inches along the California coast over the last century, increasing erosion and the pressure on the state s infrastructure, water supplies, and natural resources, said the report. The state has also seen increased average temperatures, more extreme hot days, fewer cold nights, a lengthening of the growing season, shifts in the water cycle with less winter precipitation falling as snow, and both snowmelt and rainwater running off sooner in the year. The idea that a state can save energy by using less of it is driving much of the environmental initiatives in California and across the nation. Enter the public utilities. ENERGY EFFICIENT WAY OF LIFE With continued energy-saving efforts by public utility programs increasing, the CPUC made what it said was the largest commitment ever made by a state to energy efficiency, in September of The commission established energy efficiency programs for , approving a three-year budget of $3.1 billion for Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., San Diego Gas and Electric Co., and Southern California Gas Co. According to the CPUC, these programs will create energy savings equivalent to three 500-megawatt power plants and will avoid 3 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. The funding from this decision has the possibility of creating between 15,000 and 18,000 green jobs. Capturing the full energy efficiency potential in the state requires more than simply providing rebates to support the installation of the latest and greatest widget, said Michael R. Peevey, CPUC president. Commissioner Dian M. Grueneich, the assigned commissioner for the CPUC s energy efficiency programs, stated, This decision implements the goals of the California Long- Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan to make energy efficiency a way of life in California and demonstrates California s continued leadership role in the field of energy efficiency. The decision includes the new California Statewide Program for Residential Energy Efficiency (CalSPREE); under which the CPUC launched the largest and most comprehensive residential retrofit program in the United States, aiming to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent for up to 130,000 California homes by The decision funds $175 million for innovative programs to deliver zero net energy homes and commercial buildings, including design assistance, incentives for above code construction, and research and demonstration of new technologies and materials. The decision also provides over $260 million in funding for 64 cities, counties, and regional agencies for local efforts targeting public sector building retrofits and leading edge energy efficiency opportunities. Over $100 million will go to education and training programs at all levels of the educational system to ensure a steady pipeline of skilled blue and white collar energy efficiency professionals. CALIFORNIA S ENERGY FUTURE In September of 2010, the CPUC, CEC, and three other clean energy agencies released California s Clean Energy Future. This document cast a vision for the state s clean energy future as well as provided an implementation plan and a roadmap to achieve the targets set by These targets include: Reductions of electricity (13,200 to 18,000 gigawatt-hours) and natural gas use (800 million therms) by ,000 megawatts of installed renewable distributed generation statewide at the right locations on the power grid to support reliability and provide economic value. The development of at least one largescale carbon capture and storage generating facility in California. 1,000 megawatts of additional storage capacity to be brought on to the system. Developing enough charging stations at home, work, and in public areas to accommodate one million electric and hybrid vehicles. Energy efficiency has been the bedrock of California s energy policy for more than three decades and the least expensive strategy for meeting climate change goals, said Karen Douglas, chairman of the CEC, in a statement made at the time of the document s release. California s Clean Energy Future underscores the need to continue investing in energy efficiency and clean technologies if California is to maintain its leadership role as the most energy efficient and forward-thinking state in the nation. According to the CEC, the roadmap charts policy priorities, goals, and milestones for the state s clean energy future, and the implementation plan contains the details of more than 50 newly aligned activities. The plan covers issues such as job training and retraining for the new clean energy economy, and planning for new electricity generation, among others. BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS California state government and public utilities are working together to provide and fund a way for energy efficiency to reach every resident of California. One of the ways these two entities achieve this is by partnering with contractors who are willing to obtain training and certification to ensure energy efficiency is achieved through improved equipment choices and proper installation. Part of Southern California Edison s role in this energy efficient partnership is its AC-Quality rebate program. Read the article on page 6 and find out how to become an AC-Quality contractor who can contribute to California s energy future while saving customers money. Program details and a sign up page are available at com. Certification assistance can be found under the It s About Q tab. 7

9 How Can You Get a $2,000 Rebate for Your Customers?