Heating, Airconditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) on July 20 announced the formation of the Center for Energy Efficiency Optimization (CEEO). The CEEO will be a subsidiary of the HARDI Foundation, which is dedicated to researching wholesale distribution’s role, contribution, impact, and opportunities to advance the adoption of energy-saving technologies and practices in residential, commercial, institutional and industrial applications, including renewable energy technologies.
The CEEO will not be trade specific, but rather provide a central hub for any wholesale distribution interests to explore, quantify and grow their role in driving energy efficiency in their respective industries. The goal of the CEEO is to become the predominant source for research on wholesale distribution’s influence on the adoption and use of energy-saving technologies.
“HARDI believes wholesale distributors - especially within the HVACR channel - play an integral role in the success of energy-efficiency incentive programs but there’s been very little research or quantification of that role to date,” Executive Vice President Talbot Gee said. “I’m excited about the CEEO’s formation because for the first time those responsible for managing the billions of energy-efficiency program dollars will have a single source knowledge base on how to maximize energy savings in just about any vertical sector.”
The first CEEO research project will focus on quantifying HVACR wholesale distribution’s impact in and opportunity with residential HVAC efficiency programs.. The research project was scheduled to begin in mid-July and is being conducted through a strategic partnership with the nonprofit organization Vermont Efficiency Investment Corp., an authority on energy-efficiency incentive programs.
This project is designed to provide a better understanding of the dynamics between distributors and contractors as well as the supply chain barriers to residential HVAC efficiency program success. Surveys and research will be conducted to identify how successful residential HVAC efficiency programs are currently and the role that HVAC distributors are and should be playing to maximize those programs’ effectiveness.
“This opportunity for the Foundation reinforces HARDI’s ongoing efforts to assist members frustrated with the difficulties of dealing with energy-efficiency programs in their respective markets,” HARDI chairman Don Frendberg said. “The mission of the Foundation to support research in the HVACR industry provides an excellent means to advance yet another valuable contribution to HARDI members.”
Source: HARDI
