The Air Conditioning Contractors of America announced the launch of a new Radiant & Hydronics Council within the group to provide specific services to this segment of the HVACR industry.

“Radiant contractors have been seeking a dynamic, contractor-focused organization for some time, and many have asked ACCA to expand an emphasis into that sector,” said Joe Nichter, ACCA 2011-2012 chairman. “The RHC will provide first-class representation and services for radiant and hydronics professionals that wish to be the best in their field.”

The changing indoor environment sector requires contractors of all kinds to master a wide variety of technologies, including air, hydronic, solar, geothermal and other alternative energy services. The addition of the RHC to the ACCA umbrella is a key part of the association’s strategic plan to help its members compete in the modern business climate.

The RHC will be guided by an Advisory Committee comprised of the nation’s leaders in this vital industry segment. The first chairman of the RHC Advisory Council will be Dan Foley, president of Foley Mechanical in Lorton, Va., a recognized leader among hydronics contractors and a past chairman of the Radiant Professionals Alliance (formerly the Radiant Panel Association).

In addition to Foley, others serving on the RHC Advisory Committee are:

• John Abularrage, Advanced Radiant Design, Stone Ridge, N.Y.


• Mark Hottel, Harvey W. Hottel Inc, Gaithersburg, Md.


• Greg Jannone, William Jannone & Son, Bound Brook, N.J. (past chair, RPA)


• Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr, Caleffi, Milwaukee (past chair, RPA)


• Bill Shady, P.E., Sustainable Design and Product Management, Santa Cruz, Calif.


• John Siegenthaler, Appropriate Designs, Holland Patent, N.Y.


• Brian Stack, Stack Heating & Cooling, Avon, Ohio


• Dave Yates, F.W. Behler Inc., York, Pa.

The RHC’s initial scope of work includes:

The addition of a new Radiant & Hydronics educational track at the 2012 ACCA Conference, held March 5-8 in Las Vegas;

The launch of a new monthly e-newsletter, Radiant Trends, specifically for RHC members;

Development of a new two-day educational meeting specifically for radiant and hydronics professionals - the Hydronics Roundtable - to be held Fall 2012 as part of ACCA’s annual Contracting Week;

Development of a new radiant-specific section of the ACCA website, featuring webinars, articles and resources exclusively for RHC members;

Addition of a hydronics-specific Contractor Directory on the ACCA website; and

Inclusion of RHC input into ACCA’s broader activities in government relations, industry advocacy, education, communications and standards development.

Membership in RHC will be open to all ACCA member companies; in addition to ACCA membership dues, a nominal RHC fee of $95 per year will be charged for participation in the council.

Details about the RHC, including information on how to join, will soon be available on ACCA’s website at www.acca.org. For more information, contact Kimya Bailey Cajchun at radiant@acca.org or 703/824-8845.

Source: ACCA.