AHR Expo

1.  What You Need to Know About 25 C Homeowner Energy Efficiency Tax Credits
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Room W311EF

If you make qualified energy-efficient improvements to your home after January 1, 2023, you may qualify for a tax credit of up to $3,200. Beginning this year, no credit will be granted unless items are produced by qualified manufacturers and the taxpayer reports the PIN for the item on their tax return. This session will cover:

• An overview of the 25C homeowner energy efficiency tax credit
• The status of the PIN assignment system
• How AHRI can provide a PIN
• A system demonstration

Speakers:
Katherine Hunt, Director, Member Services and Data Analysis, AHRI
Samantha Slater, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, AHRI

2.  Flammable Refrigerants (A2s and A3s) – What You Need to Know
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM | Room W311EF

Even though the transition to A2L refrigerants is not yet complete, some policy makers at the federal and state levels are discussing a follow-on transition to “ultra low-GWP” refrigerants which, at the current time, are categorized by ASHRAE as A3 (flammable). The panel will address:

• The current state of discussion in states and the federal government
• The potential path toward the widespread use of A3 refrigerants
• What this could or would mean with respect to technician training and safety

Speakers:
Brian Rodgers, Principal Engineer; Heating, Cooling, and Commercial Refrigeration, Product Safety, UL Solutions
Jim VerShaw, Chairman, ASHRAE Standard 15.2 Safety Standard for Refrigeration Systems in Residential Applications, ASHRAE
Kashif Nawaz, Section Head - Building Technologies Research, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Xudong Wang, Vice President of Research, AHRI

Moderator:
Rajan Rajendran, Consultant, Five Rivers Consulting

3. Quantifying the Importance of Technician Training and Certification
Hosted by: North American Technician Excellence (NATE)
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM | Room W311D

NATE worked with an independent research group to survey technicians and contractors about HVACR certification and continuing education in the workplace. Join NATE to learn more about the major trends in employer-provided training and review our survey results, including how they affect retention, job satisfaction, and customer growth.

Speaker:
John Lanier, NATE President

4. Everything You Need to Know About the Refrigerant Transition and A2Ls (AHR Panel Series) 
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Room W314

A panel of HVACR industry representatives, including AHRI Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Samantha Slater, AHRI Director of Codes Thomas “Tom” Deary, and Founder and President, Glencoe Strategies LLC Scott Stone, will discuss the latest information about the transition to low-global warming potential (GWP) or A2L refrigerants. The session will cover:

• The status of the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act implementation
• State building code updates for A2Ls or Low-GWP refrigerants

Speakers:
Chuck White, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, PHCC
Jim Cika, Director of PMG Technical Resources, ICC
Samantha Slater, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, AHRI
Scott Stone, Founder and President, Glencoe Strategies LLC
Tom Deary, Director of Codes, AHRI

5. Emerging Trends in Chemical Policies
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Room W311EF 

The session will cover:

• The current state of PFAS legislation and regulations in the states and in the federal government
• Ways the Sustainable PFAS Action Network is working to educate policy makers about PFAS and potential alternative chemicals in the HVACR and water heating industry
• Potential effects on the industry of under-informed legislation and regulations

Speaker:
Kevin Fay, Executive Director, The Sustainable PFAS Action Network (SPAN) 
Elisabeth Biser, President, Biser Strategies LLC

1. Thermal Batteries: Low-Cost, Scalable Grid Storage to Achieve Sustainability Goals
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM | Room W311EF

The audience will hear about the latest innovations in thermal energy storage and why it is important, especially with the new investment tax credit included in the Inflation Reduction Act. The session will cover how thermal batteries interact with the grid and provide affordable solutions to achieve energy goals, and the economic and carbon-reduction benefits to end-users.  

Speakers:
Al Takle, Business Unit Leader, Steffes
James Marker, Director, Business Development, Ice Energy
Laura Marshall, Applications Lead, Baltimore Aircoil Company
Moderator: Samantha Slater, AHRI Senior Vice President of Government Affairs

2. Decarbonizing Commercial and Industrial Heating with Hydrogen Part 1: What is the Decarbonization Potential?
Cohost: GTI Energy
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM | Room W311EF

The first session in this two-part series will:

• Introduce the current state of research to define the upper practical limit of using H2 to decarbonize large commercial and industrial heating equipment currently using natural gas, the structure of the project for the California Energy Commission with partners GTI Energy, UC Irvine, EPRI, AHRI, and other industry partners (AHRI members)
• Provide the context for displacing natural gas in heating equipment with H2 as a blend or through full conversion to 100% H2, with an overview of key developments and demonstrations in North America
• Review the project’s preliminary Technoeconomic Assessment of using H2 in commercial/industrial facilities throughout California and the Technical Survey of current research regarding the practical limits of using H2 in heating equipment

Speakers:
Paul Glanville, Senior Research and Development Director, GTI Energy
Stephen Memory, Director, Corporate Technology Center, A. O. Smith Corporation
Vince McDonell, Director, UC Irvine Combustion Laboratory, UC Irvine

3. Decarbonizing Commercial and Industrial Heating with Hydrogen Part 2: Recent Results from Testing Boilers, Furnaces, Water Heaters, and Other Equipment
Cohost: GTI Energy
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Room W311EF

The second session in this two-part series will:

• Describe the testing methods employed at GTI Energy and UC Irvine laboratories to test multiple boilers, water heaters, furnaces, and other commercial/industrial equipment and establish practical upper limits of hydrogen blending into natural gas, including considerations for hydrogen safety and novel emissions sampling techniques
• Review the results concerning impacts on heating capacity, efficiency, NOx/CO emissions, CH4/H2 slip emissions, operational safety, and other considerations for the 10+ equipment tested
• Describe parallel testing methods and results regarding common materials of construction and the impacts of being exposed to hydrogen combustion environments

Speakers:
Paul Glanville, GTI Energy, Senior Research and Development Director
Vince McDonell, UC Irvine, Director of the UC Irvine Combustion Laboratory

4. The New Look of the AHRI Directory of Certified Product Performance
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Room W311EF

AHRI updated the public-facing side of the AHRI Directory of Certified Product Performance in October 2024. The modernized user interface greatly enhances the usability of the Directory and is another significant milestone in cementing its reputation as the go-to source for HVACR industry data. This session will cover:

• The enhanced AHRI Directory user interface
• Updated AHRI Directory features
• Tips and tools for finding models and listings

Speakers:
Alison Andrews, Director, Data Services and Product Development, AHRI
Erica Tweedy, Senior Technical Analyst, AHRI