The High-Performance HVAC Project Award recognizes HVAC contractors who test, measure, diagnose, and resolve residential customer comfort and efficiency issues using the High-Performance Contracting’ tenets as taught by National Comfort Institute (NCI). It serves two key purposes:

  • ‘To recognize the importance and value of the air delivery system as a key component of a well-designed, well-built HVAC system.
  • ‘To create an end result of a safe, healthy, comfortable and energy-efficient home that meets all the requirements of the homeowner.

Each year, the winning project sets the Standard for Excellence in High-Performance Contracting?. Winning the High-Performance HVAC Project Award is a powerful symbol of your commitment, work ethic, and attention to detail. It sets you apart from your competition by creating a heightened perception in the eyes of your customers. This certainly can lead to an increase in business.

Who is Eligible to Enter?

To be eligible, all project entries must be from NCI-trained HVAC contracting firms whose personnel has been trained and certified in at least two of the following disciplines:

  • Residential System Performance and Air Balancing
  • Duct System Optimization
  • Combustion Performance and CO Safety.

The end-result of the replacement and/or renovation is a system that performs as designed and that delivers both comfort and efficiency creating a healthy and safe indoor environment for the customer.

Furthermore, proper testing, measuring, and diagnosing techniques ‘ as taught by NCI ‘ must be used.

Contest Criteria

  1. HVAC contractors can enter as many residential projects as they like.
  2. Projects cannot include the home of the HVAC contractor or his/her family.
  3. Projects must be implemented in residential single-family homes sometime between January and November 2019. The customer must have at least two months of living with the system.
  4. Square footage of the home is irrelevant. The focus is on the installation/renovation of air delivery and other mechanical components of the system that resolve long-standing issues suffered by the homeowner.
  5. Entrant gives High-Performance HVAC Today magazine permission to interview homeowners.
  6. Entries must have clear documentation, clear photos, and good organization that make it easy for judges to see how the project meets the following criteria:
    1. Describe the homeowner issues and how you determined solutions? Describe how you ‘discovered’ and addressed issues with existing systems.
    2. Provide the following BEFORE and AFTER measurements
      • Static Pressure
      • Fan Airflow
      • System Temperature
      • BTU Measurements
      • Room by Room Airflow.
    3. Discuss the process used to obtain these measurements. For example, doing duct traverses for static pressure or using flow hoods to help customers see room airflows.
    4. Include a load calculation of the home.
    5. Explain how you interpreted the measurements and what conclusions you drew.
    6. Explain whether the project include any IAQ or humidity control considerations.
    7. Show whether the entire HVAC and air delivery system commissioned (tested, adjusted, and balanced).

How To Enter

We’ve tried to make entering this contest as easy as possible. In fact, it is all online. Just go to our online entry form at ncilink.com/awardsubmission and it will walk you through everything. The online entry form requires you to complete each page before moving on to the next, so below you will find a list of everything you’ll need to enter.

Please note that entries with missing items or information will be disqualified.

HVAC Contractor Information
Your entry MUST include the following information. You are encouraged to attach company brochures/background information for support.
— Company Name — Principals
— Contact Name — Years in Business
— Address — Market Area
— Phone — Number of Employees
— E-Mail — Number of Trucks
— Number of NCI-Certified Technicians — Annual Gross Sales
Also Include the following information:
  • Type of work your company is involved in (residential, commercial, service, new construction, etc.)
  • Key individuals directly responsible for the design and Performance-Based implementation of your project
Home (project)

(Note: NOT the residence of the HVAC contractor or any member of their family.)

  • Homeowner’s name.
  • Floor plans of the home, clearly showing HVAC zones (include equipment locations, duct layout and register placement, if possible). Clearly marked blueprints are acceptable. Color coding to represent zones is preferred.
  • Phone, Complete Address, and Total Square Footage.
  • At least six photos of the HVAC and air distribution system showing work/testing being done.
Also Include the Following
  • Describe the homeowners issues and the results of your subsequent testing BEFORE work begins.
  • What were the homeowner’s requirements? Were there any unique problems or health’related issues? How did you address them? Did the homeowners express concerns over their comfort, energy use, dust in the home, humidity issues, loud-sounding HVAC system, etc.’
  • Describe how the system was commissioned. If there were any problems during the start’up, how were they resolved?
  • Provide the total comfort system investment. Explain what this investment includes.
Include Information on the Products Used in this Project
  1. Please list equipment/products used in the system design, including (if used):
    1. AC/Heating Equipment
    2. Humidifiers
  2. Dehumidification
    1. Filters/Air Cleaners/Other IAQ stuff
    2. Controls/thermostats
    3. Other?
  3. Test Instruments Used?
  4. Other Products.
Include Information on the Products Used in this Project
  1. Please list equipment/products used in the system design, including (if used):
    1. AC/Heating Equipment
    2. Humidifiers
  2. Dehumidification
    1. Filters/Air Cleaners/Other IAQ stuff
    2. Controls/thermostats
    3. Other?
  3. Test Instruments Used?
  4. Other Products.

The online form allows you to upload all plans, photos, and supporting documentation and materials. However, if the items are too large to scan and upload (like drawings, etc.), please mail them to:

High-Performance HVAC Today
RE: High-Performance HVAC Project Awards
c/o Mike Weil
National Comfort Institute, Inc.
P.O. Box 147
Avon Lake, OH 44012

Enter For Consideration

Click below to start the application for the High-Performance HVAC Project Award.

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