< Previousrating looks at the total heating or cooling Btus the HVAC system delivers into the living space. Then you compare them to the amount of Btus the equipment produces under tested conditions. A rating considers all the variables, from proper design to the installation conditions. It looks past the laboratory-rated efficiency of the HVAC equip- ment. An HVAC system that achieves a rating over 90% is doing an exceptional job. But in some loca- tions, like attics, that result is hard to achieve. HVAC system ratings provide an HVAC system assurance policy. It gives your customers the con- fidence that the equipment they purchased oper- ates as intended. In addition, it gives you a way to set yourself apart from your competition, which only focuses on the yellow labels and equipment laboratory ratings. Adding software, such as ComfortMaxx Veri- fy™, provides third-party credibility so you can focus on results instead of assumptions. It is the craftsmanship litmus test that proves how well your HVAC systems perform. EVERYONE IN YOUR COMPANY DETERMINES THE HVAC SYSTEM RATING It takes everyone in an HVAC company to achieve an acceptable HVAC system rating. There isn’t one person who holds all the responsibility or anyone who can become the scapegoat. HVAC system ratings start with company own- ers and management. If they don’t decide it’s es- sential to assure their installed systems work as designed, the steps to rate the system will never happen. Company leaders must instill system perfor- mance as a culture. No one else can do it. If they believe in the benefits and opportunities in rat- ing system performance, they can share the vision O ne of the most significant challenges our industry faces is understanding the difference between HVAC equip- ment and the HVAC system. Many contractors and their customers believe the equipment and the system are the same. They assume a 95% furnace and 22 SEER condensing unit automatically perform at their rated efficien- cy once installed. HVAC system rating and verification sheds new light on this assumption. System rat- ing and verification reveal contractor craftsman- ship and installation conditions’ influence on the installed HVAC system. Let’s look at what’s in- volved in an HVAC system rating and how Com- fortMaxx Verify™ ties in. THE IMPORTANCE OF HVAC SYSTEM RATINGS The HVAC industry is one of few specialized professions that designs and field assembles mul- tiple mechanical components to create an HVAC system. This task is quite an undertaking since various people with different roles ensure every- thing works in unison. To deliver what you promise and what your customer pays for, you need a way to rate your in- stallations. In its simplest form, an HVAC system 10 MAY 2022HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY Total HVAC System Rating with ComfortMaxx Verify™ By David Richardson TECHNICALslower times and keep everyone work- ing throughout the year. Your customers ultimately decide system performance ratings. If they ig- nore the necessary duct upgrades you recommend, there’s no way they can get the results they desire. Customers decide how well they want their equip- ment to operate by confronting system issues that will keep it from perform- ing as designed. It’s your responsibil- ity to inform customers of problems. But it’s their responsibility to make an informed decision once you provide the facts. RESOURCES TO RATE TOTAL HVAC SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Since delivered Btus are the heart of an HVAC system rating, you need re- sources to measure, compare against, and capture the information. The three resources you need are test instruments, system documentation, and technology to capture test results. First, let’s look at the test instru- ments you will need to rate system per- formance. z Manometer (Analog/Digital) – to measure system static pressures z Air Balancing Hood – to measure airflow from each supply register and return grille z Anemometer (Thermal/Hot- wire/Rotating Vane) – to measure air velocity and calculate airflow from reg- isters and grilles you cannot measure with a balancing hood z Thermometer/Psychrometer – to check equipment and system tem- perature and enthalpy change. You will also need documentation to rate system performance. It’s best to keep information in one location so it’s easy to reference as you measure the system. zEquipment specifications – to compare your field measurements against. They are the baseline for your readings. Without them, you’re guess- ing at the Btu targets needed for an HVAC system rating zFloor plan and duct schemat- ic – for a visual reference of the room’s, system conditions, and the duct sizes attached to them. zLoad Calculation or Estimat- ed Room Airflow – to provide air- flow targets to compare individual supply airflow and Btu measurements against. Finally, you need the right technolo- gy to capture test results. z A tablet or laptop with internet access – to input your system infor- mation and measurements into Com- fortMaxx Verify zA ComfortMaxx Verify Sub- scription – to perform the HVAC sys- tem rating calculations and generate reports. Once these resources are in place, you need to make sure the skills are also in place to capture the informa- tion. Software is only as good as the data you put into it. with everyone. From there, the concept catches on throughout the company. Salespeople have an enormous re- sponsibility in system performance rat- ings. They must know how to offer the right options, not just gather name- plate information off existing equip- ment and then quote the same-sized replacement. Their view must expand beyond the equipment and look at what it’s attached to. Installation crews determine how well the equipment performs. Their work influences system performance more than anyone else. An excellent installation crew will get great results. Bad installations can’t hide once you add system ratings to your jobs. It’s the ultimate form of quality control. Service and maintenance tech- nicians discover conditions that lead to poor system performance and gen- erate leads for the company to serve their customers better. They test, diag- nose, and prescribe solutions for any hidden defects they uncover. Without their hard work to discover poorly per- forming systems, there is no opportu- nity to solve long-standing customer issues. Problems remain hidden un- less technicians make the defects vis- ible through testing. The office staff also needs to un- derstand there is more to HVAC than just equipment. There are schedule tweaks to make and new services to offer that improve the way things are done. In addition, the ability to im- prove system performance and verify it through ratings helps to remove the seasonal nature of the HVAC Industry. When the busy season slows down, there are always poorly performing duct systems needing help. The of- fice staff can coordinate these jobs at MAY 2022 11HVACTODAY.COM12 MAY 2022HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TECHNICAL these issues before you continue. They may affect the HVAC system rating. COMFORTMAXX VERIFY™ IS THE HVAC SYSTEM RATING ENGINE As you input data into ComfortMaxx Verify, it does the rest. It is the engine that provides all the calculations to rate HVAC system performance. Com- fortMaxx Verify collects: zCustomer information – a per- manent record in the cloud of your cus- tomers’ HVAC system information z Location information – match- es equipment and systems to specif- ic locations in a home with more than one HVAC system. You can rate each system for each location z System information – keeps a record for past testing as a compari- son to future measurements to assure the system remains operating in the best condition possible z Test results and calculations – static pressure, airflow, temperature, and Btus are captured and compared zUsing temperature diagnostics at the equipment and system in case there is an issue with refrigerant charge or combustion on a gas furnace z Identifying other factors affecting system performance, such as exces- sive attic temperatures or abnormal return temperatures on a new startup. If all the measurements are in line and make sense, it’s time to input your readings and information into ComfortMaxx Verify. If something doesn’t line up or is off, you’ll need to investigate, diagnose, and correct SKILLS YOU NEED TO RATE TOTAL HVAC SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Now that you have a list of resourc- es, you need to ensure your team has the essential skills. Before any test- ing begins, a certified technician must gather all the equipment and system information. Much of the information should be on file, such as equipment nameplate data that includes model numbers, airflow capacity, and maximum rated TESP (Total External Static Pressure). Other information, such as fan speed settings and filter sizes, might not be accessible until the testing technician is on the job. It takes a knowledgeable, well- trained technician to test and measure the system to obtain the correct infor- mation. The testing technician should be able to measure: z Static pressure at the equipment zAirflow from the equipment and system zTemperature from the equipment and system. Once the technician has these mea- surements, they must be able to inter- pret the readings to assure nothing is out of line or missed. There are a lot of measurements re- corded simultaneously, so it’s easy to miss something, test out of sequence, or measure in the wrong location. Some test results to interpret include: zAssuring the equipment type and capacity are correct zUsing static pressure diagnostics to identify readings that don’t make sense or might be higher than expected zConducting airflow diagnostics at the equipment and system to assure the readings are in line with other system measurements David Richardson was a Presenter at NCI Summit 2022 This article is based on a presentation by David Richardson at National Comfort Institute’s 2022 High-Performance Summit in Scottsdale, AZ. The session was titled, “Total HVAC System Rating with ComfortMaxx Verify™.” In this session, David showed High-Perfor- mance HVAC contractors how to prove the per- formance of field-installed systems. If you missed Summit 2022, no worries — we plan on running content based on presentations throughout the year. David Richardson is NCI’s director of technical curriculum development and an in- structor. You can reach him at ncilink.com/ContactMe with any questions. And don’t take a chance on missing Summit 2023. It will be held in Branson, MO from April 16 - 20. Be sure to save the date. HVAC SUMMIT 2022 HIGH-PERFORMANCEMAY 2022 13HVACTODAY.COM TECHNICAL zPlans – what to do about it and how to do it. Decide on action steps. Once your team understands your motivation behind rating system per- formance and is aware of the benefits, they can help you layout the necessary plans and become part of the move- ment instead of holding back progress. Use the MAP concept to help you determine a destination and under- stand that you will need to detour oc- casionally to pass around an unex- pected obstacle or challenge. If you encounter them, that’s a good sign you’re moving in the right direction. If providing real HVAC system per- formance results was easy, every- one would do it. Only the elite have what it takes to move ahead of the industry. almost always comes with resistance. If you’re considering adding HVAC system ratings to your offerings, think about where you’re going and how you want to get there. Most people plan vacations months in advance. You’re planning to improve how you do busi- ness, so give it some thought and preparation. Directions from a map are essential to a vacation. As you add HVAC sys- tem ratings, you also need a MAP. Each letter of MAP means something you should think about as you plan this commitment. zMotivation – why I should care and do this. Know the reason why z Awareness – what this will affect and what results to expect. Under- stand the benefits or consequences to equipment and system specifica- tions to create a final rating of the in- stalled HVAC system independent of the HVAC equipment rating. The great thing about an HVAC sys- tem rating is it’s something only your company can provide. It isn’t a cook- ie-cutter rating. You can’t just check the boxes on a list, and the system passes. Instead, it’s connected to the craftsmanship and skills you bring to the job. Unless your competitors do their work exactly like you, they can’t repeat the results. CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME Learning anything new usual- ly comes with its difficulties. HVAC system rating is no different. Change z NOVICE: For those who are at the be- ginning of a specific discipline z PRACTITIONER: For attendees who are practicing skills and want to take things up a notch – or just need a refresher course z MASTERY: Con- tractors who choose this option are al- ready proficient in a specific area and are looking to move to the next level. Excitement radiated even during the pre-con- ference boot camp conducted by Goodman ® Air Conditioning and Heating and during the two re- certification classes held by NCI on March 28th. Then it was three days of seminars, networking, and social events, including the yearly awards dinner and banquet. THE WORKSHOPS Summit 2022 included 18 workshops taught in six sessions by High-Performance HVAC expert trainers from National Comfort Insti- tute. Some of the many sessions included: z Airflow Diagnostics and Air Upgrade Workshops zHigh-Performance Sales Workshops z High-Performance Implementation z Take it to the Next Level with High- Performance Software z High-Performance Town Workshops z Carbon Monoxide and Combustion Workshops. H igh-Performance HVAC contractors took center stage in Scottsdale, AZ, on March 28th as National Comfort Institute’s (NCI) 18th Annual Summit got underway. Nearly 100 contractors, preferred partners, and other industry luminaries gathered after a three-year hiatus from in-person meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NCI was pleased to welcome, The Women in HVACR organization, which held their regional conference in conjunction with the High-Perfor- mance HVAC Summit 2022. This year, the focus centered on a This Time It’s Personal theme. Once again, Summit was open to the entire HVAC Industry with the intent of shining a spotlight on like-minded people will- ing to share their high-performance experiences with peers. This approach allowed conference attendees to personalize their experience based on their knowledge and comfort level with each topic. Each topic offered three options: 14 MAY 2022HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY NCI’s High-Performance Summit Takes a Personal Approach By Mike Weil SUMMIT 2022 The Women in HVACR held their regional conference in conjunction with NCI’s High-Performance HVAC Summit 2022. Dominick Guarino during the Opening General Session. Photo courtesy of Dennis Mondul, ©2022, Scottsdale, AZquestions from real-world installation and service scenarios. The audience then had the opportu- nity to vote via the NCI Summit 2022 mobile app for the answer they thought was correct. The contrac- tor contestants earned points for correct an- swers, with the winner taking home a new NSI 6000 Low-Level CO Monitor. After contestants of- fered their answers, the audience voted, and then follow-up commentary was provided by David Holt and David Rich- ardson, who discussed the merits of each answer. The winner was Dawn Mroczek of GV’s Heating and Air Condition- ing. Coming in second place was Will Horner of Canco ClimateCare. He received an Amazon gift card. After the morning breakout work- shops, contractors reconvened for the popular contractors-only Idea Meet- ing, hosted by Michael Greany of Aire Rite ® Air Conditioning and Refrigeration and Mike Weil of NCI. This meeting was divided into two 45-minute sessions: one dedicat- ed to High-Performance Lead Gener- ation, the other one to Sales. Attendees presented their ideas on each topic and then voted for those GAMES, IDEA SHARING, AND COACHING The Opening General Session kicked off Tuesday morning, March 29th. All attendees were treated to a rousing multimedia introduction, fol- lowed by an interactive game show called “Reach for the Summit.” All general sessions took place in the same room with the Preferred Partner Trade Show. The game show began with select- ing two random contractors from the audience to answer multiple-choice MAY 2022 15HVACTODAY.COM Dawn Mroczek of GV’s Heating & Cooling and Will Horner of Canco Climatecare® compete in the Reach for the Summit game. Contractors visit with NCI vendor partners during the trade show. All photos in this article reprinted with permission. © 2022 Mike Weil, Cleveland, OHSUMMIT 2022 they felt were the best. The winning ideas were from: Lead Generation: A tie between Earlene Marron of Airtech Air Conditioning and Chuck Worley of Worley Home Services. Sales: Dawn Mroczek of GV’s Heating and Cooling. PARTNER TRADE SHOW Eighteen exhibitors managed their table-top displays all around the gen- eral session ballroom, so contractors had the opportunity to talk with them during breaks and regularly scheduled trade show hours. Exhibitors also participated in NCI’s annual Preferred Partner Prize Drawing. Plus, attendees qualified for great prizes by interacting with NCI’s partners. STATE OF THE HIGH- PERFORMANCE HVAC INDUSTRY Thursday morning, March 31st, the morning general session was headlined by NCI CEO Dominick Guarino who discussed the state of the High-Perfor- mance HVAC Industry and NCI’s role in it. He said, “The High-Performance In- dustry is growing. The term, High-Per- formance Contractor is being used more and more within our industry – even by other organizations, manufac- turers, distributors, utilities, and even government agencies.” Guarino added that delivered per- formance is increasingly on the lips of many in the HVAC industry. “They see it as the next sea change that can make systems work better and save energy more than anything else we can do. “Plus, homeowners are increasingly seeking out companies that can help Rob Falke (left) and Dominick Guarino (right) present the Small Contractor of the Year award to Ken Dean, Dean Heating and Cooling . Hearn Plumbing, Heating, and Air Condi- tioning receives the Medium Contractor of the Year Award. Pictured left to right: Rob Falke (NCI), Matthew Griswold, Tom Hearn, and Dominick Guarino (NCI). Don Langston of Aire Rite (center) receives the Large Contractor of the Year Award from Rob Falke (left) and Dominick Guarino of NCI. Kent Donnelly (center) of Tetra Mechanical Services received NCI’s David Debien Award for Technical Excellence. Vic Updike (center) of Masterworks Mechanical received NCI’s John Garofalo Implementation Excellence Award. John Boylan and James Croley III (center) of Lakeside Service Co. received NCI’s Scott Johnson Training Excellence Award. Michael Hyde (center) of Hyde’s Air Conditioning was honored with NCI’s High-Performance Sales Award. 16 MAY 2022HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYMAY 2022 17HVACTODAY.COM SUMMIT 2022 and who goes above and beyond when it comes to advising NCI regarding ideas, energy, and time. This award is known as the Chair- man’s Award, and this year’s recip- ient was Greg Vickers, GV’s Heat- ing and Cooling, Glenville, IL. MARK YOUR CALENDARS Mark your calendars for April 16-20, 2023. That is when Sum- mit 2023 happens. The High- Performance HVAC Industry will descend upon the Ozark moun- tains at the Chateau on the Lake in Branson, MO. Stay tuned for more information on pricing and registration. $2 million in volume), Medium ($2 to 6 million), and Large (more than $6 million). Winners include: z Small Contractor of the Year — Dean Heating & Cooling, Athens, OH z Medium Contractor of the Year — Hearn Plumbing & Heat- ing, Madison, OH z Large Contractor of the Year — Aire Rite, Huntington Beach, CA. In addition, NCI recognizes indi- viduals for their contributions to the High-Performance HVAC industry. These awards and the winners include: z David Debien Award for Technical Excel- lence — Kent Donnelly, Tetra Mechanical, Simi Valley, CA z John Garofalo Im- plementation Excel- lence Award — Vic and Amy Updike, Mas- terworks Mechanical, Craig, CO z Scott Johnson Train- ing Excellence Award — John Boylan, Lakeside Service Co., Brighton, MI z High-Performance Sales Excellence Award — Mike Hyde, of Hyde’s Air Conditioning, Indio, CA z Industry Partners Award — Rodney Koop and John Ellis, The New Flat Rate, Dalton, GA. The highest award NCI gives out recognizes a contractor who is a strong supporter of NCI and its mission, who implements all aspects of NCI’s meth- ods of service, sales, and installation, them solve long-standing perfor- mance issues,” he added. “There is no better time than now to tell the world about what makes you different and that you not only promise to improve the safety, health and comfort of peo- ple’s homes. This is a great opportuni- ty for every contractor in this room.” AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS The highlight of every Summit is the presentation of NCI’s annual awards to deserving High-Performance Contrac- tors from around the country. This is the 18th year that NCI has recognized excellence in the Performance-Based Contracting™ industry. Each year, NCI presents three Con- tractor of the Year Awards based on company size – Small (less than Greg Vickers (center) of GV’s Heating and Cooling received NCI’s prestigious Chairman’s Award. The Industry Partner Award was presented to Rodney Koop and John Ellis (center) of The New Flat Rate by Rob Falke (left) and Dominick Guarino (right). Summit 2022 attendees participated in NCI’s Performance Town where they had an opportunity to test their skills at conducting static pressure testing, test port installations, airflow measurements, and more. Perfor- mance Town used live, functioning equip- ment and duct systems so contractors could do hands-on real-time testing. Photo courtesy of Brian Roseman, ©2022, Cleveland, OH18 MAY 2022HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYsystem they touch in the field – from both a ser- vice and installation standpoint. DATA COLLECTION High-performance technicians collect infor- mation that results from testing and measuring in several ways. Respondents tell us data col- lection includes writing the data down on pa- per (55.6%), using a mobile app like AirMaxx™ or AirMaxx Lite™ (33.3%), using software like ComfortMaxx™ (11.1%), or using some other digital means for capturing data (44.4%). Respondents told us that using apps or soft- ware helps them crunch the numbers more ac- curately and provides them a means for com- municating results to their customers in an easy-to-understand fashion. Only around 22% said they take photos of customers’ systems, then sit down and share the pictures and dis- cuss what they show with their customers. Some choose to share that information after the vis- it (33%) or during the visit using printouts or PDFs on mobile devices (44%). Our survey also shows that 55.6% of respon- dents include high-performance HVAC testing and measurement activities in their service/ maintenance agreement programs. MARKETING APPROACHES While so many marketing experts and con- sultants heavily promote the idea of sending messages to consumers through digital media, nearly most of the high-performance HVAC con- tractors who responded to our survey still focus on more traditional marketing and promotional techniques: z 88.9% depend on word-of-mouth mar- keting, and 22% say they like to use local W hen it comes to marketing and sell- ing your High-Performance HVAC services, it isn’t all about the tech- nologies you use or products you install. It’s about communications and relation- ships. It’s about listening, gathering information, and finding ways to solve customers’ comfort, health, and energy problems in their homes and businesses. According to sales and marketing guru Chet Holmes, “You will attract way more buyers if you are offering to teach them something of value than you will ever attract by simply trying to sell them your product or service.” To see how many readers of High-Performance HVAC Today market and sell their services in this man- ner, we sur- veyed the 15,000-sub- scriber base last month. Here are some things they told us: First, of all the re- spondents, 83% are HVAC con- tractors, and 66% spend the time and money to train from half to all of their technicians in the technical te- nets of High-Performance HVAC. These techni- cians test, measure, and diagnose every HVAC Standing Out in Your Market with High Performance By Brian Roseman SALES AND MARKETING MAY 2022 19HVACTODAY.COMNext >