ACCA 2024 Brings New Technology Education Track

---

Plan to bring your whole crew to ACCA 2024, March 11-14, in Orlando, Florida, at Universal Orlando’s Loews Sapphire Falls Resort! This premier HVACR industry event features 50+ sessions of dynamic programming focused on the most pressing issues facing HVACR, as well as the popular Manufacturer Leadership Forum, Breakfast with Leaders, ACCA Awards Reception, Contractor Forum Live: Legends of HVAC, and Ideas into Action with Ken Goodrich.  

NEW in 2024 is ACCA’s “Tech Track,” designed for the everyday HVACR professional in the field! This new track features in-depth reviews of ACCA’s design manuals, education behind the importance of the contractor’s work on the business’s bottom line, panel discussions with HVAC professionals on common problems facing the industry, and much more! Check out our Technical Track session previews below.

Problem Solvers Contractor Panel

Have you ever wondered…how would Bryan Orr train my greenest helper? How would Alex Meaney design a duct system for that house I was in last week? How would Dustin Cole take down a bull elk at 600 meters (or resolve a home performance problem)? 

Wait no longer. Hosted by ACCA’s Director of Technical Services, Wes Davis, this panel is packed to the hilt with decades of technical expertise, more answers than you have problems, and they can’t wait to help you be a better HVAC professional. 

Dustin Cole, Cole Air

Dustin Cole began saving the world one air conditioner at a time in 1998 at 15 years old. He currently assists with the day-to-day operations as well as works in the field at Cole Air, a business founded by his father, John “Brack” Cole. 

Dustin aspires to be one of the best in his trade and strives to provide the best services and solutions to customers’ comfort issues. He is proficient in system diagnostics, system designs, Manual J®, Manual D®, and is certified to perform Duct Envelope and Building Envelope Tests. Dustin continues to educate himself in HVACR and Building Performance and looks forward to what the future brings for the HVACR industry. 

 

Bryan Orr, Kalos Services, Inc., HVAC School, and Blue Collar Mind LLC 

HVAC repair and training have been the backbone of Bryan Orr’s career, and along the way, he learned to be a writer, podcaster, and, begrudgingly, a marketer. Leading Kalos is his most important role and greatest professional honor, working daily with many talented and passionate people. 

Bryan is interested in ethical and sound business practices and is motivated by long-term team development and outstanding customer service. His specific pursuits include audio storytelling, writing, business coaching, small business growth, and working to shape and change the HVAC/R trade for the better. Bryan’s wife and God inspire him, and he loves his children and would give anything to see them develop into men and women of character. 

 

Alex Meaney, Mean HVAC Consulting and Design 

Alex Meaney is the owner of Mean HVAC Consulting and Design (with an emphasis on consulting). He primarily provides training on HVAC Design and general building science. Alex was the head of training for Wrightsoft for 17 years prior to starting Mean HVAC at the beginning of 2022. He works closely with The HVAC School, ESCO, and the ACCA, with whom he is EPIC certified and has served on multiple advisory groups (Manuals S®, D®, etc.). 

Alex has spent nearly 20 years teaching HVAC design, primarily through hands-on learning. In that time, he has taught hundreds of classes to over ten thousand professionals (and has flown over 1.5 million miles in the process). His goal is to improve the quality of HVAC installations through good design and a better understanding of the principals involved. 

 

Wes Davis, ACCA 

Wes Davis serves as the Technical Services Director for ACCA. He manages developing and maintaining ACCA’s American national standards and technical manuals. He oversees HVACR education and supervises the Quality-Assured contractor accreditation. He oversees the representation of HVAC contractor interests in the model code development process. He directs responses to ACCA member contractor inquiries and those from consumers and code enforcement officials. Wes was a NATE-certified technician and a licensed South Carolina HVAC contractor; he wrote Bob’s House and serves on ASHRAE technical committees and the RESNET’s Standards Management Board. 

Using ACCA Manuals J®, S®, and D® to Diagnose Comfort Problem in Homes

In this session, explore with Russell King, M.E. why Manuals J®, S®, and D® are the paramount tools for diagnosing comfort issues. The majority of comfort problems stem from inadequate design. With advancements in technology, performing load calculations and duct design for existing homes has become more accessible. This enables contractors to efficiently “reverse engineer” existing systems, pinpoint issues, and implement necessary corrections for optimal functionality. 

Russell King, M.E., Coded Energy, Inc. 

Russell King, M.E. is a professional mechanical engineer licensed in California, Nevada, and Hawaii. He has over 30 years of experience in the areas of HVAC design, diagnostics and consulting, as well as energy code compliance, Home Energy Rating System (HERS) verification and consulting. He has taught professional level training on all these topics. 

Russell is the CEO and Founder of Coded Energy, Inc., developers of Kwik Model 3D, a user interface for HVAC design and energy modeling software. He was the Director of the West Coast Office of Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) from 2008 until 2011 and continues to provide training and consulting services to ACCA. 

Dominate Your Market with QI Certificates

Learn how to dominate your market in 2024 with ACCA’s new Quality Installation (QI) certificates program powered by the measureQuick®️ app, utilizing Bluetooth technology. QI certificates enable contractors to prove that they’ve used the best industry standards to stand out from the competition and deliver the value, comfort, and performance their customers want and deserve in an HVAC installation. This is a session you won’t want to miss! 

Brian Feenie, ACCA 

Brian Feenie has nearly 30 years’ experience in the HVAC industry.  He has served as General Manager for a $6.5 million Home Services Company specializing in HVAC, Plumbing, and Home Security, and has also worked with a distributor and two software companies. He has extensive experience overseeing diverse teams, managing operations, and leveraging technology solutions for business growth. Brian has also sat at many kitchen tables and has firsthand knowledge of customer needs and preferences. 

ACCA Manuals and the Real World

Join Alex Meaney, owner of Mean HVAC Consulting and Design, as he unveils hidden gems from ACCA’s Manuals. Through practical demonstrations, discover how these lesser-known insights can be invaluable in tackling HVAC-related challenges. 

Alex Meaney, Mean HVAC Consulting and Design 

Alex Meaney is the owner of Mean HVAC Consulting and Design (with an emphasis on consulting). He primarily provides training on HVAC Design and general building science. Alex was the head of training for Wrightsoft for 17 years prior to starting Mean HVAC at the beginning of 2022. He works closely with The HVAC School, ESCO, and the ACCA, with whom he is EPIC certified and has served on multiple advisory groups (Manuals S, D, etc.). 

Alex has spent nearly 20 years teaching HVAC design, primarily through hands-on learning. In that time, he has taught hundreds of classes to over ten thousand professionals (and so has flown over 1.5 million miles in the process). His goal is to improve the quality of HVAC installations through good design and a better understanding of the principals involved. 

Air Flow Roulette: The High Stakes Game of Retrofit Risk and Financial Gain

Join Steve Rogers, President and Owner of The Energy Conservatory, in an enlightening class session that delves into the crucial realm of air flow assessment in HVAC systems. Discover the key to determining the correctness of air flow in both new installations and retrofits and understand its profound impact on your bottom line. 

Explore success stories of companies that have mastered air flow management, witnessing a significant boost in profitability. Gain insights into how air flow intricately affects heating and cooling system performance and durability. Steve will guide you through the four optimal methods for measuring air flow in residential HVAC systems. Uncover how implementing these methods can not only elevate your business but also enhance overall system efficiency. 

Steve Rogers, The Energy Conservatory (TEC) 

Steve Rogers is the president and co-owner of The Energy Conservatory (TEC) since 2017 and has been with TEC since 2015. He previously worked at Emerson for 20 years in technical and engineering roles focused on pressure and flow measurement and worked for Dwyer Instruments designing their electromagnetic flow meter and flow laboratories. Steve holds 15 patents, serves on several standards committees for ASME, ISO, and ASHRAE, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University. 

Why Ducts Drip: Conductsation with Rick Sims

Conductsation explores the forces and physics of duct condensation and various strategies to minimize or eliminate. Led by past FRACCA President Rick Sims, this course will review ducts of various materials that cannot be located within conditioned space in Climate Zones 1 and 2. Increase proficiency in the diagnosis of moisture-related issues in Climate Zone 1 and utilize better installation and service methods for duct and equipment installations. Also, improve accuracy in the assessment of moisture using data and implementing improvements, making sure you are correct when offering expert opinions. 

Richard “Rick” Sims, Johnson’s Air Conditioning (retired) and Past FRACCA President 

Rick Sims was state certified as a Florida Mechanical Contractor in 1984 and has served as a SW Florida technical instructor since 1987. He served directly in the classroom as well as a SWF ASHRAE Student Chapter Liaison and as an organizer and promoter of educational events. He is a BPI accredited Building Envelope Specialist and Building Energy Analyst and a Class 1 Florida Energy Rater. 

Rick is author of the 2010 SWACCA Blower Door / Duct Blower Workshop curriculum. He served as FRACCA 2019-20 President and Board Member, 2011 President of SWACCA, and serves on the education committee. Rick and Rickie Sims own and operate Johnson’s Air Conditioning Inc. in Naples Florida; third owners of Naples Longest Established Air Conditioning Company.  

A Walk Through the Residential Design Series (ACCA Manuals J®, S®, and D®)

While moving through the Residential Design Series following the Plans Examiner Review form, ACCA’s Manager of HVACR Design Education Ed Janowiak will point out the obvious, the misunderstood, and how code applies in each manual. Over the years, it’s become evident that many people have learned to design systems from sources other than the specific manuals. During this session, Ed will point out some things that you thought you knew. You’re going to have fun discussing some things you might be surprised about! 

Ed Janowiak, ACCA 

Ed Janowiak is ACCA’s manager of HVAC design education. He has more than thirty-five years of HVAC experience and more than twenty years of delivering technical topics from his time as the technical director at Eastern Heating and Cooling Council based out of Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. 

Ed has over fifteen years of practical experience in the field as a service manager, technician, and installer working at various companies, and as the owner and president of Bramante Energy, Inc. He is a master HVACR licensed contractor in New Jersey, holds 5 NATE certifications, and serves on the NATE Technical Committee. 

 

The Elephant in the Room: Latent Control

Ask AI about latent moisture, and you’ll get something like, “If left uncontrolled, latent moisture can lead to elevated humidity levels, condensation issues, and the growth of mold and bacteria, which can negatively impact indoor air quality and occupant comfort.” That sounds like a lawsuit, but most of us ignore it when we design residential mechanical systems. This is because we often have a false sense of security regarding apparent excess latent capacity when we follow the Manual S® process, and we trust variable speed systems will effectively ramp down to match the load. 

In this session, David Treleven will discuss interior moisture and the systems that control it. We will review interior moisture setpoints, looking at risk in terms of comfort and IAQ, and examine different systems to keep the interior moisture where we want it. In addition, he will discuss system interactions, application of supplemental dehumidification, proper AC setup for humid climates, dehumidification modes, and controls. 

David Treleven, Loblolly Building Science and Appalachian State University 

David Treleven has been in the building science and HVAC research field for 15 years and in construction more broadly for two decades. He understands the people, processes, and materials that must work together to implement successful building systems. David is the principal of Loblolly Building Science and an adjunct lecturer in the Building Science Department at Appalachian State University. He operates a direct-to-consumer premium dehumidifier company, Delta H IAQ. 

David believes in using data to make decisions and aims to educate others about data-driven decision-making in the built environment. He has been active in ASHRAE 62.2 on the Humidity Working Group and is a member of ASHRAE 46P: Design and Construction Practices for Controlling Humidity in Residential Buildings. He has worked in R&D, product development, and innovation for HVAC manufacturers and as a consultant to utilities and builders. 

 

Be sure to visit our website to learn more and register your team at ACCA2024.com!  

---

Posted In: Events, Training