The event also featured the Radiant Professionals Alliance’s Annual Membership Meeting.

The AHR Expo held Jan. 30-Feb. 1 at the Las Vegas Convention Center set several records, including attendance of more than 68,000 registered visitors and exhibitor personnel, as well as 500,159 square feet sold. The Expo was by far the largest and best attended Expo in the Western states, with some 1,968 exhibiting companies.

The event also featured the Radiant Professionals Alliance’s Annual Membership Meeting at the AHR Expo in Las Vegas on Jan. 30, after sponsoring several radiant and hydronics classes during the conference.

The RPA enjoyed record attendance at the following education sessions:

• How to Specify Heating and Cooling Sources
• No Sweat Radiant Cooling Case Studies
• Trouble Shooting Hydronic Radiant Systems: What is in the Water?
• How to Sell Profitable Hydronic Radiant Systems
• Review of a Free Online HVAC System — Not Unit — Energy Consumption Tool
• Maintaining High Fluid Quality in Modern Hydronic Systems

After serving for four years, RPA Executive Director Mark Eatherton announced his decision to step down from his position at the end of March and return to private business. Eatherton received many plaudits for his work with RPA and he reported that he will still be working with the organization, but from a member perspective.

RPA Chair Mark Chaffee and Vice Chair Ingrid Mattsson described modifications to the RPA operating structure that will allow the organization to focus on key areas to better serve the members and industry in 2017. More than two dozen training seminars are planned around the United States for this year. The ASSE Professional Qualification Standard 19210 Hydronic Heating and Cooling Installer certification will be awarded to experienced piping technicians who successfully pass a 100-question exam after attending the three-day trainings. ASSE-certified professionals meet the highest standard of knowledge and excellence in the industry, standing out from the competition. Additional information on this and other exciting RPA programs can be seen on the RPA website, http://www.radiantprofessionalsalliance.org/.

At the RPA Social and Networking Event on the evening of Jan 31, the organization’s first “Lifetime Achievement Award” was presented to Johnny Hazen White Jr. of Taco Corporation management for his exceptional support of the RPA and the creation of the Building Energy Efficiency Rating system.

An additional award was presented to Greg Cunniff of Taco for his diligence and work in bringing the system to reality.

During the Expo, the RPA’s Hydronic Industry Alliance – Commercial Committee introduced the Building Energy Efficiency Rating software. This product enables contractors, designers, and building owners to easily compare multiple types of space conditioning systems for a given building, showing estimated comparisons of installed cost, operating and maintenance costs, and life-cycle costs for each system type, all displayed graphically. This information can then be shared with building owners and developers, as well as the design community, as they make decisions about which type of system to install in their buildings. It is anticipated that this exciting new software will be on the Hydronic Industry Alliance website within the next two weeks.

In other news, the 2017 ASHRAE Winter Conference also took place Jan. 28-Feb. 1 at Caesars Palace.

In total, 3,579 people attended the Conference, making it the most well attended Winter Conference in recent years. The attendees represented 58 countries and included 537 first-timers. 

The 2017 ASHRAE Annual Conference will take place June 24-28 in Long Beach, Calif., with the 2018 Winter Conference Jan. 20-24, and the AHR Expo, Jan. 22-24, in Chicago, Ill.