AHRI Update

October 17, 2024

Top Stories

Register Today! Late Registration Deadline Approaching

Take the time today to register for the 2024 AHRI Leadership Forum, to be held November 17-19 at the La Quinta Resort & Club in Palm Springs, California! There is just over a week left to take advantage of the regular registration rate, so make sure you register by October 25 to lock in the lowest available price. Click here to register now!

Top Reasons to Attend!

• New engagement opportunities, including 13 product group meetings that will allow attendees to discuss specific industry issues related to the products they manufacture.
• Focused, relevant general sessions, such as our "Political Insights Panel," that will help you take a proactive approach in responding to the 2024 election results, and "Crossing the Generational Divide," which will address key aspects of workforce recruiting and retention.
• AHRI 101, which kicks off Leadership Forum with a primer on all that your trade association does and can do! Designed for attendees at all levels of association involvement, come grab a cocktail, learn about the structure of AHRI, and meet key staff.
• Unmatched industry networking including the "Casino Royale" Welcome Reception and Dinner and the "Mod Splash Soiree" Reception and Dinner, showcasing Palm Springs and the La Quinta Resort!

Start planning your trip now! The full schedule for the 2024 AHRI Leadership Forum is available here.

Register Now!

Register by October 25 to lock in the regular registration rate of $950. After October 25, the late registration rate of $1,000 will go into effect. Click here to register. The Leadership Forum group rate for a standard casita is $289 per room, per night, plus state and local taxes. Please note, AHRI's room block is nearly full, and we anticipate rooms could sell out before the cutoff date of October 22. At that point, you will only be able to book rooms on a space- and rate-available basis. More information about the hotel and how to book your room is available here.

We look forward to welcoming you to Palm Springs for what is sure to be another unforgettable Leadership Forum! Stay tuned for more information and be sure to whitelist the email address [email protected] for all association meeting notices. Contact: Lauren Little.

AHRI/Industry News

AHRI Welcomes Several New Members

AHRI is pleased to welcome several new member companies to the association:

Suzhou Invotech Scroll Technologies Co., Ltd., a compressor manufacturer, joined as an international member participating in the applied, refrigeration, and unitary sectors.

Innovative Climatic Technologies Corporation dba Air2o, a manufacturer of unitary small and large equipment, joined as a full member participating in the unitary sector.

FibroPool LLC, a heat pump pool and spa heater manufacturer, joined as a full member participating in the heating sector. Contact: Michael Golden.

AHRI Issues Call for Regulatory Committee Members 

AHRI is seeking members to serve on its regulatory committees, which monitor, develop strategy for, and influence regulatory policies that impact the products they cover. AHRI currently has five regulatory committees: applied, hydronics, refrigeration, unitary, and water heaters. These committees advise the Government Affairs Committee and the relevant Sector Leadership Councils on regulatory (federal, state, and local) and other policy issues that could or are impacting member products.

Each committee is comprised of up to 17 members, with a primary and an alternate from each company represented. The two-year membership term will run from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026. All current regulatory committee members must be renominated in order to serve another term. A full list of regulatory committee policies and procedures is available here.

To be considered for a position on one of AHRI’s regulatory committees, email Anthony Hebert. When expressing your interest, please include any parent company relationships and product types manufactured. Contact: Anthony Hebert.

AHRI Members: Please Complete your Pledge to the Rees Scholarship Foundation

AHRI members may contribute to the Rees Scholarship Foundation through their membership dues invoice. All invoices will include an optional line item for a $500 donation, but if you would like it to be for a different amount, please complete your pledge form and email it to LaTosha Peterson by December 6.

This tax-deductible contribution will support the continued promotion of the HVACR industry through scholarships to qualified students enrolled in an institutionally accredited school. To date, Rees has awarded more than $1,200,000 to more than 700 deserving students since it was established in 2003. Contributions are voluntary, and any amount helps to educate aspiring HVACR technicians. Learn more about Rees here. Contact: Katherine Hunt. 

Certification

AHRI Welcomes New Certification Program Participant

AHRI is pleased to welcome Triangle Tube Phase III Co., Inc., to the Commercial Water Heaters (CWH) - 10 CFR Part 431 Certification Program as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). Contact: Bill Tritsis.

Standards

AHRI Standards Open for Public Review and Comment

Technical Review

AHRI invites public comments on the technical content of the following draft AHRI standards. Based upon comments received, the Commercial Unitary STC will decide whether to make changes. Copies of the drafts and the list of revisions are available through the documents’ links.

Document Designation/Title: AHRI Standard 365-202x (SI/I-P), Performance Rating of Commercial and Industrial Unitary Air-Conditioning Condensing Units
STC: Commercial Unitary
Public Review Deadline: October 21
Contact: Antonio Romeo

Document Designation/Title: AHRI Standard 1365-202x (SI/I-P), Performance Rating of Commercial and Industrial Unitary Air-Conditioning and Heat Pump Condensing Units
STC: Commercial Unitary
Public Review Deadline: October 21
Contact: Antonio Romeo

Weekly Update from ASHRAE, ANSI, and SCC

This week’s summary of standards activities at ASHRAE, ANSI, and SCC that are relevant to AHRI’s work is available here. Current and previous standards activities for ASHRAE can be found here. Current and previous standards activities for ANSI can be found here.

International

USTR Opens Exclusion Process for Certain Machinery Used in Domestic Manufacturing 

On October 15, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that certain machinery will be temporarily excluded from the Section 301 tariffs on imports from China, including equipment used in domestic manufacturing and classified within a subheading under chapter 84 and 85 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS).

A list of eligible subheadings can be found in Annex E of this Federal Register notice from September 18. AHRI identified the following member products:

• 8418.69.01 Refrigerating or freezing equipment, not elsewhere specified or included
• 8419.50.50 Heat exchange units, not elsewhere specified or included

AHRI recommends individual companies perform an analysis of the tariff exclusion list. The docket for submitting exclusions opened on October 15, and the deadline for submitting requests is March 31, 2025. Contact: Michael LaGiglia.