Affordable Comfort Inc. (ACI ) held the first of a series of Community of Interest meetings in Detroit, bringing together leading manufacturers in the home performance industry. Representatives from Carrier, Dow, Panasonic, Zehnder America Inc., and Knauf Insulation were present to discuss the industry’s future and establish the purpose and direction of this Community of Interest group.

Communities of Interest (COIs) are groups of like-minded professionals with similar interests, or who share a common problem, that interact on a regular basis. The concept has found a number of practical applications amongst businesses, government, education, professional associations, and civic life.

Amy Fazio, CEO of ACI, commented, “ACI plans to establish Communities of Interest in all of the major sectors of the home performance industry because we recognize that in order to advance our industry, key stakeholders need to become engaged and communicate openly with each other. One vision, one voice, one industry.” For these stakeholders, that could otherwise be considered competitors, the ACI COIs provide the opportunity to share, identify, and execute the most critical industry questions that need to be answered in order to establish mass-market adoption and transform the energy landscape in America.

“I am representing Carrier to ensure that our contractors, distributors, and the HVAC industry at large have the ability to engage with the home performance industry and help move it forward. Collectively, we’re driving positive consumer behavior. What ACI is doing is absolutely a step in the right direction towards getting unification across all disciplines when it comes to home performance,” said Karie Johnson, manager of dealer development for Carrier Residential Systems.

When asked about Dow’s involvement, Scott Young, general manager-retrofits for Dow, said, “Dow Building Solutions has a 60-plus year legacy of providing brand-leading energy-saving solutions. We continually seek broad industry engagement with like-minded stakeholders that are dedicated to advancing solutions that reduce homeowner energy costs, and that improve home comfort, performance, and value.”

Publication date: 1/28/2013