ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Thousands of people from North America descended upon Ann Arbor, Mich., for the 56th United Association (UA) Instructor Training Program and Apprenticeship Contest. The UA Instructor Training Program (ITP) is a professional development opportunity for its members. This year there were almost 90 concurrent sessions. Some of the classes included: Building Information Modeling, Hydronic Heating and Cooling, Centrifugal and Rotary Screw Chillers, Advanced HVACR Troubleshooting, Commercial Market Refrigeration, Teaching R-410A, Energy Auditing, Carbon Monoxide & Combustion Analysis, and Green Awareness.

According to the association, when it comes to mechanicals, HVACR, plumbing, and electrical, green means maximizing the energy efficiency of existing equipment, specifying the most efficient systems available for the application and the available budget, using renewable and sustainable fuel sources, and conserving water.

The UA said it has made a commitment to be a leader in the green technology revolution and it unveiled its second green mobile training center during the program. It includes in-floor radiant heat, radiant cooling above, and other state-of-the-art equipment. Also on display was the “Green House” built by Hampden Engineering. This house will be used to train technicians on energy auditing and other energy management procedures.

To make certain that all of its members are trained in the latest green and sustainable technologies, UA has also added the Green Awareness course and certification to its apprenticeship program. This program was developed in partnership with the Green Mechanical Council, HVAC Excellence, and Ferris State University.

Along with the Instructor Training Program, the UA International Apprenticeship Contest runs simultaneously. The HVACR service technician contest had several elements including: testing electrical knowledge, testing the ability to diagnose heat pumps, replacing the filter dryer on a Hussmann case, and a final project. The final project included re-piping a light commercial refrigeration system, and the removal of a mechanical defrost timer to replace it with a digital control defrost device.

The winner of this year’s HVACR service tech contest was David Fruehauf from Local 22 in Buffalo, N.Y. The other district winners that participated were Jeremy King, Local 189, Columbus, Ohio; Juan Ibarra, Local 211, Houston; Daniel Glaves, Local 597, Chicago; Brad Taylor, Local 598, Yakima, Wash.; and John Wisman, Local 787, Brampton, Ontario.

For more information, visit www.ua.org.

Publication date: 08/31/2009