WILDOMAR, Calif.  — The California Energy Alliance (CEA), a member-based organization committed to smart, sustainable energy use within the built environment has published a comprehensive HVAC industry modernization plan in support of California Senate Bill 1414 that shows how today’s technology can be leveraged to quickly meet the bill’s important mandates. SB 1414 calls for the California Energy Commission to adopt a plan by January 2019 to improve compliance in the installation of air conditioning and heat pump systems.

The CEA plan outlines four key initiatives that will, if enacted as a cohesive, targeted program, modernize and push the industry towards increased use of embedded energy monitoring and verification, demand response, equipment registration, and online permitting technologies. These technologies are available today on the open market. The plan calls for the Energy Commission to manage development of specifications to facilitate these technologies and create a public-private partnership, similar to California’s Home Energy Rating System, that will encourage entrepreneurs to invest in California’s compliance goals. The plan advocates for a reasonable, near term solution to California’s HVAC compliance issues and avoids creating more slow-moving, state-run programs funded at the taxpayer’s expense. CEA members are already working with organizations to implement these initiatives in the marketplace.