Making Life Better, an AHRI Podcast

We recently launched registration for the 2026 AHRI Leadership Forum -- the industry’s premiere event, bringing together AHRI members from across the country for what we believe is the perfect combination of productivity and fun!The three-day agenda includes everything from large general sessions and keynote speakers, to smaller, more specialized meetings, to tours and sports that let you experience all that Puerto Rico has to offer! We say it every year – but at the Leadership Forum there’s something for everyone!Registration and meeting details are available here: https://www.ahrinet.org/2026-ahri-leadership-forum

This week we’re talking to one of AHRI’s most popular departments… the Regulatory Compliance team. Regulatory reporting is one of AHRI’s core services, and the compliance team monitors evolving regulatory requirements and proactively communicates their impacts to manufacturers and certification participants.A major part of this mission involves tracking all of the data surrounding equipment and making sure that information is easily accessible. This week, our guest is Daniel Kane, AHRI’s Senior Technical Analyst. If you have any feedback on the Regulatory Compliance Status Tool, you can email [email protected].

This week, we’re talking about AHRI’s globally recognized, industry respected equipment certification program. It is a voluntary program, administered and governed by AHRI, that ensures that various types of HVACR and water heating products perform according to manufacturers’ published claims.One of the most common questions we get from manufacturers – both in the U.S. and internationally – is exactly how to join it. I’m joined by Greg Kalinyak, Manager of Engineering Programs, and Anna Meade, Certification Program Engineer. Learn more about AHRI Certification: https://www.ahrinet.org/certificationOur certification programs: https://www.ahrinet.org/certification/ahri-certification-programs

We're taking a deep dive into one of AHRI’s lesser known topics: Global energy efficiency regulations, which are multiplying every day.It’s crucial for equipment manufacturers to know about these regulations so they can access global markets. The way that global regulators design and implement these regulations can make the difference between fair and equitable market access for all manufacturers, or barriers to entry.For this episode, AHRI Senior Director of Global Services Michael LaGiglia explains the specifics of this issue, what’s at stake, and how AHRI is increasing its efforts to work with global regulators.Any time that AHRI submits comments on a country's proposed MEPS, an article with a link to the comments will be available in the AHRI Update. Subscribe here: https://ahrinet.informz.net/AHRINET/pages/AHRI_Update_Newsletter_Subscription_Form. 

This year, one of the priorities of AHRI’s Chairman of the Board is to strengthen workforce development opportunities. With the Baby Boomer retirement cliff looming, the U.S. is on track to experience a huge drop off in the number of skilled technicians to work on HVACR equipment. Keep in mind, that will all happen while the country is already experiencing a shortage of skilled workers, making the problem even worse.One of the strongest voices in advocating for trade schools and technical education is Skills USA. It is a workforce development program with chapters in thousands of middle schools, high schools, and post-secondary institutions across the country.Its premier event -- the Skills USA National Leadership and Skills Conference -- is held every June in Atlanta, Georgia. During that week, thousands of students, teachers, and industry representatives gather for skills competitions, educational sessions, and a Tech-Spo, which is what they call their expo floor!AHRI is proud to participate as an exhibitor to help connect people with the resources that allow them to pursue a valuable career in the trades. Our guest today is Betz Rother Duffield, AHRI’s Manager of Member Services, to tell us more about AHRI’s recent workforce initiatives and her trip to Skills USA!Learn more about the Rees Scholarship Foundation: https://www.ahrinet.org/scholarships-education/ahri-rees-scholarship-foundationApply for a Rees Scholarship: https://www.ahrinet.org/scholarships-education/ahri-rees-scholarship-foundation/apply

In this episode, we’re taking a deep dive into one of AHRI’s more technical topics: codes. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code is under consideration for a scope change that would remove three key exemptions from the scope of section 8 of that code. This change would have a huge impact on our industry, driving up the cost and wait time for maintenance and repairs of essential equipment.AHRI Senior Director of Codes Tom Deary explains the specifics of this issue, what’s at stake, and how AHRI is preparing for the next step in this appeal process.Read AHRI's white paper here.

Like we told you in our State Summit episode, the spring months are often some of the busiest for our government affairs team! Our signature advocacy event – the Policy Symposium – is only a few weeks away.Every year, this meeting happens in the heart of Washington, DC and serves as an opportunity for all of our member companies to connect directly with congressional offices and key regulators. The first day focuses on education, with panels from key legislative and regulatory players and remarks from keynote speakers at breakfast and lunch. On the second day – AHRI heads to Capitol Hill en masse for dozens of visits with members of Congress and their staff.There are a lot of moving parts to this event, and I’m excited to introduce you to several members of our policy team who help to bring them all together!Register for the Policy Symposium here.The Capitol Hill visit training webinar recording is available on the members-only dashboard, under the Government Affairs/Advocacy dropdown menu: https://www.ahrinet.org/user/member-dashboard

AHRI’s Certification program has been around for almost 90 years. Over the decades, it has expanded to include more products and to offer more services – like regulation compliance verification in the U.S. and around the world.HVACR and water heating products are complex, and one of the most valuable things AHRI Certification offers is performance assurance, not only to homeowners, but to consulting engineers and architects.In the latest episode of the Making Life Better podcast, AHRI Senior Vice President of Global Services Henry Hwong, joins host Regan Spencer to discuss how AHRI provides that assurance as products and systems evolve to serve more markets and become more efficient.Learn more about AHRI Certification: https://www.ahrinet.org/certificationVisit the AHRI Certified Directory of Certified Product Performance: https://ahridirectory.org

At AHRI, the spring months are often some of the busiest for our government affairs team. Our two signature advocacy events – the State Summit and the Policy Symposium – take place in April and May.In this month’s episode, we’re unpacking the AHRI State Summit, which – you guessed it – focuses on state-level advocacy efforts. It ping pongs between two of the most ambitious state legislatures in the country - New York on the East Coast and California on the West Coast. It’s a two-day agenda - with one day focusing on panel sessions that address issues specific to the state and the second day spent traveling up to the state capitol for meetings with state legislators and their staff.While the State Summit is one of our smaller events, it serves as a valuable opportunity to connect directly with the state lawmakers and regulators that are responsible for introducing, voting on, and implementing measures that can have huge impacts on the way our industry does business.This year, AHRI staff and members will be traveling to Sacramento, California in near-record numbers to share our industry’s priorities in the state! I’m excited to introduce you to several members of our policy and regulatory teams to share what goes into this event and why it’s so important.Resources from this episode:AHRI State Summit: https://www.ahrinet.org/2026-ahri-state-summitAHRI Policy Symposium: https://www.ahrinet.org/2026-policy-symposium General advocacy web page: https://www.ahrinet.org/advocacy 

This month we’re talking about one of AHRI’s biggest policy priorities: Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) Modernization. It’s hard to explain just how important this piece of policy is to our industry, and to American manufacturing as a whole. But for a lot of people, EPCA is the most important statute they’ve never heard of.We have AHRI’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Samantha Slater to help de-mystify EPCA and explain the practical ways that it could be amended to serve American manufacturing and consumers better for the next 50 years.Resources from this episode:Policy SymposiumState SummitLobbying 101 webinar sign upLobbying 101 webinar archive  (members only, navigate to the "Meetings and Events" dropdown menu)

This month – we’re turning our attention to one of AHRI’s newest initiatives. We are in the process of launching the first North American environmental product declarations program that specializes in the HVACR and water heating industry. It’s called the AHRI Certified EPD Program, nicknamed the ACE Program – and it’s designed to offer thorough, transparent, and third-party verified environmental information on HVACR and water heating equipment.Resources from this episode:EPD web page: https://www.ahrinet.org/ahri-certified-epd-program-ace Subscribe to the ACE Program mailing list: https://ahrinet.informz.net/AHRINET/pages/AHRI_Certified_EPD_Program_Subscription_Form For further information or to ask any questions, contact [email protected]

In this episode, we are focusing on the upcoming AHR Expo, which is February 2-4 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Make sure you stop by booth C-23-02 to meet with AHRI staff! We are well represented this year, so you will have the opportunity to meet with engineers, regulatory compliance staff, and members of our global services team.On top of our booth presence, we are also offering five educational sessions on some of the most pressing industry topics. View all our educational sessions at AHR Expo here: https://www.ahrinet.org/news-events/2026-ahr-expoMore on the AHRI Certified EPD Program: https://www.ahrinet.org/ahri-certified-epd-program-aceMore from North American Technician Excellence (NATE): https://natex.org

We’re excited to announce the launch of Making Life Better: An AHRI Podcast. AHRI is the trade association representing manufacturers of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, commercial refrigeration, and water heating equipment. We’ll keep you informed about our upcoming events, important policy issues affecting the industry, updates to our globally recognized, industry respected certification program, and we’ll even share some fun human interest stories and history related to the world of HVACR.You can expect new episodes to be released monthly. Our first will be available in late January ahead of the AHR Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.