Based on the results of a 2016 "Industry Need Survey: HVAC Designer Certification," ASHRAE has decided to create the first new certification program in more than five years.
Due to launch at the 2019 Annual Conference in Kansas City, the new certification will aid employers in identifying competency among job applicants and at the same time be a compelling employee professional development goal.
The survey data resulting from approximately 1,900 respondents indicated both need and demand for such a certification.
For instance, 95% of the respondents who "work with HVAC designers" agreed the level of competence among HVAC designers varies greatly. Of the respondents who “influence the HVAC hiring decision,” 81% said there is a need for qualified HVAC designers at their companies, and 82% said the certification would be a worthwhile professional development goal.
Of the responding HVAC designers, 75% said earning an HVAC Designer certification would be a worthwhile professional development goal.
As a first step, the Certification Committee has approved a slate of ASHRAE members from a number of countries to serve on the HVAC Designer Exam Subcommittee, which will begin developing the certification program this spring.
Mark Fly, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, will chair the exam subcommittee. Fly is also a member of the Certification Committee.
For a long time the Certification Committee had suspected an HVAC Designer certification would serve the needs of members, says Fly, but the “Industry Need” survey data show how much the industry is needing and demanding the certification.
Fly said he expects the HVAC Designer certification, once developed, to be one of ASHRAE’s most popular certification programs.
“HVAC design is so core to what the majority of our members do, which is consulting engineering,” he said.