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Conference

2025 Hot Water & Hot Air Forums

March 4 - 6, 2025
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    Overview

    Hyatt Regency Portland at the Oregon Convention Center 

    ACEEE’s Hot Air and Hot Water Forums are the nation’s premier policy and technical conferences devoted to improving efficiency and decarbonizing space and water heating. The 2025 Forums brought together seasoned experts and new voices to discuss strategies for transforming the two biggest uses of energy in buildings.

    In 2025, we gathered for discussions exploring efficient production, distribution, and use of hot water and space heating in buildings of all kinds through heat pumps. Both Forums explored how these industries could reduce energy bills and improve grid resilience.

    Previous gatherings attracted diverse attendees, including equipment and component manufacturers; water, gas, and electric utility professionals; and local, state, and federal agency representatives. Energy efficiency program planners, operators, evaluators, electricians, plumbers, installers, policymakers, representatives from NGOs, engineers, consultants, and other experts found value in the sessions and great networking at the events.

    Click here to see a list of organizations that participated in the 2024 Hot Air and Hot Water Forums.


     

    Sponsors

     

    HOT AIR FORUM
     
    Platinum

     

    Gold

    neaa

    Silver

     

    Bronze

     

    WiFi Sponsor

     

     

     

     

    HOT WATER FORUM

     

    Platinum

     

    Gold

    neaa

     
    Silver


     

    Bronze

     

     

     

     
    WiFi Sponsor

     

     

    Program

    Click here to view the program and presentations.

    Click here to view the schedule at a glance.

     

    Plenary

     

    2025: Uncertainty on Federal Policy but State and Air Quality Management District Efforts Will Shine | March 5 (9:00 - 10:30 a.m.)

    Panelists discussed potential changes in federal policy under the Trump administration and new Congress and growing efforts in California, the Northeast, and several other leading states. Topics covered included equipment emissions standards, utility programs and regulations addressing the energy transition, federal grants and tax credits, clean heat standards, electric rate reforms and the New England Heat Pump Accelerator.

    Moderator: Karen Myers, Vice President, Government Affairs; Rheem

    Panelists:

    • Panama Bartholomy, Executive Director; Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC)
    • Erin Cosgrove, Director, Policy and Programs; Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership (NEEP)
    • Steven Nadel, Executive Director; American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)

     

    Additional Events

    UA 290 Tour and Heat Pump Water Heater Equipment Demonstration | March 3 (12:00 – 5:00 p.m.)

    The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) and United Association (UA) Local 290 hosted a heat pump water heater plumbing technologies demonstration and training prior to the 2025 ACEEE Hot Water Forum. Attendees arrived a day early to interact with plumbers and apprentices and saw the latest technologies in action at UA 290’s training facility.

    Manufacturers kindly provided heat pump water heaters, circulators, and a drain water heat recovery system, while NEEA and UA 290 provided installation training and hosted an Installation Rodeo in which apprentices and journeyman plumbers competed to install the equipment from start to finish. Participants saw the results and learned about their experiences at this unique event. This experience was available as an add-on during conference registration.

     

    Call for Presentations

    Abstracts were submitted for consideration in the following tracks:

    Equity and Workforce Development

    • Affordability
    • Energy Equity and Environmental Justice
    • Workforce Development

    Policies & Programs

    • Decarbonization and Electrification
    • Energy Codes and Equipment Standards
    • Impact of Federal/State/Local Policies
    • Utility Programs

    System Design & Installation

    • System Design Strategies
    • Modeling, Simulations, and Equipment Sizing
    • Safety, Comfort, and Quality
    • HVAC Contractor Business Models

    Technologies

    • Water Heating Technologies
    • Space Heating Technologies
    • Intersection of Space & Water Heating
       
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