Contractors Get Ready
Governor Newsom signed AB 841 at the end of the 2020 Legislative Session, creating the School Reopening Ventilation and Energy Efficiency Verification and Repair Program (SRVEERP).
This is a long-awaited victory for HVAC contractors and their partners. The program will direct upwards of $600 million in energy efficiency funding to test, adjust and repair heating, air conditioning and ventilation (HVAC) systems in public schools over the next three years.
With an airborne virus like COVID-19, the riskiest place for a person is an indoor environment with poor fresh air ventilation, such as a classroom. There’s already extensive evidence that thousands of California schools have poor indoor air quality and will likely not be able to improve fresh air ventilation without making time-consuming and costly repairs.
In a 2013 study, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers found that the majority of classrooms they visited — including 95% of Central Valley classrooms — were not adequately ventilated. In a joint 2020 study, Lawrence Berkeley and UC Davis researchers found that only about 15% of classrooms they studied met the state’s ventilation standard. The passage of AB 841 will help school districts finally fund the testing adjusting and repair of existing HVAC systems.
This is an exciting opportunity for the industry, creating new work for Bay Area SMACNA contractors and highlighting the importance of properly functioning ventilation systems in public spaces. Bay Area SMACNA contractors can attend workshops provided by CAL SMACNA and the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI) to prepare.
There are also certification requirements for contractors and technicians to participate in the SRVEERP. These include:
Qualified Testing Personnel
To participate in the testing portion of the program, contractors will be required to use technicians considered to be “Qualified Testing Personnel” defined as either a certified TAB technician, or a MATT Level 1 or MATT Level 2 technician.
Qualified Adjusting Personnel
To participate in the adjustment portion of the program, contractors will be required to use technicians who are either a certified TAB Technician (TABB, AABC or NEBB) or a skilled and trained technician (graduate of a sheet metal apprenticeship program) operating under the supervision of a TAB tech.
Repair/Equipment Replacement Personnel
To perform repairs or replacements, contractors must use a “skilled and trained workforce” defined as 60% of the technicians on the job (or equivalent manhours) and must be graduates of the Sheet Apprenticeship program.
CAL SMACNA is working with SMART and each of the JATCs to ensure that all contractors have access to the MATT certification programs for their technicians. This certification isn’t just required by AB 841, it’s also required for Title 24 mechanical acceptance testing.
The benefits of this bill passage are many. Not only will it help save energy, but it will create jobs in a time of economic crisis and provide direct support to schools and children in underserved communities.
PLEASE NOTE: “Qualified Testing Personnel” and “Qualified Adjusting Personnel” certifications are provided for CAL SMACNA members through ICB and offered through your local JATC. Interested technicians should contact your local JATC Coordinator ASAP.
For more information: Email Emily Mills at emily@cal-smacna.org.