This issue of the Condenser is all about change. Whether it’s the regulations phasing out HFC’s and the new decisions faced by many in the commercial and industrial world, or the innovations and new technology that are enabling those decisions – one thing is certain, we are moving rapidly into a new era of refrigeration. The future, in the form of new equipment and new ideas, will be on full display at the upcoming IIAR Annual Conference and Heavy Equipment Expo in San Antonio. And nothing is more important as we reach for that future, than our ability to enrich our collective knowledge in the form of education.

IIAR will be featuring the new IIAR-2 Certificate Program at the annual show, but I want to take this opportunity here, in the Condenser, to talk about what it means for us as an industry and why your participation as an IIAR member – not only in the IIAR-2 program, but in the association’s broader education effort – is essential.

The IIAR-2 Certificate Program is the first offering under IIAR’s new educational effort, which will eventually grow to include certificate programs for all IIAR standards. The goal is to promote a comprehensive understanding of all IIAR standards across every sector of our industry.

One of the most important reasons for that is the IIAR suite of standards is basic RAGAGEP in all of our facilities. It is recognized by building codes, increasingly cited by regulators, and is becoming a growing force in influencing how our industry is inspected and regulated.

Every IIAR member, whether they are a manufacturer, contractor or engineer, needs to work with a basic knowledge of all IIAR standards because this is where the industry’s RAGAGEP is coming from. It’s the best method we have to address the growing regulatory impact on our industry. The group of IIAR standards educational courses will eventually ensure that all of our engineers are prepared to design and implement natural refrigeration systems safely. This is the reason that IIAR was instructed by its Board of Directors to create the Academy of Natural Refrigerants.

However, certificate programs for our standards suite is only the first leg in IIAR’s much broader vision for the education program that is being built now.

The second leg of the program will focus on PSM/RMP and the general duty clause. Knowledge of these areas is significant – because they are the cornerstone of all regulatory requirements and oversight in all facilities.

Finally, the third leg of IIAR’s broader educational program will address basic engineering design elements and will be made up of classes on subjects like the material covered in IIAR’s Piping and CO2 Handbooks.

While each different facet of this program will be especially relevant to different sub-groups within our membership, every part of IIAR’s ongoing education program will be an invaluable tool for every part of our membership. In fact, the value in this effort is that the new educational program is not about just taking one course or getting one certificate. It’s an ongoing, long-term effort any IIAR member can embark on as part of their career development and personal advancement within the industry.

It’s also a critically important effort we can take as a group and an organization with a leadership role in our professional community.

Together, we are creating an educational resource that will sustain and inform the regulatory community, our own managers, operators, engineers and facility owners, not to mention the next generation of professionals – for years to come.