You would have to live in a cave for the last 5 years if the terms “green” and “sustainability” have not been in your vocabulary somehow, even if it is with skepticism for some. There’s no denying the impact these subjects have today in just about every area of our lives. But what does it mean to the HVAC/R industry? Are technicians being trained to address these issues properly? How do we approach this in our training at RSI?

Glad you asked. Interestingly enough, the industry doesn’t have to address it the way people might think, and RSI has been on top of these issues with students for decades. Now, before you start rioting in the streets and get Al Gore to call me, read on. Over 20 years ago, lawmakers passed legislation that required all HVAC/R technicians working with refrigerants to be certified. RSI was one of the first institutions to offer EPA approved certification to its graduates and students, and still provides this opportunity as part of its programs today. This means students are presented with not only the technical requirements for servicing units, but the legal requirements for the proper handling of ozone depleting refrigerants (CFC’s).

The interesting part of HVAC/R (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration) equipment is that while it becomes more efficient as technology advances, the basics of servicing and maintaining this equipment does not change radically. The new requirements for more energy efficient air conditioning units affect the energy usage but do not drastically affect the electrical or mechanical design in most cases. The way an air conditioning unit works today is very much the same as the way it has worked for the last 40 years. Just like, the way a washing machine works is the same as it has been, it’s just more energy efficient today making it better for our environment.

RSI is teaching the same fundamental information after all of these years with the understanding that the equipment may become more efficient, but the basics are still the same. What could malfunction in the equipment are the electrical or mechanical components, both of which are an integral part of RSI’s curriculum. This means the RSI trained technician is capable of servicing the newest, most environmentally friendly equipment. But here’s the catch (and you knew there was one), that same technician is also trained to service equipment that has been installed for many years, and believe it or not there is a lot of it out there. That’s the beauty of the HVAC/R career, it’s versatile. It’s not like vehicles where there are special shops just for imports; there aren’t special technicians for new equipment. RSI trained technicians have the fundamental knowledge to work with it all.

So back to RSI graduates and sustainability, RSI is one of the largest HVAC/R schools in the country in terms of graduates each year, and has been completely dedicated to this industry for over 43 years. RSI attributes its success to graduates that are well trained HVAC/R technicians that deal with environmental issues every day. Graduates are meeting the demands of stricter regulations and advanced equipment while also meeting the needs of the consumer for efficiency and cost effectiveness. That’s sustainability.

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