Welcome to the inner workings of the RPA — Pt. 3

May 2, 2013
In last month’s column, we reviewed the functions of the Codes and Standards Committee. This month, we will review the workings of the Technical Committee. This group of professionals is tasked with reviewing all information of a technical nature produced by the organization to make sure that it is not in conflict with any other documents produced by other committees within the organization.

In last month’s column, we reviewed the functions of the Codes and Standards Committee. This month, we will review the workings of the Technical Committee.

This group of professionals is tasked with reviewing all information of a technical nature produced by the organization to make sure that it is not in conflict with any other documents produced by other committees within the organization. The official organization charter reads: “The Technical Committee ensures that all technical information the RPA publishes or presents as an authoritative source is accurate, exact, complete, consistent, current, relevant, and represents the position of the RPA. This committee participates in writing and reviewing articles for RPA’s publications.”

The committee is also tasked with reviewing and judging the members’ submissions for the annual System Design Showcase Awards for the final presentation of the following category awards: residential (new or retrofit); commercial (new or retrofit); snow/ice melting (residential and commercial); electric radiant (heating or snow/ice melt); innovation (new or unique applications using two or more current technologies in one system design); and cooling.

As a side note, we are getting ready to kick off this year’s System Design Showcase Awards program, so if you have projects that you feel would qualify, by all means, begin gathering photos to show the before and after installation work for purposes of documentation. On the same note, if you are a wholesaler, manufacturer or manufacturer’s representative and you are aware of some of your contractors’ work that is exemplary, please have them join the organization and submit their projects for review. The deadline for submissions is July 15, 2013.

The Technical Committee is currently filled with the minimum required number of members and is awaiting work that will be generated for review from the other two previously covered standing committees, those being the Education Committee and the Codes and Standards Committee. The staff and Board of Directors have decided that there can’t be too many people (within reason) on these committees, so if you are interested in participating on either of these committees, by all means, feel free to contact me at [email protected].  I will get you set up with the necessary paperwork to bring you on board and give you a voice in the decision making processes that these committees are being tasked with.

As I have stated before, and will continue to say, this organization is member driven. It is of the members, by the members, for the members, with the common goal of serving the industry by providing leadership in standardization, advocacy, communication, technical expertise, training and certification; by promoting radiant and hydronics technologies; and by increasing consumer understanding and perception in order to increase the acceptance and demand for radiant and hydronics technologies in the residential and commercial marketplace.

We need you, the working people of our industry, to join and/or rejoin this most worthwhile effort, which will be of benefit to all, now and into the future. Come and join us in furthering our industry-wide efforts, won’t you please?

Visit www.radiantprofessionalsalliance.org and click on the Membership button, and thank you for your consideration.

Tune in next month as we begin looking at alternative surfaces with which to provide excellent radiant comfort, heating and cooling.

In the mean time, happy safe hydronicing!

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