SACRAMENTO — CAL SMACNA is pleased to announce Governor Newsom has signed Assembly Bill (AB) 841 authored by Assemblymember Phil Ting creating the School Reopening Ventilation and Energy Efficiency Verification and Repair Program (SRVEERP). This is a long awaited victory in Sacramento for CAL SMACNA members and our SMART partners. Keeping us on our toes for the last month, the Governor signed this bill as one of his last acts in the final hours before the constitutional deadline of the 2020 legislative session.
AB 841 directs upwards of $600M in energy efficiency funding to test, adjust and repair heating, air conditioning, and ventilation (HVAC) systems in public schools over the next three years. As our public schools are working to re-open and operate in a safe manner going forward – they have realized the importance of ventilation systems as a top priority for student and teacher health. The passage of this new law, also known as The School Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program, will help school districts finally fund the testing adjusting and repair of existing HVAC systems. CAL SMACNA is excited about the opportunities afforded to our industry by this new work and the renewed attention to the importance of properly functioning ventilation systems in public spaces.
Contractors Get Ready!
To participate in the SRVEERP, CAL SMACNA contractors and technicians will need to pay attention to certification requirements under AB 841. CAL SMACNA and NEMI have already sponsored several workshops to prepare contractors for this upcoming school ventilation work and we will conduct the next ZOOM workshop on Monday, October 19th at 11:00am. In this workshop we will cover all the program requirements, standard ventilation assessment and verification procedures, and template forms, as well as, provide tips on how to reach out to your local school district and help educate them about the program and how to apply for the money.
Technicians Get Ready!
This law has also created new urgency for sheet metal workers to quickly become Mechanical Acceptance Testing Technician (MATT) certified if they haven’t already done so. In short, the technician certification requirements for participation in the SRVEERP are as follows:
1) QUALIFIED TESTING PERSONNEL — in order to participate in the ventilation testing and assessment 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;
2) QUALIFIED ADJUSTING PERSONNEL — in order 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 an sheet metal apprenticeship program) operating under supervision of a TAB tech; and
3) REPAIR / EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT PERSONNEL – in order 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) must be graduates of the Sheet Metal Apprenticeship program.
CAL SMACNA is working with SMART and each of our JATCs to ensure all contractors will have access to the MATT certification programs for their technicians. Remember, MATT certification isn’t just required by AB 841 it is also required for Title 24 mechanical acceptance testing.
PLEASE NOTE: All certifications required for “Qualified Testing Personnel” and “Qualified Adjusting Personnel” are provided for CAL SMACNA members through ICB and offered through your local JATC. Interested technicians should contact the local JATC Coordinator ASAP.
If you should have any questions or would like additional information please contact Emily Mills at emily@cal-smacna.org.