Welcome to HVAC Excellence

Established in 1994, HVAC Excellence is a standards organization dedicated to improving the quality of education in the HVACR industry. Our organization achieves this goal, in part, by validating educational programs, tracking content mastery at each stage of an individual’s career, and providing educators with valuable resources to help them become more effective in their roles.

To help fulfill these goals HVAC Excellence offers the follow validation tools:

Programmatic accreditation

Programmatic accreditation is a third-party, non-governmental, review of an HVACR education program that validates that the program meets the established standards required to prepare students for successful, entry-level positions in our industry.

Educator credentialing

Educator Credentialing assures an instructor has mastered the subject matter in a particular content area and is qualified to teach this content.

Student outcome assessments and Employment Ready certifications

Student outcome assessments and employment ready certifications are intended to validate that a student has the retained knowledge necessary to secure an entry-level position in the HVACR industry.

Professional Level certifications

Professional level certifications validate that a field technician, with verifiable industry experience, possesses the knowledge to be competent in the industry. Certification results help guide continuing education needs by identifying potential workforce weaknesses.

Master Specialist certification

Successfully completing a master specialist certification demonstrates that an individual not only has an exceptional level of retained knowledge in a particular content area but can also apply this knowledge by passing a hands-on, performance-based exam.

HVACR Education Resource Network (HERN)

HERN was established to assist educators and administrators build world-class HVACR programs by providing them with access to valuable resources and industry contacts.

National HVACR Education Conference

The National HVACR Education Conference provides an opportunity for industry professionals to learn about new and emerging technologies, get answers from, and be inspired by industry leaders, exchange ideas with industry peers, while gaining a better understanding of the future of the HVACR industry.

Continuing Education Training Recognition

Continuing education training recognition provides the tools to validate if training content addresses the required competencies and tasks that cover the basic knowledge and skills being taught.

---

Each of these stand-alone resources is an important part of improving the quality of training in the HVACR industry. Together, they identify areas of weakness in education, assists employers with hiring competent technicians, allow the public to identify competent technicians, pinpoint deficiencies in the incumbent workforce for professional development, provide guidance to existing programs, and assist manufacturers in warranty cost reduction. HVAC Excellence is managed by ESCO Institute which collectively provides the resources needed to keep current in our dynamic industry.