Click Here for Hot Water & Hot Air Forums 2026
Overview
Hyatt Regency Portland at the Oregon Convention Center
ACEEE’s Hot Air and Hot Water Forums are the nation’s premier policy and technical conferences devoted to improving efficiency and decarbonizing space and water heating. The 2025 Forums brought together seasoned experts and new voices to discuss strategies for transforming the two biggest uses of energy in buildings.
In 2025, we gathered for discussions exploring efficient production, distribution, and use of hot water and space heating in buildings of all kinds through heat pumps. Both Forums explored how these industries could reduce energy bills and improve grid resilience.
Previous gatherings attracted diverse attendees, including equipment and component manufacturers; water, gas, and electric utility professionals; and local, state, and federal agency representatives. Energy efficiency program planners, operators, evaluators, electricians, plumbers, installers, policymakers, representatives from NGOs, engineers, consultants, and other experts found value in the sessions and great networking at the events.
Click here to see a list of organizations that participated in the 2024 Hot Air and Hot Water Forums.
Sponsors
HOT AIR FORUM
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Bronze
WiFi Sponsor
HOT WATER FORUM
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Bronze
WiFi Sponsor
Program
Click here to view the program and presentations.
Click here to view the schedule at a glance.
Plenary
2025: Uncertainty on Federal Policy but State and Air Quality Management District Efforts Will Shine | March 5 (9:00 – 10:30 a.m.)
Panelists discussed potential changes in federal policy under the Trump administration and new Congress and growing efforts in California, the Northeast, and several other leading states. Topics covered included equipment emissions standards, utility programs and regulations addressing the energy transition, federal grants and tax credits, clean heat standards, electric rate reforms and the New England Heat Pump Accelerator.
Moderator: Karen Myers, Vice President, Government Affairs; Rheem
Panelists:
- Panama Bartholomy, Executive Director; Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC)
- Erin Cosgrove, Director, Policy and Programs; Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership (NEEP)
- Steven Nadel, Executive Director; American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)
Additional Events
UA 290 Tour and Heat Pump Water Heater Equipment Demonstration | March 3 (12:00 – 5:00 p.m.)
The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) and United Association (UA) Local 290 hosted a heat pump water heater plumbing technologies demonstration and training prior to the 2025 ACEEE Hot Water Forum. Attendees arrived a day early to interact with plumbers and apprentices and saw the latest technologies in action at UA 290’s training facility.
Manufacturers kindly provided heat pump water heaters, circulators, and a drain water heat recovery system, while NEEA and UA 290 provided installation training and hosted an Installation Rodeo in which apprentices and journeyman plumbers competed to install the equipment from start to finish. Participants saw the results and learned about their experiences at this unique event. This experience was available as an add-on during conference registration.
Call for Presentations
Abstracts were submitted for consideration in the following tracks:
Equity and Workforce Development
- Affordability
- Energy Equity and Environmental Justice
- Workforce Development
Policies & Programs
- Decarbonization and Electrification
- Energy Codes and Equipment Standards
- Impact of Federal/State/Local Policies
- Utility Programs
System Design & Installation
- System Design Strategies
- Modeling, Simulations, and Equipment Sizing
- Safety, Comfort, and Quality
- HVAC Contractor Business Models
Technologies
- Water Heating Technologies
- Space Heating Technologies
- Intersection of Space & Water Heating
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