Mar 23 – 25 , 2027
  • Conference

    • 2027 Hot Water & Hot Air Forums

    Nashville, TN

    Hilton Nashville Downtown

    Overview

    Hilton Nashville Downtown
    Nashville, TN

    Efficient, Flexible Heating at Grid Scale

    Heating air and water in millions of homes and businesses is a major driver of winter peak electricity demand in much of the country. As demand and utility bills rise, how we heat our buildings has become a grid-scale question.

    Efficient, flexible space and water heating systems, for individual rooms to large buildings, are the answer. They lower bills, improve comfort, help keep the power on reliably during extreme weather, and avoid the need for costly new power plants. Getting there means installing these modern systems in millions of buildings, training a skilled workforce, and running programs that reach the households struggling most with energy bills.

    The 2027 Hot Water & Hot Air Forums are the nation’s premier policy and technical conferences on advancing efficient, clean space and water heating. Join us in Nashville to learn about the latest in equipment performance, system design, and the policies and programs that drive deployment, with practical takeaways for your own work. Hear from industry leaders and connect with manufacturers, utilities, researchers, engineers, program implementers, and policymakers working to bring efficient heating to millions of buildings.

    Call for Presentations

    Share your expertise with peers working to scale efficient heating to the needs of the grid. We welcome individual presentations, full sessions with multiple speakers, and workshop ideas on the topics below.

    You may submit up to two presentations for consideration. The deadline for submitting a presentation is Friday, October 9. We will notify presenters of decisions by December 2026.

    Submit Your Presentation

    Presenters will be notified of acceptance by December 2026.

    2027 Hot Water & Hot Air Forum Tracks

    Affordability, economics, and workforce

    This track explores how to make efficient heating affordable for every household and how to build the workforce to install it well.

    • Approaches for communities facing the highest energy burdens
    • Incentives to speed adoption
    • Rate designs that make efficient equipment affordable to operate
    • Health impacts of hot water and hot air systems
    • Workforce training, quality installation, and engagement
    • Contractor business models

     

    Policies and programs
    This track examines the policies, programs, and planning tools that move efficient heating from individual projects to large-scale deployment.
    • Strategies for large-scale deployment
    • Innovative business models and products
    • AI and automation for programs
    • Load growth and integration into utility planning (IRPs, VPPs)
    • Macroeconomic analysis/modeling
    • Building codes, BPS, and home energy ratings
    • Program design and marketing
    System design
    This track focuses on systems that perform well in real buildings, in every climate, from new construction to constrained retrofits.
    • Design for resilience and extreme conditions
    • Plumbing, ducting, and system sizing
    • Regionally appropriate system designs
    • Controls and integration with building systems
    • Accelerating retrofits and existing-building constraints
    • Avoiding electric service and panel upgrades
    • Thermal energy networks
    • System performance, COP, hot water delivery
    • Dual-fuel systems
    Equipment
    This track covers how equipment performs today and what it will take to make it more efficient, flexible, and widely available.
    • 120-volt equipment
    • Equipment performance
    • Appliance standards
    • Demand flexibility
    • Refrigerants and manufacturing challenges
    • AI and automation for equipment

    Scholarship Program

    Join the Next Generation of Efficiency Leaders

    We offer a limited number of scholarships for students and trainees to attend the Hot Water & Hot Air Forums. The scholarship covers full conference registration fees. 

    If you’re passionate about efficiency, electrification, and affordability, this is your chance to:

    • Learn directly from national experts and practitioners
    • Explore real-world solutions shaping the future of buildings
    • Connect with leaders who are hiring, mentoring, and innovating

    Scholars attend technical sessions, join networking events, and become part of a professional community working to lower energy costs and cut emissions.

    Interested in applying for a scholarship? Contact the ACEEE conferences team to learn more. Transportation and lodging are not included.

     

    David joined us as a scholar in 2025. It was a great opportunity to expand his network, deepen his expertise, and build a career in energy efficiency. Apply to join us this year in Nashville!

    Opportunities to Support Emerging Professionals

    Invest in the Future of the Efficiency Workforce

    We invite scholarship sponsors to help expand our scholarship program by funding scholarships for trade students and emerging professionals.

    Your support helps students and emerging professionals:

    • Gain first-hand knowledge of cutting-edge technologies and practices.
    • Engage with industry leaders and peers.
    • Build critical connections that can accelerate their careers in energy efficiency. 

    Sponsoring is a win-win:

    • Demonstrate your commitment to workforce development and innovation.
    • You help students, emerging professionals, and transitioning workers gain access to valuable learning and networking.
    • Your company will be recognized from the podium and the conference app.

    To sponsor scholarships, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the ACEEE conferences team.

    Sponsors

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