Trainings, webinars, and more
Upcoming Events
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Past Events
Utility TAG 4/27 Meeting
This meeting was geared toward the technical and practical hurdles of regional heat pump deployment. We heard from Slipstream and Center for Energy and Environment on their latest work regarding installer best practices, HVAC diagnostic tools, contractor considerations for adoption, and previewed the now-published contractor guide.
We also dedicated significant time to dual fuel systems, with a presentation from the Consortium for Energy Efficiency. This work is especially relevant to our Midwest utility partners as we continue to navigate cold-climate heating challenges and infrastructure optimization.
Many useful Midwest Collaborative resources were presented during this meeting, please find the resources below:
Technical Reports and Guides
Smart HVAC Diagnostic Tools - Contractor Guide - This document highlights how smart HVAC diagnostic tools combine digital sensors and mobile applications to automate complex calculations and guide technicians through standardized field workflows.
Dual Fuel Thermostat Utility Program Survey - This comprehensive report evaluates the residential thermostat rebate landscape across 13 Midwestern states, highlighting how mismatched utility incentives frequently promote thermostats that are technically incompatible with dual-fuel heat pumps.
Thermostat Configuration Guides
The following configuration guides outline the technical settings required to optimize Honeywell T10+ Pro, ecobee Enhanced, and Google Nest for 24V dual-fuel air source heat pump systems. They provide specific recommendations for outdoor switchover temperatures and staging controls to balance occupant comfort with energy savings, lower heating costs, and reduced emissions.
ecobee Enhanced Dual Fuel Guide
Webinar - The Heat Pump Price Puzzle: Decoding Installation Costs in the Midwest
Watch the Recording Here
Interest in residential air source heat pumps (ASHPs) continues to grow, but installation costs vary widely. Multiple factors contribute to costs and lead to these variations, including equipment pricing, home characteristics, installer experience, and local market conditions. These inconsistencies can make it difficult for homeowners to know what to expect. This webinar will unpack these factors and actual costs by sharing research on distributor equipment pricing in a major Midwest metro area, real-world installation costs reported by homeowners in Michigan, Illinois, and Minnesota, and insights from distributors, utility providers, and program leaders to help explain what truly drives ASHP installation costs.
Access the full report here.
Webinar - Moving Toward High-Performance HVAC: Unlocking the Potential of Dual Fuel Heat Pumps in the Midwest
Watch the Recording Here
An in-depth webinar explored the role of dual fuel heat pumps in achieving high-performance HVAC solutions across the Midwest. Based on research and a newly published report from the Midwest Heating and Cooling Collaborative, this session provided practical insights into how dual fuel systems could reduce energy costs, improve comfort, and support grid resilience while overcoming key market barriers.
Whether attendees were contractors, utility representatives, program designers, or policymakers, they gained valuable knowledge on:
- The types and applications of dual fuel heat pumps and their cold climate performance
- Customer and contractor considerations during emergency and planned replacements
- Results from field modeling across multiple Midwest climate zones
Webinar - Contractor Summit Toolkit: Hosting Effective Summits to Advance Heat Pump Technology in Local Markets
Watch the Recording Here
Hosting a contractor summit isn’t just about providing information; it’s about creating momentum, building confidence, and fostering collaboration among all the key stakeholders.
This webinar presented findings from a recently published resource created by the Midwest Heating and Cooling Collaborative that assisted in planning a successful summit to advance heat pump technology in local markets. Additionally, speakers highlighted real-world examples of contractor summits and the impact they had created within the local community.
MEEA Webinar - Data-Driven Insights on Hybrid HVAC: Comfort, Costs, and Grid Benefits
Watch the Recording Here
GTI Energy’s Joe Ricchiuto presented new research on residential hybrid HVAC systems that combined electric heat pumps with gas furnaces. Drawing from a Techno-Market assessment using GTI’s Virtual Test Home, Joe presented a comparison of electric-only, gas-only, and hybrid system configurations across different climate zones, analyzing performance, cost, and emissions outcomes. He demonstrated how hybrid systems, especially when paired with smart controls, could provide a flexible, cost-effective pathway to decarbonization, offering substantial emissions reductions and grid support without sacrificing comfort or affordability.
NEEP Webinar Series - Ready, Set, Scale
Sign up Here for Future Webinars and to Watch Previous Webinars in the Series
The Ready, Set, Scale. webinar series focuses on the key mechanisms to accelerate energy efficiency, electrification, grid flexibility, and workforce development to lower energy bills, improve air quality, and build an affordable, sustainable, resilient energy future. Join us all year long for discussions, analysis, and peer learning around collaborative, multi-state approaches to transform the energy efficiency market.