Established
on April 10, 2008
Radiant
Panel Association (RPA) Board of Directors
Denver,
Colorado.
Core
Purpose:
To
partner with our members to provide superior leadership to the radiant industry
through comprehensive education while providing a clearinghouse of experience,
ideas, and information on radiant heating. (2000) (2005) (2007)
Core
Values:
1. Work on the things we can agree on first. (2000)
2. Accomplish more together than we could
separately. (2000)
3. Meaningful dialogue. (2000)
4. Walk hand-in-hand even though we do not see eye
to eye. (2000)
5. Tolerance for diverse points of view. (2000)
6. Communication and cooperation. (2000)
7. Innovation - taking advantage of technology.
(2000)
8. A passionate belief in technology and its impact.
(2000) (2005)
9. Adventurous, entrepreneurs, pioneers, etc. (2000)
10. Professionalism, ethics. (2000)
11. Contributing to the body of knowledge. (2000)
12. Continually challenging the intellect of members.
(2000)
13. High standards - keeping the quality bar high.
(2000)
14. Future vision, focused on the big picture. (2000)
10-30 Year Planning Horizon
~ Core Ideology & Envisioned Future ~
World
View Goal:
Radiant
to be a preferred component of all comfort systems globally. (2000) (2005)
(2008 reviewed)
World
View Description:
1. Most barriers to the growth of radiant heat will
be eliminated. (2000) (2005) (2008 reviewed)
2. People will have the knowledge to make their
buying decisions with radiant as a priority. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
3. Radiant will be preferred in the new construction
market. (2000) (2005) (2008 reviewed)
4. It will be acknowledged by the building industry
that Radiant will improve the comfort, health, and energy efficiency of
buildings. (2000)(2008 revised)
5. It will be documented that Radiant has a dramatic
effect on the consumption of energy and level greenhouse emissions; it will be
an environmentally-friendly product. (2000) (2008 revised)
6. Radiant will be perceived as an HVAC partner.
(2005) (2008 reviewed)
7. Radiant will be competitively priced. (2005)(2008
reviewed)
8. Installer competence will be demanded. (2005)
(2008 reviewed)
5-10 Year Planning Horizon
~ Building Foresight ~
Industry
Structure and Competition:
1. Growing trend in smaller houses with more
amenities, while upscale homes are getting larger. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
2. Renewable energy use will become more prevalent.
(2005) (2008 reviewed)
3. There will be a blurring of the tiered
distribution system. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
4. The industry will need to provide viable cooling
systems with market acceptance. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
5. The industry will provide cost effective radiant
solutions for a growing remodeling market. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
6. There may be a stronger do-it-yourself market.
(2000) (2008 revised)
7. There will be increased consumer awareness and
demand, and increasingly sophisticated consumers - based in large part on the
Internet. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
8. More conventional contractors will be involved in
radiant panel systems, slowly overtaking the adventurous originators. (2000)
(2008 reviewed)
9. The forced air mindset will still be our primary
competition. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
10. Web-direct purchasing of products will be more
prevalent. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
11. Technology will move toward plug and play versus
custom. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
12. Whole house integration (Smart Home) increases.
(2005) (2008 reviewed)
13. Principle component complexity demands more
education and technical competency. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
14. Internet advancements make training and
certification more accessible. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
15. More female technicians in the workplace. (2005)
(2008 reviewed)
16. Shortage of qualified technicians. (2005) (2008
reviewed)
Global
Business Climate:
1. There will be an expanding global market in our
industry. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
2. There will be more foreign manufacturers
marketing in the United States, in particular products from China and the
Pacific Rim. (2000) (2005) (2008 reviewed)
3. There will be greater international technology
information exchange. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
4. There will be increasing opportunities for
distribution of products around the world because of the ongoing build-up in
infrastructure in many parts of the world. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
5. Europe will continue to be a model for energy
usage and system design. (2000) (2005) (2008 reviewed)
6. World economy will take a downturn. (2000) (2005)
(2008 reviewed)
7. Energy costs will continue to increase, affecting
worldwide availability. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
8. Energy demand will increasingly outstrip supply.
(2000) (2008 reviewed)
9. Renewable energy and energy efficiency will
become more prevalent in international thinking. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
Government
Regulation/Political:
1. There will be opportunities to positively
influence energy codes. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
2. Government regulations will be based on emission
and fuel outlooks. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
3. Efficiency requirements will increase. (2000)
(2008 reviewed)
4. Continued development of higher energy efficient
radiant products and systems. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
5. There will be reduced emission requirements for
fossil fuels. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
6. California and other big states will continue to
influence legislation at the state and national levels. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
7. There will be more regulation on the local level
- e.g. energy code issues. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
8. Energy will become one of the bases for
regulation. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
9. Green building concepts will have more impact on
regulations. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
10. International standards have more impact on US
regulation. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
Social
and Demographics:
1. There will be an increase in consumer demand for
personal luxuries. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
2. There will be a downsizing of homes but an
increase in desired amenities. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
3. Baby boomers will retire and their spending will
continue. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
4. Information will be more readily available to
consumers. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
5. Generation X will demand less work and more
income. They will also demand more
comfort. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
2011 Planning Horizon
~ Outcome-Oriented Goals ~
GOAL #1: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (2000)
Education, training and certification programs
(2000)
Objectives
-
1. Add engineer, troubleshooting, hybrid design,
solar and courses for related trades (education). (2000) (2008 revised)
2. certification : 1. Field technician; 2.
Installer; 3. designer; 4. snow melting; 5 Electric Installer. (2000) (2005)
(2008 revised)
3. Develop business development, marketing, and
estimating modules for contractors. (2000) (2005) (2008 reviewed)
Strategies
-
1. Board to prioritize which courses are most
critical and define the desired outcome of each. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
2. Assign courses to education committee.
(2000)(2008 revised)
3. Develop the courses. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
4. Train the instructors by offering courses for
instructors. (2000) (2005)(2008 modified)
5. Operate the courses profitably. (2000) (2008
reviewed)
6. Teach inspectors and offer coop funding for
trainers. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
7. Measure success via attendance and profitability
(2000) (2008 reviewed)
GOAL #2: PUBLIC AWARENESS (2000)
Broad-based consumer acceptance of the benefits
of radiant technology. (2000)
Objectives
-
1. Provide more readily-available, informative
and complete information. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
Strategies
-
1. Make the website more exciting and interactive.
(2000) (2008 reviewed)
2. Produce generic radiant facts literature and
website. (consumer oriented literature available to dealers and consumers -
co-branded, customized, etc.). (2000) (2002) (2008 reviewed)
3. Commercial advertising, free advertising,
contractors should use and include radiant/RPA information in their yellow page
ads (provide the contractor with materials they can use - dealer promotional
materials). (2000) (2008 reviewed)
4. Produce a consumer benefits and property value
survey on website (2002) (2008 modified)
5. Public education for DIY sales. (2005)(2008
modified
6. Broader cost effective marketing approach, ie.
Radio newspaper and TV. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
7. More branding, ie. Logos on member web page,
literature, advertising, etc. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
GOAL #3: INDUSTRY AWARENESS (2000)
Increased industry awareness among related
associations and industry partners will result in integration of radiant
heating into current building technologies. (2000)
Objectives-
1. Increase relationships with industry associations
and professional groups. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
2. Have various manufacturers include RPA literature
in their training and promotions. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
Strategies
-
1. Enlist key individuals currently in the radiant
industry. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
2. Collect testimonials from influential
individuals, etc. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
GOAL #4: ADVOCACY (2000)
RPA advocacy and influence on building and energy
codes will result in increased acceptance and demand for radiant technology.
(2000)
Objectives
-
1. Disseminate and proliferate the RPA standards
among building officials. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
2. Successfully gain favorable recognition of
building and mechanical codes, per RPA guidelines. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
3. Gain favorable consideration under energy
efficiency codes and guidelines. (2000)
Strategies
-
1. Follow-up letter to code officials on usefulness
of RPA Guidelines. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
2. Advertise in inspector publications. (2005) (2008
reviewed)
3. Investigate Energy Star programs (state
programs). (2005) (2008 reviewed)
4. Educating inspectors, state and local levels.
(2005) (2008 reviewed)
GOAL #5: RPA GUIDELINES (2000) (2005)
Consumer satisfaction and industry credibility
are assured by development, acceptance and participation in reasonable and
responsible guidelines. (2000) (2005)
Objectives
-
1. Develop radiant cooling guidelines. (2005) (2008
reviewed)
2. Develop alternative energy guidelines. (2005)
(2008 reviewed)
3. Improve distribution of the RPA Guidelines.
(2000) (2005)
Strategies
–
1. Create an action committee whose focus is to
expand the guidelines. (2000) (2008 reviewed)
GOAL #6: BUSINESS ADVANTAGE (2000)
Members will benefit from RPA's role as a
facilitator of the exchange of business ideas, technical methodologies, and
objective consumer information about radiant concepts.
Objectives
with Strategies -
1. Increase conference attendance, website visits,
and educational/ training course attendance. (2000) (2005) (2008 reviewed)
Strategies
-
1. Increase publicity of the documentation in the
newsletter, on the website, and any other printed materials produced by RPA.
(2000) (2008 reviewed)
2. Emphasis on new technology, products and
installation methods. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
3. New seminar courses on trouble shooting and
service. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
GOAL #7: RESEARCH & INNOVATION (2000)
The industry and consumers will benefit from the
RPA's passionate encouragement of innovation, research and cooperation to
improve radiant technology and information. (2000)
Objectives
-
1. Become a conduit between field requirements and
requests, and research agencies and funding. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
1. Key measure: dollars received. (2005)
2. Developed performance rating and certification of
equipment and systems.(2000)(2008 moved)
Strategies
-
1. Collect and assemble information- exergy,
efficiency and comfort. (2005)(2008 modified)
2. Identify sources of funding. (2005) (2008
reviewed)
3. Cooperative relationships. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
4. Provide infrastructure to move ideas from concept,
through research to information distribution. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
GOAL #8: INCREASE MEMBERSHIP (2005)
RPA will increase its membership. (2005)(2008
reviewed)
Objectives
-
1. Increase membership as the industry grows judged
by a minimum of 50% of the growth of tubing and electric sales. (2002) (2005)
(2008 reviewed)
Strategies
-
1. Promote benefits of the organization at regional
trade shows and encourage membership. (2002) (2008 reviewed)
2. Be aggressive in developing, cataloging and
pursuing public relations opportunities to consumers and trade. (2005) (2008
reviewed)
3. Shift from a feature based organization to a
benefit based organization (2002)(2008 reviewed)
4. More personal (telephone, face-to-face contact
with membership) focus on key membership. (2005)(2008 reviewed)
5. More tangible benefits. (2005) (2008 reviewed)
6. Decrease membership loss and contact lapsed
members (include telephone, exit surveys). (2005)(2008 modified)
7. Increase perceived value to membership - make it
difficult to not renew because of the benefits. (2005)(2008 modified)
8. Take care of chapters (2002) (2005) (2008
reviewed)
SHORT TERM PLANNING
2008-09
Objectives; (through June 2009)
1. Successful REX in August 2008 both financially
and attendance. (Refer to Goal 6)
a.
1500 total attendance
b.
10% net profit
2. Technician education and certification. (Refer
to Goal 1)
a.
Radiant I course
b.
Radiant Technician certification exam
3. Revised installer education and certification
(Refer to Goal 1)
a.
Radiant II course
b.
Revise Radiant Installer certification exam
4. Revised designer certification (Refer to Goal
1)
a.
Revise Radiant Designer certification exam to reflect Radiant Precision.
5. Electrical education and certification (Refer
to Goal 1)
a.
Assemble an electric manual from Radiant I & II
b.
Develop course
c.
Create Electric certification exam
6. Energize chapters (Refer to Goal 8)
a.
Board members visit chapters
b.
Recruit leadership
c.
Board meetings at chapter with meet and greet event for local members
7. Successful conference in May 2009 both
financially and attendance (Refer to Goal 6)
a.
2 day social/educational event
b.
Associated with active chapter
c.
All volunteer event
d.
Financed through sponsorship and registration
e.
Technical tract and Business tract
8. Increase membership (Refer to Goal 8)
a.
implement free membership program
b.
display advertisement
9. Consumer awareness (Refer to Goal 2)
a.
open REX to consumers if possible
b.
complete website development
10. University research product performance
evaluation (Refer to Goal 7)
a.
locate facility
b.
project work study
c.
implement study
11. Update Guidelines (Refer to Goal 5)
a.
Review international standards radiant surface heating & cooling
b.
Develop thermal solar section to Guidelines
c.
Develop radiant cooling section to Guidelines
12. Allocate educational Lowe Fund (Refer to Goal
#1)
a.
identify potential scholarship fund(s)
b.
select target scholarship
c.
create scholarship
d.
promote Lowe Fund
13. Offer Power Point presentations to members
and associated trade organizations (Refer to Goal 3)
14. Include banner ads on website
15. Sell sponsorship to newsletter
a.
Sponsors listed at bottom of first page
b.
$1000 per year