Three leading trade associations in the indoor environmental industry have announced they will collaborate closely on educational initiatives to benefit the industry's hydronics and radiant panel sectors. 
   The three associations are Air Conditioning Contractors of America, which represents contracting businesses; the Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute, which represents manufacturers; and Heating, Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International, which represents wholesalers and distributors. 
   "Hydronics is of growing importance to our industry, as contractors are now being expected to understand a wide variety of different technologies in order to serve their customers, from air to water to ground and back again," said Paul T. Stalknecht, ACCA President & CEO. "The three legs of our industry-contractors, manufacturers, and distributors-all recognize this importance. We understand we need to work together to ensure that systems are properly designed, installed, and maintained." 
   The hydronics partnership was developed in a series of meetings at ACCA, which recently launched a Radiant & Hydronics Council to provide specific support to member companies who work in the hydronics field. Be sure to check out the January issue of the Western Plumbing News e-newsletter from Reeves Journal for more on the ACCA's Radiant & Hydronics Council.