This case study describes how Mass Save, a collaborative of Massachusetts’ electric and natural gas utilities and energy-efficiency service providers, designed and implemented a novel residential heating and cooling program to incentivize adoption of smart diagnostic tools and contribute to HVAC workforce development. This program uses smart diagnostic tools to enable quality installation and tune-ups and reduce the energy use and peak demand of residential HVAC equipment.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Smart Tools for Efficient HVAC Performance supports the use of wirelessly connected smart diagnostic tools—a suite of digital probes that transmit key HVAC system measurements such as refrigerant temperatures and pressures to HVAC system diagnostics smartphone applications. These tools can help determine whether air source heat pumps, central air conditioners, and other residential HVAC equipment are installed or operating correctly.