NORA

Name

NORA

Legal name

National Oilheat Research Alliance

Website

https://noraweb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Research & Education (Heating Fuels)

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Heating Equipment, Except Electric & Warm Air Furnaces (3433)

akta.pro primary industry

Testing, Inspection, Certification & Commissioning (TICx) Technical Services (BPAHAIAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

EMS Training & Competency Development (EUAHAIAH), ISO 14001 Gap Assessment & Readiness (EUAHAIAA)

Keywords

• Liquid fuel heating research
• Oilheat industry education
• Technician certification programs
• Biodiesel heating research
• Renewable heating fuel standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Plainview

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Industry Assessment Fees: NORA was authorized into existence by the National Oilheat Research Act of 2000 and is funded through mandatory industry assessments from liquid fuel heating sector participants

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NORA is a federally-authorized non-profit industry organization that conducts research, provides education and certification, and develops standards for the U.S. liquid fuel home heating industry. It operates a dedicated research laboratory for testing biofuels and heating equipment, runs a tiered technician certification program (Bronze, Silver, Gold) through its online Learning & Resource Center, and coordinates state rebate programs for energy efficiency upgrades and renewable fuel adoption.

Product overview

NORA (National Oilheat Research Alliance) operates as an industry consortium focused on advancing liquid fuel home heating technology. The organization provides a portfolio of non-software products including a tiered technician certification program (Bronze, Silver, Gold), an online Learning & Resource Center for industry education, and operates the Liquid Heating Fuels Laboratory for research. Additional offerings include technical publications, the Net Zero Carbon Home program promoting renewable fuel adoption, state rebate programs for efficiency upgrades, and accredited technical school certification. The portfolio is oriented toward industry training, certification, and research rather than software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NORA Liquid Heating Fuels Laboratory: Research facility in Plainview, NY focused on liquid fuel heating technology and biofuels research.
• NORA Education
• Bioheat

Products and services

• NORA Technician Certification Program A tiered certification program (Bronze, Silver, Gold) for technicians working with liquid fuel heating equipment, verifying competency in installation, service, and safety, with particular focus on biodiesel blend compatibility.
• Learning & Resource Center An online education platform offering courses, training materials, and resources for technicians and professionals in the liquid fuel heating industry.
• NORA Liquid Heating Fuels Laboratory A research and testing facility in Plainview, NY focused on developing and validating liquid fuel heating technologies, renewable fuels (including biodiesel blends B0 through B100), and equipment performance.
• Net Zero Carbon Home Program Initiative promoting the transition to net-zero-carbon home heating through 100% biodiesel and renewable energy solutions for residential consumers.
• State Rebate Programs Financial incentive programs coordinated through state fuel dealers associations for energy efficiency upgrades, consumer education, technical training, and biofuels research and development.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI): HVACR equipment manufacturer trade association that develops performance standards for heating equipment — directly relevant to NORA's equipment compatibility testing and ASTM fuel specification work.
• Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC): Trade association for plumbing and HVAC contractors, including oilheat installers; competes for technician education mind-share with NORA's certification programs.
• National Propane Gas Association (NPGA): Trade association for the propane industry — an adjacent residential fuel with parallel technician training, safety, and renewable-propane decarbonization initiatives comparable to NORA's Bioheat mandate.
• ASHRAE: Global technical society setting heating, ventilation, and refrigeration standards; relevant peer on the standards-development and indoor air quality research sides that NORA's laboratory addresses.
• Heating, Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI): Larger HVACR distributor trade association with overlapping scope on heating equipment standards, distributor training, and industry advocacy relevant to NORA's wholesaler/retailer stakeholders.

Direct peers

• National Association of Oil Heating Service Technicians (NAOHSM): Direct peer trade association also focused on oilheating technician training, certification, and education in the U.S., serving the same installer/technician base as NORA's certification programs.
• Building Performance Institute (BPI): Building science certification body whose technician certifications (Gold, Building Analyst, etc.) directly parallel NORA's Bronze/Silver/Gold programs; NORA already offers BPI training and testing.
• Clean Fuels Alliance America: U.S. biodiesel industry trade association whose members (including the Nebraska Soybean Board, as referenced by NORA) overlap with NORA's Bioheat research, ASTM standards, and fuel testing work.
• National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors: Standards and certification body for boiler and pressure vessel inspectors, whose commissioning/inspection credentialing model parallels NORA's tiered technician certification approach for liquid fuel heating equipment.

Regional players

• Eurofuel: European heating oil industry association that co-hosts technical conferences with NORA (e.g., the 2021 Eurofuel/NORA Conference); comparable scope on renewable liquid heating fuels but focused on the EU market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@noranora9161/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/people/NORA/100086698623509
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/search/results/all/?fetchDeterministicClustersOnly=true&heroEntityKey=urn%3Ali%3Aorganization%3A98036799&keywords=nora&origin=RICH_QUERY_TYPEAHEAD_HISTORY&position=0&searchId=deadb42c-48af-4994-916c-8008c835bb61&sid=mLj&spellCorrectionEnabled=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/nora_zero_carbon_heating/?fbclid=IwAR3KadNIMkgqi8e0M6tl90hQPUeDU7Y4g6jx7bBBTij7BrBFI_AFEeuqv5g
• Xx.com/NationalOilheat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NORA