NEW PRODUCTS
Energy-recovery modules RAPID energy-recovery modules for direct- and indirect-fired heating or cooling sections feature an air-to-air plate exchanger
EnOcean Alliance Reports Strong Growth
EnOcean Alliance reports it is experiencing its fastest growth rate since its founding in 2008. With 50-percent growth in membership between July 2011 and July 2012, the independent non-profit organization now has a membership base of 300 companies worldwide.
Wi-Fi-Enabled Smart Thermostat
The EMS Si thermostat is wi-fi enabled to provide facilities personnel the ability to control an unlimited number of thermostats across diverse geographies directly from secure Web portals.
Building-Management System
The ComfortPoint Open Building Management System was designed as a powerful yet easy-to-use tool control and optimize heating and cooling equipment in facilities.
Expanded software design tools
eDesign Suite software tools help building designers rapidly compare annual energy costs for HVAC designs. Supporting the design of high-performance buildings that consume less energy, the eDesign Suite assists engineers in the early design phase of a project, when rapid evaluation of design alternatives is critical. The Building System Optimizer, a major offering under the eDesign Suite, uses a streamlined user interface and automatic model generation to allow a full model of the building and its HVAC systems to be configured in just minutes.
Sustainability Study: U.S. Buildings Have a Long Way to Go
The vast majority of public and private commercial buildings in the United States have a long way to go on the path to sustainable and energy-efficient operations. That conclusion is included in the study, “A Path to Achieving Higher Building Performance,” which was conducted by Siemens Building Technologies Division and McGraw-Hill Construction.
Sensor and Control Market to Top $4 Billion in 2020
The U.S. market for sensors and controls for building-energy-management systems (BEMS) will rise at a 17 percent compound annual growth rate to $2.14 billion in 2020, while the European market will reach $1.93 billion in 2020, a 19% compound annual growth rate, according to a Lux Research report.
LonMark-Certified Programmable Controllers
ECL series programmable controllers use LonWorks 2.0 technology, including the new FT-5000 Neuron from Echelon, providing fast operating speeds and high functionality.
Time-Lapse Building-Automation-System Graphics
Time-Lapse Graphics, a new feature within the latest version of the WebCTRL building-automation system, allows building owners to review and play back hours of real-time data in just minutes.
IBM Awarded Contract to Make 50 Federal Buildings Smarter
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has awarded a contract to IBM to develop and install advanced smart-building technology in 50 of the federal government’s highest energy-consuming buildings. Part of GSA’s larger smart-building strategy, this initiative will connect building-management systems to a central cloud-based platform, improving efficiency and saving up to $15 million in taxpayer dollars annually.
Collaboration Between LonMark, OpenADR Alliance Boosts Smart-Grid Adoption
LonMark International and the OpenADR Alliance, a nonprofit corporation created to foster the development, adoption, and compliance of a smart-grid standard known as open automated demand response (OpenADR), announced they are working together to improve interoperability between certified products to enable commercial buildings to better manage energy use.
A Platinum Building for Golden Agers
The motto of Portland, Ore.-based Glumac is "Thinking. Inside the Building," and the design team at the company did some of its best thinking in creating the HVAC, plumbing, and lighting systems for the Mirabella retirement community in Portland, Ore.
You Can’t Fight This Outstanding Design
Thanks to heads-up work by the team at Phoenix-based SmithGroupJJR, led by Project Engineer Jonathan Silhol, PE, LEED AP BD+C, Chandler’s new city hall showcases some of the HVAC industry’s latest technologies and stands as an example of outstanding HVAC design work.
