Obama Administration Announces $40 Million for Energy-Efficiency and Conservation Projects
Energy Secretary Steven Chu has announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding nearly $40 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to Florida and Maine to support clean-energy projects. Under DOE's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, these states will implement programs that lower energy use, reduce carbon pollution, and create green jobs locally....
New Study: Green Building to Support Nearly 8 Million U.S. Jobs
Despite a challenging economic outlook, green building will support 7.9 million U.S. jobs and pump $554 billion into the U.S. economy—including $396 billion in wages—over the next four years, according to a new study from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Booz Allen Hamilton. The study also determined that green-construction spending currently supports more than 2 million U.S. jobs and generates more than $100 billion in gross domestic product and wages....
Book Makes Case for Energy Efficiency in Existing Buildings
A new publication from industry organizations provides guidance for the business case to achieve energy savings as much as 30 percent. “Energy Efficiency Guide for Existing Commercial Buildings: The Business Case for Building Owners and Managers” provides the rationale for making economic decisions related to improving and sustaining energy efficiency in existing buildings. Approximately 86 percent of U.S. annual building-construction expenditures relate to renovation of existing buildings vs. new construction. Specifically, the guide provides applications that could produce energy savings from 10 to 15 percent or a more aggressive approach that could save at least 30 percent....
Free Report Highlights Water-Technology Opportunities
What’s the fastest growing concern of the green building movement? Not necessarily energy, but water conservation, including the water-technology opportunities profiled in Jerry Yudelson’s latest green-building report, sponsored by the Mechanical Contractors Education and Research Foundation, the research arm of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA)....
Free Symposium on Air-Filtration Design, Maintenance
A free symposium on air-filtration design and maintenance will be held Nov. 24 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. Presented by the university in collaboration with Camfil-Farr, provider of air-filtration and clean-air solutions, the technical session will cover particulate filtration, particularly how recent changes in American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers standards affect design and maintenance; full-scale testing of gas-phase filters; and how molecular filtration can be used to improve indoor-air quality and mitigate the threat of toxic gases....
NASEO to Convene Zero-Energy Commercial Buildings Consortium
The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) will convene the Zero-Energy Commercial Buildings Consortium to support the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Initiative. NASEO is comprised of senior officials from the energy offices of the states and territories, as well as affiliates from private and public sectors, and will provide leadership for the consortium....
IFMA Names President/CEO
The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has announced the appointment of Anthony J. Keane, CAE, as the association’s new president and chief executive officer (CEO). His appointment coincides with the retirement of David J. Brady, current IFMA president and CEO, at the end of February 2010....
Former AMCA President Receives Distinguished Service Award
Pete Neitzel, former Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International president and retired vice president of engineering and manufacturing for Greenheck Fan Corp. in Schofield, Wis., received AMCA’s Distinguished Service Award, the association's highest honor. Current AMCA President Denis Labelle, executive vice president of T. A. Morrison & Co. Inc. of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, presented the award to Neitzel during AMCA's annual meeting, held in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada....
Yaskawa on Twitter
Yaskawa has been launched on Twitter....
ASHRAE Tech Program Set
Building Sustainability From the Inside Out” is the theme of the technical program of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers' (ASHRAE's) 2010 Winter Conference...
Codes & Standards
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is accepting proposals for a user's manual for ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2010, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. ...
HPAC Engineering Names Central/West Managers
John Ehlen and Randy Jeter are HPAC Engineering's new Central/West sales representatives. Ehlen and Jeter represent HPAC Engineering and all of its supplements/special...
Working Adults Willing to Sacrifice Comfort to Save Energy
Business owners should think twice before tweaking workplace temperature settings this fall. According to a new survey of office workers, 69 percent said they would be willing to sacrifice their preferred ideal temperature in the office to help their company conserve energy. However the survey also found that nearly four in five participants (78 percent) say they are less productive at work when they are too hot or cold....
Underwriters Laboratories Opens New HVACR Performance-Testing Facility
Underwriters Laboratories (UL), which provides compliance-testing solutions, has announced the opening of its HVACR Performance Test Center in Plano, Texas. The newly expanded facility and the introduction of new testing equipment doubles UL’s testing capacity and enhances its HVACR performance-testing capabilities....
ASHRAE Winter Conference Program to Focus on Humidity
The 2010 ASHRAE Winter Conference, which will take place Jan. 23-27 in Orlando, Fla., will focus on developments that contribute to making indoor environments sustainable in humid climates, while addressing myriad other HVACR-industry issues. The technical program will be based on the theme “Building Sustainability From the Inside Out.” ...
August Heating- and Cooling-Equipment Shipment Data Released
U.S. factory shipments of gas-fired, warm-air furnaces in August totaled 171,539, a 10.6-percent drop compared with the same month a year ago. Oil-fired, warm-air furnaces for the same month totaled 4,611, a 32.1-percent drop compared with August 2008 totals. Year-to-date, gas-furnace shipments totaled 1,228,454, a 14.3-percent drop compared with the same period last year. Oil-furnace shipments year-to-date totaled 26,137, a 21-percent drop compared with the same period last year....
Schneider Electric Announces TAC as Buildings Business
Schneider Electric, which specializes in energy-management and security solutions, has announced it has completed the transformation of TAC as its Buildings Business. Schneider Electric will offer customers a range of solutions related to power, data centers, industrial automation, building management, and security....
Publication Date for High-Performance Building Standard Draws Near
The total building-sustainability package, addressing everything from design and commissioning to plans for high-performance operation, is covered in a proposed green-building standard currently open for public review....
European and Mediterranean Energy Efficiency & Climate Change Forum Announced
Johnson Controls Inc. and The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation have announced the creation of a European and Mediterranean Energy Efficiency & Climate Change Forum. The event will be hosted in Monaco in April 2010 and will focus on a range of energy efficiency and policy issues with the goal of elevating awareness and accelerating action on implementing energy-efficiency programs to slow climate change....
ASHRAE Learning Institute Offers New Professional-Development Seminar
One third of the energy consumed by buildings in the United States has the potential to be conserved. To equip engineers with the knowledge to stop this energy loss, a new full-day professional-development seminar (PDS), “Energy Management in New and Existing Buildings: A Sustainable Activity,” will be offered as part of the ASHRAE Learning Institute at the 2010 Winter Conference....
New Global Chiller Group Formed
The formation of a new global chiller engineering and manufacturing group in Montreal has been announced. Gaetan Morin, executive vice-president of investments of the FTQ Solidarity Fund of Montreal, and Roger Richmond-Smith, chairman of the new Smardt Chiller Group, disclosed an FTQ minority investment of $15 million in the new entity, which merges the Australian PowerPax chiller business with its North American Smardt sister company and expands distribution offshore....
HPAC Engineering Author to Discuss European Green-Building Trends
HPAC Engineering author Jerry Yudelson, PE, MBA, LEED AP, will discuss the insights and green-building practices he illuminated in his recent book, “Green Building Trends: Europe,” during a free Webinar on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 1 p.m. Eastern....
Johnson Controls Co-Sponsors Energy-Efficiency Webcast
Energy Efficiency Forum co-sponsors U.S. Energy Association (USEA) and Johnson Controls Inc. will conduct a free Webcast, "Energy Efficiency: Policies, Priorities and Perspectives," on Monday, Oct. 19, at 10 a.m. EDT. Live via the Internet, the Webcast is the first in a series of online discussions among energy leaders from U.S. businesses, school districts, health-care facilities, and government and non-government organizations....
Building Energy Use Highlighted in ASHRAE Certification Program
As building owners and developers become increasingly concerned about rising energy costs and potential obligations under climate-change programs, building energy modeling helps provide a preview into a building’s likely energy use and allows decisions affecting energy use to be made before a shovel even hits the ground....
AHR Expo Registration Now Open
Registration and housing is now open for the 2010 AHR Expo. Celebrating its 62nd year, the comprehensive HVACR show is returning to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 25 to 27, 2010....
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