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Upgrade of District Heating and Cooling System to Increase Energy Efficiency
Veolia Energy North America awarded a design/build contract to Progressive AE to upgrade its Grand Rapids district heating and cooling system. The firm is designing and installing a cutting-edge condensing heat exchanger, a sophisticated heat recovery technology that will reduce the volume of fuel consumed by at least 5 percent.
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Advanced Reciprocating Engine Provides High-Efficiency CHP
Through its Advanced Reciprocating Engine Systems (ARES) program, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) seeks to help industry take advantage of reduced natural gas prices by introducing options for engine development for distributed energy and combined heat and power (CHP) applications.
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Parabolic Trough Solar Technology Provides Hot Water, Heating and Cooling
Abengoa Solar is building large-scale parabolic trough solar installations in Arizona and New York. The hot water produced at the Arizona plant will be used in the treatment of contaminated water. In the New York application, solar energy will deliver heating, cooling, and humidity control for the manufacturing facilities at a piano factory.
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DuPont, DOE Partner on Innovative Thin Film Solar Program
DuPont has announced plans with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for a $9 million solar research program. The program is designed to accelerate commercialization of a protective film that prevents moisture from degrading the performance of thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules, a key challenge in the past.
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TKDA Earns National Award for Innovative Steam Generating Facility
TKDA, an employee-owned engineering, architecture, and planning firm, has received a national award for its design of an innovative, environmentally friendly steam generating facility for Andersen Corp. The award was given by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) at an event held in Washington, D.C.
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NYSERDA Launches Energy $mart Focus Program for Health Care
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has announced a new initiative — the New York Energy $martSM Focus on Healthcare — to help health care facilities in identifying cost-effective investments in energy efficiency that will improve overall energy performance.
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Doubts About Fabric Ductwork Quelled by Computer Modeling
When building officials questioned whether HVAC fabric air dispersion could outperform metal ductwork/register systems in a new $17 million community center, consulting engineering firm Millcreek Engineering Co. used its own custom-designed proprietary modeling software to demonstrate its performance.
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EPA Identifies Six Greenhouse Gases as Threat to Public Health
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a proposed finding that greenhouse gases contribute to air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare. The proposed finding, which now moves to a public comment period, identified six greenhouse gases that pose a potential threat.
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Energy Star Program Helps New York Homes Use Less Energy
For New Yorkers bracing against high home energy costs this heating season, relief is available through the Home Performance with Energy Star® Program. Implemented by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the program aims to improve the energy efficiency, comfort, and safety of existing homes.
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DOE Regional Application Centers Aid in CHP Implementation
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reports that it has eight
Regional Application Centers (RAC) located throughout the United States that
provide information about utilizing combined heat and power (CHP) technologies
as a near-term solution to energy challenges.
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Voluntary Programs Can Be Cost-Effective Way to Offer Benefits
Combined Insurance encourages employers to consider voluntary benefits programs as an incentive to help retain employees. The company says these programs can be a cost-effective way for employers to reduce labor costs, yet help retain workers by providing access to disability, life, and other insurance.
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Wood Chips to Heat Laboratories, Save Natural Gas
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will fire up its Renewable Fuel Heat Plant (RFHP) this fall as the weather gets colder. The new $3.3 million boiler facility will heat South Table Mountain Campus laboratory buildings by burning wood chips that includes trees lost to the region’s mountain pine beetle epidemic.
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Massachusetts Utilities Announce ‘Zero Energy Challenge’
Massachusetts’ investor-owned electric utilities have introduced a new energy efficiency pilot program called the “Zero Energy Challenge.” The purpose of the initiative is to promote the use of advanced energy efficiency technologies and engage Massachusetts homebuilders in utilizing advanced building techniques.
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Greening the Real World
Most days, Lenoir City, Tenn., resident Kim Charles doesn’t even notice the solar panels on her roof, the hum of her SEER 17 heat pump water heater, or the integrated design that places most of her home’s plumbing within one wall, saving energy. What she does notice is an electricity bill that averages about 41 cents per day.
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Michigan Contractors Discuss Cutting Expenses
The most profitable HVACR contractors are those who monitor their expenses and cut costs whenever possible. Never has that been more evident than in an economically challenged state like Michigan. The NEWS recently sat down with three Michigan contractors to discuss cost-cutting measures.
by John R. Hall
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Arizona Contractors Watch Their Expenses
The air conditioning season lasts almost the entire year in sunny Arizona but that doesn’t mean contractors have more than enough work to stay profitable. Cutting expenses is still a priority, several Arizona HVACR contractors told The NEWS during an informal roundtable meeting.
by John R. Hall
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May Heating and Cooling Equipment Shipments Decline
Combined U.S. factory shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for May were down 14 percent compared with the same month a year ago. U.S. factory shipments of gas warm air furnaces in May dropped 23 percent compared with the same month a year ago.
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AHRI Prepared to Challenge Albuquerque’s Energy Code
The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) is preparing to seek a possible injunction in federal court against the city of Albuquerque, N.M., if its council and mayor continue to stick with the city’s new Energy Conservation Code and High Performance Building Ordinance, set to become effective July 1.
by Mark Skaer
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Housing Starts Decline 3.3 Percent in May
Providing the latest evidence of the ongoing downturn in the nation’s housing market, the U.S. Department of Commerce reported that housing starts declined 3.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 975,000 units in May. This was the lowest total starts number since March 1991.
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Multifamily Housing Starts Rise, but Single-Family Numbers Fall Further
The downswing in single-family housing deepened in April while a bump up for the month in the volatile multifamily market lifted total housing starts 8.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.032 million units, according to figures released by the Commerce Department. Total starts were down 30.6 percent from a year earlier.
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Short- and Long-Term Economic Doldrums?
If you’re down in the dumps over the latest news and views regarding the near term state of the economy, then don’t look at the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO’s) latest projections to brighten things up for the long run. But let’s first grasp a little history.
by Raymond J. Keating
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