Step aside green and make room for sustainable. Although arguably much the same, these two terms are jockeying for a prominent place in the HVACR contractor’s approach to the design, installation, and repair of HVAC systems as a whole. The resulting terminology war is launching another term into the green theater - high performance.

IBE Consulting Engineers (IBE), a leading mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineering firm, announced the addition of Beckham Price, LEED AP, as sustainable services manager. An early adopter of sustainable building practices, Price has worked in construction management from both the client and contractor sides.

HVACR contractors who do work in the hotel-motel sector probably know it already - there is what has been described as “fundamental contradictions of sustainability in the hospitality industry.” For example, there may be a lot of talk of going green, but that may not mean action.

When Stop & Shop was looking for ways to incorporate sustainable technology into its new multimillion dollar West Hartford, Conn., store, it focused on energy savings and a reduced carbon footprint. In fact, the store, which opened in December 2010, is a 38,000-square-foot model of sustainability.

Ingersoll-Rand plc has awarded $150,000 to Purdue University to sponsor its team’s bid in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon 2011. The company said the underwriting of Purdue’s entry illustrates the contribution that solar energy and state-of the-art technology bring in creating environmentally responsible residential homes.

In one sense, schools face shrinking budgets like everyone else. From another angle, however, it appears that they are still more likely to allocate significant portions of those budgets for projects that a) look good in the community, and b) save money.

Schools seem to go to extremes when it comes to their mechanical systems. For many, the trend has been to ignore them, fix them on the cheap to remain within constrained budgets, and operate them in ways that often provide a disservice to the very budgets they try to conform to. However, lately they have been trending green, as examples to the students and the community.

Top topics these days for people involved in the food retail sector are energy, sustainability, and compliance and how to discuss those with decision makers within that sector. Data plays a significant role in selling an energy project. Once the project is sold and installed, we need to deliver proof of savings.

The theme of the 22nd annual North American Energy Efficiency Forum was “Energy Efficiency: The Smart Path to Energy Security and Economic Growth” and speakers addressed the importance of pursuing energy efficiency and alternative energy sources not only to reduce energy costs but also enhance national security.

A group of nearly 550 individuals packed the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas for the 2011 HVAC Excellence National HVACR Educators and Trainers Conference (NHETC). The NHETC is an annual event dedicated to providing continuing education for HVACR educators and trainers.