Changing customer demands, regulations and sustainability goals, and power regulation and resiliency concerns are leading building owners to realize that the guidelines they have traditionally used to assess their portfolios are changing, notes Navigant Research.
Because it uses the earth as a free heat source or heat sink, geothermal is inherently a highly efficient technology that can help homeowners and building owners save a significant amount of energy and money. And, as advances in technology continue to improve the efficiency and controls of these units, the industry is concurrently investigating ways to make geothermal an affordable option for all.
For the past decade, those in the geothermal heating and cooling industry have benefited from two tax credits that incentivize residential and commercial geothermal installations. But both of these tax credits are four months away from expiring, and all efforts to extend them have failed thus far.
Geothermal manufacturers, distributors, and organizations like the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) have stepped up their training efforts to ensure HVACR contractors are installing and servicing geothermal equipment to the highest standard.
While there are still misperceptions that deter some in the small-building market from investing in building management systems (BMS), many expect small-building owners and operators to continue to invest in BMS.
A new credential — the Energy Management Professional (EMP) certification from Energy Management Association (EMA) — is training individuals to balance the goals of energy conservation and building performance, which, according to Andrew Heitman of Building Energy Sciences LLC, Pensacola, Florida, keeps customers happy.
The installation included a 227-kW solar photovoltaic array on the school’s roof, a wood pellet boiler to supply most of the school’s heating needs, and replacement of 42 classroom ventilators and all the windows that are original to the 1961 portion of the building
Homeowners who have comfort problems often call HVAC contractors. There is a lot of opportunity here, though the road to success is crowded with barriers. But having a way to truly verify the operation of HVAC installations will overcome many of those barriers.
BuildingIQ has announced the acquisition of comfort sensing technology, comprised of the OptiCool and ComfortSENSE subsystems and interface, from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) for approximately AUD$500,000.
BuildingIQ announced the launch of its 5i platform-enabled services, designed to deliver value to building operators at any stage of a building’s lifecycle. The company said the 5i platform and services provide a better building Internet of Things (IoT) solution for owner/operators due to its five pillar approach.