What started out as a lack of space has turned into a pot of gold for one HVAC contractor. For Wesley Holm of Thompson Plumbing, Heating & Cooling of Cincinnati, the realization that his building was too small was the beginning of the end of keeping a large cache of parts and equipment in his physical inventory. And he couldn’t be happier.

The installed cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the United States fell substantially in 2010 and into the first half of 2011, according to a report released by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).

Duluth International Airport officials announced receipt of a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Voluntary Airports Low Emissions (VALE) Program that will be used for the design and construction of a geothermal heating and cooling system.

Today there are tons of HVAC parts and equipment available for sale online to do-it-yourselfers and consumers who want to bypass the traditional means of purchasing equipment from an HVAC contractor. So who installs the equipment?  

With the solar energy industry maturing and expanding to newer markets, the focus of innovation and investment has shifted from panels to installations — the final critical step for monetization, according to a Lux Research report titled, “Swimming Downstream: Evaluating Up-and-Coming Solar Installers and Developers.”

Zager Plumbing & Solar Inc. announced it will soon install a 10 kW grid-tied photovoltaic system at its office headquarters in Deerfield Beach, Fla.

EMCOR Group Inc., a leader in mechanical and electrical construction, energy infrastructure, and facilities services, announced that its subsidiary Central Mechanical Co. Inc. has been awarded a contract for the installation of mechanical systems at an addition to Caterpillar’s work tools campus in Wamego, Kan.

Interest in wood-fired hydronic heating systems continues to rise along with the price of conventional fuel. What kind of solutions are available and how do you handle them?

The LED10W-1X2LT rechargeable, portable, and adjustable LED light tower produces 1,600 lumens and is capable of running for 20 hours on a single charge. The weather- and abuse-resistant tower package includes two aluminum-bodied and IP68-rated LED light heads producing 800 lumens each.

Most new installations of grilles and diffusers involve a suspended ceiling grid, but some installations require surface mounting. Square ceiling diffusers and filter grilles can present the biggest challenge. Here are some recommended guidelines and solutions.