The convenience of rooftop packaged units has driven a demand for increasingly larger units. With these larger units, many factors need to be considered in the design of the building, such as increased structural support. Unfortunately, the increased sound levels produced by these units are sometimes overlooked.

Barix AG, a supplier of IP-based control and monitoring solutions, is providing Lake and Peninsula School District in southwest Alaska with its Barix Barionet IP control and automation devices to remotely monitor the HVAC, electrical, and other critical building systems at 14 schools across a remote, 400-square-mile section of the state.

Where should you look for the best examples of large-scale, energy-efficient green building today? Not the United States. Instead the greenest new buildings on the planet are located in Europe. “The Europeans are now the leaders,” stated American green building consultant Jerry Yudelson.

Imagine a lightweight, flexible material that effectively insulates pipes in steam distribution systems. You don’t have to imagine anymore. With DOE assistance, Aspen Aerogels developed insulation that provides the same insulating capabilities as conventional products, but with up to five times less material.

Space heating and lighting consume most of the energy in non-refrigerated warehouses. Installing more efficient lighting to save energy has been well documented by computer modeling. But what about space heating? This article summarizes an energy modeling analysis showing energy performance for six types of gas-fired heating systems commonly used in warehouses.

Voltage unbalance degrades performance and shortens the life of a three-phase motor. It causes phase current unbalance far out of proportion to the voltage unbalance. Unbalanced currents lead to torque pulsations, increased vibrations and mechanical stresses, increased losses, and motor overheating, which results in a shorter winding insulation life.

To find out readers’ opinions about where solar products stand in today’s market, a brief, informal online survey was conducted on The NEWS Website. Survey respondents in this case do feel solar is taking hold in the residential sector.

Scenario: Single stage residential cooling equipment. Homeowner complains that humidity is too high at their desired thermostat setting. Actions: You think this is too easy. Probably a system-related problem (dirty filter, low charge, dirty condenser; the usual stuff). But you also realize that it’s been a little cooler than most summers.

Outdoor air brought into a building can be expensive to temper and, if not properly conditioned, can cause humidity problems for the building. Designers are increasingly finding that using dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS) allows them to comply with ASHRAE 62.1 with an energy efficient and easily verifiable design.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has actively supported cost-shared combined heat and power (CHP) R&D and demonstration projects. This article showcases four successful CHP demonstration projects, and illustrates its broad applicability across industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities.