Together, residential and commercial buildings account for a staggering 40 percent of energy use in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). However, DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is developing a suite of tools to tame this energy beast - and it is free to anyone who wants to use it.

Recent industry trends have given rise to a new generation of building design tools known as building information modeling, or BIM. BIM goes further than traditional CAD drawings by providing intelligence to building components (such as HVAC) as well as providing system- and building-wide information and awareness (system flows or building loads) in addition to spatial relationships.

Martinson-Nicholls new residential Heated Snow Melting Stair Mats are designed to be quickly and easily connected to prevent snow and ice accumulation on stairs around the home. The Heated Stair Mats can be interconnected with the company’s residential Heated Walkway Mats to create a continuous system of snow melting mats.

When the weather is warm outside, it’s imperative to make sure that your building’s mechanical cooling systems are working at maximum efficiency. Since budgets are still tight, nobody wants high energy costs or, worse, an equipment failure. The best way to avoid these bad scenarios is to perform a cooling system tuneup.

Oregon State University’s (OSU’s) Energy Center is believed to be the first university-based cogeneration plant in the United States to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification. Cogeneration plants are designed to concurrently produce both electricity and heat from the same fuel.

Honeywell has announced an $18.8 million energy conservation and building modernization program with the Yonkers Housing Authority that will help improve its facilities, energy efficiency, and resident comfort and save an estimated $1.4 million in annual utility costs. It will also create opportunities for local subcontractors.

Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) first made its way into the world of venting systems in the residential market. Recently, CPVC has been used to vent Category IV high-efficiency boilers. While it can cost up to 20 percent less than stainless steel, those specifying venting systems should consider other differences that may impact boiler efficiency and present potential safety hazards. 

The newest product innovation in the ventilation industry - the modular/field-adjustable (M/FA) fabric duct/diffuser system - promises air distribution installation time reductions of as much as 40 to 80 percent and 15 to 50 percent less material costs, depending on marketplace geography.

Thermography uses an infrared camera (thermal imager) to capture two-dimensional representations of the surface temperatures of parts of buildings. Often, those images reveal temperatures or temperature differences that indicate conditions contributing to the waste of heated or cooled air and, as a result, needlessly excessive energy costs.

Desiccant dehumidification is a cost-effective and energy efficient option to reduce a supermarkets’ moisture load to lower energy costs, ensure food safety and customer comfort, and provide the proper amount of fresh outdoor air at the precise temperature and humidity necessary for the space.