Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley is renovating vacant, foreclosed homes, to offer home ownership to more families. One home, however, proved to be particularly difficult to fix.

Consumers Energy is offering multifamily property owners free assessment of heating and cooling and water heating systems in common areas.

The first Habitat for Humanity house built as part of the Build Smart, Breathe Easier national asthma education program was dedicated in Detroit.

IGS Energy, one of the largest residential retail natural gas suppliers in the United States, announced that its new Dublin headquarters has earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, the highest level attainable.

With the Midwest in the grip of a summer heat wave, FirstEnergy is offering tips on how people can save energy and money while keeping their cool. HVAC contractors can pass along these same tips to their customers.

New Skill Builders, an initiative created to encourage more minorities and women to enter the construction trades in Chicago, is celebrating its first graduate to earn union journeyman status - and an award-winning journeyman at that. Kelvin Houston is a journeyman pipefitter with Local 597 in Chicago.

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced a conditional $275 million loan guarantee to Calisolar Inc. to commercialize its innovative solar silicon manufacturing process. Calisolar’s process is expected to produce silicon for use in solar cells at less than half the cost of traditional processes, reducing the overall cost of solar modules and panels.

CI Capital Partners LLC, a New York-based private equity firm, announced that its portfolio company American Residential Services L.L.C. (ARS), a national provider of HVAC and plumbing equipment and services, has completed an acquisition to increase its penetration in the Columbus, Ohio, metropolitan market.

EMCOR Group Inc., a leader in mechanical and electrical construction, energy infrastructure and facilities services, announced that its Fagan Co. subsidiary has been awarded a contract for the installation of the mechanical systems at the Hollywood Casino at the Kansas Speedway located in Kansas City, Kan.

Emerson Climate Technologies Inc. announced that Vilter Manufacturing LLC has opened a new $2 million technology and innovation center at its Cudahy, Wis., facility. The company said the new technology center will help Vilter maintain a competitive lead in the engineering, development, and testing of more energy efficient compressors.