As one of the latest concepts to emerge from the trend toward sustainability, high-performance (HP) buildings are generating a lot of buzz. And the role of HVAC equipment and those who install it is rapidly developing in response to this construction trend.

The NEWS interviewed three contractors from around the country who are involved in high-performance building projects to find out more about their experiences.

Grooved mechanical piping has been changing the way contractors do business for more than 85 years, but this method of pipe joining is still unknown or misunderstood in some areas of the commercial building industry.

For use with the gas-fired boiler products — KC 1000, all Benchmark, and Modulex boilers — the AERCO Control System (ACS) provides the contractor with the key component to sell a complete combination system consisting of AERCO boilers, SmartPlate, and Buffer Tank, said the manufacturer.

Producing 700,000 Btuh of heat, the Safe-Heat IDF-700 indirect-fired temporary heater can operate on diesel, natural gas, or propane fuel for maximum convenience. According to the manufacturer, the unique recirculation design of the temporary heater offers users the ability to pull return air, increasing its efficiency.

A full line of high-efficiency condensing boilers is available. The Creek boiler models — Creek 4.0, Creek 6.0, Creek 8.1, and Creek 12.1 — can be used both as high-efficiency heating boilers as well as once-through hot-water heaters.

Mixed signals make it difficult to determine what to expect over the next year, although most manufacturers echo Gary Clark, senior vice president of marketing, Goodman Global Group Inc., who stated, “Overall, we see 2012 being very similar to 2011.”

Last year ended on a disappointing note for many, including distributors. On the bright side, distributors in all U.S. regions ended 2011 in positive territory and also reported higher inventory levels than the same time in 2010. What’s ahead for 2012?

Available in models with 1 million-, 1.3 million-, and 1.5 million-Btuh inputs, the Armor X2 is a commercial condensing water heater. It combines stainless steel heat exchanger technology with modulating/condensing combustion to deliver thermal efficiencies as high as 96 percent.

A line of boilers, ranging from 300,000-850,000 Btuh, are condensing, lightweight commercial hydronic boilers with ultra-low emissions of CO and NOx. They feature a high-quality, full stainless heat exchanger suitable for hydronic heating.