The need to conserve energy personally was brought home when the World Energy Engineering Congress (WEEC) opened on a hot and steamy summer day in Atlanta that topped 100°F. The need to reduce energy demand and conserve energy collectively was then discussed by the speakers at the 30th annual conference.

Automating a paper-intensive process is always a good idea. Substantial time savings can be achieved as well as the opportunity to gain more accurate and useful information. Such is the case for Goodman Global Inc. in implementing the new ServiceBench Extended Warranty Solution, which is expected to significantly aid the company, its distributors, and dealers.

Many customers want high-efficiency products; others should consider it. And why not? Energy efficiency makes economic sense. Regularly tied to reducing emissions or green building, you don’t have to believe in global warming or going green to be an energy efficiency advocate. Energy efficiency saves money, keeping more dollars in the pockets of your customers.

Increasing demand and high prices are driving the United States to seriously commit to energy efficiency. The specter of climate change is another major influence. Those were the predominant themes of the 18th annual Energy Efficiency Forum, sponsored by Johnson Controls and the United States Energy Association. Energy remains a hot topic and Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman said the private sector should lead with support from the government.

A green home may be coming to your area - in a local museum to show its features and benefits and/or in a local neighborhood to demonstrate its growing acceptance. The Green House exhibit at the National Building Museum has completed its run as one of the most popular exhibitions in museum history, and will soon be touring the country. The NEWS toured the exhibit and also interviewed architect Michelle Kaufmann about green home building.

A recent online poll on The NEWS Website, “Are You Finding Enough Qualified Technicians?”, indicates that many HVAC contractors around the country are still finding it difficult to fill their ranks with the service technicians they need.

In kicking off the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) 2006 Fall Construction Forecast Conference, David Seiders, chief economist for NAHB, said that a caption for the conference could be, "Will housing pull the U.S. economy into recession?" That's the "big question of the day," he noted. The housing market has been contracting significantly.

The World Energy Engineering Congress (WEEC) included an exhibit hall where manufacturers showed off some of their latest products and services to help save energy. This article provides a selection of some of those offerings.

One of the educational tracks at the World Energy Engineering Congress (WEEC) was on "Improving Performance of HVAC Systems." Four speakers discussed different technologies and techniques to improve energy efficiency and cut costs.

Energy certainly has been a top-of-mind issue in recent years and the World Energy Engineering Congress (WEEC) provides a comprehensive look at multiple aspects of this important topic. The opening session of this year's conference focused on leadership in energy management and was led off by two United States senators.