Innovations in ductless systems were displayed at the 2009 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo). With these changes comes the expectation that the systems will make further inroads in the North American HVAC market.

A couple of computer programs from Bryant Heating and Cooling Systems are giving dealers the opportunity to show their customers a range of system options (a good-better-best range), and how much each new system would save over their current system, based on actual utility rates and weather bin data.

A new software suite from Insparisk, the Versentia™ suite, offers paperless data gathering for the safety inspection and maintenance of HVAC equipment (including boilers). It also can be used for the maintenance and inspection of fire detection/suppression systems and other equipment.

It didn’t take long for the word “green” to make New Year’s lists of stale words and phrases. However, the market for truly green and sustainable strategies is strong and getting stronger. Leaders among mechanical contractors can help their clients by becoming leaders in energy management, green building, and sustainable practices.

When he started his business, Jim Whitescarver, of Commercial Express HVAC Inc., said, “I wanted to become the employer of choice. I wanted to brand ourselves as the guy to work for with the best career path.” That’s why this company was chosen as The NEWS’ Best Contractor to Work For in the East region.

For HVAC contractors, the Department of Energy/Energy Information Administration’s (DOE/EIA’s) Annual Energy Outlook 2008 indicates some potential business opportunities for those helping their customers deal with higher energy prices, and interest in alternative fuels and new technologies.

“Deferred maintenance” is a terrible misnomer for what really happens when maintenance doesn’t get performed for a long time. Another name is “catastrophic failure.” According to participants in a recent NEWS online survey, results of putting off maintenance too long can range from simple component failures to major pieces of equipment dying much too soon.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) put its push for sustainability into action when making decisions on how to expand its headquarters. After careful consideration, ASHRAE decided to invest in renovating its existing facility, which was recently unveiled in a grand renewal event.

John Lawshe is a retired military man who worked on submarines and different HVAC systems while in the military. He is no stranger to the HVAC world, so in that sense he is not your average customer. However, he has the same concerns as most all customers: rising energy costs, comfort, and IAQ.

You know, residential contractors seem to be more effective at selling maintenance agreements to their customers than commercial-institutional contractors are. This surprises me; it would seem to me that in the world that these commercial contractors deal in, businesses would have a better grasp of the costs of deferred maintenance.