Design and construction of a “shack” to demonstrate renewable and HVAC technologies, including solar thermal heating, photovoltaic power generation, and more, is being developed by students through an ASHRAE Undergraduate Senior Project Grant. This year, 22 schools from around the world were awarded grants.

The NEWS is now accepting nominations for its 13th annual Best Instructor contest and has also created a new contest category for Best Trainer.

Technical Training Associates has announced the introduction of a new series of HVACR troubleshooting training videos. Each video will focus on a specific problem, describe how to take a step-by-step approach to correctly diagnose the failed component, and explain the cause and conditions behind the failure.

Purdue University will host three concurrent conferences with HVACR emphasis July 16-19. The concurrent conferences are the 21st International Compressor Engineering Conference, the 14th International Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Conference, and the 2nd International High Performance Buildings Conference.

Can the HVACR community capitalize on the comments Rick Santorum made about trade schools?

Tennessee Technology Center’s HVACR program earns accreditation.

HVACR instructors can set their sights on a new destination. Next month, the 2012 HVACR & Mechanical Conference for Education Professionals is being held in Colorado Springs, Colo., March 12-14 at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort.

Having just returned from the International Builder’s Show in Orlando, I have to remark that the show has downsized itself quite noticeably. Though what might be called the world’s largest home and garden show is less than its gargantuan self of years past, it is still an awesome event.

The Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH) is reporting total plumbing, PVF/industrial, waterworks, hydronics, and HVACR estimated sales increased 3.6 percent for the month of November 2011 when compared to 2010.

It has been my pleasure to write an occasional column for The NEWS for the last seven years. With upcoming changes to our staff responsibilities, those musings will be less frequent. Oh, you will still see a few errant missives from my keyboard, but I’ll mostly be tending to the type of duties admirably handled by Publisher John Conrad during the last 10 years.

The AHR Expo is in Chicago this year. Read More