Ranging from an innovative geothermal heat pump to a copper theft deterrent system, the winners of this year’s AHR Expo Innovation Awards represent a broad cross-section of the HVACR industry.

The IntelliPak™ I unitary rooftop systems in configurations from 20 to 130 tons are available. The redesigned system is a packaged rooftop unit that has energy efficiency ratings (EER) of 11; some IntelliPak I configurations exceed the EER of 11 and achieve as high as 14.2.

In addition to the 2012 Commercial Heating Showcase Product Grid, The NEWS spotlights the industry’s latest commercial heating products in this photo feature. The manufacturers provided the brief description of features included with each product.

3M, through its New Ventures business, announced that it has invested in 7AC Technologies Inc., a Woburn, Mass.-based developer of high-efficiency commercial HVAC systems that use liquid desiccant technology to remove humidity from the air. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman highlighted how Minnesota companies and workers are supporting U.S. leadership and global competitiveness in manufacturing during a series of events across the Twin Cities area. One of those events was a tour of Daikin McQuay’s technology center in Plymouth, Minn.

It’s time again for the annual Commercial Cooling Showcase. The NEWS’ annual issues have traditionally introduced the latest air conditioning units available for the upcoming summer season. The intent is to help contractors prepare for this busy period by doing the research that will help them to distinguish between brands.

For New Horizons Hospitality’s Hilton Garden Inn, the objective was to achieve a LEED Gold rating with energy-efficient HVAC.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has announced the extension of its HVAC Business Partners Program, which provides training and support to HVAC contractors to use advanced diagnostic tools as part of national standards for quality maintenance of rooftop units.

The light commercial WeatherMaker® Series rooftops unit sizes have been expanded up to 27.5 tons. With an AHRI-certified rating of up to 10.4 EER, the new WeatherMaker® 48/50TC unit offers highly efficient indoor fan motors and handled access doors.

Expanding its Commercial Replacement Expert (CRE) certification program, Carrier announced that it now offers two courses for residential dealers and commercial contractors looking to be more proficient in the growing 3- to 27.5-ton rooftop unit replacement business.