OSHA's Confined Spaces in Construction final rule received negative feedback from the HVACR industry and was labeled as overreaching and burdensome to residential contractors when it was released last spring. 

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Because it uses the earth as a free heat source or heat sink, geothermal is inherently a highly efficient technology that can help homeowners and building owners save a significant amount of energy and money. And, as advances in technology continue to improve the efficiency and controls of these units, the industry is concurrently investigating ways to make geothermal an affordable option for all.

For the past decade, those in the geothermal heating and cooling industry have benefited from two tax credits that incentivize residential and commercial geothermal installations. But both of these tax credits are four months away from expiring, and all efforts to extend them have failed thus far.

Geothermal manufacturers, distributors, and organizations like the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) have stepped up their training efforts to ensure HVACR contractors are installing and servicing geothermal equipment to the highest standard.

These new requirements will directly impact all distributors in the U.S. and all installers in the Southeast and Southwest regions of the country.

As net-zero-energy buildings (NZEBs) become more popular, HVACR manufacturers are working to create highly efficient products and systems to help meet these ambitious performance goals.

High-performance-building-related credentials from certifying bodies like ASHRAE, the Building Performance Institute Inc. (BPI), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the International Code Council (ICC), and many others can help mechanical contractors show they have expertise and experience in certain areas. 

With commercial building codes mandating increasing levels of efficiency and energy prices only continuing to rise, many building owners are looking for ways to boost building performance in both new and existing buildings. These case studies highlight several ways in which HVACR solutions have been implemented to help building owners meet their energy-efficiency and comfort goals.

The Aaon LZ Series air- and evaporative-cooled condenser chiller and packaged outdoor mechanical room is designed to provide energy-efficient full- and part-load operation while being easy to configure, install, and maintain. The company’s focus on versatility and ease of installation helped the LZ Series earn gold in the Commercial HVAC Equipment category.