October 1, 2009
Articles
FSU's OGZEB is test bed for sustainable technology
Florida State University is home to one of 14 off-grid zero emissions buildings (OGZEB) in the U.S. ...
ICC works on prescriptive green construction code
The International Code Council has launched an International Green Construction Code initiative with the intent to reduce energy usage and the carbon footprint of commercial buildings. Entitled “IGCC: Safe and Sustainable By the Book,” the initiative is committed to develop a model code focused on new and existing commercial buildings....
Cash for Appliances targets HVAC products, water heaters
States and territories interested in participating in the Cash for Appliances program, a state-run rebate program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, for consumer purchases of new Energy Star qualified home appliances, will need to submit a full application, specifying how they will implement the program, by Oct. 15, 2009....
Blackwater is LEED golden for Port of Portland building
Green plumbing and mechanical contractors can add another weapon to their water conservation arsenal — blackwater recycling. A product created by Worrell Water Technologies, Charlottesville, Va., is being installed in the Port of Portland's new headquarters office building at Portland International Airport that will recycle blackwater from the toilets and send it right back to flush the toilets. ...
Contractors can't do it alone, PHCC's Pfeffer says
CANTON, MASS. When do you need the services of an association? asked Massachusetts plumbing and heating contractor Skip Pfeffer. When things are great...
WQA's Leadership Conference tackles industry issues
Lead regulation, water softeners, and product efficiency were among the issues tackled by the Water Quality Association at its Mid-Year Leadership Conference held in this Chicago suburb in mid-September. WQA members discussed the possibility of a green seal program, research studies regarding product efficiency and softened water, the upcoming Aquatech trade show, and other challenges facing the water treatment industry. ...
Large homes can be energy efficient too
Eco-Estate @ Briggs Chaney, a subdivision outside of the Baltimore-Washington areas, utilized sustainable technologies and products, including a geothermal system and water-efficient plumbing products, in its 10,000 sq. ft. model house, exemplifying that green products and technologies can be cost effective and energy efficient even when used in a large home. ...
Chicago public schools district builds green
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has a commitment to build sustainable and be sustainable — the district has built six U.S. Green Building Council LEED certified schools and one addition in the past five years, and will continue to build new buildings that meet The Chicago Standard, the city's building standard that is based on LEED points. The CPS also has an Environmental Action Plan, which all schools, old and new, are following. ...
Corporate park retrofits for water savings
The Merritt 7 Corporate Park expects to annually save thousands of dollars and as much as two million gallons of water in just one of its buildings that has been retrofitted with water-efficient plumbing systems. ...
In Brief
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a draft Specification for Showerheads on Sept. 24, 2009. The draft calls for a flow of no more than 2.0...
Yudelson challenges San Antonio groups
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — Jerry Yudelson, a green building consultant and author of 10 green building books, including “Green Building Trends: Europe” and “Greening Existing Buildings,” said there is a new way forward for U.S. cities as they struggle with the consequences of a serious and long-lasting recession when he presented his ideas in two forums here, Sept. 2....
Ga. PMA launches online education program
After receiving state approval of online continuing education, the Plumbing & Mechanical Association of Georgia, affiliated with the Georgia chapter of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors - National Association, has launched a Web-based program that will expand the education and professionalism of Georgia's licensed p-h-c contractors. ...
Applied Mechanical launches new performance division
Applied Mechanical Corp. recently announced the launch of their new Facility Environmental Performance division. The new service offerings are designed to optimize the performance of the environmental systems in facilities of all types: industrial buildings, hospitals, schools and commercial buildings. ...
Trade craft: take pride in your trade, demand excellence
We've discussed manpower problems in the trades, the need for proper education, basic and specific business issues, strategies on how to survive the current...
A burning issue: lives are at stake every day
Finally, the Smith's first home a new house being built just for them. They got to choose some finishes and some extras and decided on various optional...
Broken promises: a franchise almost broke us
THIS IS IN REGARDS to the franchising article in the recent CONTRACTOR magazine (August, p. 44). It was promoting reasons why people should spend thousands...
My guys can do sprinkler fitting with the best of them
NORFOLK, VA. Mr. Wilson protests too much (August Letters, p. 42). Residential fire sprinkler systems connected directly to the domestic potable water...
Solar Choices
Red vs. Blue. Tastes Great vs. Less Filling. Kirk vs. Picard. Epic battles for which there really are no right answers. Enter into that pantheon the great...
Be safe: CSE requires a series of steps
Toss the dice and take your chances. Some gambles in life hold greater risk than others. Confined Space Entry (CSE) claims an average of 91 lives each...
Adventures at Hydronicahh Part 5
I promised to cover the hardware details of the numerous heat sources that will be incorporated into Hydronicahh in this series of articles. I will start...
Get online quick in the office or in the field
Contractors without a business Web site can remedy that in a jiffy with 1+1 MyBusiness Site, www.1and1.com. Contractors can set up a Web site in just...
Are EO programs right for your business?
Many public agencies federal, state and local have programs to assist various target groups to gain greater participation in construction contracting....
Solutions to family business problems
Almost all readers of this column who contact me are owners or part owners of a family business. Each one has a unique family business story that would...
Networking Web sites: a two-edge sword
Years ago, in 1998, before the Internet became what it is today, I made the decision to learn HTML and take some previously existing published works,...
Bell & Gossett announces training schedule
Bell & Gossett announced its training course schedule for the fourth quarter of 2009 at the Little Red Schoolhouse Education Center in Morton Grove, Ill., a suburb of Chicago....
How to improve your mobile marketing
In cities across the nation, companies are putting trucks on the road to advertise. Mobile advertising, a new form of advertising, is actually a tried...
How to detect and prevent employee fraud
Are you being robbed? In light of the poor economy, employee theft is on the rise. In a recent case, a bookkeeper plead guilty to stealing approximately...
Train now to get the competitive edge
It's no secret that times are tough right now in the business world. But on the bright side, some economic reports are beginning to look a little more...
Green Products
New energy-efficient products and technologies for mechanical contractors....
New Products
New products and technologies for mechanical contractors....
Will home buyers pay for green features?
An interesting little controversy has sprung up over green building and, once again, it leaves me with nothing good to say about homebuilders. It seems that the National Association of Home Builders commissioned a survey that said homeowners are interested in green, as long as they don't have to pay much for it. ...
advertisement
Green Products
|
Phoenix Evolution Combined Hydronic ApplianceThe Phoenix Evolution Combined Hydronic applicance melds hydronic space heating and domestic hot water in a single, 96% efficient package.... |
|
Baystone Faucet CollectionThe Baystone Faucet Collection has a water flow of 1.5 GPM and is certified to meet the EPA's WaterSense criteria.... |
|
Condensing Tankless Water HeaterThis condensing tankless water heater is able to deliver 8.0 GPM of heated water.... |
|
Neotherm Line of High-Efficiency BoilersThe Neotherm Line of High-Efficiency Boilers has been expanded with commercial and residential models, ranging from 80 MBH all the way to 850 MBH.... |
Social Media
|
Follow us on 
|
Become a fan on 
|
Opinion Poll
Industry Resources
advertisement
Recent Comments