June 1, 2010
Top Story
KBIS showcases innovative, green products
CHICAGO — The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, April 16-18, drew more than 37,000 attendees and approximately 700 exhibitors, all converging at McCormick Place here, to learn about and showcase the newest and most innovative products, including many green products....
Feature Article
The future of space heating is a very efficient water heater
As space heating loads shrink, most of the identified barriers are not strictly technical. We need new test methods, new codes and we need manufacturers and contractors to look beyond their normal boundaries...
Articles
EcoMech founder says integrity is the key to green success
NEWNAN, GA. — Tim Uzar has been in the heating and AC business since 1995, but didn’t decide to start his own company, EcoMech Geothermal & Mechanical, until last December....
New home bucks the trend with radiant, ductless HVAC
YORK, PA. — When Dave Yates received a call from Bob Myers, a local building industry entrepreneur, to tell him that he was planning to build a new home, he also learned that his firm was already chosen to do the job. ...
Johnson Space Center embraces green building, LEED principles
HOUSTON — NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) now has three U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings on its campus. ...
Passive house utilizes integrated HVAC, solar system
MILLCREEK TOWNSHIP, UTAH — The Breezeway House, a passive home located here, is utilizing energy-efficient technologies and systems....
Calif. home is certified “Net Zero”
CARMEL VALLEY, CALIF. — Bryan Jaeger is a building contractor, so when it came time to build his own home on a 146 acre ranch amid the green, rolling hills of southern California, he put a lot of thought into how he wanted it heated and cooled. ...
Home Star passes House, moves to Senate
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act, H.R. 5019, sponsored by Representative Peter Welch (D-VT.), Thursday, May 6. ...
Calif. bill would create standards for nonresidential graywater systems
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — State lawmakers here are considering a recently revised senate bill that would give the California Building Standards Commission authority to adopt building standards for nonresidential graywater systems. ...
Contractors told how to grow and prosper
DALLAS — Clockwork Home Services Inc. recently hosted an event for contractors interested in growing their companies. ...
Accreditation proposed for residential fire sprinkler contractors
WASHINGTON — The International Code Council’s 2009 edition of the International Residential Code that requires residential fire sprinklers will take effect in less than seven months. ...
IAPMO GTC explores water conservation, softeners
ROSEMONT, ILL. — Water softeners, water conservation, water use and life cycle assessment were prevalent topics at IAPMO's Green Technical Committee meeting....
Viega gets ProPress approved in NYC
NEW YORK — Viega LLC is celebrating the approval of its ProPress press fitting system in one of the nation’s last holdouts, New York City. ...
Columns
Comprehensive system delivers your wealth to your family
Would you invest four hours to stop the IRS from taking one-half of your wealth? Over the years I have asked this question hundreds of times when giving one of my many tax-saving seminars or when a reader of this column calls me. ...
What they didn’t teach you at trade school
Whether it’s engineers, plumbers or HVAC professionals, being a proficient tradesman has almost nothing to do with actually running the business, but that’s exactly the trap that many contractors fall into....
Aristotle teaches project management
Based on the headline of this column, you’re probably wondering how an old Greek guy who lived a couple thousand years ago could know anything about modern project management. Believe it or not, Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher, understood human nature and how to focus on requirements that are essential to completing a project on time and on budget....
Spring … a time for renewal at RPA
I attended what is known as the annual rite of spring for hydronic heating contractors ¯ the Radiant Panel Association’s Annual Conference. ...
A versatile service management solution for the field
FieldOne Systems Pro Edition, www.fieldone.com, is a secure, scalable service management system with many functions specific to the service industry, including dispatching and scheduling, service management, invoicing, inventory management, equipment tracking and customer care. The software offers a lot of flexibility in how a business handles day-to-day operations. ...
For the love of an old radiator
Denver plumbing and heating contractor Dave Stroman collects old radiators. He has more than 100 of them. He has become well known for having what is needed and for knowing how to move them around. Why collect radiators? ...
Federal project funds: understanding the laws, requirements
Doing business with the federal government is different. While it can be lucrative, it requires a working knowledge of a procurement system which is a world unto itself — as far away as you can get from the world of "in the old days we just worked on a handshake." Aside from the paperwork, inspections, delegation-of-authority issues, etc., every contractor working on federal work is presumed to know all of the laws and regulations that it must comply with....
'Gentlemen, this is a pipe wrench'
At the start of each season, legendary football coach Vince Lombardi would call a team meeting, hold up a football and declare, "Gentlemen, this is a football." Lombardi focused on the fundamentals, on blocking and tackling. So should you....
Keep selling heat pump water heaters after tax credit expires
Step right up! Get your tax credits here! Well, at least up until Dec. 31, 2010. Due to expire at the stroke of midnight, the 30% up to a maximum of $1,500 Federal tax credit, www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index, has been a boon for business these past two years and a huge advantage for selling tax-credit-eligible products. With less than half a year to go, we’ll need to sharpen our sales skills if continued sales of more expensive, higher-efficiency equipment are to continue at, or near to, the same pace. ...
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