Firespray International has provided an innovative lab exhaust ductwork system for the University of California, Berkeley’s (UC Berkeley) Helios Energy Research Facility, solving a complex construction challenge at the 113,000-square-foot building under construction in downtown Berkeley.
There’s a lot riding on a website that’s working for a business. It has to convey brand and professionalism, communicate the right message, and engage visitors. Every detail plays a role, from the logo to the text to the design and functionality.
Two Smart Building Maturity Model reports, one for vendors and one for end users engaged in or exploring this market, are now available from IDC Energy Insights. According to the firm, the global smart buildings technology market is expected to experience a 27 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2010-2015.
Bob and Tim have been sent on a routine service contract call to a new customer. The system is a gas furnace with central air conditioning. After changing the filter and oiling the fan motor, Tim went to the thermostat and caused the furnace to come on and they were looking at the burner when Tim said, “That gas flame doesn’t look right.”
Sweating presents itself in an air distribution system as moisture that forms on the faces of lay-in diffusers and T-bar grids adjacent to those diffusers, where this moisture collects and drips into the areas below. While sweating may be a simple annoyance, it may also be potentially dangerous. Either way, it is a symptom of a larger problem.
If one of your employees calls her boss an insulting or obscene name on her Facebook page, you might think you could fire her without fear of reprisal. But you could be wrong. One company found itself in exactly that situation.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a notice in the Federal Register announcing that it will establish a committee to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Energy on matters concerning its Appliances and Commercial Equipment Standards Program’s test procedures and rulemaking process.
In this month’s troubleshooting situation, we have a customer who has called to say that their condominium has no heat. The particular equipment in this case is a thru-the-wall package unit that provides cooling in the summer and employs a natural gas system to heat the building in the winter.
Fleet management can be challenging for HVAC contractors, which often have a number of service vans and trucks with no dedicated staff to oversee them. Fortunately, new Internet-based software programs and tools make it much easier for contractors to access and update records and perform other fleet management tasks.
Recognizing the depth of consumer concern and its potential impact on their business, many service contractors have initiated employee screening processes to avoid hiring staff who may be convicted felons or registered sex offenders. These are generally described within the HVAC industry as safe hiring programs.