When Advanced Mechanical’s Jim Perez was given the opportunity to field test a new generation of fiberglass duct wrap that promised to be softer to the touch, less irritating, and simpler to cut, he was ready and willing to give it a try.

Helping to educate the leaders of tomorrow, the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) College of Fellows awarded two $1,200 scholarships to California residents for the 2003-2004 academic year.

Montana State University has launched a Web site that features a number of energy-efficient homes across the country. The site, which can be found at www.homes-across-america.org, is an educational resource for homeowners, designers, and builders.

The state of California has adopted model building and fire codes of the nonprofit NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) to protect public safety in the nation’s most populous state.

Plaza Towers, in Sacramento, Calif., was recently honored with a Carrier Regional Environmental Leadership Award. Carrier Corporation hands out such awards to honor a project involving the implementation of energy efficiency.

Salt Lake resident Steve Love, owner of Hidden Springs Ranch, a multi-million dollar adventure resort located high in the hills south of Salt Lake City, built his lodge from the ground up. He said he spared no expense, using the finest materials available. To bring comfort to the floors, Love installed a unique in-floor radiant heating system.

NorthWestern Energy (NEW), which provides natural gas to approximately 16,000 customers throughout Montana, has filed suit in Lewis and Clark County District Court in an effort to overturn the Montana Public Service Commission’s (PSC’s) decision to disallow the recovery of more than $6 million in actual gas costs.

Mechanical Air Service of San Jose, Calif., and Timberline Heating & Air Conditioning of Redding, Calif., were both finalists in the Commercial category of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America’s (ACCA’s) first annual “Best Contractors on the Web” Internet Marketing Awards.

Convair Cooler Corp., the North American subsidiary of Seeley International of Adelaide, Australia, recently moved into a larger facility in Phoenix.

When it comes to keeping the customer happy, Greiner Heating & Air Conditioning not only says it, but means it and has proven it. Greiner recently received two top national rankings from The Trane Company, based on customer satisfaction survey results.