Source: Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). Industry figures are estimates that are derived from the best available figures supplied by a sample of AHRI member companies.
Energy Star, the consumer information program sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recently released new eligibility requirements for furnaces. On June 13, EPA released Version 3.0 and Version 4.0 of Energy Star requirements for furnaces.
There are many different ways to install a closed loop geothermal heat pump system but all involve burying pipes in the ground or submersed in a body of water. While backhoes are still often used to dig trenches for horizontal piping, drilling equipment is needed for vertical piping, in order to bore holes up to several hundred feet into the ground.
As tax credits for geothermal units continue, while tax credits for other HVAC equipment ended Dec. 31, 2010, interest in geothermal from both contractors and customers has heated up. To help satisfy some of the contractor interest in geothermal units, this product roundup offers contractors information on some equipment available from a variety of different manufacturers.
The geothermal industry has continued to grow in name recognition in the last decade due to its energy-savings systems and the green movement. The tools of the trade and training are readily available to HVAC contractors - but has the general public truly embraced geothermal technology?
Good news: The customers of HVAC contractors who install qualifying sustainable energy systems (geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, solar panels, wind energy systems, and fuel cells), will continue to receive tax credits through Dec. 31, 2016. These can total 30 percent of the installed costs (product and installation) of the systems.
There’s no place like Geo Farm for all things geothermal. The event, a hands-on field day hosted by distributor Corken Steel, is being hosted for the third year in rural Indiana Aug. 30 – Sept 1. For 2011, the drilling, trenching, geo technology, and heat exchanger workshop has been expanded to two days.
Going where only some HVAC products have dreamed to go, the winners of The NEWS’ eighth annual Dealer Design Awards’ HVAC High-Efficiency Residential Equipment category have staked out gold, silver, and bronze positions with their abilities to provide improved technology in new applications.
In the case of the winners of the 2011 Dealer Design Awards in the category of Residential Equipment, the fame and recognition bestowed on these units is rightly earned, especially from contractors and technicians for the ease of installation and service the products provide.
Social media presents two primary choices: get involved or be left behind. Contractors have heatedly debated that statement, along with many other social media topics, for some time. More often than not, however, the argument circles back to social media relevance. With social media being so new, industry relevance is more a matter of opinion that could be argued from both sides.