In an effort to help contractors prepare more accurate and competitive bids, the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association’s (SMACNA’s) HVAC Contractors Council Steering Committee has released the newly revised HVAC Bid Specification Reference Manual.

Siemens has announced an open-technology challenge with JUMP, a joint initiative between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and five national laboratories. The online crowdsourcing community focuses on bridging the gap between cutting-edge building technology ideas and the marketplace.

The Tustin Group (TTG), a provider of integrated building services, has announced the opening of a new Mechanical Services Division in Stone Ridge, Virginia. The goal for the Virginia office is to first capitalize on market opportunities and build a strong base of core mechanical service customers.

Midea Group, a Chinese manufacturer of consumer appliances and HVAC systems, announced it has selected the Ayla Networks Internet of Things (IoT) platform as its preferred overseas IoT cloud partner for all its connected HVAC products.

Schneider Electric has introduced the New Energy Opportunities (NEO) Network™, a collaborative online platform to help commercial and industrial companies quickly identify and vet renewable energy, cleantech, and energy-efficiency prospects.

The U.S. Army has debuted a new combined heat and power (CHP) plant at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Maryland. This new CHP plant is the first of its kind at an Army installation, and represents an innovative public-private partnership.

Lennox Industries has announced the launch of LennoxPROs.com, to help HVAC industry professionals drive sales, access product information, troubleshoot systems remotely, and train at anytime, anywhere, on any device.

The keynote speakers for the IAQ 2016 Defining Indoor Air Quality: Policy, Standards and Best Practices Conference have been announced. The conference, co-organized by ASHRAE and the Air Infiltration and Ventilation Centre (AIVC), takes place Sept. 12-14, 2016, in Alexandria, Virginia.

Synchrony Financial, a consumer financial services company, announced a multi-year extension with Rheem to continue providing a financing program for the purchase of HVAC and water heating products and services.

U.S. shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps totaled 1,022,363 units in June 2016, up 16.4 percent from 878,513 units shipped in June 2015, according to the latest statistics from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).