Venstar® announced that its Voyager® programmable Wi-Fi® thermostats are now compatible with Amazon® Echo, giving users voice control over thermostat functions including setting temperatures and turning on heating or air conditioning for one or multiple thermostats in their homes.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced that it has become a partner in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Better Buildings Combined Heat and Power Resiliency Accelerator, to help improve critical infrastructure in communities.

Smart and communicating thermostats enable consumers to save money on energy bills, help utilities meet energy efficiency and demand-side management (DSM) requirements, and play a part in connected home solutions.

Torad Engineering LLC announced it has tested a new 40-ton spool compressor designed specifically for medium pressure refrigerants such as R-134a, as well as low and ultra-low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants like R-513A and HFO-1234yf.

ASHRAE announced that papers are being sought for a conference focused on energy and IAQ in humid and arid hot climates. The Second International Conference on Energy and Indoor Environment for Hot Climates takes place Feb. 26-27, 2017, in Doha, Qatar.