Since transitioning to a new “open membership” dues schedule in July, ACCA, one of the nation’s largest associations of HVACR contractors and indoor environment professionals, announced it has seen its membership and participation surge.

Three top HVAC apprentices received awards in the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors–National Association (PHCC) Educational Foundation’s third annual National HVAC Apprentice Contest, held during CONNECT 2015 in Hollywood, Florida.

Dominion Foundation has presented the University of Maryland (UMD) with a $50,000 educational grant to support its project, “Design of Efficient Solar Cooling System with High Coefficient of Performance.” 

Earth Networks® announced that its WeatherBug mobile app is the first to integrate big weather data, connected thermostats, and utility meter data to provide consumers with real-time analytics on how weather impacts their energy usage in order to make smarter home energy efficiency and utility cost decisions.

The EnOcean Alliance and the Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) today announced a new liaison agreement. This collaboration joins one of the most established wireless building controls alliances with a leading Internet of Things (IoT) association.

The global phase change material (PCM) market was valued at $563.5 million in 2014 and is expected to reach $1.67 billion by 2020, showing a compound annual growth rate of 19.9 percent, according to a report from Mordor Intelligence LLP.

London South Bank University’s (LSBU’s) School of The Built Environment and Architecture has received a research grant to investigate the potential of a promising new technology — cryogenic energy storage (CES) — to solve the problem of how to store excess renewable energy.

Nest Labs Inc. has announced several updates to its Works with Nest program, designed to provide a comprehensive platform for developers building connected home products.

Operating a building requires striking the perfect balance between heating, cooling and ventilation. As part of a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), researchers from Drexel University are working on a cloud-based data analysis tool that could help consolidate these labors while also spotting undetected problems.