HTS Texas, the Texas partner of one of the largest independent commercial HVAC manufacturers’ representative in North America, announced it is expanding its partnership with American Aldes to include the central and southeast Texas markets of Austin, San Antonio, and Houston.

Axiom Exergy announced it has raised $2.5 million from investors to assist in scaling its thermal energy storage solution in the grocery store and cold storage facility markets. Using its Refrigeration Battery, Axiom said supermarkets and food distribution centers can reduce their peak energy demand by up to 40 percent.

 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.