In 2006, the federal government enacted a 3 percent withholding tax on public construction contracts. The good news is that the enactment date is still pending - it won’t go into effect until 2012. The bad news is that it was a bad idea in the first place.

Some of us have come to the conclusion that the tax credits provided for in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) are very confusing. Unless you are promoting geothermal or other renewable energy products, you may be having a hard time finding tidy little system matches for your customers.

The basic HVAC system tax credit for 2009 and 2010 that went into effect in January of this year is for up to 30 percent of an installation, not to exceed $1,500. (A geothermal installation can provide even greater tax credits for your customers.)

Social networking is quite the rage - I read that Twitter is the fastest growing, rapidly catching up to Facebook for total members. The NEWS has had a Facebook page for a while, and I just started tweeting about three weeks ago.

Helpful items can come in small packages. “Many technicians have a hard time learning in the classroom environment.… This pocket guide helps them go into the field with the confidence they need to pinpoint problems immediately,” said Al D’Ambola, president of D’Ambola Associates.

The 2009 Momentum Conference by Honeywell attracted more than 300 controls contractors and Honeywell distributors from around the world. The company showcased many new products, loyalty program enhancements, and two new, dedicated resource Websites during the meeting, which was held in Dallas.

Steve Shirley, president of University Mechanical & Engineering Contractors, Inc., an EMCOR Company, knows BIM. The J.W. Marriott hotel staff wheeled in extra chairs, aisles were blocked, and yet people still lined up outside the doorway to learn about building information modeling - BIM.

Have you ever wondered about all the facts and figures that are tossed around like bits of lettuce floating through the air? Can all the numbers be right? In the current world of green initiatives, tax credits, and stimulus packages, playing fast and loose with energy savings claims does seem to be more of an art and less of a science.

The NEWS had such great response to a recent blog about computer protection that we have a few more hints that might come in handy for keeping your computer clean.

Though a vast majority of equipment manufacturers have decided to transition their new equipment from R-22 to R-410A, there is still a controversial issue with regard to servicing existing equipment in the field. One of the options considered is the drop-in refrigerant R-422B.