Though not all companies offer live chat on their websites yet, some HVAC contractors are saying it’s becoming less of a nicety and more of a must-have.

Pinewood Forest is one of several large, master-planned developments that’s sidestepping the traditional HVAC system to embrace — and mandate — geothermal heat pumps for heating and cooling communitywide.

Back when California first came out with its energy efficiency rebates, Richard Hiteshew, owner/manager of A-1 Guaranteed Heating & Air Inc. in Vallejo, California, was certain the standards were impossibly high.

Hi! My name is Maria Taylor, and I’m the newest addition to the staff at The NEWS. I’ll be working as associate editor until I get my own beat to cover (hot tip: Chances are it will be technology, so I’ll be the tech editor, which sounds awesome, geeky, and hip).