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As concerns about national security, economic growth, and environmental standards propagate, energy efficiency is no longer an option. The search for solutions to limited fossil fuel supplies, ever-increasing energy prices, and global warming has reached a new urgency.

MechanicalXchange^SM is a cooperative effort between HVAC mechanical contractors and industry vendors, including equipment manufacturers, software companies, controls companies, and other business services. The NEWS has been involved with the event since it began in 2005.

Through the years our company has attempted to stay on top of the new technologies which have been developed. Some of these new items actually caught on and have become standards of the industry, while others are merely memories like dial telephones and Edsels.

The EPA has issued final approval for a new refrigerant for use in vehicle air conditioning systems. HFO-1234yf may now be used in air conditioning for new cars and light trucks. There is much to be said about this announcement because it is possible that someday HFOs might impact those of us in stationary HVACR. But not right now.

You’ve all heard that it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. You’ve also heard that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Well, lately, Congress is proving to small businesses that both of these proverbs still ring true. In fact, you could say that in D.C. everyone asks for forgiveness but is clueless about cures.

What better place than the Mechanical Contractors Association of America’s (MCAA) Annual Convention in Maui to discover that those less fortunately skilled in the finer art of mechanical aptitude (such as myself) can still serve a useful purpose in life. More precisely, the revelation actually occurred on the return trip.

A few years ago, I suggested that in order to show building owners the value of regular maintenance, contractors should show building owners information on the performance and longevity of regularly maintained equipment. Unfortunately, such hard data didn’t seem to exist. It looks like that will soon be changing.

March Madness college basketball showdowns start this week. Fat Tuesday has passed. An hour was lost to Daylight Savings Time. St. Patrick’s Day is on the horizon. And, the Dealer Design Awards program has begun. It is open season on one of the HVAC industry’s more sought-after prizes, the DD.

This issue with a focus on recovery and recycling had all the makings of a nostalgia fest. It was 24 years ago that the Montreal Protocol first surfaced and soon thereafter brought the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirement that HVACR contractors have this device called a recovery/recycling machine available.

When the New England Patriots violated NFL rules by videotaping in-game hand signals of New York Jets coaches, the proverbial you-know-what hit the fan for league commissioner Roger Goodell. It led to a policy called “Integrity of the Game and Fair Competition.” I wonder if something like that could prove valuable in the HVAC industry.