Industry News

Westport, Conn. — Reflecting its growing presence at the industry’s leading HVACR event, ‘Plumbing’ has been added as a new category to the 2011 AHR Expo Innovation Awards.

Widely acclaimed as one of the most prestigious honors in the HVACR industry, the Innovation Awards recognize the most innovative and useful products among the thousands on display at the AHR Expo www.ahrexpo.com. About 150 entries submitted by exhibitors each year are judged on the basis of design, unique performance, market impact, and value to the HVACR industry. Now in its ninth year, the Awards are also meant to promote and encourage new product development in ten major categories:

·      Building Automation
·      Cooling
·      Green Building
·      Heating
·      Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
·      Refrigeration
·      Software
·      Tools  Instruments
·      Ventilation
·      Plumbing
“Plumbing products, technologies and solutions have had a growing presence at AHR Expo for several years,” said Clay Stevens, President of International Exposition Company, which produces and manages the AHR Expo. “Adding plumbing as a new category to the AHR Expo Innovation Awards allows us to include all the major segments represented at the Show.”

Jerry Yudelson’s latest book, Dry Run, http://newsociety.com/bookid/4071 zeroes in on water shortages in the urban environment, and has drawn form the expertise of more than 25 water researchers and industry experts to come up with solutions for upcoming water crises. Dry Run demonstrates best practices for achieving “net zero” water use in the built environment, and is ideal for building managers, homeowners, architects, engineers, developers, urban planners and public officials.

Ontario, Calif. — Shahin Moinian, senior director of IAPMO Research and Testing, has left The IAPMO Group to pursue other opportunities.

During his tenure, IAPMO R&T developed into the premier plumbing and mechanical product certification agency in North America. Once such stature was achieved domestically, IAPMO R&T expanded internationally, with offices opened in Toronto, Canada; Ruhr, Germany; Monterey Mexico; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Beijing, China; and Melbourne, Australia, so that clients around the world are now able to choose from IAPMO R&T’s menu of certification services.

Washington — As it considers new rules emphasizing sustainability in the design and construction of federal buildings, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been urged by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) to employ the provisions of

IAPMO’s Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement.

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 requires that the DOE establish revised performance standards for the construction of new — and major renovations to existing — federal buildings. The DOE recently published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) in order to:

• reduce the total ownership cost of facilities

• improve energy efficiency and water conservation

• provide safe, healthy and productive built environments

• promote sustainable environmental stewardship

IAPMO’s Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement provides viable, safe methods to achieve each of these goals, argued IAPMO and more than 20 other organizations at a recent hearing at DOE headquarters. A first-of-its-kind document, the Green Supplement smoothly bridges the previously troublesome gap between existing codes and green building rating programs. Where code language and established sustainable concepts lack cohesion, the Green Supplement creates harmony with provisions regarding alternate water sources, high-efficiency products, energy conservation and training/education.

Sparks, Nev. — In August, Haws Corporation’s® director of Engineered Solutions, Casey Hayes, will be presenting at the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association Conference. Hayes will be presenting a workshop titled ANSI Z358.1-2009 Emergency Eyewash/Showers – Tepid Water in the Workplace.  The presentation will include information about the newly updated Z358.1-2009 standard, studies on tepid water and solutions for market needs. Hayes has been with Haws for over 20 years, and has served on a wide variety of industry standard development committees, as well as having authored several hundred trade press articles and papers over the past ten years. As director of Engineered Solutions he organizes a complete line of custom engineered mixing valves, tempered water solutions, recirculation systems, air-charged systems and alarms and has a wide-breath of knowledge and experience with ANSI Standards.

St. Petersburg, Fla. — Recently the Florida Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association announced a two-year, $1.675-million grant from the U.S. EPA aimed at upgrading off-road diesel-powered construction equipment to reduce diesel emissions. Information and forms are now available so that companies can apply for program funding.

Rebates will be offered through a selection process based on a variety of criteria. To download application forms and for more information, including details on how funding decisions will be made, visit www.fracca.org. Applications will be accepted from August 16 until October 15, 2010.

Members of any of FRACCA’s coalition of construction-related associations for the project (see below) are eligible for rebates under the program. Work can include engine repowers and retrofits, diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs), and equipment replacement where necessary. Companies of various sizes and types can participate.

As a result of these improvements, employee health at participating companies is likely to improve, resulting in less sick time, and upgraded equipment can be expected to last longer and perform better, with reduced engine downtime.

The project targets older (pre-1996, Tier 0-2), off-road diesel-powered construction equipment in Florida, Alabama and Georgia. A special emphasis is on open-cab and trenching equipment that expose operators to high levels of pollutants.

The Southeast Construction Associations Coalition for Clean Diesel represents 1200 members of the Florida Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association, Florida Association Plumbing Heating and Cooling Contractors, Big Bend Contractors Association, Associated General Contractors of Greater Florida; their affiliates, including the Alabama Plumbing and Heating Contractors Association, Georgia Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors Association, Manasota Air Conditioning Contractors Association, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association of Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay Builders Association; and the Florida Green Building Coalition.

Blackwood, N.J. — A Drink for Tomorrow, in partnership with Triangle Tube of Blackwood, NJ will fund the construction of a freshwater well in the village of Labala, located in Botswana, Africa. This project, made possible entirely by Triangle Tube’s donation, will consist of a newly drilled well approximately 100 feet deep and a new hand pump to draw clean water from the well. The well will provide a community of approximately 400 people with clean, safe drinking water, although it is expected that more people will relocate to this village once the water is made available. Updates on the well’s construction will be provided as available on A Drink for Tomorrow’s website, www.adrinkfortomorrow.org.

Victaulic, a leading global producer of mechanical pipe joining and fire protection systems, is expanding its AquaFlex® sprinkler fitting line of products, which offers fast and dependable installation up to 10 times faster than rigid piping systems.  The new products save time and money and are also durable in performance.  They can be used in commercial suspended ceilings, institutional applications, clean rooms, and industrial duct systems.  The AquaFlex line also includes the patent-pending 1-BEE2 installation-ready bracket, which secures mounting to the ceiling grid without the use of tools and is installed up to five times faster than any competitive technology. For more info, http://www.victaulic.com/aquaflex