HVAC Blog

It's hard to get veteran business owners to try new technology. The HVAC rooftop units atop 20 year old commercial facilities often are broken-down relics. Is it time to consider another route for heating and cooling needs? While a geothermal heat pump drilling and system installation costs are expensive, the long term benefits are measured in annual cost savings and comfort. Geothermal systems also require far less maintenance, operate with no flame, no flue, no odor, and their lifespan can be measured in decades, not years. Should we abandon traditional heating and cooling for the geothermal heat pump system? Do initial investment startup costs outweigh potential savings?

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Can the spread of flu in the world's commercial structures be stopped? UV light seems like the most efficient way to kill infectious diseases that fester inside air ducts. It only requires 5,000 microwatts of UV light to destroy a typical Swine flu spore as opposed to a whopping 50,000 that might be required for something like anthrax. But the time for installing UV duct cleaning systems would have been months ago, prior to the onset of the cold and flu season. Have you prepared your facility for the threat of H1N1? Are you a mechanical contractor trying to fill multiple UV light installation orders? Is a UV Light equipped HVAC system enough to stop a pandemic?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from HVAC, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to HVAC today.

Recently I sat in on a project progress meeting. One manager reluctantly reported that the paperwork for a LEED-approved project begun four years ago was still being reviewed by project engineers. The project's owners have occupied their new building for more than two years. Why? According to recent articles regarding LEED authors write… a costly and bureaucratic certification process is responsible for the low percentage of projects that ultimately get certified. Have you encountered similar frustrating LEED problems? Have they led you to think twice about entering into a LEED-approved commercial project?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from HVAC, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to HVAC today.

For nearly 50 years my dad has run his contracting business on a single premise: forget long-and-short-term benchmarks. Priority number one is to complete every job as efficiently and cost-effective as possible. He resisted using accounting benchmark and project management software. But was my dad doing the right thing? Was it possible for him to keep track of both office and field work? One expert says, benchmarking (both short-term and long-term) is critical to making good business decisions that keep your company financially healthy. When you see numbers trending in the wrong direction, take action immediately.

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from HVAC, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to HVAC today.

While wind energy runs clean and is powered by one of the purest renewable energy resources next to the sun, is it as efficient as "Green minded" HVAC and construction professionals would have us believe? Even when turbines operate at maximum capacity, the most a commercial facility can expect the wind to provide is 30% of its energy needs. The power required to operate mechanical and electrical systems will more than likely come from carbon producing sources. Is the investment in wind turbine technology worth the cost and effort to implement them in a commercial high rise or industrial facility? Are designers hooked on air simply because of the LEED credits available to them? If wind power engineering is still in its infancy, can we create turbines that provide 75% or even 100% of our energy needs?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from HVAC, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to HVAC today.