Paced by continued demand for projects such as new education and health care facilities, public safety, and government buildings, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) increased in June following fluctuations earlier this year.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Building Technologies Office has released a request for information seeking stakeholder input on the design and construction of tenant spaces that achieve high levels of energy efficiency in commercial buildings.

The Millennium Tower, a luxurious condo-and-retailer tower in Boston, will incorporate Schöck Isokorb® structural thermal breaks in the terraces at the penthouse levels to ensure thermal comfort in the city’s tallest and most expensive residential building. 

A new, national program from Carrier and Orca Energy, a leading geothermal utility provider, is designed to makes geothermal heating and cooling more accessible in new construction homes. Orca Energy will provide financing for geothermal earth loops in new residential developments with the purchase of a Carrier geothermal system.

A new report, “Global Construction 2030,” forecasts that the volume of construction output will grow by 85 percent to $15.5 trillion worldwide by 2030, with three countries — China, the U.S., and India — leading the way and accounting for 57 percent of all global growth.

The global HVAC market is forecast to grow steadily at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7 percent from 2016 to 2020, according to a new report available from ReportsnReports. Rapid growth in the construction and real estate markets worldwide is having a positive impact on the HVAC market.

The global HVAC market is forecast to post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of close to 7 percent by 2020, according to the latest report from Technavio. The research study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the HVAC market from 2016 to 2020.

The global data center precision air conditioning market is expected to record a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 10 percent to 2020, according to the latest market research report by Technavio.

Per the DOE’s second annual “National Energy Employment Analysis,” a total of 6.4 million Americans now work in the traditional energy and energy-efficiency industries. More than 300,000 net new jobs were added in 2016, which accounted for 14 percent of the nation’s job growth.

B&I, based in Fort Myers, Florida, is one of a growing number of contractors across the country to adopt “lean construction” techniques: a plug-and-play approach to construction that lets workers prefab a project off-site, section by section. Then, at the job site, all that remains is putting the pieces together.

Contractors focused primarily on service, maintenance, and repair should continue to see steady, healthy growth, even in a slowing economic environment.

Current trends are pointing toward unprecedented technological advances in the air movement sector.

Beginning July 3, 2019, the Department of Energy is requiring a maximum fan energy rating (FER) for furnace fans.

Let’s look at five hidden reasons HVAC systems might not keep up when the temperatures get hot, how to test for them, and potential repairs.

Awarded the Energy Star® Most Efficient Mark in 2019, this product has a high-efficiency DC motor.

In the right situations, whole house fans provide a good option to homeowners who want to avoid running air conditioning all the time.

Back in December, The ACHR NEWS toured the Big Ass Fans facility in Lexington, Kentucky. While we were there we had the opportunity to tour the company’s facility and with its research and development center, and chat with general manager of industrial business lines, Andrew Koukis for the latest episode of the NEWSMakers podcast.

Thanks to the prevalent use of online search engines like Google, consumers everywhere are becoming more educated on the products they buy, and HVAC systems are no exception.

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about high-end air conditioning systems is usually cost.

While not often addressed, the air handler in an HVAC system has a significant role to play.

Unico Inc. announced it is making highly efficient EC motors standard for all blower models within its modular air handling units.

When customers call your service company, it’s for one thing — your expertise. They don’t want a price, the problem fixed, the fast and cheap solution, etc. like many technicians think. They want good information and possibly a little guidance to make a good decision.

If a condenser coil is dirty or fouled, its ability to reject heat is severely affected.

Johnson Controls Inc. had a big 2018, with the launch of several new products and the acquisition of Lux Products Corp. For Johnson Controls, the Lux acquisition enhances its commitment to thermostats. The move also enables faster product development cycles, improves customer service capabilities, and supports greater product innovation.

Demand is changing the landscape of coils and condensers. Efficiency, refrigerant, and market demands are adjusting to a global cooling marketplace.

Very few end users fully understand the importance of properly cleaning and sanitizing their ice machines, storage bins, and dispensers. Yet the quality and safety of every beverage they serve as well as the longevity and power consumption of their equipment depends on proper maintenance.

Emerson Climate Technologies has filed a patent application for a simulation model of a commercial ice machine to support development of more efficient equipment that can meet upcoming U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) targets.

This year’s Dealer Design Awards gold winning product in the Refrigeration and Ice Machine category is the Quantum Air™ Remote Air Cooled Condenser from Heat Transfer Products Group Inc.

In contrast to many other countries around the world, Americans consume a lot of ice. That’s probably why ice machines are found virtually everywhere here, from convenience stores and supermarkets to hotels and hospitals. It doesn’t really matter what shape it takes — cubes, flakes, nuggets, chips, etc. — but it does have to look and taste good.

Refrigeration contractors who have not yet attended the annual National Restaurant Association (NRA) show really need to put it on their bucket lists. For four days each year, McCormick Place convention center is filled to the rafters with vendors exhibiting everything from gluten-free pasta to pizza ovens to high-tech ice machines.

The Horizon Elite 710 series Chewblet® ice machines have the same patented scale-inhibiting design as the Horizon Elite 1010, 1410, and 2110 series ice machines that offer foodservice operators high performance even in the most challenging water conditions.

The higher the inlet water temperature, the more sensible heat must be removed from the water and the longer the freeze cycle. The latent heat removed causes the water to change state, thus producing ice.

Hoshizaki transferred manufacturing of select ice machines from Europe to its facility in Peachtree City.

Alex Tappé, vice president of sales and marketing at Ice-O-Matic, announced organizational changes to its sales team.

Like other companies working in the sector, Heatcraft Refrigeration Products faced a new set of DOE Annual Walk-In Energy Factor (AWEF) standards taking effect on Jan. 1 of this year.

Once restaurants started reopening, smart owners asked contractors to clean and sanitize ice machines before they were returned to service.

In this puzzle, a restaurant manager complains that one of the ice machines in his high-volume establishment isn’t producing enough ice.

The Gold award in the Refrigeration and Ice Machines category goes to the Copeland Digital Outdoor Refrigeration Unit, X-Line Series by Emerson.

The Refrigeration School Inc. (RSI) in Phoenix, Arizona, in partnership with Clear Channel Outdoor, recently donated and installed an ice machine at Aimee's Animal Sanctuary in Queen Creek, Arizona, to help protect more than 100 special needs animals from severe heat.

The Refrigeration & Ice Machines category winners include a refrigerant charging scale, evaporative control technology, and a condensing unit.

The Gold award in the Refrigeration and Ice Machines category goes to a self-contained refrigeration system for walk-in coolers and freezers that eliminates several of the steps required for a traditional system.

If an ice machine evaporator has a grid design, it can separate from the evaporator plate over time, causing ice to form between the two parts, causing problems.

The winner is a kit that is a universal, field-mount refrigeration controller with temperature sensors and pressure transducer kit that can be installed up to 40 feet from an air or electric defrost unit cooler.

Sensibo produces smart heating and cooling devices and IAQ monitoring products, allowing users to control their heating and cooling equipment with artificial intelligence, data, and sensors, while taking advantage of air quality data to optimize equipment use and reduce energy consumption.

Ducts play a crucial role but are often overlooked.

Diverse examples show the importance of air movement and the creative ways in which contractors and manufacturers have dealt with it successfully.

Air handlers are the heart of an HVAC system, moving the conditioned air through a building. Like a heart, they can generate a lot of noise while operating. Manufacturers, however, are taking steps to reduce that noise.

Context can help professionals direct their attention to where duct leakage can best be addressed.

The ductless market has grown significantly in the U.S. in the last 20 years. What was once a fringe product has become a prominent subset of the HVAC world.

When the efficiency of an HVAC system is discussed, proper ductwork is often overlooked. But at the AHR Expo in Las Vegas, it was discussed plenty at the Johns Manville booth.