BY DAVE YATES
With energy use being closely monitored and judged for the Solar Decathlon competition, the entire home’s systems-package must be one that enhances efficiency while still maintaining comfort and required dehumidification. For example, at 2:00 P.M. each day, the students’ homes at the Solar Decathlon have just one hour’s time to restore temperature and humidity to pre-determined levels. The week’s wet weather created foot-traffic that deposited soggy trails inside each of the homes. Inverter mini-splits throughout the homes were able to meet, or beat, the required humidity-level standards. While it’s unfortunate that hydronic radiant floors were a casualty of the cost factor, I believe we are also witnessing the advent of a new mini-split revolution that will include lots of air-to-water hybrid radiant heating/cooling systems that utilize the same condenser to target humidity while using an ultra-quiet and much smaller recessed-and-concealed variable-speed air-to-air mini-split air handler, which incorporates high-efficiency fresh-air exchange. As an added bonus, that same air handler will be able to serve as second-stage heating/cooling, so that programmable controls will allow the heating/cooling to hibernate while still maintaining dehumidification and freely exchange indoor with outdoor air to enhance the indoor environment.
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EUSTIS, FLA. – Evelyn H. Smith was recently inducted into the Lake County Women’s Hall of Fame. She currently serves as vice president and secretary-treasurer at Lake Mechanical Contractors Inc., a plumbing, process piping and HVAC contractor, and has been part of its leadership team for 50 years.
She was nominated for the Hall of Fame by several local leaders who commended her as “a model of volunteerism for women throughout Lake County” and for her commitment to Lake County’s families and businesses.
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HAIKOU, CHINA — Jay Peters, Plumbing, Mechanical & Fuel Gas Group executive director for the International Code Council, is one of three 2011 honorees inducted to the World Toilet Organization Hall of Fame. The recipients are chosen based on their efforts and contributions to solve the global sanitation crisis that claims the lives of thousands of people every day, most of whom are children.
Peters was selected in recognition of his and the ICC’s contributions to the global sanitation movement, especially in pioneering and initiating the official launch of the United Nations International Year of Sanitation in 2008. During that year’s World Toilet Summit & Expo (WTSE), he conducted an education track on Global Sanitation Policies & Standards. The Code Council sponsored the track, in addition to the first-ever ICC USA Pavilion at WTSE, which offered U.S. companies a cost effective way to reach Southeast Asian prospects.
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BIRMINGHAM, ALA -- Following the success of Go Build Alabama, the Alabama Workforce Development Initiative has expanded its recruitment program to Georgia in partnership with the Georgia Governor's Office of Workforce Development. Go Build aims to enhance the image of the skilled craft trades and recruit the next generation of workers, with an emphasis on industrial and commercial construction careers.
On January 17, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal announced plans to launch Go Build Georgia, which will build on the success of Go Build Alabama, launched in August of 2010.
Both recruitment programs are partnering with Mike Rowe, executive producer and host of Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs," and his mikeroweWorks.com initiative.
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CHICAGO — CONTRACTOR magazine, part of Penton Media Inc.’s Mechanical Systems Group, is showcasing the top 20 products from 19 manufacturers / suppliers to the plumbing, heating, cooling, piping and mechanical contracting industry that have generated the most buzz from readers.
CONTRACTOR presented the Top 10 Readers’ Choice Award winners and the Top 10 Editor’s Choice winners in its December 2011 issue & online at www.contractormag.com .
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