Industry News
We would like to take this opportunity to give a special thanks to this month's sponsor -- Taco Inc. Headquartered in Cranston, R.I., Taco, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of hydronic-based HVAC equipment and accessories for use in residential, commercial and institutional buildings worldwide. The company, privately owned and in business since 1920, manufactures a wide range of pumps and circulators, valves, tanks, heat exchangers, electronic controls, accessories and systems. Manufacturing facilities are located in Cranston, R.I. and Fall River, Mass., with a Canadian distribution and sales facility in Mississauga, Ontario. Taco sells through wholesale distributors and also provides select OEMs with product. Visit www.taco-hvac.com for more information.
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Energy efficiency program budgets leap 35 % in 2009
Budgets for ratepayer funded energy efficiency programs in the United States and Canada topped a record six billion dollars for 2009, illustrating the ongoing and growing support for energy savings and environmental benefits at the state and provincial level. Utility funding increased 35% over the $4.5 billion committed in 2008. Not including onetime U.S. stimulus funding directed to energy efficiency, the U.S. totaled $5.3 billion, doubling from $2.6 billion in 2006. Eight Canadian provinces together reached $800 million, a small reduction from 2008, but showing growth from the 2007 total of $600 million.
Gas programs demonstrated the most rapid expansion, soaring 274 percent since 2006 and increasing nearly 80 percent over 2008 in the United States. Canadian gas programs rose 25 percent on top of a 39 percent rise in 2008. Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) members administer 89 percent of U.S. gas budgets and 74 percent of Canadian budgets.
Electric budgets in the United States went from a 21 percent increase in 2008 over 2007 to a whopping 37 percent over 2008. CEE members administer 88 percent of U.S. electric budgets reported; Canadian members administer 94 percent. The largest gains were from southeast and south central states, regions that grew more than 76 percent. While most provinces in Canada reported either increases or first time budgets for electric efficiency, decreases in program spending in Ontario and low efficiency loan activity in New Brunswick, both due to the economic downturn, meant a slight decrease in Canada overall to just under $0.7 billion USD.
Impacts measured by CEE members showed savings of 93,000 GWh of electricity and more than 343 million therms of gas, avoiding more than 55 million metric tons of CO2. The carbon dioxide emissions avoided by CEE member efforts in 2008 are equivalent to the annual emissions from nearly 12 coal-fired power plants-more than two percent of the output of all coal-fired power plants in the United States in 2005. Based on the average retail price of electricity and gas in 2008, the combined utility bill savings for consumers delivered by CEE member programs in that year climbed to more than $8.4 billion USD.
Data were collected from 46 states, up from 37 in 2008, and from eight provinces. Working with the American Gas Association and the Institute for Electric Efficiency for the first time, CEE has completed collection of budget and impact data from ratepayer funded energy efficiency programs and plans to make detailed analysis of the data along with our Annual Industry Report available early in 2010. New this year is the collection of expenditure data for 2008, which showed that these programs are spending their allocated budgets.
WaterSense releases final new home spec
With the release of the WaterSense® Single-Family New Home Specification, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making it easier for builders and home buyers to support water efficiency across the country.
EPA developed this specification over several years, working with hundreds of stakeholders and releasing two drafts for public comment, before finalizing its criteria December 9, 2009. The specification is designed to work with other voluntary green building programs such as the National Green Building Standard, ENERGY STAR®, and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) program. Builders can now become WaterSense partners and begin constructing homes to earn the WaterSense label.
Designed to use about 20 percent less water than typical new homes, WaterSense-labeled new homes will be independently inspected and certified by EPA licensed certification providers. These new homes will feature WaterSense-labeled plumbing fixtures, ENERGY STAR qualified appliances (if installed), water-efficient landscaping, and an efficient hot water delivery system.
Residential water use currently accounts for more than half of the publicly supplied water in the United States; about 1.27 million new homes are built each year. If all new homes built in 2010 were WaterSense labeled, it would save more than 12 billion gallons of water per year, and the homeowners would save more than $130 million in utility bills.
Each WaterSense-labeled home will save more than 10,000 gallons of water per year—enough to fill a backyard swimming pool—and save enough energy to power a television for four years. Compared to a typical new home, a WaterSense-labeled home can help a family save at least $100 per year in water, sewer, and energy bills; compared to an existing, older home, a family could save more than $200 per year on utilities.
New Products
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Air/Dirt Separator Taco’s 4900 Series Air/Dirt Separator came to the rescue at the Renaissance Providence Hotel soon after the property opened its doors in 2007. The original air separators became clogged with an iron oxide corrosive gunk that caused complaints over inadequate guest room air conditioning. Taco donated two 4900 Series units for the hotel’s HVAC system and they quickly went to work clearing the system. Taco’s 4900 Series Air-Dirt Separator, with its patented PALL Rings, provides complete elimination of air and dirt in closed loop systems. Taco. |
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Pipe insulation supports The Tru-Balance 2550FS insulated saddle for chilled water and refrigeration piping systems features rigid moisture resistant insulation and meets the 25/50 flame and smoke ratings. Cfc- and hcfc-free. A center rib holds the product inside the clevis hanger. Do not contribute to mold, fungus or bacteria. Quick-inspect sticker on each saddle for easy inspector identification. Buckaroos. |
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Flush valve The 81T Series flush valve with H2Optics™ is suitable for commercial and institutional applications, H2Optics hands-free technology is one of the most advanced sensing technologies in the industry today for electronic faucets and flush valves. With the ability to accurately sense the user’s distance, regardless of external factors such as light reflection, clothing color and textures or dryness of one’s skin, H2Optics provides consistent, dependable results. Delta Faucet Co. |
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Tote line The Pro Notch® Tote line of products feature a patented triple notch system that allows your Tote to fit on most I-Beams and post & beam flooring systems. Totes are made from industrial strength plastic and are now available in large and a new smaller size. Customize your Tote with removable sub-contained divider compartments for maximum organization of your tools and supplies. Glenn Pro Products. |