Industry News

Las Vegas — Kenneth D. Goodrich, the founder of Yes! Air Conditioning and Plumbing, established the J. Duncan Goodrich Air Conditioning Technology Endowment at the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) on Monday, August 24, 2009.

Goodrich created the endowment to honor his father, J. Duncan Goodrich, a pioneer in Southern Nevada air conditioning service and replacement. The $100,000 endowment will be used to provide scholarships and equipment for the Air Conditioning Technology Program at CSN.

“My father instilled the belief in me when I was young that it was a father’s duty to teach his children how to make a good living,” said Goodrich. “The J. Duncan Goodrich Air Conditioning Technology Endowment will help perpetuate my father’s goal to others in the field of air conditioning.”

CSN will name the air conditioning technology laboratory on the Henderson campus after Ken Goodrich’s father to honor his longtime commitment to education and training for air conditioning technology careers.

It’s clear that Ken values his community, but Ken’s community appreciates him just as much. Last November, Ken was also honored by In Business Las Vegas with a Nevada Entrepreneur Award for his business success and entrepreneurship.

Yes! Air Conditioning and Plumbing was acquired by American Residential Services, LLC, a privately held, nationwide provider of heating, air conditioning and plumbing services through the ARS/Rescue Rooter brand, in February of 2008. After the acquisition, Goodrich accepted a key senior leadership role within ARS/Rescue Rooter, serving as Southwest Division vice president.

Cranston, R.I. — Taco, Inc. has announced that it is making its commercial pump lines available through the Autodesk Seek web service. This will enable mechanical design professionals to search for and access Taco’s data-rich, high-quality digital design files directly from AutoCAD and the Revit desktop design applications for Building Information Modeling (BIM) or thru the Web. (http://seek.autodesk.com)

Three file formats will be available via Autodesk Seek: Revit (.rfa), AutoCAD 2D and AutoCAD 3D. The Taco files can also be accessed using any mobile smart device.

Taco’s KS pump line is the first product line to be made available through Autodesk. KS Vertical Split Coupled Inline Pumps are designed for optimum performance and ease of installation and maintenance. They are ideal for HVAC and industrial applications. Additional Taco commercial pumps lines available as AutoDesk Revit files will follow.

With the addition of Taco’s product information to Autodesk Seek, HVAC system design and building construction professionals practicing the BIM process will be able to more easily select Taco pump products earlier in their design projects.

Autodesk Seek (http://seek.autodesk.com) allows design professionals to search specifically for the building product design files they need—in the form of 3D models, 2D drawings, visual images, and part and product specification data. The service includes access to existing content from Autodesk applications and building product manufacturers into a single, unified search experience.
“Taco needs to be where HVAC design engineers are going with Autodesk Seek,” commented Tom Lawrence, Taco’s Senior Vice President, Commercial Sales and Marketing. “We’re proud to be the first HVAC pump manufacturer to offer a full line of fully attributed 3D and 2D files to the consulting-specifying design community. We’ll be adding additional product files as we move forward.”

“One of the major reasons we have been so eager to get our products onto the Autodesk Seek web service is that our products will literally be at the fingertips of designers as they are designing in their applications. As more architects and design engineers adopt the BIM process, it is important to be a part of that trend as early as possible by making our products available to them digitally and in 3D.”

“It is increasingly important for design professionals and builders to be able to rely on high quality data as the AEC industry moves to BIM,” said Jeff Wright, senior director of Content Solutions for Autodesk. “The addition of Taco’s information-rich commercial pump models to the Autodesk Seek web service is one more step in delivering a ‘critical mass’ of product information to designers, while providing building product manufacturers with an unprecedented platform for online marketing to Autodesk’s customer base.

Morrisville, N.C. — SOLARHOT, a manufacturer of renewable energy products in Morrisville, North Carolina, has donated a solar energy system to the Chatham Habitat for Humanity, for one of their recently constructed homes located in Pittsboro, North Carolina.

“Chatham Habitat For Humanity, was interested in offering a very energy efficient home,” said Dan Gretsch, vice president of engineering of SOLARHOT, regarding their donation. “Both SOLARHOT and the installer, Solar Consultants, have done volunteer work with Chatham Habitat For Humanity in the past and working together on this project seemed a natural fit.”

The solar equipment donated by SOLARHOT, valued at over $7000, included a SolVelox drainback pump/control/heat exchanger module mounted on an 80-gallon electric water heater, a ten-gallon stainless steel drainback reservoir, four 4’ x 8’ Silver collectors, mounting hardware and connection fittings. This equipment was primarily installed by Solar Consultants, a solar energy installation company based in Carrboro, North Carolina, who donated over 50 worker-hours on this project.

“This system was installed for both hot water as well as space heat for the home,” explained Gretsch. “The homeowner was really excited about the prospect of getting a solar home.”

The homeowner, Tracy Lynn, and her seven year-old son Tristan, are enjoying the energy savings in their new 1100 square foot home and expressed gratitude to SOLARHOT for the donation of their solar products.

“There’s nothing like having hot water at your disposal! It feels great not being utility dependent,” said Lynn. “SOLARHOT has a very knowledgeable, caring staff and the best reputation of any solar parts distributor that I could find. I am indebted to them for contributing this cutting edge technology so that my energy costs will be manageable in my new active solar home built through Chatham Habitat for Humanity.”

Kohler, Wis. — Kohler Co. recently was awarded Silver LEED® Status from the U.S. Green Building Council for its work to transform the company’s Environmental, Health and Safety building into a more environmentally efficient structure.

“To earn Silver LEED status underscores Kohler’s commitment to sustainability – from our products and services and manufacturing processes, right down to the company’s very own buildings,” said Davor Grgic, senior vice president for Kohler Co. “Kohler is proud to receive this certification from the USGBC. It’s important as an environmental leader to minimize the company’s footprint, and this recognition builds upon Kohler’s holistic approach to sustainability.”

Grgic led a team of several associates for this project, which was started 18 months ago. The building achieved LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. LEED verifies environmental performance, occupant health and financial return. LEED was established for market leaders to design and construct buildings that protect and save precious resources while also making good economic sense.

“Kohler’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “The urgency of USGBC’s mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and Kohler serves as a prime example with just how much we can accomplish.”

To earn Silver LEED status, Kohler made several enhancements to the building’s interior and exterior, along with installing several upgrades and monitoring devices for energy and water usage. A 50 percent reduction in water usage was achieved by installing new faucets and fixtures in the bathrooms, including the KOHLER StewardTM waterless urinal. High Efficiency Toilets such as the KOHLER Highline 1.1 gpf were also installed, and .5 gpm faucets with KOHLER Tripoint Touchless Technology all contributed to the significant water savings.

New landscaping around the building includes native Wisconsin plant life, all of which is easy to maintain and are able to grow without the use of herbicides and extra potable water. A green cleaning program was developed for the building, for which environmentally-friendly cleaning products are used exclusively to maintain the building. Natural lighting is utilized throughout the building, and in the areas extra light is needed, low energy, long-lasting compact fluorescent bulbs are used.

Kohler received all five points in the Innovations Category for LEED, a not-so-common achievement for a LEED-EB building (Existing Building). A unique water bottle filter and fill station helped play a role in this accomplishment. The Kohler EHS building is one of only several LEED-EB buildings in Wisconsin.

Franklin Park, Ill. — Sloan Valve Company’s water-efficient plumbing products and systems have been installed in the new Bay Adelaide Centre in Toronto, a LEED® Gold-compliant commercial property that welcomed initial occupants to its 50-story West Tower this summer.
Indoor water use reduction features in the West Tower include Sloan’s dual-flush Flushometers and water-efficient electronic faucets. Phases two and three of the development will include mixed-use hotel/residential buildings.
John Watson, Water Efficiency Director for Sloan, says that large commercial property owners and developers are increasingly cognizant of the financial and environmental benefits of installing water- and energy-efficient plumbing systems in their buildings. “The savings grow exponentially with the size of the building and its occupancy,” says Watson. “Dual-flush Flushometers and electronic faucets are easy ways to reduce water usage while maintaining the performance and convenience benefits that facility managers and users alike expect.”
According to Lindsay Everitt, director of communications for Goodmans LLP, one of the anchor tenants in the West Tower, Bay Adelaide’s commitment to the environment was a key reason for the law firm’s decision to lease space. “Being an environmentally aware organization is very important to us, and it’s extremely important to our clients that we are as well,” she says. “We are pleased that the Bay Adelaide Centre offers an aggressive recycling program, green cleaning practices and energy-efficient lighting systems that will generate 50-75% savings. We are committed to working closely with building management to continue to identify solutions and best practices that reduce our carbon footprint.”

Richmond, Calif. — California-based solar hot water manufacturer Heliodyne has introduced its newest line of Plug and Play heat transfer appliances, the Commercial Solar Station (HCOM). The HCOM is a packaged closed-loop heat transfer appliance for accommodating large solar hot water projects of up to 100 flat plate collectors with a single module, while still larger projects can combine modules in parallel for limitless sizing potential. “The HCOM builds on our 33 years of commercial solar thermal project experience. This product is a natural progression in commercial solar technology that I’m confident will truly revolutionize the industry” said Ole Pilgaard, president of Heliodyne.

The HCOM was engineered by Heliodyne in order to offer installers a factory assembled, plug and play appliance that can work universally with any commercial project reducing all the design complexity time associated with larger installations. “Commercial solar thermal systems can be complicated to the average solar professional. The HCOM eliminates a lot of the sizing and engineering guesswork making larger commercial projects an easier task,” said Mike Starkey, head engineer at Heliodyne.

The HCOM operates on the same principles as Heliodyne’s line of residential closed loop heat transfer appliances, the Helio-Pak. Some notable features of the HCOM include “plug and play” installation, touch screen interface, advanced controller for remote Wi-Fi based monitoring and data storage, single/double wall heat exchanger and integrated variable speed pumps for system energy optimization. “We’re seeing a growing demand in solar thermal commercial projects. We’re confident that with the simplicity of installing the HCOM, commercial jobs will not only be an easier task for experienced installers, but also a viable option for less experienced installers new to commercial solar” said Starkey.

Allentown, Pa. — Grundfos Pumps launched the “Impossible Tour,” a mobile education center for pumps and pumping systems, with a special daylong event and celebration at the newly renovated Allentown, Pa. distribution center.
The Impossible Tour is part of the “Powered by the Impossible” campaign promoting the launch of the New ALPHA circulator. With stops in over 40 cities across the United States, including Washington, D.C, Chicago, Denver and Portland, Ore., the truck features many of Grundfos Pumps products including the ALPHA and recently released CR-H. Each event will allow contractors to gain hands-on training from Grundfos professionals and the chance to experience interactive pump displays.
“The Tour allows contractors and engineers a chance to experience new technology that Grundfos has to offer,” said Dennis Wierzbicki, president of Grundfos Pumps USA. “This mobile education center allows the attendees to gain training and knowledge on the latest products Grundfos Pumps have to offer.”
For more info, visit www.poweredby.grundfos.com.
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Des Plaines, Ill. — Contractors can earn dollars that turn into tools by participating in Chicago Faucets Gear Up! Program, which offers rewards for purchasing specified products from a local CChicago Faucets distributor.

“We’re excited about rewarding contractors for their loyalty to Chicago Faucets,” says John Fitzgerald, Director of Marketing at Chicago Faucets. “Contractors accumulate cash-points between August 17 and November 30, 2009, and then turn those points into a gift certificate to Berland’s House of Tools – one of America’s finest tool stores.”
Qualifying Chicago Faucets’ products in the program include:
• E-Tronic™ 40 Faucets — the company’s newest electronic lavatory faucet. Available in both AC and DC versions, the E-Tronic™ 40 incorporates advanced technology for dependability and convenience. With hermetically sealed, above-deck electronics for easy maintenance and long-term reliability, the E-Tronic™ 40 is a great new option for commercial lavatory applications.
• 420-CP Faucets — the company’s popular Deck Mounted — Single Control lavatory faucet with 4-5/8″ C-C Integral Spout, a 1.5 GPM (5.7 L/min) Pressure Compensating Laminar Flow Outlet and metal lever handle.
• Repair Parts — with the largest installed base of faucets in the country, Chicago Faucets offers support for its products through national distribution. Parts are readily available through the distribution channel for most of the company’s product line since it began in the commercial faucets market more than 100 years ago.

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Highland, Ill. — Cooper B-Line, a global provider of innovative, labor-saving support systems and enclosure solutions for engineered facility subsystem applications, has sponsored a student-led team from the University of Arizona in the 2009 Solar Decathlon. The sponsorship includes a donation of over 1,500 sq. ft. of Cooper B-Line Traction Tread™ plank grating, and carries a retail value of over $10,000.

The Solar Decathlon competition showcases the work of 20 international teams that design, build and operate an 800 square foot solar-powered home. The students’ work will be on display October 9th-18th of this year, on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Over 200,000 people are expected to tour the environmentally-friendly homes.

“As docents of the Sonoran desert, we are very conscious of the ground we are covering. As a result, we sought these specific Cooper B-Line products because they offered us a permeable decking space that allowed rainfall to move through the decking and drain to the earth,” said Matt Gindlesparger, Project Manager for the 2009 University of Arizona Solar Decathlon Team (UASDT). “Traction Tread also offers spanability like no other decking material, thus allowing the team to minimize the necessary structural framing, resulting in a lighter assembly which is ideal for transportation.”

Cooper B-Line Traction Tread™ Flooring features a surface with hundreds of perforated buttons that provide slip-resistance in all directions, making it a practical choice for industrial applications. Traction Tread is also appropriate for commercial applications where pedestrian traffic is a consideration, perfectly suited for ADA-compliant requirements. Traction Tread is easily adapted for a multitude of applications, offering a safe walking-working surface for walkways, ramps, stair treads and equipment platforms. In addition, Traction Tread is ideal for the manufacture of special and fabricated products, and is often used as a reconditioning material over existing surfaces that do not provide slip-resistance.