A comprehensive study and resource manual that serves as a “best practices” guide for the design, installation and maintenance of geothermal systems, this book draws on the author’s more than 30 years of hands-on geothermal field experience. The text written by Jeff Persons’, CM, covers geothermal systems and controls from their widespread introduction to the U.S. market in the early 1970s to the multistage ultra-high-efficiency systems.

Study topics include open-loop and closed-loop applications, subsurface geology, loop design, water chemistry, antifreeze solutions, system installation and controls. Emphasis is placed on identifying common installation and service mistakes, and on learning from those mistakes.

The guide gives business owners, sales staff, installers and technicians a step up on the competition and imparts the knowledge necessary to maintain consumer confidence and appreciation. Geothermal systems represent one of the best means available for meeting the growing interest in renewable energy technology.

Additional titles in radiant heating and electronically commutated motors will also be released in the RSES Sustainability Series.

Visit www.rses.org/store

The new logo and tagline are being introduced to complement AHRI’s mission to serve as an advocate of North American HVACR and water heater manufacturers, and as a global leader of the industry. It also incorporates new colors to represent heating and cooling elements that are reflective of the association’s diverse membership.

“It sums up everything we do, and everything we are about as an industry,” said Stephen Yurek, president and CEO of AHRI. “It is our goal to continue our work on performance standards and certification, while serving as a leading voice on environmental and energy policy.”

The new logo will be distributed to AHRI’s member companies and industry partners immediately, and will be implemented on all materials over the next several months.

“Our members’ products improve the lives of people all day, every day, and the new logo and tagline serve as a constant reminder of that fact,” Yurek added.

Visit www.ahrinet.org

The theme will run throughout the program sessions and activities. Among the esteemed speakers will be entrepreneur and business consultant Troy Hazard, who will present “Beyond Tomorrow: How to Future‐Proof Your Business with Purpose, Passion, People and Profits,” and Vietnam War veteran and prison camp survivor Captain Charles Plumb, who will discuss “Tough Choices in Challenging Times.”

On October 13, a one‐day bonus program, “The Path to Higher Margins Is Not Business As Usual,” will be held from 7:30a.m.to 3:15p.m. The day’s speakers, all highly successful mechanical service contractors, will provide attendees with a wealth of road‐tested tactics on topics including customer prioritization and how to determine where to spend time, how to avoid the micro‐managing trap, and managing call backs and tracking results.

The conference will also feature a variety of educational programs, peer group roundtable sessions, and a Supplier Partnership Day that will spotlight the event’s exhibitors and sponsors.

“Companies and individuals that look beyond their limits are destined to succeed,” said Robert A. Lake, chairman of the MSCA. “The speakers at this year’s conference will provide the inspirational fuel attendees need to live outside their comfort zone and overcome boundaries that once seemed impenetrable.”

Visit www.mcaa.org/education/msca/annualconference

The Service Managers Forum is one of ACCA’s most popular managers’ meetings, and it is returning for the sixth year with a new line-up of learning labs to help veterans and new service managers reach new levels of success.

This year ACCA reworked the program schedule, so attendees get the most value out of this day and a half program. The lineup features eight learning labs that cover residential and commercial topics and two learning labs that cover leadership topics. The two leadership learning labs will be repeated, so that attendees will have the opportunity to go to both.

Kicking off the Service Managers Forum is Jason Young, a former high level manager at Southwest Airlines. He wowed contractors during the High Stakes Learning Event during ACCA’s 2012 Conference in Las Vegas. During the opening session, “Lead Smart — High Performance Leadership,” Young will share how leaders develop, motivate and empower people to achieve extraordinary results while providing vision and guidance throughout the entire process.

The event closes with the popular “I’ve Got An Idea!” session with idea-chief, Vince DiFilippo of DiFilippo’s Service Company. During this  event, attendees share their own success secrets for others to take back to their businesses to turn into big results.

“The Service Managers Forum continues to be one of our most popular educational events each year and we are excited to be heading back to Austin for our sixth year,” said Kevin Holland, senior vice president of Business Operations & Membership at ACCA. “We’ve packed the schedule with a brand new line up for learning labs that will feature some of our best speakers from the past and some new speakers to help service managers review their processes, recharge their outlook, and reinvigorate their entire team when they return home. This event is about learning, growing, and helping attendees move to the next level of success.”

To round out the forum, attendees can spend time talking to some of the top manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers in the industry in the Sponsor Showcase. Sponsors include: AC Leak Freeze, Data-Basics, Davisware, CallSource, Comfort Institute, ContractorSelling.com, Demandforce, Emerson, Fujitsu, Jackson Systems, NATE, and Service Automation.

Visit www.servicemanagersforum.com

Stewart Reed, vice chairman and Chief Operating Officer stated, “Mestek was always more than simply a business to him; it was his life and his creation. It was personal; and he cared deeply at many levels. He was intensely proud of the people who chose Mestek for their careers and the progress of the company. He established a culture for Mestek that he wanted to last for generations beyond his life, his most cherished legacy. Whether in his office or on the shop floor, Mestek was home. John Reed touched many of us in a profound way; he will be long remembered. We can honor his memory by fulfilling his vision: a world-class American manufacturing company with a bright future.”

He enjoyed a successful career that spanned 75 years, many of these years as chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Mestek, Inc., which consists of more than 36 operating companies involved in the HVAC, Architectural Products, Metal Forming & Fabricating, and Coiled Metal Processing Industries.

Reed began his career with the H. B. Smith Company after graduating from The Williston School in 1933 and Yale, A.B in 1937. He earned his L.L.B law degree in 1942 from Northeastern University Law School. In 1946, Reed founded the Sterling Radiator Company where he pioneered hydronic finned tube radiation. Sterling Radiator continued to grow during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, both internally and through the careful acquisition of other climate control companies and of the Peterson Roll Feed Co. and the Cooper-Weymouth press feed company.

In 1975, Reed National was formed to administratively consolidate these companies and air distribution acquisitions. More growth and acquisitions followed, and in 1986 Reed National merged with Mestek Inc., a public corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Mestek remained public for 20 years before returning to its present status as essentially a private company with shares traded under the symbol MCCK.PK.

Reed was a very active participant in the Hydronics Institute (now merged into AHRI) and the Better Heating/Cooling Council. He served as chairman of the Hydronics Institute twice and was one of the first chairmen of the Better Heating Cooling Council. He had also consistently supported various national manufacturing associations including the Association for Manufacturing Technology, the Fabricating Manufacturers Association (which honored him with a lifetime achievement award), the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association, and many others.

Reed will truly be missed by his family at home, at Mestek, and throughout the industry.

This revised standard provides procedures for selecting and sizing residential comfort cooling and heating equipment. The standard has been divided into two parts – a “normative” portion that details the selection/sizing criteria and an ‘”informative” portion that provides discussion, guidance, and example problems related to procedure intent and use.

A review version of the proposed Second Edition of Manual S (dated April 17), and the public review response form, can be downloaded from www.acca.org/industry/ansi-standards/under-review.

The UA Training Department worked closely with MCAA in producing the DVD and related materials. Credit also goes to the International Training Fund, which underwrote the expenses incurred in developing these materials.

In a transmittal letter that accompanied the materials to UA locals, General President William Hite said, “The presentation on this DVD is the result of a collaborative effort between the United Association and the Mechanical Contractors Association of America in a combined effort to gain market share, put more UA members to work, and make our good union contractors more competitive… An instructor from your local JATC and an area MCAA contractor should present this DVD together to your second year apprentice class or where you feel appropriate.”

MCAA President Mike Cables also underscored the value of these training materials in recent remarks to the Western Mechanical Conference when he said, “At MCAA we feel that by helping our workforce better understand us as contractors we deepen their appreciation of the challenges we face every day as we strive to get work, keep them employed and enhance our joint position in the marketplace.”

Visit www.mcaa.org

“Automated code checking helps plan reviewers focus on the core tasks of code compliance and speeds up the permitting process,” said Ronald Piester, president of the ICC Board. “This innovative technology will provide comprehensive and consistent results from project to project across jurisdictions and allow code officials to dedicate more time to safety issues, inspections and other important duties.”

“Fiatech is pleased to have ICC’s support in the development of AutoCodes, which will be a ‘game changer’ in the building design and construction process,” said Ray Topping, director of Fiatech. “Our Memorandum of Understanding builds on the strong working relationship established with ICC over the past six years in advancing Regulatory Streamlining.”

The current stage of the project focuses on efforts to convert egress chapters 10 and 11 of the International Building Code into machine-language rulesets to check 3D building information models (BIM) for code compliance. A critical aspect of the phase is to define an ICC certification roadmap that confirms the integrity of AutoCodes Project deliverables with regards to the IBC for industry usage.

“ICC and Fiatech are committed to completing this long-term project,” said Dominic Sims, CEO of the ICC. “Using technology for code checking is a win-win for the jurisdiction, designer and property owner. The quicker plans are approved to begin construction, the quicker a business can open its doors and see sales dollars. Speeding up plan review and permitting turnaround time will result in projects being started and completed in a more timely manner thereby creating an economic development advantage in a competitive world. ”

Visit www.iccsafe.org

“Navien is proud to be a leading global green company,” said Harrison Kim, CEO of Navien. “2013 has been an outstanding year for Navien, continued Kim. Our NPE series condensing gas water heater won the prestigious International Forum (IF) award for Product Design. The NPE series, with its 2 inches PVC venting capability, utilization of existing ½ inch gas lines, field gas convertibility and the industry’s longest warranty (15 years) for the dual stainless steel heat exchangers, among other features, also won the plumbing Innovation Award at the AHR Expo this year. Additionally, one of our condensing gas water heaters, was selected a ‘Best Buy’ product in Premium Selection by Consumers Digest. Navien’s CH, Combi-Boiler/Water Heater is recognized as the most efficient and economical combination boiler/water heater on the market today.”

Eric Moffroid, vice president of Sales and Marketing, thanked Chairman Sohn for his acknowledgement and added, “We want to recognize, in turn, our partner Reps, Wholesalers and Installing Contractors for their part in Navien’s success to date. I particularly want to honor the Navien Service Specialists (NSS) and Navien Dealers who have attended our training classes and educated themselves, on their own time, in order to understand and participate in the benefits of the Navien product line.”

Cunnick has 13 years of results-oriented marketing and communications experience. Since 2005, she has been with the National Grocers Association, where she managed marketing campaigns for a wide variety of programs, events, and products aimed at different targeted audiences, including small business owners and consumers.

“We have been looking to bring on a team member who would be dedicated marketing the variety of programs and services we offer and Christine’s past success working with small businesses, makes her a great fit for ACCA,” said Kevin Holland, senior vice president of Business Operations and Membership. “We are extremely pleased to have her join our staff and look forward to seeing our programs grow with her help.”

In her new position, Cunnick will responsible for creating and implementing marketing programs for all of ACCA’s products, programs and services.