| January 26, 2006 - Vol. 5, No. 4 | Engineering for the World We Live In |
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To ensure that The HVAC&R Industry is not blocked by spam-blocking software, please add eindustry@ashrae.org to your address book. ASHRAE values your privacy. Click here to learn about our privacy policy. Should you encounter problems reading an ASHRAE eNewsletter, you may access any issue archived on the ASHRAE.org Web site at http://www.ashrae.org. The HVAC&R Industry, ASHRAE's free weekly eNewsletter for HVAC&R professionals, provides relevant, timely information about industry and technology for people who create healthy, comfortable indoor environments. To read this week's newsletter online or to view back issues, click here. If someone passed along this eNewsletter to you and you would like to have your own subscription, click here. We welcome your feedback. Industry NewsAHR Expo Opens; Attendance Likely RecordCHICAGO—The 56th edition of the International Air-Conditioning,
Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) is expected to be
the best attended, as well as the largest Show, in its 76-year
history. As of the afternoon of Jan. 23, the first day of the
Show, nearly 55,000 people had registered to attend or to staff
booths. Final attendance figures are expected to be higher. The
Show closed Jan. 25.
Editor's Note: The report was written on Monday, Jan. 23, the first day of the Show. Next week's HVAC&R Industry will have a final report. CHICAGO—The 56th International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) is expected to be the best attended, as well as the largest, Show in its 76-year history. The Show opened here at 9:58 a.m. today, and isles were quickly filled by attendees who had been waiting at entrances to see the almost 2,000 exhibitors' booths that cover 9.4 acres of net exhibit. Show management said that as of 1:30 p.m. today, 54,332 people had registered to attend. This included 20,654 people staffing booths. These attendance numbers will grow because of on-site registration later today and on Tuesday and Wednesday. Neil Winegar, a consulting engineer from Traverse City, Mich., arrived at McCormick Place at 8:30 a.m., so he could be among the first to enter the exhibit hall. He was attending the show to "learn about some of the things that are out there and to learn about new technologies to integrate into my designs." He said he was particularly interested in controls. "Wireless, Web-based—everyone is trying to figure out which is best." These and other technologies were displayed by 137 exhibitors in The Building Automation and Control Showcase. Gus Kalogrias, a consulting engineer from Plainview, N.Y., also said he was interested in controls and building automation. "I do upgrades/retrofits in buildings. Controls allow me to mix older systems with new technologies." He said energy savings is the key. "Before three years ago, owners didn't care as much about energy savings. Now, energy bills are going up and they want to save money." After spending all morning in the Building Automation and Control Showcase, he took a break at noon to look over his bag full of materials. "There's a lot to see. I'll be back tomorrow." Gilad Lev-Shamur, a facility engineer from Haifa, Israel, traveled for more than a day and a half to attend the show because "this is the biggest show in the world related to HVAC products." He said he was looking for refrigerant products, such as chillers, as well as software. He wants the software to upgrade processes, such as managing energy and designing systems. The Software Center here featured 52 companies. Don Kohlhagen, a mechanical contractor from Evansville, Wis., also was looking for ways to save money and energy. "Hydronic heat tends to save money, so I'm looking for those kinds of products." Carlos Hache, president of a company in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, said he was looking for controls that enable energy efficiency. Electricity in the Dominican Republic is expensive, so his customers are thinking about the best ways to invest their money. He said that many of his customers are willing to spend more in first cost in order to receive energy efficiency benefits later. Christina Dulaney, a consulting engineer from Portage, Ind., returned to this year's Expo after attending the Show in Chicago in 2003. She said she wanted to attend many of the free educational sessions. "The lecturers are generally well-informed, and I really benefit from them." Dulaney and Juan Notholt, a plant manager for a boiler company in San Juan del Rio, Mexico, both planned to attend the "Emerging Steam Generator Technology" seminar presented by the American Boiler Manufacturers Association (ABMA), one of the many associations that presented sessions. On the show floor, Dulaney said she was interested primarily in pumps, mechanical systems, and air-handling units. "I'm attending to visit companies that I've dealt with before to see what new products they have." James Ballin, a building mechanic for a veterinary lab in Madison, Wis., noted the large number of international companies, particularly those from Asia. Companies from Asia make up only part of the more than 350 international companies attending from 39 countries. Among the others are Slovenia, Egypt, Serbia, Greece, and Pakistan. Several countries, Brazil, Thailand, Korea, and four groups from China have informal groupings of exhibits. 'Energy Policemen' to Enforce Efficiency in BeijingBEIJING—"Energy policemen" are being recruited by Beijing’s
municipal government to patrol shopping malls and office buildings
to improve the city’s energy efficiency. Complexes with indoor
temperatures set too high in winter or buildings with lights on
in the daytime will receive fines from the officers. Supporting
regulations will give the energy policemen authority to issue
penalty notices and to order building managers to carry out their
instructions. The city plans to reduce its energy consumption
by 15% of 2005 levels by 2010.
Read more Consumers Can Cut Taxes by Going GreenNEW YORK—Under federal legislation that went into effect Jan.
1, consumers who invest this year in energy-efficient products
will be able to save on their taxes next year. Consumers are eligible
for a tax credit of 10% of the cost for building improvements
including insulation, certain kinds of roofing, windows and skylights,
and doors. Consumers can also qualify for a tax credit for 30%
of the cost of solar electricity or water heating equipment.
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