Industry News

 >>Home Innovation Seeks Builders for Study
Source: homeinnovation.com
Home Innovation is seeking builders to participate in a field monitoring study to better understand moisture performance of high-R wall systems. The focus of the study is on wall systems with R-value of 20 and higher in airtight, high performance homes located in climate zone 4 or higher. The result of this study will provide valuable real-life data on long term performance of wall constructed using energy efficiency practices. 

Source: energy.gov
The Energy Department announced up to $3 million in available funding for manufacturers to use high-performance computing resources at the Department's national laboratories to tackle major manufacturing challenges. The High Performance Computing for Manufacturing (HPC4Mfg) program leverages supercomputers at our national labs to accelerate advanced clean energy technologies and energy-efficient solutions that improve our nation’s economic competitiveness in manufacturing. 

>>ASHRAE Grant-In-Aid Funds Human Thermal Comfort Database Project
Source: ashrae.org
Creation of a database to help better understand human thermal comfort in residential and commercial buildings is being funded through an ASHRAE grant program. Veronika Foldvary, a visiting Ph.D. student at the Center for the Built Environment (CBE), University of California, Berkeley, is one of 18 students who will receive a grant through the ASHRAE Graduate Student Grant-In-Aid Award Program, which is designed to encourage students to continue their education in preparation for service in the HVAC&R industry. The grants, totaling $180,000, are awarded to full-time graduate students of ASHRAE-related technologies.

>>New Toolkit Dives Into Training Techniques
Source: energy.org
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Better Buildings Residential Network has launched a Training Toolkit to help residential energy efficiency program managers identify resources and opportunities to help contractors, staff, and volunteers enhance their understanding of building science; sales and marketing; program offerings; and business development. 

>>2016 FMA/CNA Safety Award Winners Announced
Source: fmanet.org
The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA) and CNA announced the recipients of this year’s Safety Awards. Open to all FMA and Tube & Pipe International (TPA) company members, the FMA/CNA Safety Awards program recognizes metal fabrication companies that have an ongoing commitment to excellence in safety. Award winners are determined by the FMA Safety Council and the awards are sponsored by CNA.

>>U.S. Specialty Chemicals Market Progresses During First Quarter
Source: americanchemistry.com
The Specialty Chemicals Market Volume Index, a tool created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC) progressed further during the first quarter of 2016, rising 0.1 percent on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis in February after a 0.1 percent gain in January. Weakness during 2015 was centered in oilfield chemicals and a few other segments that, combined, weighed on overall volumes. Of the twenty-eight specialty chemical segments included in the index, seventeen expanded in February, with adhesives, construction chemicals and electronic chemicals experiencing the largest gains (1.0 percent and over) in market volumes.

>>2016 Residential IAQ Standard Published by ASHRAE
Source: ashrae.org
Multifamily units in all types of buildings are now covered in the scope of ASHRAE’s residential indoor air quality standard, marking one of the biggest changes to the recently published 2016 version. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2016, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Residential Buildings, defines the roles of and minimum requirements for mechanical and natural ventilation systems and the building envelope intended to provide acceptable indoor air quality in residential buildings. Prior to this edition multifamily residential buildings four stories or above fell under the scope of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality. Now the dwelling units themselves are covered by 62.2 regardless of building height, while common areas of those buildings remain in the scope of 62.1, according to Paul Francisco, chair of the Standard 62.2 committee.