Heating & Cooling
HVAC—heating, cooling, and ventilation—is responsible for more than a third of energy use in commercial buildings in the U.S. Smart designs can easily save upwards of 40% of that energy, often with strategies that offer instant or short payback. And good design that focuses on thermal comfort supports healthier, more productive occupants.
Heating & Cooling
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Cooling Giants Introduce Smaller Thermal Storage Units
Product Review
Trane and Carrier team up with Ice Energy to bring thermal energy storage to the mainstream. Distributing chilling loads will be a crucial part of upgrading the grid to more easily incorporate renewable energy.
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High-Efficiency, Variable-Speed Pumps from Wilo and Grundfos
Product Review
Advanced, variable-speed, "smart" pumps from the German company Wilo and the Danish company Grundfos offer significant energy savings for hydronic heating systems and other circulation systems.
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Active Chilled Beams: Saving Energy and Space
Product Review
Active chilled beams use a combination of chilled water, finned heat-exchanger coils, and ventilation air to induce air flows that supply cooling and heating in commercial buildings.
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The First Practical Heliostat
Product Review
Practical Solar has introduced a simple heliostat system to reflect sunlight into buildings for lighting and space heating; future applications will include water heating and electricity generation.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Energy Storage in Buildings Due to Increase
News Brief
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Efficiency Gains Nullified by Appliances and Electronics
News Brief
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New Standard Showcases Efficiency of VRF Multi-Splits
News Analysis
The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) recently created a standard that evaluates the efficiency of variable refrigerant flow (VRF) multi-split heating and cooling systems. AHRI 1230 allows a comparison between VRF multi-splits and unitary HVAC systems that was not possible previously.
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DOE-Backed Smart Metering Rejected in Maryland
News Brief
The Public Service Commission of Maryland rejected implementation of "smart grid" metering proposed by Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) in June 2010. The commission based the rejection on fears of rate increases and tiered pricing that would increase costs for consumers.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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