» Mueller Water Products Reports Fiscal First Quarter 2010 Results
ATLANTA, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mueller Water Products, Inc. (NYSE: MWA) today reported net sales of $313.1 million and a net loss of $10.7 million in the quarter ended December 31, 2009.  Summarized consolidated 2010 first quarter results compared to 2009 first quarter results are as

» PG&E Approves Sunovia's LED Cobra Head Street Light for Inclusion in Rebate Program
SARASOTA, Fla., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sunovia Energy Technologies (OTC Bulletin Board: SUNV) announced today that its EvoLucia™-brand 75W LED cobra head has been sanctioned by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) for inclusion in PG&E's LED Street Light Rebate Program. PG

» Here Comes the Sun: ASHRAE to Act as Supporting Sponsor of 2009 Solar Decathlon Print This Email This RSS For Release: October 13, 2009 Contact:
Here Comes the Sun: ASHRAE to Act as Supporting Sponsor of 2009 Solar Decathlon

October 13, 2009, ATLANTA?Recognizing the key role solar energy will play in the development of net-zero energy buildings (NZEBs), ASHRAE is proud to be a supporting sponsor of the 2009 Solar Decathlon.

The Decathlon?sponsored by the Department of Energy and held on the National Mall from Oct. 9-13 and 15-18?is a competition in which 20 teams of college and university students compete to design, build and operate the most attractive, effective and energy-efficient solar-powered house.

?Buildings constitute 40 percent of the nation?s primary energy use; that?s why it?s crucial that we encourage students, the future leaders of the HVAC&R industry, in their interest to explore energy efficiency and sustainability,? Gordon Holness, ASHRAE president, said. ?ASHRAE cannot let this opportunity of influencing our energy future and the climate of the world pass by.?

As part of its role as a supporting sponsor ASHRAE will independently host two workshops, as well as co-sponsor a workshop with the American Institute of Architects, the U.S. Green Building Council and the American Institute of Architecture Students. These workshops will examine topics such as net-zero-energy buildings and sustainable home design.

To provide the Solar Decathlon student teams with the best possible engineering resources as they plan their solar homes, ASHRAE has made available a variety of resources to the student teams such as HVAC Simplified, ASHRAE GreenGuide and ASHRAE Standard 90.2-2007, to name just a few.

Perhaps the greatest resource ASHRAE has to offer is its members? expertise. Sixteen ASHRAE members have been selected by the DOE and the National Renewable Energy Lab to serve as Solar Decathlon Observers. ASHRAE Observers are assigned to observe two to four houses each to manage the 10 contests that make up the entire competition. ASHRAE Observers are dedicating eight days to serve in this capacity.

?I?ve always been drawn to new and innovative ideas for saving energy,? Nick Long, ASHRAE Observer, said. ?The Decathlon?s mission is critical in teaching the emerging generation the importance of energy efficiency and integrating the concepts into whole-building design and operation.?

Additionally, ASHRAE has encouraged its members in the D.C. area to volunteer their time at the Solar Decathlon by helping to answer questions asked by the visiting public or assisting organizers with operating the competition. Whether available to volunteer for a few hours or multiple days, ASHRAE members? volunteer contribution will help make the 2009 Solar Decathlon a success.

ASHRAE also offered students, who participate in eight intense days of construction, a way to relax by co-sponsoring a student reception with USGBC and AIA on Oct. 10. The reception allowed participants to meet and greet decathletes, organizers and sponsors, as well as enjoy great food and the chance to win raffle prizes. ASHRAE also hosted a continental breakfast for student team members.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of some 50,000 persons. ASHRAE fulfills its mission of advancing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education.

» ASHRAE Standard Provides Guidance for DOE Federal Standard
ASHRAE Standard Provides Guidance for DOE Federal Standard

ATLANTA?Savings over the next 30 years from a proposed federal standard for vending machines could equal that of the energy consumed by more than 830,000 American households in a single year.

The federal standard issued by the U.S. Department of Energy is based on ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 32.1-2004, Methods of Testing for Rating Vending Machines for Bottled, Canned and Other Sealed Beverages, which establishes uniform testing of refrigerated vending machines to determine energy consumption. The DOE issued its ruling on Aug. 31, 2009 via the Federal Register.

?As a technical organization with interests in both refrigeration and reducing energy use, we are pleased that DOE and the beverage industry look to ASHRAE as the source for standards in this critical area,? Gordon Holness, ASHRAE president, said. ?We look forward to continued work with the Department and the relevant stakeholders to develop standards that meet the needs of the nation and the world.?

Given that refrigerated vending machines consume 2,500 to 4,400 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy per year, DOE is adopting new energy conservation standards, finding that such standards ?would result in significant conservation of energy and are technologically feasible and economically justified.?

By 2042, DOE expects the energy savings to result in cumulative greenhouse gas emission reductions of 0.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, an amount equal to that produced by 2 million cars every year.
Fully-cooled medium capacity vending machines, the most common type currently being sold, cost $2,625 with annual energy costs of $188. To meet the new standards, the DOE estimates the installed prices of such equipment will increase by $239 to $2,864, which will be offset by annual energy savings of $69.

Though DOE utilized the testing methods laid out in ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 32.1-2004, the department employed a test point of 75°F/45 RH rather than the 90°F/65 RH specified in the Standard. Also, DOE will take into consideration the fact that ASHRAE is currently updating Standard 32.1-2004 and will consider any changes that may result from the update.

The standards will apply to all beverage vending machines manufactured for sale in the U.S. or imported to the U.S., starting three years after publication of the final rule.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of some 50,000 persons. ASHRAE fulfills its mission of advancing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education.

» All Earth Ecobot Challenge - Tasks Finalized For Teams On Website
Saturday, April 17, 2010 - Reliant Center at Reliant Park HOUSTON, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Education Foundation of Harris County has identified and finalized the tasks the Ecobot Teams have to complete in the All Earth Ecobot Challenge taking place Saturday, April 17, 2010 at Reliant C

» Comstock Resources, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Annual 2009 Financial and Operating Results
FRISCO, Texas, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Comstock Resources, Inc. ("Comstock" or the "Company") (NYSE: CRK) today reported financial and operating results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2009.  Reported results for the year ended December 31, 2008 reflect the Company's o

» Hudson Products Holdings Inc. Private Placement
SUGAR LAND, Texas, Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Hudson Products Holdings Inc. ("Hudson"), the parent company of Hudson Products Corporation, today announced that it is proposing to offer, in a private placement, $250.0 million aggregate principal amount of Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2016 (the "

» ClimateMaster: Water-Source Heat Pump
ClimateMaster’s Tranquility 20 single-speed unit has the standard high-efficiency EarthPure (R-410A) scroll and rotary compressors with fan motor options (PSC or ICM).