Sherrie Burns received an unusual Christmas present this year a brand-new heating and air conditioning system.

The Ada woman won the unit from Hunter Super Techs, an Ardmore-based company that gives away new HVAC units through its Gift of Heat program each year around Christmas time. Burns granddaughter nominated her for the program, and Burns learned that she was one of the winners when Hunters operations manager, Joseph Hobson, contacted her on Dec. 16.

Burns, whose home has had the same heating and cooling unit since 1989, said she was thrilled about getting a new one for Christmas.

Im still overwhelmed, but Im really happy to get it, she said Friday, while Hobsons crew was installing the new unit.

Its a team thing

Hunter Super Techs owner Chris Hunter launched the Gift of Heat program in Ardmore, where the companys main office is located, about six years ago. The company has given away a new HVAC system, provided by Goodman Manufacturing and valued at somewhere between $5,000 and $6,000, each year since then.

The company, which also has locations in Ada and Durant, gave away three units this year. One unit was for Burns, another was given to an Ardmore resident and the third went to someone in Durant.

Hobson said the company appreciated Goodman Manufacturings assistance with the program.

Were very, very blessed to have Goodman give us three systems for each of our locations to provide heat for the families and some very deserving people, he said.

Heres how the program works: People can nominate their friends, neighbors or relatives who would benefit from a new heating and cooling system by filling out a form on Hunter Super Techs website, www.https://huntersupertechs.com/. The completed form must include the nominees name, address and a short story about why he or she deserves a new system.

Hunter staffers review the entries and select one person to get a new unit. But this year, the company decided to give away three units instead of just one.

Hobson said that Hunter Super Techs installs the units free of charge and obtains the appropriate permits from the city of Ada. He added that many Hunter employees volunteer to help install the units each year.

Its a team thing, he said. Its great.

Nomination

Burns granddaughter, Jamie Vasquez of Tacoma, Washington, saw an ad for the program on Hunters website and nominated her grandmother, Hobson said. He showed a screen shot of the nomination form to an Ada News reporter.

Sherrie is my nana, Vasquez wrote on the nomination form. Shes 86 years old, a breast cancer survivor and sole caretaker of my 63-year-old aunt, who had a devastating stroke 15 years ago.

They live on a fixed income every year. Twice a year for the last five or so, my nana has to call someone to fix the heating and air unit, resulting in her robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Vasquez wrote that her grandmother had not replaced the old unit because of the cost, and she relied on her fireplace to heat the house in the winter and floor fans during the summer as a way of reducing stress on the old unit.

Burns said Friday that she spent the past couple of years worrying that the old unit would break down some day. She said she wont have that problem anymore, thanks to the Gift of Heat program.

Its a great thing, Burns said.

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'Gift of Heat' | Local News - Theadanews

Sudbury Pines Extended Care is ending the year with a more than 25% reduction in energy use following a partnership with Eversource.

The family-owned small business is now a more efficient year-round environment for guests, families and employees all while reducing its environmental impact and saving $18,000 in yearly energy costs.

Sudbury Pines operates around-the-clock and must provide a safe, healthy environment which made it the perfect candidate for energy-efficient upgrades, said Eversource Vice President of Energy Efficiency Tilak Subrahmanian. Our team shared energy expertise and helped identify several projects and programs that would effectively reduce their impact on the environment and save them money. Together, we are able to have a positive effect and look forward to delivering solutions that will benefit the family-owned business today and into the future.

The energy efficiency work includes a comprehensive lighting upgrade including ceiling sensors and photocells, the installation of low-flow faucets and aerators and refrigeration upgrades. Eversource also helped Sudbury Pines install Wi-Fi thermostats, which in addition to providing energy savings and convenience, allows Sudbury Pines to participate in the Eversource ConnectedSolutions Demand Response, a program that offers participants incentives for allowing the energy company to adjust their WiFi thermostats during peak energy periods.

Working with Eversource and our partners and tapping their expertise, along with cash flow and finances, were the key factors we considered when driving these projects forward, said Sudbury Pines Extended Care Business Operation Manager Kevin Osborne. The untold story is that an equal amount of vision with leadership, incentive research, design consideration and implementation is required to bring it to fruition. Sustainability does work for us, its about better patient outcomes, quality facility conditions, and mitigating our environmental impact.

Sudbury Pines Extended Care plans to invest its energy savings into additional energy efficiency projects, including insulation, heat recovery ventilation systems and new heating and cooling systems. There is also high consideration of installing rooftop solar, having been accepted into Eversources SMART program, which is expected to cover more than 60% of the buildings current energy demand.

Sudbury Pines took advantage of Eversources Small Business Energy Solutions which included a free facility audit by AECOM, a qualified energy contractor, and a proposal detailing recommended energy improvements. Eversource reviewed the proposal to ensure that the project was cost-effective and paid up to 90 percent of project costs for installation of approved energy-efficient measures such as LED lighting and building controls. Eversource also inspects completed projects to verify equipment is correctly installed and working and confirms the job is completed to customer satisfaction.

For more information on Eversources Small Business Energy Solutions, visit Eversource.com.

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Sudbury Pines Extended Care ending year with over 25% reduction in energy use - Wicked Local Sudbury

Looking for the best smart thermostats for Alexa? You have come to the right place

If you have an Amazon Alexa device, then you might be interested in buying a compatible smart thermostat so you can control the temperature of your home remotely. Here is an overview of the best smart thermostats with Amazon Alexa.

The Nest Learning T3008US is the third-generation learning thermostat made by Nest, which was thinner and sleeker than its predecessors. It lights up when you start walking up to the device. And the T3008US shows you the time and temperature from across the room.

For those of you who are handy, it takes about half an hour to install. And Nest devices are known for helping its users cut down on their bills by over $100 per year.

The T3021US is a smart thermostat that learns the temperatures you like and can turn itself down while you are away. And the T3021US has a large and sharp display.

Some of the best features built into the T3021US include auto-scheduling, Wi-Fi compatibility (change the temperature from your phone, tablet or laptop), Energy Saving (Nest Leaf appears when you choose a temperature that saves energy), Smart Thermostat (learns how to keep the house warm despite changes in the weather), and Home/Away Assist (automatically turns temperature down while you are away to avoid heating or cooling an empty home).

For those of you who are handy, it takes about half an hour to install. And Nest devices are known for helping its users cut down on their bills by over $100 per year.

The ecobee4 is able to listen to voice commands and respond with Alexa built-in. You can have the ecobee4 set a timer, read the news, adjust the temperature, etc. Plus it works with other Alexa Devices by supporting ESP so that only the device that is closest to you responds to commands.

And the ecobee4 comes with a room sensor that helps manage hot or cold spots in the home thus delivering comfort in the rooms that matter.

The ecobee4 is able to sense occupancy and automatically enable the right mode energy savings when it senses no one is home.

It takes about 30 minutes to install the ecobee4 using the installation guide and an in-app step-by-step walkthrough.

The Honeywell Home T9 features a Monthly Energy Report that shows you how much energy was used. And you can save even more with a schedule that adapts to your lifestyle and by connecting with your utility efficiency program. You can also adjust your thermostat from anywhere with your mobile device or let your home automatically react to your schedule with geofencing. Plus you can add smart room sensors to focus the temperature on multiple rooms for comfort where it matters.

And the T9 also intelligently learns your homes heating and cooling patterns in order to deliver the right temperature at the right time. Then it sends you filter and temperature alerts.

When you connect your Honeywell Home account with your utility, you can earn rewards each season for your energy efficiency.

The Bosch BCC100 easily controls your home temperature with your voice as you communicate with the Amazon Alexa smart device. And the full-color 5-inch display thermostat touchscreen automatically turns on and off while you are away from home.

Plus the Bosch BCC100 features both comfort setting and intuitive scheduling to make it easy for you to choose a temperature for different times of the day without having to worry about the home getting too hot or too cold. And you can access the main screen and set up the thermostat from any smartphone or tablet.

Its worth mentioning that a C-wire (common wire) is required to power the unit. Two-wire systems are not supported.

The Honeywell TH9320WF5003 supports remote access to the thermostat through a computer, tablet or smartphone with Honeywells Total Connect Comfort Service. And apps are available for tablet and smartphones.

Some of the other specifications includeEnergy Savings mode, 7-day easy programming,custom display with on-screen comfort information, and a five-year limited warranty.

The Emerson Sensi Touch ST75 lets you remotely access, change or program your home temperatures anytime any anywhere. It was designed to work with HVAC equipment in most homes in the U.S. and Canada. And the Sensi mobile app guides you through each step of the DIY installation process. Plus a common wire (c-wire) is required.

After the Sensi thermostat is running, you can let your location automatically adjust your temperature settings with geofencing or use the intuitive controls to create a custom schedule in order to save about 23% on your HVAC energy usage. You can set, lower or raise your home temperature with simple voice commands using Alexa or control the Sensi thermostat using Siri on your iPhone or iPad.

Plus you can get utility rebates in your area through the rebate finder.

The Nest Thermostat E has a simple design with a new frosted display that blends into the background. You can use the Nest app to change the temperature remotely.

Plus there is a Home/Away Assist that turns itself down after you leave so you do not have to waste energy heating or cooling an empty home. The Energy History feature shows you how much energy you use and why.

The Emerson Sensi ST55 makes it easy to remotely control and schedule your temperature. And the Emerson Sensi thermostat does not require a common wire (c-wire) for most installations so it is compatible with the HVAC equipment in many homes in the U.S. & Canada. The c-wire is required for heat-only, cool-only, heat pump (without aux) systems, and for use with Apple HomeKit.

With the Emerson Sensi ST55, you can use location-based temperature control with geofencing or create a custom heating and cooling schedules with the flexible 7-day scheduling option with the ENERGY STAR certified Sensi thermostat. Plus with the energy-saving features, you save about 23% on your HVAC energy usage so you can save money without compromising your comfort.

The Sensi integrates directly with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Wink home automation platforms. And you can connect to Amazon Alexa to control your home temperature with simple voice commands or just ask Siri to set, raise or lower your home temperature while using Sensi with Apple HomeKit.

Plus the Sensi also features smart alerts to help detect extreme temperature and humidity levels in your home.

The Vine Smart TJ-919 has a sleek and modern design that show clear images. And the Vine Smart TJ-919 features ultra-flexible 7-Day and 8-period settings. And it is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Plus you can control it from your phone, tablet or laptop with smart Vine App.

The Bosch Connected Control BCC50 thermostat is compatible with most 24VAC heating and cooling equipment to help you save energy and money. And you can easily control your homes temperature from the interface using the 5 back-lit touch buttons. Plus you can control the Bosch Connected Control smartphone app or your voice with the Bosch Connected Control Alexa Smart Home Skill and your Alexa-enabled smart devices.

And the Bosch Connected Control BCC50 Thermostat blends into any room by automatically turning off the backlit touch buttons when it is not in use and displays only the essential temperature information on the screen.

Plus the Bosch Connected Control app allows you to remotely control all of your thermostats settings. And it also allows you to adjust your schedule while on-the-go or set it to vacation mode to save energy while youre away.

There are filter reminders so you can get alerts when it is time to replace the system air filter. And it is programmable with up to 4 preset or user-defined schedules to help you save energy and money.

Note: it is compatible with majority of HVAC systems (C-WIRE REQUIRED)

The Honeywell Home RTH6580WF features7-day programming with 4 program periods per day which can be configured to meet nearly any scheduling scenario. And the Honeywell Home RTH6580WF Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat allows remote access through a smartphone or computer.

You can view the local weather from the web portal or app (Wink App Ready and the Wink Hub is not required).

Inside of the box is the thermostat, a wall plate (attached to thermostat), screws and anchors, a Quick Start Guide, a thermostat ID Card, wire labels, a User Guide, a Quick Reference Card, and G Wire Jumper Cable.

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12 Of The Best Smart Thermostats For Alexa - Pulse 2.0

As I do every December, I was writing about this years mergers, acquisitions, IPOs and other equity events in the home-technology channel you know, just a quick paragraph on each (coming soon). When I got to Resideo, though, the little blurb I intended to write turned out to be more like a novel.

So here it is in a longer form, starting with the conclusion:Resideo could have the first viable business for comprehensive remotemonitoring and home services basically doing for all home systems what itsdone for security. Who could have fathomed this proposition even a year ago?

We envision a future where our homeanticipates problems, takes appropriate action and connects to a qualifiedprofessional to correct the issue, said Alice DeBiasio, Resideo VP and GM ofGlobal Pros Security, in an August 2019 interviewwith the Electronic Security Association.

Resideo (REZI) is the security, home automation, HVAC and building-controls group that spun off from Honeywell in late 2018, forming a new $5 billion (revenues) public company. Free at last from its $40 billion parent company, Resideo quickly acquired three niche businesses that Honeywell probably wouldnt make time to sneeze at, much less acquire in rapid succession.

The three acquisitions were LifeWhere,WhiskerLabs (one division) and BuoyLabs three relative startups with technology to monitor and react to variousconditions in the home. LifeWhere measures the performance of home appliancesand warns of potential breakdowns. The unit acquired from Whisker Labs learnsthe heating and cooling patterns of a home, mashes it up with outdoor weatherdata, and auto-adjusts the indoor temperature for energy management andcomfort. Buoy Labs tracks the flow of water in a home, issuing alerts and/orcutting off the water supply if anomalies are detected.

Traditional providers of insurance, home warranties, energy, security, and smart-home services will be playing catch-up.

Each solution comes with a recurring fee, which is easilyjustified: Just imagine the expense and heartbreak of doing without theprotection! Non-subscribers could face mold and flooding (from slow and fastwater leaks, respectively), inefficient heating and cooling, and the prematuredemise of unchecked appliances.

In theory, Resideo could prevent all these calamities or atleast mitigate damages, just as the company does today for other threats to peopleand property fire, gas leaks, water leaks, break-ins, vandalism, personalemergencies, and more.

Resideo could wrap the new protections in a bundle that includes existing security and home-automation services. Ultimately, the company could own the home-monitoring and -services category like no one else can, at least not anytime soon. Traditional providers of insurance, home warranties, energy, security, and smart-home services will be playing catch-up. Theyre not even close.

Unlike other would-be home-protection companies, Resideo already has the infrastructure to monitor consumers, their homes, and their things and to respond accordingly:

Looking at the capabilities and strengths above,we can imagine Resideo incorporating LifeWhere, Whisker and Buoy pretty quicklyinto their technological platforms and business models at least much moreeasily than perhaps any other operator.

As for #6 above: We believe there areadded monitoring opportunities for our dealers who are interested in theseadded elements of home protection, beyond just break-ins or fires, said AliceDeBiasio, Resideo VP and GM of Global Pros Security, in an August 2019 interviewwith the Electronic Security Association.

She adds, [A]ll these acquisitions are going to position Resideo and our thousands of professionals as the experts in home protection.

Resideo is in the process of revamping its user app, as well as its dealer portal, to incorporate all the new devices and conditions the company can monitor.

For now, the new Resideo Home app exposes the Buoy Whole Home Water Controller and Buoy Water Leak Detectors. From there, users can access Buoys free features, or upgrade to premium services like advanced automatic water shutoff and leak alerts, Resideo explains.

We should expect the same fremium model to apply to other Resideo offerings all of which eventually will be part of the new app. The company doesnt expect to add its legacy security capability to the app until the end of 2020.

Resideo introduced the new app at a Dec. 4, 2019, event in its home town of Austin, Texas, explaining how it will make whole-home monitoring possible for the four critical networks of the home water, air, energy and security.

Resideo CEO Mike Nefkens said, We do not believe that the critical systems of the home should be a do-it-yourself adventure. Through the new Resideo Home app, were going to bring the world of proactive, professional monitoring to the entire home, helping better protect the people inside and mitigating problems before they arise.

The proactive element is the new thing for Resideo. Its current security and home-automation systems are pretty smart today, but dont provide much in the way of AI and predictive analytics. Resideo service providers tend to react to emergencies after the fact, rather than anticipate them through smart devices on the premises and analytics in the cloud.

All three recent acquisitions Whisker, Buoy and LifeWhere bring predictive analytics to the Resideo ecosystem, exposing some amount of information for self-monitoring and reserving some of the smarts for fee-based services.

Resideo also (re)introduced an indoor air quality monitor to its smart ecosystem that will pair with the app to let homeowners and their home pros see real-time carbon dioxide levels, particles, chemicals and humidity to understand the air inside and do something about it.

Meanwhile, Resideo is working on its next-generation smart thermostat that will integrate with the Resideo Home app, and serve as a dashboard for all the new and legacy things Resideo monitors.

For several years, the insurance companies have been eyeing IoT as a way to glean more data from the home and its occupants, and provide more services to the insured. Theyre struggling.

The Holy Grail would be something like a Triple-A for the home, much like we have for cars. Everyone has AAA, because its silly not to. The auto insurance costs just $100 or $200 per year, and theyre everywhere and anywhere in case of an emergency or inconvenience. Towing, changing a tire, jumping a car, adding gas these and similar services are free. If you need anything more, you pay extra.

Its relatively simple to apply this kind of service to automobiles because independent car-towing trucks and mechanics are everywhere the original Ubers of our times.

The home is harder because there are so many specialized systems to master; however, with a growing roster of smart devices to monitor these systems, a cloud service to make sense of the data, apps and dashboards for self- and pro-monitoring, and thousands of feet on the street for service and support (about 110,000), Resideo just might be able to pull it off.

How much would you pay for AAA in the home? Put me down for about $400 per year.

PRESS RELEASE DEC. 4, 2019

AUSTIN, Texas,Dec. 4, 2019 Resideo Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: REZI), today announcedthe launch of the Resideo Home app, which will make whole-home monitoringpossible for the four critical networks of the home water, air, energy andsecurity. At an event for industry professionals and partners at the historicAustin City Limits Live at the Moody Theatre in Austin, the company showcasedits vision for the future of the smart home and upcoming subscription servicesmade possible by the new app. Through these services, homeowners will easilyconnect with professionals who can help ensure home networks are operatingefficiently and can intervene to help prevent costly damages, like water leaksand major appliance failures.

At Resideo,were committed to helping homeowners make sense of their homes, and in theprocess, help professionals modernize and expand their businesses while givinga better experience to customers, said Mike Nefkens, president and CEO ofResideo. We do not believe that the critical systems of the home should be ado-it-yourself adventure. Through the new Resideo Home app, were going tobring the world of proactive, professional monitoring to the entire home,helping better protect the people inside and mitigating problems before theyarise.

Resideo Homeand Resideo Pro Apps

Designed toprovide homeowners with a simple, unified platform that connects and managesthe home, Resideo will enable the migration of the companys 6.5 million connected customers,currently spread out among its existing apps, into the Resideo Home app throughout2020. Starting today, users of Resideos recently launched BuoyWhole Home Water Controllerand BuoyWater Leak Detectors can begin using the new app and access its free features,or upgrade to premium services like advanced automatic water shutoff and leakalerts. In the coming months, Resideo will integrate air products, such as theT Series line of smart thermostats, into the app. By the end of 2020, the appwill support Resideo whole-home security systems as well.

Unlike other smart-home apps that merely control gadgets, theResideo Home app looks at the entire home by offeringa glimpse into howthe air, water, security and energy systems are performing. The bright andvisually rich user experienceoffers insights through analytics that willhelp the homeowner identify energy savings, water usage and other tips overtime.

A professionalversion of the app, Resideo Pro, will provide professionals with installationtools, help them better service customers through account management andservice calls, and provide access to new business opportunities.

The ResideoHome and Resideo Pro apps are available now in the iOS and Androidapp stores.

NewWhole-Home Services

Resideo alsounveiled its new portfolio of connected, whole-home monitoring solutions thatwill be accessible through the app. Approximately 25% of homes in the UnitedStates have professionally monitored security. In a first for the industry, thenew subscription services from Resideo extend professional monitoring to theother critical networks of the home. Resideos new subscription services will helppros and homeowners use the data already being produced by the critical systemsof the home in ways that make the home work better and more efficiently.

Were givingthe entire home a pulse to help both homeowners and the trade professionalssave time and resources, said Niccolo de Masi, chief innovation officer andpresident of Products & Solutions, Resideo. For most people, their home istheir largest financial investment where they live with their loved ones andkeep their most precious possessions. We are proud to bring this much-neededenhanced protection to the home.

New Toolsand Services for Professionals

Resideo also announced a new digital experience that can help its network of 110,000 trade professionals and their 1 million technicians build business for the future, simplify operations and strengthen relationships with homeowners. The Resideo Pro Portal offers a single destination for product information, product support, access to services and tools to promote and drive leads. A new training and loyalty program called Resideo Pro PERKS launches in January 2020.

Through the ProPERKS program, pros and distributors will be able to access a tiered system ofbenefits, including strategic partnerships with other pros in Resideos networkto take advantage of new business opportunities across the homes criticalnetworks, new marketing tools to sell smart home solutions, and new videocourses to become experts on the latest technologies.

Resideosvalue proposition is firmly grounded in the belief that DIY companies aresimply not equipped to address the installation and integration challenges dueto the vast number of smart-home devices on the market, as well as lacking theknow-how that local contractors have, said Mark Vena, senior smart homeanalyst, Moor Insights & Strategy. In addition, to manage critical systemsin the home like air conditioning, heating, water management and energyutilization, advanced technical training and professional-grade equipment isrequired two things the average consumer or the DIY companies dont possess.

NextGeneration Comfort Platform

Resideo also unveiled concepts for its next-generation smart thermostat it will develop in partnership with professional contractors. Much more than a thermostat, the device will fully integrate with the Resideo Home app, providing insight into the four critical networks and access to subscription services through on-the-wall control with a modern user interface.

The company plans to launch alpha and beta test programs with professionals in 2020.

We have anenormous advantage to deliver whole-home monitoring because of our presence in150 million homes and decades of experience, Nefkens said. Our professionalnetwork of suppliers, dealers, contractors and installers ensures the job isdone right, that dedicated support is always within reach, and will lay thegroundwork to bring the next era of the connected home to life.

AboutResideo

Resideo is a leading global provider of critical comfort and security solutions primarily in residential environments and distributor of low-voltage electronic and security products. Building on a 130-year heritage, Resideo has a presence in more than 150 million homes, with 15 million systems installed in homes each year. We continue to serve more than 110,000 contractors through leading distributors, including our ADI Global Distribution business, which exports to more than 100 countries from more than 200 stocking locations around the world. Resideo is a $4.8 billion company with approximately 13,000 global employees.

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With Smart Devices and Pro Network, Resideo Could be AAA for the Home - CEPRO - CEPro

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Do you want to give someone on your list a gift they love and then love it every month? A smart thermostat is definitely the best choice, because they are reminded every month how great it is when they see how much their energy bill is lower. Its just that two of the most popular options out there are now for sale at their Black Friday prices. The ecobee3 lite smart thermostat costs only $ 149, or you can upgrade to the ecobee SmartThermostat with voice control for $ 199 instead of $ 250. The latter is basically an ecobee3 with a built-in Echo Dot for hands-free Alexa commands, so dont do it trouble unless you know your recipient is using Alexa.

Follow @BGRDeals on Twitter to stay up to date with the newest and best deals we find on the internet. Prices are subject to change without notice and all of the discount coupons listed above may be available in limited stock. BGR can receive a commission on orders placed via this article.

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Ecobee smart thermostats now start at $ 149 - BGR - themediatimes

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Wondering what buildings are coming down or going up in Albuquerque? Local building permit data can shine a light on what's under construction near you.

In the past week, the city issued 275 building permits, according to data from BuildZoom, a platform that helps homeowners and businesses with new construction and remodels.

Of those permits, 13 were for new construction, one was for a demolition project and the remainder were for repairs and renovations.

Read on for a selection of the most noteworthy new permits.

Applicant A&S Plumbing Inc. was issued a permit for repair/renovation of a commercial structure at 1400 San Mateo Blvd. SE. The work is described as: "Installation of new fire line and water service."

Applicant B&D Industries Inc. received a permit for repair/renovation of a commercial structure at 2401 Aztec Road NE. The permit defines the work as: "Install (one) new three-phase 120 208 volt electrical panel with three branch circuits to battery plant."

Contractor CH Mechanical LLC was issued a permit for repair/renovation of a commercial structure at 5230 Fourth St. NW. The work scope is described as: "Bob's Burger renovation - new plumbing throughout."

Contractor Bsi Roofing LLC received a permit for repair/renovation of a commercial structure at 2024 Fifth St. NW. The work scope is described as: "Re-roof."

Contractor Air Pro Inc. was issued a permit for repair/renovation of a commercial structure at 1405 Martin Luther King Ave. NE. The work scope is described as: "Installation of a new water heater and a new furnace."

Applicant Solar Works Energy LLC received a permit for repair/renovation of a residential structure at 1648 Moon St. NE. The work is described as: "Installation of new solar array."

Contractor Solar Works Energy LLC received a permit for repair/renovation of a residential structure at 8517 Bellehaven Ave. NE. The work is described as: "Installation of new solar array."

Contractor Desert Suns Heating & Cooling was issued a permit for repair/renovation of a residential structure at 308 Sierra Place NE. The permit defines the work as: "Installation of a new roof."

This story was created automatically using local building data from BuildZoom, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing.

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Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.

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A roundup of construction permits filed last week in Albuquerque - Yahoo News

Advanced Climate Control L.L.C offers heating repair services and tune-ups for the winter season. Advanced Climate Control L.L.C. is an HVAC company in Greenville, SC. Some of their services include heating and air conditioning repair, replacement, and installation.

Advanced Climate Control L.L.C supplies the best HVAC service in Greenville, SC. Advanced Climate Control L.L.C wants to inform the residents of Greenville, SC, to go online to their website before calling for HVAC emergency service, as they have listed many tips to follow if you are unsure of what to do. This will help prevent a service call if it is not necessary, and also gives the team a better idea on how to diagnose and fix the problem quickly.

If your air conditioning unit needs repairs, ACC offers services for air conditioning in Greenville, SC and they also give you some tips:

The tips for heating issues are quite similar to the cooling tips. For instance, make sure you check the settings on your thermostat and check to make sure the temperature control selector is set above the current room temperature, and the system switch is on heat or auto.

Also, try to get the heat to turn on by raising the thermostat to its highest temperature setting, and check the air filter, as a dirty air filter can inhibit airflow.

The technicians are experts at repairing any heating and air conditioning equipment. If your central air conditioning unit, furnace, heat pump, or any other HVAC component needs repair, call today to schedule an appointment. They are licensed contractors and specialists in the field of heating and air-conditioning, and they have the tools, equipment, and the experience to keep your HVAC system running smoothly all year long.

Advanced Climate Control LLC provides both residential and commercial heating repair, replacement, and installation. The staff at ACC are trained and experienced technicians who can fix any problems with your existing heating unit, replace your outdated system, or fully install an HVAC system for your new home or business. If you are not sure what solution is right for you, call ACC today to schedule a free consultation.

If your heating system is broken or not working correctly, call Advanced Climate Control today. They will provide you with a free in-home consultation to diagnose the issue and implement the correct solution. They acknowledge how uncomfortable and even dangerous it can be to have a broken heater. It is crucial to get the heat up and running as soon as possible, for both your comfort and your health.

Fortunately, at ACC, the team is proud of their fast service and competent workmanship.

For ac repair in Greenville, SC, or heating and cooling Greenville, SC, contact Advanced Climate Control L.L.C. today as they offer excellent heating repair services and tune-ups for the winter. They recommend going online to their website at https://www.accupstate.com/ and reading through some of their tips about heating and cooling before you contact so the team can diagnose the problem quickly. You can ring the team today at (864) 501-0551 if you need to schedule a heating and air repair in Greenville, SC.

Source:https://thenewsfront.com/advanced-climate-control-l-l-c-offer-heating-repair-services-and-tune-ups-for-the-winter/

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Advanced Climate Control LLC Offer Heating Repair Services and Tune-Ups for the Winter - The News Front

For this look at commercial HVAC and plumbing prefabrication, we spoke with experts from one of the best in the business, TDIndustries of Dallas, Tex. Since 1946, TDIndustries has provided innovative engineering, construction and facilities services that optimize the performance of world-class mechanical systems which includes healthcare, hotels, schools, sports arenas, mission critical and industrial complexes.

TDIndustries has prefabrication and assembly facilities in its Texas cities, that are unrivaled by firms of equal size: Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, Richardson, San Antonio, as well as Phoenix, Ariz.

This leading mechanical systems firm provided the HVAC duct and plumbing piping systems for the Atlanta Falcons Mercedes-Benz arena, and the Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium, now in their second and 10th years, respectively. Among TDIndustries most recent projects that integrated state of the art prefabrication assemblies, is the new, 14,000 seat Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, which will host rodeo shows and hockey and NCAA basketball. For the project, TD contributed to 41 miles of plumbing, 10 miles of HVAC work, and 14 miles of air duct in the building.

Among other recent projects, TDIndustries hasbeen commissioned by the Charles Schwab investment firm, for a new campus in Westlake, Texas.The project includes plumbing and mechanical systems installation for approximately one million square feet of office space between two phases of construction.

Dan Weir, senior project manager for the Charles Schwab project, and Ken Luong, project manager at Dickies Arena, provided insight into some of the basics of prefab, as well as advanced methods practiced regularly by TDIndustries.

The ideal prefabrication projects involve any piping or ductwork assembly thats repeatable, such as throughout an office building or hospital, but its a strategy that can be scaled to the project.

Multiple floors or patient rooms that are basically identical are some of the best-case projects, as well as backflow prevention stations, pressure reducing stations, and plumbing batteries for restrooms. And for ductwork, we can prefab basically anything whether its repetitive or not. Thats what we do, Weir said.

TDIndustries has always had some form of a sheet metal prefabrication shop. In 1980, it incorporated larger prefabrication projects, like plumbing batteries and central utility piping. When the company moved to its new Dallas headquarters in 1989, the manufacturing center was expanded, and now occupies 8,000 sq.ft.

Old Shop Keeps Up With Whats NewKen Luong said prefabrication has always been a part of TDIndustries culture, and it has evolved through the years to keep in step with industry best practices.

Weve always looked for additional things to prefabricate, and for ways we can be more efficient and productive; areas where we can build off of it ahead of time in a controlled environment rather than at a hectic jobsite, with many subcontractors working around you, Luong said.

As virtual design becomes more defined, and software becomes smarter, those two innovations continue to help us in the modeling and coordinating ahead of time. As far as In addition to new prefabrication opportunities, there are vendors and manufacturers that come to us with ideas to help us do our jobs easier, Luong continued. Whether its a new type of grooved system or fitting or material, these improvements are ongoing, because everyone wants to get better and find a better, less costly product.

Helpful Design ProgramsAmong the new prefabrication innovations that have impressed Weir is ESTmep , by Autodesk, a relatively new program that is combined with a Building Information Modeling (BIM) model.

Its one model and one database, so that every piece of pipe or duct have attributes recorded within that model, that tell you how much its worth and how much labor is required to install it, Weir explains. Were right on the edge of implementing some really cool technology that enables us to take pieces of a model out and it will spit out exactly how long it should take to install a particular section of pipe or an entire area of ductwork. Weve been working on this to help with tracking and improving both project planning and productivity. And under Autodesk theres a multitude of software we utilize, including Revit in fabrication.

There have been huge advances made in BIM over the past 10 years. We can now publish the model to where project foremen and superintendents in the field can pull up the model on iPad tablets. Thats not necessarily new, but each year, BIM becomes easier to view and use, Luong said.

TDIndustries uses Iris Prospect virtual reality software and HTC Vive viewing devices.

Building Information Modeling allows us to virtually build the job in a 3D model, which greatly improves our capacity for fabrication, said Wesley Baker, vice president of TDIndustries manufacturing and prefabrication facility. The biggest key component is a clash detection component which allows us to see all the different systems fire protection/sprinkler, the large electrical conduit, ductwork, hydronic piping and plumbing systems and the structural systems all in a 3D model. If theyre bumping into each other, the system will show us that. We can then remove those clashes, which makes fabrication much more accurate and efficient.

Plug-n-Play PlumbingLuong added that plumbing batteries are probably the most common assembly that TD teams will prefabricate in the shop.

We have a lot of gang restrooms at Dickies Arena, so every single plumbing battery we created in the shop was shipped and set in place at the Arena.

The Dickies Arenas central plant is one large prefabrication. We had all of the pipe, valve and fittings welded or coupled together in our shop before shipping it to the jobsite.

TDIndustries fabricates and manufactures each and every piece of ductwork, it installs on any project, to the tune of five million pounds each year.

The technology and equipment used to build ductwork assemblies has continued to evolve, and were using much more automated equipment in the shop, including CNC (computer numerical control) computerized manufacturing-driven equipment, Baker said.

We utilize a coil line, to fabricate straight runs of rectangular ductwork. This is an automated line thats computer fed, driven by CNC. The information for the pieces of ductwork that are to be fabricated are fed directly to the machine controller, from our BIM model designs. Its a very automated process. We do the same thing on the plasma tables, where we cut the patterns to make our fittings. We have an automated table to cut the duct liners to match the fittings.

Baker said a new trend called multi-trade fabrication is gaining in popularity. The method involves building a rack framework and installing the ductwork, chilled water piping, cable trays and conduit, all in 20-foot sections. Its the next future trend, he said.

TDIndustries door is always open for visitors withlegitimate interest in advancing their own prefabrication skills. That includes manufacturers and contractors. On the day I spoke with Baker, a team from Arizona was visiting.

We believe supporting prefabrication is the right thing to do. It will help us all with our labor shortage, with safety, and with meeting the demands of the industry. And, we can learn from each other, he stated. A serious prefabrication shop requires a serious investment, one that small or mid-size contracting businesses find impossible to meet. Baker said less-capitalized firms will struggle with the investment thats required for a quality prefab shop.

Then, once you build a facility like this, you must have consistent work. We have a seven-figure inventory right now, and much more invested in equipment. It makes sense for our operational size, but it will cost you if you dont keep the lines running. I would say most companies outsource this until they become large enough. If you dont have a coil line you cant be competitive.

More here:
HVAC, Plumbing Prefabrication at its Best - Contractor

High and low pressure zones drive flow through interior cooling channels. Image: Marcelo Cceres

Heat is the enemy of electronics. The more powerful the processor or component, the more heat is generated. Thats why your laptop likely has a fan, and why massive server farms such as Amazon Web Services or Google need colossal amounts of cooling to keep servers from overheating and shutting down.

Its no different when it comes to airborne Internet connectivity. The antenna system needs to be continuously operating generating heat for passengers to stay connected. It might seem simple to keep an antenna thats mounted on the outside of an aircrafts fuselage, above the cabin, nice and cool. Why not just cut a hole in the cover and let the airflow do the rest?

Not surprisingly, it isnt that simple. The heat of the sun on the radome adds to the thermal load, as does aerodynamic heating, whereby the passing of air at high speeds (in the case of commercial aircraft, 575 miles per hour) is converted to heat. The path for cooling airflow must be free of dirt, ice and moisture, and the outside skin of the fuselage cant be used to dissipate the heat. And its getting more complicated as new power-hungry phased-array, flat-panel antennas begin to appear. Compared to current mechanical, motor-steered dishes, a flat-panel antenna is steered electronically, with different elements of the array receiving and transmitting beams.

The patent-pending part is an isothermal transfer plate that is integrated with the adapter plate to help dissipate heat away from the [antenna] arrays. Kris Samuelson, CIT

While mechanically steered systems might consume a couple of hundred watts of power, electronically steered antennas (ESAs) can use as much as 2,000 watts. Think of a high-powered hair dryer in the antenna enclosure, and its clear that there could be a problem with heat.

Carlisle Interconnect Technologies (Carlisle IT) is working on a solution. Recognizing the opportunity for compact ARINC 781 form-factor ESA installations on regional passenger airliners and corporate aircraft, the company has created an integrated cooling design that is now moving from simulation to a hardware testing phase.

The patent-pending part is an isothermal transfer plate that is integrated with the adapter plate to help dissipate heat away from the [antenna] arrays, said Kris Samuelson, director of sales, IFEC and Interiors, Carlisle IT. Along the length of the adapter plate you have a heat-pipe-like system what we call integrated duct radiator channels. They act like vents, helping to dissipate the heat out the aft end.

Carlisle IT takes advantage of the low height of an ESA, with the complete installation only about three inches above the fuselage, compared to around 13 inches for a mechanically steered system. According to Samuelson, the new scalable solution will support a wide range of aircraft and hardware systems.

Cool Running was originally published in the 9.5 December/January issue ofAPEX Experiencemagazine.

More here:
Cool Running: Carlisle IT's Overheating Solution for Electronically Steered Antennas - APEX Media

The metaphorical War of the Currents between AC and DC started by reigning geniuses of the 1880s, George Westinghouse Jr., Nicola Tesla, and Thomas Alva Edison. As we all know, initially three phase alternating current (AC) won and ruled the power transmission arena; however, with the increasing bulk power transmission capacity and longer transmission distances, DC technology has again started to make sense as a transmission medium. Just like other power converter-based technologies in the early 1900s, high voltage direct current (HVDC) started its journey with mercury-arc-rectifiers. After a series of experiments and small scale implementation projects in 1930s, the first commercial HVDC was installed in 1954 between the island of Gotland and the Swedish mainland by Allmnna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget (ASEA, also known as General Swedish Electric Company), the Sweden based company in Vsters, now ASEA Brown Bovari or ABB,. Based in Zurich.

With advancements in voltage-source converters (VSC), HVDC is now considered a mature technology for bulk power transmission over long distances while providing flexibility for connecting asynchronous power grids. The potential benefits of HVDC over a conventional AC transmission system are highly recognized, primary among them is the controllability which increases the overall reliability of an interconnected grid. This article explores how HVDC transmission will be the key enabler of emerging single energy market.

Flexibility for integrating clean energy

For many utilities around the globe, the integration of low carbon energy sources with the transmission and distribution (T&D) grid is a critical topic. As the distribution of these renewable sources is uneven and often at long distances from electricity load centers (especially offshore wind), AC transmission systems face additional challenges in terms of losses and reactive power requirements. In extreme cases, HVDC remains the only viable option when the life cycle cost (LCC), including system losses of the transmission systems, is taken into consideration.

Several cross border HVDC links installed in Europe serve the purpose of transmitting clean renewable energy across the grids. Country-wide HVDC projects in some European countries are also installed for transport of renewable energy towards load centers. For example, Germany has several HVDC projects (in operation and planned) which connect offshore wind power with its transmission grid. A shift was observed in Chinese market as well, where previously HVDC projects were installed for long-distance bulk power transfer, which now has many HVDC projects planned and in-operation to integrate wind power with its grid. Similarly, a lack of HVDC projects in the US is expected to end with the Plains and Eastern clean line HVDC project which promises to transport renewable energy across different states.

Because of increasing maturity in the technology, HVDC presents opportunity in terms of cross-continent interconnections for renewable energy integration. For example, there are some Euro-African HVDC projects under consideration which can potentially bring the benefits of massive solar potential in North Africa to the European grid. One such study shows that roughly 5 gigawatt (GW) of carbon-free electricity can be transferred via HVDC links from the Sahara solar complex to the European grid, where reduced dependence on fossil fuel and nuclear generation is a necessity to comply with regional clean energy goals.

China, the global leader

Over the past decade, China has emerged as a global leader in the HVDC market in both installed projects and R&D efforts. From 2009, began the era of ultra high voltage direct current (UHVDC), primarily due to multi-GW HVDC transmission projects constructed by China. Roughly 60% of the HVDC projects installed in China after 2010 were of a 3GW size or more. In addition, State Grid of China (SGCC) plans to spend roughly US$90billion just in UHVDC interconnections from 2009 to 2020, and making more than 20 UHVDC transmission links operational by 2030. The recently commissioned Zhundong-Wannan 1100kV UHVDC link in China is a real breakthrough in DC transmission having a total capacity of 1GW. In addition to UHVDC, China has implemented unique HVDC topologies such as multi-terminal vehicle stability control (VSC) projects, paralleled LCC and VSC, and even a hybrid LCC and VSC project is in the pipeline. Under the Belt and Road Initiative there are currently discussions around building multiterminal HVDC connections between China and Europe, including several other Asian countries. With multiple R&D institutes and HVDC labs operating under SGCC, it can safely be predicted that China will continue to introduce new technologies in this field, maintaining its position as a global HVDC market leader for the next decade.

United States lagging in HVDC?

As described earlier, an uneven geographical distribution of renewable generation is a key driver of HVDC market, the US being a model example. A distribution of wind power in the US is depicted in the heat map below.

The generation density clearly necessitates the need for long distance DC transmission system to evacuate the wind power from the high-density mid-west to the eastern part of the country. Despite this need, there has not been a single HVDC project since 2010. If we look at the operating DC voltage (kV) and transmission capacity (GW) of existing HVDC projects, the US has yet to achieve UHVDC (>800kV DC). In terms of HVDC topologies, US has installed few VSC based HVDC projects whereas Europe and China have several VSC HVDC projects. Upcoming HVDC projects like the Plains and Eastern clean line could be a positive start to a bigger goal of a North American Supergrid (NAS or Supergrid) which proposes a 52-node HVDC connection throughout the lower 48 states. Such a DC connected paradigm would result in a resilient network and provide the necessary competitive boost to the renewable energy against currently dominant fossil fuel-fired generation in the US.

Multi-terminal HVDC - a step towards a DC grid

With the deployment of larger capacity offshore wind plants, there is a need for operational characteristics like bi-direction power flow and enhanced control. The mature conventional technology known as line commutated converters (LCCs) using thyristors is not enough to provide this flexibility due to its constant current-carrying capability. This technology only allows the control of the active power and lacks the black start capability, a unique quality of voltage source converters (VSC) using insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) as the switching elements. Though less mature, VSC based multi-terminal DC (MTDC) grid is going to be the core of future HVDC meshed networks.

The successful implementation of point-to-point HVDC suggests the concept of Supergrid is most likely to be achieved via MTDC lines, which provide the most cost effective and efficient solution of interconnecting multiple converter stations through DC network. However, there are few examples of implementation of MTDC using LCC based technology because of its high capacity carrying capability like North East Agra MTDC HVDC project that has been put into operation in 2017 (LCC based three terminal project having total capacity of six GW).

Implementation of future meshed HVDC grids is feasible only with VSCs. Like a conventional AC grid, VSC has the capability of power reversal within an MTDC grid simply by the reversal of current direction while maintaining the voltage at both ends making it an ideal choice for meshed DC grids. Zhoushan multi-terminal HVDC project commissioned in 2014 in China is the first high voltage project interconnecting five terminals using VSC HVDC. Though its capacity is only 400 megawatt (MW), much less than the conventional LCC based HVDC, but the flexibility and control outweigh this aspect.

Future HVDC grids along with numbers of benefits also require efforts in terms of its protection and control. Major HVDC market competitors like ABB, Siemens, GE and some other players are all involved to resolve these issues. Unlike the AC grids, there is no possibility of zero-crossing clearance in DC grid fault protection. The present day HVDC converters possess non-fault blocking capability and in case of fault, the short circuit current continues to build inside the DC system unless the AC side protection is operated and shut down the whole DC network, which is obviously an inefficient method. This issue can be resolved by DC circuit breakers which are way more complex and expensive compared to AC circuit breakers and require high degree of precision. With the advancements in DC breaker, new possibilities are opening towards realization of meshed DC networks.

Edisons DC + Multi-terminal VSC = Grid 2.0

It took over a century but Edisons vision for a DC grid may be closer than ever with the help of VSC technology. China has now become the technological polestar of HVDC transmission due to several ultra high capacity projects installed and planned for its grid. Europe will continue to see growth in HVDC market specially in VSC based projects. Plus, we can expect new projects in emerging markets like South America, Pakistan and Africa.

Power Technology Research is a T&D World media partner.

Read more:
HVDC: A Building Block for a Resilient, Flexible and Interconnected Grid - Transmission & Distribution World