By Katherine MozzonePublished: June 2, 2014, 7:47 pmUpdated: June 2, 2014, 7:48 pm

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE)-A heat wave surges through the metro area with the possibility of record temperatures in the net few days.

Its supposed to reach 99 or 100 degrees, in the valley Tuesday.

Summer has set in in Albuquerque and it has heating and cooling businesses slammed.

The phones have been ringing off the hook at Daniels Heating and cooling.

Our calendars are pretty booked up. Weve got about 20 calls that were going to each day this week. and then we have two installs going on each day, also, said Daniels General Manager Michelle Rhodes.

Rhodes said ever since the heat kicked in, they have seen a surge in calls, everything from tune-ups to repairs and switches from swamp coolers. Even with six technicians and two install teams, Rhodes said they are already booking appointments into next week and making repair calls a priority.

We do try to triage kind of our appointments and take care of the people that dont have any cooling, explained Rhodes.

While some are trying to stay cool inside, others are braving the heat.

Im from Louisiana and I cant stand this, Wynne Hendry said.

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Hot temps has heating & cooling companies slammed

FRESNO, Calif. (KMPH) -

The city of Fresno says that the "Home Energy Retrofit Opportunity" or "HERO" Program has been successful since it started in February. The program cuts down on energy bills and water usage.

'HERO' offers low interest financing for energy efficient upgrades. The products the program offers includes; heating and cooling systems and energy saving windows, doors, roofs and insulation. Solar panels and energy saving light fixtures can also be installed.

Contractors used to install the products that will make your home more energy efficient have to be registered with 'HERO'.

The program is not free, you take out a low interest loan from the 'HERO' program and you make one payment a year. The payment is added to your property taxes. Interest from the loan is tax deductible.

For more information the "HERO" Program go to http://www.heroprogram.com or call 1-800-HERO-411.

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Would You Like An Energy Efficient Home? Try The 'HERO' Program

Batavia, Illinois (PRWEB) May 30, 2014

After losing their jobs and suffering a series of unfortunate health issues and financial setbacks, Ken and Jeanine Staples found themselves in dire straights and close to losing their home. An old, inefficient furnace from the 1940's and mounting fuel costs were adding to the pressure throughout the winter. But at last, things took a positive turn with great news from Confident Aire, Inc. announcing they had won the companys annual Ultimate Energy Transformation Award and would be receiving a new Trane 95% Efficient Furnace. As part of the award package, the Staples will also receive a home air quality test, complete cleaning of all their air ducts, a brand new hot water heater and a new programmable thermostat all at no charge from Confident Aire, the Illinois-based HVAC and Plumbing Company, in cooperation with Munch's Supply, and the Trane Company.

Pete Hansford, a family friend, had nominated the Staples for The Ultimate Energy Transformation Award without their prior knowledge. Pete admired both Ken and Jeanine for their incredible fortitude in staying positive despite a series of tremendous obstacles.

Things started to go downhill when Jeanine lost her job. Out of work only a few days, Jeanine broke her hand and wrist leaving her unable to look for work. After these injuries finally healed, she slipped on some stairs and broke both her shoulder and ankle. At the same time Ken was diagnosed with a blod clot in his leg and had to remain in the hospital for a time, leaving him unable to care for his wife. Ken had also lost his brother to brain cancer after caring for him in the Staples' home at the same time he was assisting his wife with her broken hand and wrist. To make matters worse, at the end of December Jeanine's unemployment funding was cutoff leaving the family with no income.

Ken is a self-employed handyman and was without work throughout the recent rough winter. Now that the warmer weather has arrived, Ken is still not able to work much due to his own health issues and having to care for his wife Jeanine.

Ken and Jeanine Staples are hopeful that the new free furnace will mark the start of a positive trend in their lives. They will receive a more fuel-efficient heating system and save significantly on heating bills next winter.

The new system will be installed in the next few weeks, along with the new hot water heater and air purifier and their heating ducts will be thoroughly cleaned for a healthier living environment.

Tom Wangler, owner of Confident Aire, Inc. and his Technical Team plan to visit the Staples' home to perform a load analysis of the home heating environment to determine the exact size furnace the home will require. They will also place an AirAdvice monitor in the home to test levels of VOCs, dust, mold, pollen and other aggravating airborne contaminants that can compromise a family's health. This test will be performed both before and after the installation of the new Atmos Air Ionic Air Purification System to demonstrate its effectiveness.

Assessing the homes need for a new furnace involves a very intensive evaluation of the home, said owner, Tom Wangler. At least it should be. We spend time calculating what the actual load requirements on the furnace will be. We measure the homes square footage as well as take into account other critical factors including the number and size of windows, where and how much sunshine comes into the home, the thickness of walls, room sizes and whether a garage, basement or crawlspace lies below the rooms. We also inspect air returns and heating vents to check for proper air flow and try to find those drafty areas where heat loss typically occurs.

Measuring for a new furnace can involve a complicated algorithm, but Tom Wangler and his Team use a software program to help with the calculations. If you want to maximize efficiency and maintain an optimal level of home comfort year round, you need to do the math, said Wangler.

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Confident Aire, Inc., a Heating, Cooling, Plumbing and Energy-Saving Solutions Company Awards a Trane Furnace for ...

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Newswise ROLLA, Mo. A World War II-era power plant that has provided energy to much of the Missouri University of Science and Technology campus for nearly seven decades is powering down as the university makes the transition to a geothermal energy system.

The power plant, which was constructed in 1945, burned coal and wood chips to provide steam to much of campus for the past 69 years. The plants boilers were permanently shut down on Wednesday, May 21.

By the fall, Missouri S&Ts geothermal energy system one of the most comprehensive ever undertaken by a university will be fully in service. It will provide heating and cooling to 17 buildings on campus and chilled water to the majority of campus buildings.

The geothermal system consists of three separate plants that will distribute energy from the system to different parts of campus. Over the summer, a fourth facility will be completed to provide heating and cooling to the Gale Bullman Building at 10th Street and Bishop Avenue.

The heat recovery chillers of the three main campus plants have been operating since early April, and the system is providing heat to six buildings on campus. Since mid-April, the system has also provided the majority of the chilled water supply used for air conditioning on campus, says James Packard, director of facilities operations at Missouri S&T.

The number of buildings being served by the geothermal system will probably double within a week, when one of the geothermal plants begins to produce hot water as part of the start-up and commissioning of that plants systems, Packard says. That plant is located in James E. Bertelsmeyer Hall, the new chemical and biochemical engineering building under construction at 11th and State streets.

When completed, the geothermal system is expected to cut the universitys annual energy use by 50 percent and reduce its carbon footprint by 25,000 metric tons per year. That reduction amounts to roughly the equivalent of the greenhouse gas emissions of 4,600 passenger vehicles a year. The geothermal system will also reduce Missouri S&Ts water usage by over 10 percent, or 10 million gallons per year, and eliminate a $34 million backlog in deferred maintenance costs for the aging power plant.

The geothermal project was approved by the University of Missouri System Board of Curators in 2010. Funded through the sale of bonds by the university, the system is expected to save more than $1 million annually in energy and operational costs. That savings is expected to grow to $2.8 million a year. The university plans to repay the debt over 30 years through savings from the project.

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World War II-Era Power Plant Goes Quiet as Missouri S&T Switches to Geothermal

Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) May 28, 2014

Pro Ace Heating & Mechanical Ltd has recently announced that it uses its patented tablet technology for air conditioning Vancouver. Using this technology, the companys HVAC experts can help maintain the air conditioning systems of their clients by carrying out maintenance inspections for air conditioning and heating systems. The detailed checklist tablet checklist carried by Pro Aces professional staff will not only make sure that the service provided is comprehensive, but will also extend the life of the air conditioning systems.

Air Conditioning Vancouver

An efficiently running air conditioning system in Vancouver can lead to immense energy savings and also keep the living area functioning at a comfortable temperature. Pro Aces commercial and residential air conditioning repairs will remove all dust particles from the air vents, making the air clean and safe to breathe. A good quality installation and repair service can reduce the risk of respiratory diseases and decrease energy bills by up to 12%.

If you install any type of air cooling unit we offer a full financing with 1 year no payment or interest option! We also will beat any same size competitor price by 10%, states a company representative. We guarantee the lowest rates and we will get you going as soon as possible. We also have a ten year warranty on parts and a one year warranty on labor for any new installation. So let our professionals work for you. Contact Pro Ace with your air conditioner repairs, service, and maintenance and AC air conditioner installations questions.

About the Company

The motto at Pro Ace is low price and great service, something that has resulted in 75,000 delighted customers as of May 2013. With the help of bonded, insured and certified technicians, Pro Ace can provide the cheapest heating repairs in Vancouver. Available one year no interest, no payment financing on installations, visit the website at http://www.acecare.ca for more details. Pro Ace also offers free quotes and estimates for prospective clients call 604-293-3770 to book an appointment.

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Pro Ace Uses Patented Tablet Technology for Air Conditioning Vancouver

If you believe the weekend rumors, Apple will announce a connected-home platform next week at WWDC. But before you get too excited about an iThermostat and an iFridge and an iCamera watching you sleep, consider this: If Apple does get into the home-automation market, that doesn't necessarily mean it'll make smart-home gadgets of its own.

Sure, the Nest thermostat looks like an Apple product; after all, it was designed and made by ex-Apple employees. But Apple doesnt need to start up its own smart-home hardware division, or even buy a company in that space. That's because plenty of companies are already making awesome connected-home products that solve real-world problems right now. And pretty much all of those gadgets work with the iPhone already.

So Apple could just ink partnership deals with the best players in the category. If it did so, the company would enter the market with a couple of potent weapons: tight iOS integration and the Apple Retail Store.

Consumers looking to smarten up their homes essentially have two options: You can go for a comprehensive managed system or just dip your toes in bit by bit.

Managed systems are popular if youre building a brand-new home and can install everything at once, or if youre comfortable turning to companies like Comcast, AT&T, or ADT to install the whole kit and kaboodle and then charge you monthly to monitor the service. I dont know about you, but my experiences with AT&T and Comcast dont make me super-eager to put them in charge of my entire home.

Nest cofounder Tony Fadell worked on the original iPod.

The bit-by-bit approach has the advantage that each gadget you add solves a particular problem. You get a Nest so you can save money on heating and cooling, you get a Dropcam so you can watch your home, and you get a Belkin WeMo plug so you can set up an IFTTT recipe that has the lamp in your foyer light up when you approach your front door. You know why youre installing each piece, rather than just chasing after the vague promise of a smart home.

The problem with bit-by-bit is that each of those gadgets uses its own app. Companies like Revolv and SmartThings are working on integrating multiple gadgets from different companies into a single easy-to-use app. But Apple could do them one better by adding smart gadget integration into iOS 8.

When Apple added Twitter integration to iOS 7, it suddenly became easier to share everything on Twitter, no matter what app you were in, and to log in to new apps with your Twitter credentials too. Adding similar integration for smart-home gadgets would be just as great, whether Apple wants to hand-pick preferred partners or to provide open APIs in the iOS 8 SDK. Either route would let these gadgets work with Siri, for starters, and provide a lot more benefits too.

iBeacons are already at work in retail locations, but Apples rumored smart-home platform could use them too.

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Apple doesn't need its own gadgets to dominate the smart home

Commercial buildings use large amounts of electricity and natural gas. Significant reductions in energy use can be achieved by installing new modern systems but this requires a significant capital cost.

It is possible to install modern control systems at much lower cost and these can also significantly reduce energy use, and improve comfort at the same time! A new study by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory shows that commercial buildings could cut their heating and cooling electricity use by an average of 57 percent with advanced energy-efficiency controls, according to a year-long trial of the controls at malls, grocery stores and other buildings across the country. The study demonstrated higher energy savings than what was predicted in earlier computer simulations by the same researchers.

"We've long known that heating and cooling are among the biggest energy consumers in buildings, largely because most buildings don't use sophisticated controls," said the study's lead researcher, engineer Srinivas Katipamula of the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. "But our tests of controls installed at real, working commercial buildings clearly demonstrate how much more energy efficient air-conditioning systems can be."

This research was supported by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy and the Bonneville Power Administration.

Sitting on the roofs of many commercial buildings are shiny metal boxes containing heating, cooling, ventilation and air conditioning (also known as HVAC) units. These are pre-made in a factory and have all their components inside a box, leading the industry to call them "packaged" HVAC units. Another kind of commercial HVAC, called air handling units, have long used sophisticated controls to ensure they work as efficiently as possible. But packaged units are often allowed to run for hours on end, even if they aren't needed, and receive little maintenance.

Skyscraper image via Shutterstock.

Read more at PNNL.

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Why don't building owners install modern controls?

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Newswise RICHLAND, Wash. Commercial buildings could cut their heating and cooling electricity use by an average of 57 percent with advanced energy-efficiency controls, according to a year-long trial of the controls at malls, grocery stores and other buildings across the country. The study demonstrated higher energy savings than what was predicted in earlier computer simulations by the same researchers.

Weve long known that heating and cooling are among the biggest energy consumers in buildings, largely because most buildings dont use sophisticated controls, said the studys lead researcher, engineer Srinivas Katipamula of the Department of Energys Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. But our tests of controls installed at real, working commercial buildings clearly demonstrate how much more energy efficient air-conditioning systems can be.

This research was supported by DOEs Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy and the Bonneville Power Administration.

Sitting on the roofs of many commercial buildings are shiny metal boxes containing heating, cooling, ventilation and air conditioning (also known as HVAC) units. These are pre-made in a factory and have all their components inside a box, leading the industry to call them packaged HVAC units. Another kind of commercial HVAC, called air handling units, have long used sophisticated controls to ensure they work as efficiently as possible. But packaged units are often allowed to run for hours on end, even if they arent needed, and receive little maintenance.

Packaged HVAC units consume the same amount of electricity each year as 8 million U.S. residents, or about 2,600 trillion British thermal units of energy. All those ignored and often-inefficient HVAC systems add up, creating higher power bills and contributing to the nations greenhouse gas emissions.

Putting an idea to the test Katipamula and his PNNL colleagues have spent their careers thinking up ways to reduce energy use in buildings. In 2011, they set out to adapt the controls already found in air handling HVAC units for use in packaged rooftop HVAC units. The goal was to enable packaged units to automatically adjust their operations based on conditions inside and outside a building. Using sensors and variable-speed motors, the controls decide when and how fast ventilation fans should run, and if the units can use naturally cold air from the outside instead of mechanically cooling indoor air.

While the PNNL team was evaluating how these controls could work, they learned a few companies were simultaneously and independently in the process of developing such advanced controls. During the summer of 2012, the team installed one of the commercially available control kits on 66 rooftop HVAC units at eight volunteer commercial buildings in Washington state, Ohio, California and Pennsylvania. The buildings included shopping malls, grocery stores, big-box stores and a medical clinic. The installed devices, manufactured by Transformative Wave of Kent, Wash., were chosen because they most closely resembled the advanced controls PNNL had envisioned.

Real energy savings Katipamula and his colleagues found that, compared to standard operations, the HVAC units using advanced controls cut their energy use by an average of 57 percent. The actual energy savings ranged from 20 to 90 percent. Larger buildings such as malls, which need bigger HVAC units, saved more energy than smaller buildings. And buildings that ran ventilation fans more, such as stores open long hours, tended to save more energy.

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Electricity Use Slashed with Efficiency Controls for Heating, Cooling

Residential and Commercial AC Repair in North Las Vegas, Nevada (PRNewsFoto/Silver State Refrigeration & HVA)

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev., May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Extreme temperatures are just ahead in North Las Vegas. As an air conditioning contractor, Silverstate http://www.silverstateairconditioning.com/ has to plan ahead, as this will be our busiest time of the year. Because everyone wants to lower their power bill, you should plan ahead, too and find ways to the lower your Nevada Power bill.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140521/89825

Silverstate HVAC reminds homeowners in N. Las Vegas that any energy you consume inside of your home creates heat. It just stands to reason if you can reduce the power consumption inside your home you will reduce the load on your air conditioner. In general, anything appliance that you can replace with a more energy efficient one will lower the amount of energy consumed and the amount of heat produced inside your home.

Two quick things come to mind when it comes to energy consumption in the home: cooking and lighting. Both of these activities produce a lot of heat. Anything a homeowner or commercial property manager can do to lower the amount of heat generated will lower the amount of heat the air conditioner must remove from the space to keep everyone comfortable this summer.

Cook Outside on the Grill

Silverstate Air Conditioner Repair suggests homeowners think of firing up the barbecue for supper instead of cooking in the kitchen. Grilling outside keeps the heat outside. If residents must cook inside the house make sure to use an energy efficient appliance.

For instance, when cooking outside, not only should you cook tonight's meal there, but you can also cook a whole chicken, or meatloaf for tomorrow night's supper. Two meals off the same charcoal!

When cooking indoors, make sure to use the smallest appliance possible. Why use the entire oven to bake a small entre for one? Use the toaster oven instead. If cooking on the stove top, make sure the pan covers the entire eye on the stove. In other words make sure the pan is the proper size.

Install Energy Efficient Lights

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North Las Vegas Residential and Commercial Air Conditioning Contractor Offers Tips to Lower Nevada Power Bills This ...

WHAT THE DISTRICTS WANT

BELLEVUE SCHOOL DISTRICT: Seeking $12 million to build new classrooms, improve technology infrastructure, install additional bathrooms at Meadow View School, pay off solar installation debt, put in new heating and air conditioning districtwide, as well as pay for new windows and lighting at Kawana Academy of Arts and Sciences. Taxpayers would pay $18 per $100,000 in assessed value.

COTATI-ROHNERT PARK:

$80 million would be used to improve classrooms and science labs, upgrade plumbing and technology infrastructure and replace Rancho Cotate High School gym. It would cost taxpayers $49 each per assessed $100,000 in property value.

PETALUMA CITY SCHOOLS, high school district:

$68 million is sought for plumbing and sewer repair, construction of performing arts centers at both Petaluma and Casa Grande high schools, modernizing the swimming pool at Petaluma High, and building a pool at Casa Grande. It would cost taxpayers $29 per assessed $100,000 in property value.

PETALUMA CITY SCHOOLS, elementary school district:

Seeking $21 million to modernize classrooms, improve technology infrastructure, repair leaky roofs and renovate bathrooms. The cost to taxpayers per $100,000 in assessed property value is $21.

RINCON VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT:

Wants $35 million to modernize classrooms; upgrade libraries, fields and playgrounds; renovate bathrooms; replace portable classrooms and upgrade kitchen equipment. It would cost $30 per $100,000 in assessed property value.

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County schools turning to ballot to raise cash