When they are looking for a new HVAC system, Arizona residents tend to debate between purchasing a Trane or Bryant system to keep their homes comfortable. But which one offers consumers the best bang for their HVAC buck? The best way to answer the old question of Trane vs. Bryant is to compare what both brands strive to achieve and how reliable each one has been for decades. Here are a few important criteria that any home owner should consider when deciding between a new Trane system and a Bryant system.

First Both Brands are designed with Quality in Mind

Unlike many of their competitors, one similar feature that both Trane and Bryant HVAC systems have in common is quality. And this begins in the design of each system. Trane has been a leading provider of AC and heating systems for decades and a primary reason for this is the extended research and development theyve completed in building all of their systems. [Read more...]

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Hvac Replacement | Air and Water Factor

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503

press@ceq.eop.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 16, 2014

The Obama Administration is committed to taking responsible steps to slow the effects of climate change so we leave behind a cleaner, more stable environment for future generations. Thats why, today, the Administration is announcing new private sector commitments and executive actions to reduce emissions of hydroflourocarbons (HFCs), powerful greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. The commitments made today would reduce cumulative global consumption of these greenhouse gases by the equivalent of 700 million metric tons of carbon dioxide through 2025, equivalent to 1.5% of the worlds 2010 greenhouse gas emissions and the same as taking nearly 15 million cars off the road for 10 years. In addition, the Administration is announcing a set of executive actions to continue progress in reducing HFC emissions.

HFCs, factory-made gases used in air conditioning and refrigeration, are one of the strongest greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and are up to 10,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Unless we act now, U.S. HFC emissions are expected to nearly double by 2020 and triple by 2030. When the President launched his Climate Action Plan last year, he pledged to leverage new opportunities to reduce HFCs. U.S. industry is leading the way in helping fulfill that pledge by investing millions of dollars to develop and deploy the next generation of safer HFC alternatives, and by incorporating climate-friendly technologies into the cars, air conditioners, refrigerators, foams and other products they manufacture and use.

Todays commitments and actions demonstrate significant U.S. leadership in advance of the United Nations Climate Summit next week and build on progress made earlier in the Administration. This summer, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed two new rules under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program that would smooth transition to climate-friendly alternatives to HFCs, including by expanding the list of acceptable alternatives and limiting use of some of the most harmful HFCs where lower risk alternatives are available. And on the international stage, the U.S. and China agreed last year to work together to phase down the consumption and production of HFCs, and G-20 leaders followed by expressing their own support for an HFC phase down. Todays actions will build momentum for an amendment to the Montreal Protocol to phase down the global production and consumption of HFCs, which could result in avoided emissions of as much as 240 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent in 2025 in the United States alone, roughly 4% of current U.S. greenhouse emissions. The Montreal Protocol is a landmark global agreement that came into effect 27 years ago today that allows for such a phase down. The President will continue to leverage opportunities for U.S. leadership in cutting the drivers of climate change and helping leave behind a safer and healthier world.

Private Sector Commitments

The commitments announced today span the entire HFC supply chain from where the chemicals are produced, to where they are used in manufacturing, to where consumers see them in stores demonstrating that every component of American industry is responding to the Presidents call to action on HFC emissions reduction. These industry associations and companies are making significant commitments to phase out or phase down their use of HFCs and transition to climate-friendly alternatives that are good for the environment and good for business. The Administration will continue to engage with the private sector on their progress on this initiative.

The Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy, an industry coalition representing more than 95 percent of U.S. HFC production and a significant majority of the user industries, is announcing actions today that support a Montreal Protocol amendment to phase down the production and consumption of HFCs. The Alliance also announced today that it commits to take actions and support policies with a goal to reduce global HFC greenhouse gas contribution by 80% by 2050 relative to current emissions. This will be accomplished by advancing technologies; improving servicing practices; increasing recovery, reclamation, and reuse; and conducting technology assessments and workshops.

Air Conditioning Heating & Refrigeration Institute, an industry association representing 90% of US air conditioning manufacturing and 70% of the global industry, announced today that its member companies will commit to spending $5 billion in new R&D and capital expenditures to develop and commercialize low global warming potential (GWP) technologies over the next ten years. During the past decade, the Institute has worked diligently to reduce the potential impact of refrigerants on the Earths climate, including spending close to $2 billion since 2009 researching low-GWP refrigerants and technologies.

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FACT SHEET: Obama Administration Partners with Private Sector on New Commitments to Slash Emissions of Potent ...

The City of White Rock will spend more than half a million dollars to replace windows in its city hall and library.

Council voted unanimously last week in support of the work, which is a component of renovations and upgrades that got underway earlier this year.

Weve been waiting a while for those, Mayor Wayne Baldwin said, following the council vote.

Windows were replaced in council chambers last February; tenders for the remaining windows closed Aug. 13.

In a Sept. 8 report to council, director of engineering and municipal operations Greg St. Louis recommends the work be awarded in two contracts totalling $528,000 ($654,100, including tax and contingency), with both going to Dubas Management & Construction.

The replacements are already included in the citys financial plan, St. Louis notes.

They along with a new roof on city hall expected complete by the end of the month are to increase efficiency of the new heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in the two facilities.

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New windows for White Rock City Hall

With annual revenues north of $64 billion, United Technologies Corporation is one of the biggest players in the Aerospace and Defense Products and Services industry (a subset of the broader Aerospace and Defense industry ). But bigger isn't always better.

Put in context, "UTC," as it's commonly abbreviated, lies somewhere in between Boeing and Lockheed Martin in size. But United Technologies is a much more diversified business than either of these aerospace peers. In fact, only about 54% of its revenues derive from aerospace products at all -- and UTC's biggest revenue generatoris its Climate, Controls & Security division, which makes HVAC, fire sprinkler systems, alarms, and video surveillance for buildings.

Result: The same cutbacks in global defense spending that have affected revenues at Boeing and Lockheed Martin affect United Technologies' more diversified business less. But that doesn't mean the stock is totally immune to downdrafts. Today, we're going to take a look at three things that could potentially have a negative effect on United Technologies' stock price, starting with...

Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jet. Photo: Lockheed Martin .

Reason No. 1 to be cautious about United Technologies' stock price is exactly what you think it would be: the June 23 incident in which a UTC-built F135 engine, powering a Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet, caught on fire -- severely damaging the plane.

UTC is believedto charge the Pentagon anywhere from $14 million to $34 million per F135 engine (with F135-PW-600 engines for the short take-off and landing USMC-variant F-35B costing about twice the price of an ordinary F135 engine). The average cost at present is working out to be about $29 million per unit -- or about 19% of the costof the entire plane.

Now, June featured the second such incident with the F135 engine, and subsequent investigations revealed several more planes were at risk of experiencing at least "mild rubbing" between their "integrally bladed rotors" and the engine casing, which could cause excessive friction.

Worries about the quality of the F135 engine's construction have some Congressmen on Capitol Hill wondering if they might want to have General Electric build an alternate engine for the F-35 fighter . So far, only two instances of serious trouble with the new engine probably aren't enough to justify spending the billions of dollars it would cost to develop an alternate engine. But further incidents could change this calculus.

With 3,000-odd F-35s expected to be built and engined by UTC over the next 60 years, we're looking at as much as $87 billion in potential sales revenues (let alone maintenance and upgrades and replacements) put at risk by this issue with the F135 engine. For now, it's not a reason to sell the stock. But it is a reason to keep a close eye on how the F135 story plays out.

Speaking of General Electric, one month ago, shares of GE were selling for $27and change. Today, they fetch less than $26. Part of the reason for the drop, one imagines, was GE's decision to sell its storied Appliances division to Electrolux for just $3.3 billion -- a price less than half what GE once thought the division was worth .

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3 Reasons United Technologies Corporation's Stock Could Fall

Although not an easy feat, the Brush School District found a way to trim $550,000 from its budget this year, but if funding sources do not increase or the proposed Mill Levy Override (MLO) does not pass, administration and the Board of Education (BOE), will need to cut another $400,000 from its existing budget. Two community meetings regarding the budget have been held with another scheduled for September 16 at Beaver Valley Elementary and the final one to be held October 7 at Brush High School. Both begin at 6 p.m. and feature information on the budget, revenue, the impact on the district, along with revenue misconceptions, impact of the recession, 2014-15 budget reductions including the district office and changes, expense increases and future reductions that could be required without additional funding. "At Brush, we're always constantly budgeting it seems," Aaron Oberg, School Business Officer commented. "We're always looking at the best ways to spend the community's money." A bulk of revenue for the school district comes from local property taxes ($5,418,840), with additional sources to include vehicle registration (ownership) taxes ($548,471) and the State of Colorado ($4,567.990), totaling $10,535,301 in total statutory revenue. In comparing Per Pupil Funding, Oberg explained that the district received $6,818 per student in the 2007-08 school year, with that rising to $7,361 in 2009-2010. Due to the recession, the district took a hit the next year, falling to $6,683 per pupil in 2010-11. That number dipped again in 2011-12 to $6,593, but has been increasing slightly year over year. Funding for 2014-15 stands at $7,093, which is where it should have been in 2008-09 Oberg stated. If the district had been fully funded throughout the years, the 2014-15 rate would have been $8,191 per pupil. Total revenue lost over a five-year period of time for the Brush School District, he added, is $7.8 million. As for misconceptions, Oberg explained that any increase in property taxes during the year results in an equal, offsetting decrease in the state's share of revenue. As to the district benefitting from marijuana excise or sales tax revenue, he said that local governments will receive 15 percent of the 10 percent retail marijuana sales tax, while the remainder is mixed with other state sales tax revenue. Additionally, Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) receives the first $40 million of the 15 percent excise tax and will be available to all school distrust based on a competitive grant process. The current estimate for excise taxes, said Oberg, is $10 million and not the $40 million that has been publicized. "Ten million in the marijuana excise tax would be available to all 178 school districts," he commented. Reductions for this school year included re-organizing the bus town route for a savings of $20,000, eliminating a Dean of Students position at $29,800, cutting $15,000 in maintenance, reducing calendar days by three for a total of $90,000, cutting $25,000 in athletics from the middle and high schools, eliminating the woodshop position for $38,055, two secretaries for $49,000, aligning secretarial contracts for $32,000, eliminating $12,500 in copier overage, along with a reduction in the Centennial BOCES contract for $82,673. Administration re-organization saved the district another $88,000, with reductions and changes at the district office saving $150,000 per year, he explained. "We had to cut into a lot of programs to come up with that $550,000, but these are all in place today," Oberg noted. The district has no control over expenses, he continued, explaining the statutory requirement increase for PERA is five percent. Employer paid insurance remains unchanged, however, a future increase of five percent is expected, he added. Additional increases will be seen in fuel, although that is partially offset by the reduction of the town route, as well as in vehicle, property and workers' compensation insurances, listed between two and 8.5 percent annually. "There are expenses that are increasing even if we tried to stay status quothese expenses are going to happen regardless of what we are going to try and do," Oberg commented. Without additional funding, and to reach the $400,000 in cuts for the 2015-16 school year, the district could realize reductions in the elementary and middle school art and music programs, eliminate counselor positions, increase class sizes, move to a shorter school week and further reduce the length of the school year. Members of the District Accountability Committee will begin discussing the savings by moving to a four-day school week for next year during their meeting this week. Good news for the district is that the State Board of Education approved a BEST grant, which is being used to replace boilers at both Brush Middle and High Schools. BEST will provide $471,863.70, with the district to contribute 34 percent or $242,081.30 for the projects scheduled for the summer of 2015. The district's share of this will come from the general fund. Maintenance that has been deferred due to funding are HVAC units at Beaver Valley, the middle and high schools, floor tile asbestos abatement at the middle and high schools, additional boiler replacements, crack filling and seal coating all parking lots and replacement of a roof and aging machinery at Brush Middle School. When asked if there was a possibility of bringing back the town route, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michelle Johnstone said, "If an MLO passes, that could happen by mid-year," adding, "But it's a board decision." Another attendee brought up their concern of removing $25,000 from the athletic program, along with reducing the music and art program. "This year is that experimental year as athletics is about $100,000 out of the district budget," Dr. Johnstone said, further explaining it allows the district to explore the possibility if athletics could be self-sustaining. The district currently spends an estimated $200,000, including benefits, for the music and art programs, she added. "We have trimmed all the fat and meat, now we're cutting bone and it's going to impact teachers and salaries," said BOE Vice President Warren Walker. "Seventy-seven percent of our budget is salarywe have to have the other 23 percent to operate for fuel, electricity, etc. It's getting tough to do this."

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Community meetings deal with district budget

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -

While students in Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover are heading back to class today for the first day of school. However, some students in Richmond Public Schools will be returning to buildings in desperate need of repairs.

The city's public schools need at least $35 million in repairs.

School leaders have said major maintenance projects like replacing HVAC systems and crumbling buildings can't wait any longer.

"I've got grandmothers calling me begging that their grandchild doesn't get put in a basement because they have asthma and we have mold issues," says School Board member, Kim Gray. "We have sewage issues, we have HVAC and boiler issues that we have to address right now."

The biggest problem they found were the failing HVAC systems. Repairs and replacements for those systems alone are slated at $20 million.

Another $7.5 million is needed for roofs and more than $4 million are needed for basic life, health and safety improvements.

"Many, if not most, of these issues were present in reports dating as far back as 2002," Mayor Jones said at a news conference Monday. "It's clear that the neglect that is now being focused on is neglect that did not happen overnight, and it won't be fixed overnight."

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Richmond Students Head Back to School in Deteriorating Buildings

The following is the complete text of the Manteca Unified School District bond that voters will be before voters in the Nov. 4 election. The $159 million bond will cost property owners $60 per $100,000 of assessed valuation. So if your house is assessed at $300,000, it will add $180 a year to your property tax bill if the bond passes.

INTRODUCTION

MANTECA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SAFE AND MODERN CLASSROOMS MEASURE: To upgrade classrooms to meet modern academic, technology and safety standards: repair faulty electrical systems, air conditioning, leaky roofs, plumbing and restrooms; improve fire safety systems and school security; remove asbestos and lead paint; and repair, construct, and acquire educational facilities and equipment, shall the Manteca Unified School District issue $159 million of bonds at legal interest rates, with citizen oversight, annual independent audits, and no money for administrators salaries or pensions.

BOND AUTHORIZATION

By approval of this measure by at least 55 percent of the registered voters voting on the measure, the District will be authorized to issue and sell bonds of up to $159 million in aggregate principal amount at interest rates not to exceed legal limits and to provide financing for the specific types of school facilities projects listed in the Bond Project List described below, subject to all the accountability requirements specified below.

ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS

The provisions in this section are specifically included in this measure in order that the voters and taxpayers in the District may be assured that their money will be spent wisely. Expenditures to address specific facilities needs of the District will be in compliance with the requirements of Article XIIA, Section 1(b)(3), of the State Constitution and the Strict Accountability in Local School Construction Bonds Act of 2000 (codified at Education Code Sections 15264 and following.)

Evaluation of Needs. The School Board has identified detailed facilities needs of the District and has determined which projects to finance from a local bond. The School Board hereby certifies that it has evaluated safety, class size reduction, enrollment growth, and information technology needs in developing the Bond Project List shown below.

Independent Citizens Oversight Committee. Following approval of this measure, the Board of Trustees will establish an Independent Citizens Oversight Committee, under Education Code Sections 15278 and following, to ensure bond proceeds are expended only on the types of school facilities projects listed below. The committee will be established within 60 days of the date when the results of the election appear in the minutes of the School Board.

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Full text of Manteca Unified bond

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Hudson Valley Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, Plumbing ...

At a recent special board meeting, the Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose (BHM) School Board announced their decision to place a bond question on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.

This decision came after months and months of research and discussions with staff and district administrators.

The proposed $33 million bond has a variety of projects that touch every school in the district. The number one project in the bond is the improvements to safety and security in the schools. Discovery, Hanover and Tatanka Elementary Schools would have the entryway to the school remodeled. Parents and the public who visit the school would have to enter through the office and check-in before making their way to any part of the building. Buildings around the district would also see additions and improvements to indoor and outdoor security cameras. Schools such as the high school and Northwinds Elementary would also see improvements made to their school intercom systems.

The demand for technology is greater and greater each year. More computers are needed and upgrades need to be made. Infrastructure, servers, switches, and routers are beginning to show their age as more and more devices are accessing the system since students are being encouraged to bring their own devices to school. Funds for technology would help make necessary upgrades and replacements district-wide while keeping up with the pace of technology.

Another major project within the bond funding is deferred maintenance. Deferred maintenance is composed of projects that are postponed by the district because the appropriate funding is not available. Over the years, these projects add up and eventually need to be addressed. Some of the deferred maintenance projects district-wide include roof replacements (seven out of nine schools); HVAC (heating ventilation and air conditioning) upgrades; parking lot and sidewalk repairs and replacements; floor, window and door upgrades; outdoor equipment replacement; and mechanical system upgrades.

There are also needs for some building capacity upgrades. Buffalo High School (BHS) is in need of more classroom and physical education space. One large classroom at BHS has been identified that could be remodeled into multiple classrooms. Space would be added on the northeast corner of the Performing Arts Center that would serve as a multi-purpose fine arts classroom. The high school would also see an addition of gymnasium space on the north end of the school by the current gymnasium and activity center. Tatanka Elementary is also in need of additional classroom space. They would see four additional classroom spaces, music space, restrooms, storage and a gymnasium added onto the north end of the school.

Annually, activity venues get a few tweaks here and there, but any major improvements are delayed due to high costs and budget constraints. The pool, located at the middle school, is in need of a new water filtration system, HVAC improvements, family locker rooms, updates to the existing locker rooms (flooring, shower tile, fixtures and lockers), and storage. An addition to the outside of the pool area (southwest corner of the middle school) would provide better public access to the pool area.

Other activity site and facility upgrades at BHS would include adding a track and two multi-purpose playing fields (one field would be a synthetic playing field and the other would be sand-peat), relocating three softball fields to the west end of the school (currently a practice field), making improvements to two baseball fields, and grading and improving irrigation to all the field spaces at the high school and also the fields located at the middle school. The addition and improvements of these spaces would help alleviate the current overcrowded, overused fields at both schools.

Supt. Thielman says that the district is taking its direction on these district-wide improvements from the community. This past winter, we contracted the Morris Leatherman Company to conduct a community-wide survey, comments Thielman. Their results revealed that the community was very positive in their responses in regards to supporting facility and technology upgrades through a bond referendum. Over the last several months, the board has been doing their homework and researching, in great detail, the needs of the district. They believe this is the right time to put the decision in front of the voters.

The $33 million bond for facilities and technology would have an estimated tax impact of about $88 per year on a $200,000 home (thats just over $7 per month). If approved, the funding would be spent over a period of about five years.

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Dist. 877 School Board determines bond election needed

Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) August 20, 2014

Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, today announced Vista Unified School District became the third of San Diego Countys 42 school districts to have its Proposition 39 Energy Expenditure Plan approved by the California Energy Commission. Vista Unified School District will receive $4.7 million* that will be used for a variety of energy efficiency retrofits including heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) replacements, programmable thermostats, computer power management, and LED exterior lighting and controls.

The project will also have the greatest impact on the Districts facilities, spanning 27 school sites more than any other approved Energy Expenditure Plan statewide. When fully implemented, these energy efficiency measures will deliver more than 2.3 million kWh in energy savings.

"We are grateful that Vista Unified School District will be able to utilize these resources to improve the quality of our facilities while also improving energy efficiency, said Vista Unified School District Assistant Superintendent of Business Donna Caperton. Without the heavy lifting and guidance of Schneider Electric, it would be difficult to get these projects off the ground. The savings we expect to realize through the approved plan will help us achieve our vision to be the model of educational excellence and innovation."

We understand that the intricacy of Proposition 39 can be daunting; this complexity combined with resource constrained school districts is leading to the Proposition 39 opportunity being underleveraged by California school districts. Thats where we come in to provide a variety of resources, services and energy expertise to assist school districts with their sustainability goals, said Jordan Lerner, Regional Director, Schneider Electric. We go beyond sustainability goals and help districts expedite the completion and approval of their Energy Expenditure Plans.

Like many school districts in California, Vista Unified School District has addressed several small-scale energy projects over the years. Now, through Proposition 39 funding, Vista Unified School District can make significant energy efficiency upgrades by replacing old and inefficient heating and air-conditioning equipment as well as better controlling how that equipment is operated. The plans will also improve exterior lighting and save the district money by allowing them to better manage information technology equipment. By taking a more holistic, strategic look at their energy efficiency ecosystem, Vista Unified School District will be able to realize significant energy savings, which can then be reinvested into enhancing students education experience.

For the 2013-14 school years, the California Department of Education has allocated a total of $29 million in Proposition 39 funds to San Diegos 42 school districts and charter schools. Of that, $11 million has already been made available to school districts for planning expenditures, which include the hiring of Energy Managers and completion of facility audits. Statewide, the Energy Commission has received a total of 117 Proposition 39 Energy Expenditure Plans, of which Vista Unified School District becomes the 55th approved as of July 29.

# # #

About Schneider Electric As a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments, including leadership positions in Utilities & Infrastructure, Industries & Machines Manufacturers, Non-residential Buildings, Data Centers & Networks and in Residential. Focused on making energy safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green, the companys 150,000 plus employees achieved sales of 31 billion US dollars in 2013, through an active commitment to help individuals and organizations make the most of their energy. http://www.enable.schneider-electric.com

About Vista Unified School District With 29 schools serving more than 22,000 students from preschool to 12th grade, Vista Unified School District is one of northern San Diego Countys largest educational agencies. The district stretches 39 square miles across most of Vista, a large portion of eastern Oceanside, some unincorporated areas and small slivers of Carlsbad and San Marcos. In addition to the campuses district administrators oversee, Vista Unified also includes one of the countys largest adult-education programs with about 20,000 enrolled each year and another 3,000 students in four charter schools sponsored by the district. To learn more, visit http://vistausd-ca.schoolloop.com

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Vista Unified School District Granted $4.7 Million for Prop 39 Energy Efficiency Upgrade Projects