Energy Efficiency Is A Lot Of Garbage

Denmark has 29 waste-to-energy plants and 10 more are planned or under construction. Across Europe, there are about 400 such plants. The U.S., with 50+ times the population of Denmark and more than 60% of the EU's, has only 87 trash-burning power plants, almost all built at least 15 years ago.

There is something elegantly green about turning useless rubbish into profoundly useful energy. So why aren't we doing more of it? Environmentalists are one of the biggest obstacles, according to this New York Times article. -- Jim Olsztynski

In this edition:

• Siggy's NEW Glitch & Fix -- "One Too Many ..."
• RRP Rule Extended
• Energy Star Comes To Life Again

Lochinvar, A.O. Smith Impacted By Flooding
Lochinvar and A.O. Smith were among plumbing-heating industry firms impacted by recent torrential rain and subsequent flooding in parts of Tennessee and Mississippi. Both companies are headquartered in the region, and A.O. Smith reported its Ashland City, TN manufacturing facility knocked out of commission. Lochinvar appears to have weathered the storm somewhat better, though it had to cancel or postpone various activities.

EPA Amends RRP Rule
The EPA announced several amendments to the so-called RRP rule dealing with lead paint that will affect contractors working on buildings built prior to 1978. Of most immediate importance is that while the the rule became fully effective on April 22, EPA will not take any enforcement action against firms that have applied for certification before April 22 and are just waiting for their paperwork. For full details of the amendments visit the EPA website at http://www.epa.gov/lead/new.htm. For a summary, visit our Radiant & Hydronics website.

Energy Star Moratorium Ended
After meetings with impacted industries, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy lifted the moratorium on new applications for Energy Star® qualification. Manufacturers wishing to qualify new products as Energy Star can now submit test reports from their own lab for review and approval by EPA prior to labeling.

AGC Unveils Green Building Plan
A new green construction plan released by the Associated General Contractors of America outlines measures designed to stimulate demand for green construction projects, boost infrastructure capacity, and improve building efficiency and green construction practices. "Building a Green Future," identifies measures public officials, developers, and the construction community must take to lessen the impact of our built environment on our natural environment.

MCAA Releases Green Training Module
The Mechanical Contractors Association of America celebrated Earth Day with the release of the new DVD-based Green Associate Training Module. The module prepares MCAA contractors for the newly developed LEED Green Associate professional credential, designed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), for sales professionals, estimators, contractor owners and manufacturers.

EnerWorks Claims Double-Walled CSA Certification
EnerWorks announced that its Spectrum solar water heating appliance with a double-walled heat exchanger has achieved CSA certification, the only double-walled system to meet the necessary requirements to date. The certification applies to EnerWorks' one- to four-panel systems.

Grundfos Pumps To Tour Northeast
Grundfos' fully equipped, mobile educational center will make several stops throughout the Northeast region from April through June 2010, on its 48-city, 8-month, nationwide tour. Hands-on training will be available to all trade professionals on the 1,200-sq.-ft. vehicle, which features interactive pump displays, as well as a mini-theater for viewing training videos and presentations. "Pumps on Tour" will also be visiting the Atlantic Region Energy Expo (AREE) in Atlantic City and the National Association of Oil Heat Service Managers (NAOHSM) 57th Annual Convention & Trade Show in Providence, RI.

Armstrong To Host Steam Summit
Representatives from Armstrong International will lead a one-day steam system training workshop on Thursday, May 20, in conjunction with the Energy and Innovation Summit, May 18-20, at the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids, MI. Attendees will learn the fundamentals of steam system optimization, energy auditing and best practices, steam trap management and life cycle cost analysis. Visit www.energysummitonline.com  for more information and to register.

Rheem-Ruud Promo Includes Free HP Water Heater
Rheem Water Heating recently launched a special spring and summer sales promotion to encourage contractors to buy and install the new Rheem or Ruud HP Series of hybrid electric water heaters with energy-saving heat pump technology. The two-part special offer includes a $25 discount on any Rheem or Ruud HP Series hybrid water heater purchased between May 1 and September 15, 2010, and a free Rheem or Ruud HP Series water heater by purchasing and installing 10 of these models between May 1 and September 15, 2010.

Green Banks Thrive

Capitalizing on the green movement, a growing number of financial institutions have sprouted up in the United States and elsewhere. Promoting earth-friendly policies, these green banks have appeared in numerous U.S. cities and other countries, including France, Mexico, and elsewhere. Read more about these green banks.

Digital 2010 Radiant Flooring Guide Now Available

Are you at a client's home and forgot to bring a copy of the 2010 Radiant Flooring Guide? Or are you at a convention and need some quick information about using cork flooring over a radiant heating system?

Open your Internet browser, key in this address - http://tinyurl.com/rfg-digitalmag-2010 - and browse through the pages at your convenience. The Table of Contents contains links to take you directly to the article you want to read. Or you can browse through page by page as you would with the printed version.

Ads are linked to advertisers' web sites to provide more information on products or services readers are interested in.

The 2010 Radiant Flooring Guide is an indispensable tool for architects, heating contractors, mechanical contractors, floor covering retailers and installers, builders, wholesalers, radiant system specifiers and homeowners. It provides all the information for making proper choices on flooring over radiant heating systems, including an updated directory of radiant floor product manufacturers.

To purchase printed copies of the 2010 Radiant Flooring Guide for $15, contact Stephanie Weingartz at weingartzs@bnpmedia.com, phone 248-244-1275, or visit www.AECstore.com.

Quotes To Live
(Or Die) By

"You're right not because others agree with you, but because your facts are right." -- Warren Buffett

Students May See Green Future
Through Rose-Colored Glasses

To find out what America's students think about the energy future of America, the National Foundation for Energy Education (www.nfee.org ) recently conducted the National Student Energy Survey and discovered that most of the 4,611 participating middle and high school students indicated strong support for renewable energy sources. But while the survey shows that many students are optimistic about America's energy future, some of that optimism comes from a lack of awareness of the true facts, according to the survey's organizer.

©2010, J. Siegenthaler - all rights reserved

Click here to access a full-size PDF.

One Too Many ...

The Glitch

Overview: An installer learns that a hydraulic separator can replace a pair of closely spaced tees and an air separator. He installs the hydraulic separator as shown below, keeping what he feels are standard details for a primary/secondary system.

Exercise: Can you spot at least four errors in this layout?

1. The boiler circulator should be positioned to push flow into a modulating/condensing boiler with a compact heat exchanger. Such boilers typically generate significantly higher flow resistance relative to traditional boilers with cast-iron heat exchangers. The position of the boiler circulator in the glitch drawing decreases boiler pressure whenever the circulator is operating. If the water temperature in the boiler is high enough, steam flashing may occur.

2. The supply temperature sensor placement shown in the glitch drawing will not detect the water temperature supplied to the distribution system. If the flow rate on the right side of the hydraulic separator is higher than the flow rate on the left, mixing will occur within the separator. This will reduce the supply temperature to the distribution system. Ideally, boiler modulation should be based on the load side supply temperature and, thus, the temperature sensor should be moved to the position shown on the fix drawing.

3. There is no need of a "primary loop" on the load side of the hydraulic separator. The details shown in the glitch drawing not only use an extra circulator, they also induce a differential pressure between the top and bottom portions of the loop (due to head loss across the partially closed valve). This pressure differential will attempt to push flow through both load circuits whenever the primary circulator is operating. The fix is to eliminate the primary loop and simply use short, generously sized headers as shown.

4. Add a purging valve on the boiler circuit as shown in the Fix drawing to provide efficient air removal from the boiler at start up.

Visit www.hydronicpros.com

Radiant Precision Manual, $91.65

by John Siegenthaler

This book is not for the faint at heart. It is designed for the serious student or consummate expert of radiant heating and cooling. It is filled with the formulas, graphics and excellent schematics that John has become known for. Within its pages can be found everything from simple tube layout to intense calculations for flow restrictors in manifold assemblies. System design and wiring schematics for the latest in controls are explained in detail. Zoning, hydraulic separation, flow and pressure balancing, buffer tanks, mixing controls, mini-tube systems, proportional- integral-derivative (PID) controls and multi-load systems are just a few of the topics covered. Follow this link to purchase this item. Call Stephanie at 248-244-1275 to order by phone!

Visit AECStore.com to view all of our products for the Radiant & Hydronics Pro.