Globally, there are rising concerns over resource utilization and environmental degradation. Energy resource management is especially critical for environmental sustainability. In commercial buildings, arguably the highest energy consumers, almost half of […]
Whether you’re at home or at work, indoor air quality (IAQ) is important to people. It can affect their health and comfort. For businesses, it can ultimately affect your bottom […]
When winter’s grip gets ahold of the NYC Metro and Western Long Island area, it doesn’t like to let go. Brutal cold winds drive the snow and everyone just wants […]
Businesses must focus on keeping their overhead low while maintaining a high-quality service. One key area of overhead where costs can vary month-to-month is heating and cooling. The cold winter […]
After a long, hot summer, the cool fall weather is a welcome relief. Air conditioners become less important and there’s no real need for a heater yet. Even so, New […]
Every New Yorker knows that the winter months are no time to find yourself without heat. With the onset of cooler temperatures, now is the perfect time to ensure that […]
When you’re running a business, overhead costs can dip into profits. One way to cut down on your overhead costs is to make your office more energy efficient. Not only […]
The 30% federal tax credit for geothermal heat pumps in the residential sector and the 10% credit for qualifying commercial geothermal installations has been reinstated. They are also retroactive to cover […]
As of January 1st, 2018, changes in the new Federal Tax Code allow for the cost of any section 179 property as an expense which is not chargeable to capital […]
Heat Pump Sales Volume By Country By 2020 As we have written previously, the Federal Renewable Energy Tax Credit for geothermal HVAC systems has sunset (as of 12/31/16). The 30% […]
GEO has received information regarding the tax credits in regard to legislation. Please take action regarding this important industry legislation. NOW is the time to act to help extend the […]
https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/z4oslhxtbt?popover=true Just as Nest disrupted the thermostat industry with its Nest Learning Thermostat, there is a new tech start-up attempting to solve home comfort and air distribution balancing issues. Ecovent […]
Don’t buy that 13 SEER replacement unit you were thinking about. The 2015 New York State (and International) Energy Conservation Construction Code has 2016 efficiency standard increases built in. Minimum […]
The following comes from Bill Nowak, Executive Director of NY-Geo, Please Act: Governor Cuomo has called the geothermal tax credit (S2905) and sales tax exemption (S4279) bills to his desk. He […]
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the eleven story building at 260 West Broadway was built by the New […]
The combination of new FEMA flood insurance requirements, aging chiller and cooling tower plants, fears of legionella contamination and illness, a surging real estate market and increased population density are […]
The New York State Assembly and Senate have passed the Geothermal Tax Credit bill A2177A (A2177A-2015). This bill allows for a 25% state income tax credit up to a maximum […]
The reverberations from construction code revisions as a result of Hurricane Sandy are now being felt for HVAC installations in New York City. Have you tried to file for installation […]
Unfortunately, as this News 12 expose’ reveals, not all geothermal HVAC installers are looking out for their customers’ best interests. Geothermal HVAC Installer Scams Consumers We have received a spate […]
Here in the northeast, the recent price erosion of natural gas due to hydrofracturing has made it more difficult to sell geothermal by ROI payback analysis alone. It was still […]
Despite whatever your views may be on the various topics of fossil fuels, fracking and renewable energy, it is obvious that the major US push towards developing energy production in […]
There will be a significant increase in the volume of natural gas being brought to the New York Metro region as a result of multiple pipeline expansion projects from the […]
For some time now I have been advocating for an indoor single phase VRF (variable refrigerant flow) split system with a horizontal discharge condensing unit for window, through the wall […]
In our annual review of home heating fuels on Long Island, nothing has changed except for the widened gap between fuel oil and Natural gas prices. Today, “Prices for crude […]
Back in February we discussed Sensible Rebuilding and HVAC Installation with Future Flooding in Mind. According to this New York Times article, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a panel of renowned […]
Yes, it is hotter in the city, especially at night. Why is this? It’s called the Urban Heat Island Effect and it means that urban areas heat up at more […]
Even during the depths of the recession, top HVAC technicians were in high demand. Between 2010 and 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected a 34% increase in HVAC […]
Press release from the Long Island Geothermal Energy Organization (LI-Geo.org): The New York State Senate and Assembly have proposed new legislation related to geothermal heating and cooling installations. On January […]
The patent battle that has unfolded between Honeywell and it’s upstart competitor, Nest, is well documented, but it has also forced Honeywell to inovate instead of resting upon its current […]
As most Long Island and New York homeowners are still waiting for insurance settlements to rebuild after Superstorm Sandy (see this Newsday article), it is imperative that planning for future […]
The NY State Department of State has issued the following: “Floodwaters are not just water; the water may also be contaminated with chemicals, sewage, oil and other debris. When the […]
As you probably know, in a last minute compromise on New Years Day 2013, Congress passed an agreement that will put off mandated cuts in federal spending and reinstate dozens […]
Having seen a vast variety of flooded out and crushed heating and air conditioning equipment in the last few weeks, it seems self-serving to discuss the “silver lining” that being […]
Here I sit in an office with no power, phones, Internet or ROOF for the past 5 days, banging away on an iPad through a slow cellular hotspot to extol […]
With home heating oil prices currently at $4.25 per gallon here on Long Island and a much colder season forecast ahead, this Newsday article predicts a difficult winter for those […]
Natural gas prices have plummeted in the past 5 years and are now lower than they were 20 years ago. The chart shows the progression of natural gas prices over […]
A recent article in the New York Times echoed the death knell of the wind power industry as the result of both the new glut of shale gas and the […]
With the Federal government enforcing new energy efficiency standards as of May 1st, 2013, this will be the last winter that consumers can buy a down and dirty 80% AFUE […]
In a recent New York Times article entitled “The Cost of Cool“, author Elisabeth Rosenthal noted the trade offs of the environmental cost of air conditioning versus the economic benefits […]
The Nest Learning Thermostat was featured this Sunday on CBS Sunday Morning in a piece by New York Times technology pundit, David Pogue. The report also featured other “smart thermostat” […]
[youtube=https://youtu.be/5xny9nvrO98]In our current economic climate, there is intensified concern by consumers that certain unscrupulous contractors may take advantage of them. This is especially true of HVAC contractors in the summer, […]
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8UWQwQVxBE]Almost every manufacturer of HVAC equipment is currently scrambling to bring to market variable speed units with either Copeland or Danfoss inverter driven compressors. Variable speed geothermal heat pumps being […]
It will be close to 100 degrees in the New York area today. This is the type of weather that older HVAC systems fail in: right when you need them […]
The Maryland legislature has passed a bill accepting geothermal heat pumps as eligible for state provided Renewable Energy Tax Credits. This sounds like a no-brainer, since the federal government has […]
When most people think of geothermal heat pumps, they think new technology. The positive connotation of new technology is advancement, but many link new technologies to risk and technical bugs. […]
The American Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has finally developed a new certification program for variable refrigerant flow multi-zone split air conditioners and heat pumps. In years past, systems manufactured […]
Natural gas prices have plummeted over the last two years due to the market glut as a result of the shale gas explosion created by hydrofracturing or “fracking”. For energy […]
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfXVmksODTM] A couple of the toughest things about living in the northeast is the vagaries of northern weather and the unavailability of natural gas for heating in many suburban and […]
One of the best things about a Nest Learning Thermostat is Nest’s ability to constantly work on software improvements and send (and receive) wifi updates whenever they are available. Our […]
No doubt if you are reading this, it is because you have been shocked by the recent spike in R-22 refrigerant prices due to the recent allocation squeeze by the […]
When the 25C Tax Credits were in place in 2010 allowing a $1500 Federal Tax Credit (on top of utility rebates) to upgrade to a 16 SEER high efficiency system […]
It seems my last blog post was timely indeed as the New York Times did a piece this weekend on the high and ever-increasing cost of home heating oil and […]
When deciding upon a heating source for a new custom home or commercial building people often ask, “what is the best bang for my buck”? This is obviously a loaded […]
Builders, Developers and Real Estate professionals are competing for the chance to build new homes now more than ever. The smart ones are luring energy conscious home buyers with the […]
Two of my favorite (and most efficient) technologies can actually be combined to form an uber-efficient HVAC system. Both Mitsubishi and Daikin have provided water-cooled condensing units as part of […]
With the advent of all of the buzz circulating around the new Nest and internet enabled thermostats, there is one big question that goes unanswered. What happens to all of […]
The folks at SparkFun did a teardown of what makes the Nest learning thermostat tick. As the author says, “It’s always fun to see the wizard behind the curtain”. Link […]
Imagine replacing your gas or oil fired furnace with a bank of internet servers courtesy of Google. Sounds pretty far fetched, don’t you think? Well that is what Microsoft and […]
With the buzz created by the launch of the new Nest thermostat, it seems the ease and convenience of remotely addressing thermostat settings may be the new trend for the […]
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QCJ1PnVlzIE] Tony Fadell and the tech team that brought you Apple’s iPhone has gone out on their own to tackle what they believe to be the largest energy wasting culprit […]
Variable Refrigerant technologies have become a mainstream HVAC application in urban environments over the past decade. The flexibility of unit design and layout configurations has made this a market niche […]
Although we advocate installing closed loop systems for the reasons stated in my previous post, this does make it difficult for us to be competitive with the majority of other […]
Congress may be looking to de-fund public television and National Public Radio, but these are two media outlets that have always provided interesting insight into the world of green energy. […]
Most of the testimony we read regarding the benefits and costs of a geothermal heating and air conditioning system come from the mid-west. However, if you are a local Long […]
When walking into another contractor’s installation, it never ceases to amaze me how differently installers approach things. This can be attributed to the lack of serious construction standards for ground […]
From the Air Conditioning Contractors of America: After hours of fitful debate, the House of Representatives passed the tax extender package last night by a vote of 277-148. President Obama […]
The 25C energy efficiency tax credits that were initiated via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are due to expire on December 31st, 2010. Although Geothermal and Solar credits will […]
Its good to see a big box retailer that is actually committed to reducing its carbon footprint and leading by example. This Time magazine article discusses Ikea’s efforts to further […]
A product that has been available in the UK and Europe for several years is finally being introduced to the US market. The Daikin Altherma is an air-to-water heat pump […]
I have often said that the growth of energy efficient products is directly proportional to the Federal subsidies set aside specifically to target such. The Renewable Energy Act and the […]
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUsapJ58bKU]If you’ve ever traveled through a Florida neighborhood you’ve probably seen those weird looking polyethylene manifold contraptions for solar pool heating assist. A company called Maytal Tech is currently marketing […]
Introduction When choosing the type of ground loop to provide heat transfer for your geothermal heat pump system, you are presented with two primary options, closed and open loops. An […]
This video does an excellent job of explaining a closed loop geothermal system in layman’s terms. [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1r7fXO0QII]
Now that the government has given Energy Star accreditation for water-to-water geothermal heat pumps, you can heat your home hydronically and get your 30% renewable energy tax credit. This is […]
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (aka “the Stimulus Bill”) has a number of provisions in it to induce consumers to take energy conservation measures by replacing or […]
In the past year, we have had an onslaught of inquiries about Geothermal (also known as Geo-Exchange) HVAC. With the availability of a 30% Federal Tax Rebate on top of […]