March 20, 2008 : Vol. 7, No. 12	Engineering for the World We Live In
The HVAC&R Industry, ASHRAE's free weekly eNewsletter for HVAC&R professionals, provides relevant, timely information about industry and technology for people who create healthy, comfortable indoor environments.     To ensure that The HVAC&R Industry is not blocked by spam-blocking software, add e-industry@ashrae.org to your address book. Should you encounter problems reading an ASHRAE eNewsletter, you may access any issue archived on the ASHRAE Web site at this link. To unsubscribe from this eNewsletter, click here. Industry News Study Links Indoor Air Pollution, Cardiovascular Disease Risk COPENHAGEN, Denmark—Tiny particles of indoor air pollution that are inhaled and get into the bloodstream affect the performance of blood vessels, and potentially increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly among the elderly, according to research published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. A team of scientists from Denmark and Sweden investigated the effect of air particles on three markers of blood vessel health on 21 nonsmoking elderly couples studied in their homes. The study also found that when the air quality was improved using filters, the subjects' blood vessels functioned better. Read more Wal-Mart Opens Energy-Efficient Supercenter BENTONVILLE, Ark.—Wal-Mart Stores this week opened the first of its latest generation of energy-efficient test stores, a Las Vegas Supercenter that uses new cooling technology to cut overall energy use by up to 45% compared to a traditional store. The new store features a cooling system that uses rooftop cooling towers to chill water that then runs in conduits under the floor of the store. "This is not just a baby step. This is a big step," said Terry Townsend, Presidential Member ASHRAE. Read more Airwell Group Acquires Fedders Residential HVAC PARIS—The Airwell Group has purchased the residential HVAC business of Fedders North America. The new company will be called Airwell-Fedders North America Inc., and will be a subsidiary of Airwell Air Conditioning and its parent company, Israel-based ELCO Holdings. Airwell Air Conditioning has production facilities in France, Italy, Israel, China and Argentina. The acquisition enables Airwell to enter the North American market. Read more Sustainability Not Easy Sell for Speculative Developers LENEXA, Kan.—A growing number of speculative office developers are going to market with sustainable, high-performance buildings. However, they are facing challenges to increase demand, according to an article in Building Design & Construction magazine. Consequently, many "green" developers are finding it necessary to devote more time and resources to educating local brokers and prospective tenants on the value of sustainable design. Read more Coin-Sized Fan To Cool Laptops, Other Electronics MARIETTA, Ga.—Engineers harnessing the same physical property that drives silent household air purifiers have created a miniaturized device that will be tested as a silent, ultra-thin, low-power and low-maintenance cooling system for laptop computers and other electronic devices. The RSD5 fan reportedly is the most powerful and energy-efficient of its size. The fan incorporates a series of live wires that generate a microscale plasma. Within the intense electric field that results, ions push neutral air molecules from the wire to the plate, generating a wind. Read more ASHRAE News ASHRAE Provides High-Performance Building Design Professional Certification Registration is now open for ASHRAE’s new high-performance building design professional certification program. The first exam will take place June 25 at the 2008 ASHRAE Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City. Exams at testing centers around the world will become available in the fall. Read more New Registration Procedure for ASHRAE Annual Meeting Online registration is open for the 2008 ASHRAE Annual Meeting, to be held June 21–25 in Salt Lake City. ASHRAE is implementing a new registration process beginning with this meeting. Registrants will receive instant detailed confirmation for their meeting registration. The confirmation will show that the registration has been processed and that the registrant is confirmed for any events requested. A receipt for the amount paid also will be provided. The "Super Salt Lake Saver" discounted registration period ends April 4. Read more Feature of the Week Connecting Buildings to Central Chilled Water Plants By James B. (Burt) Rishel, P.E., Fellow/Life Member ASHRAE This article provides guidance on evaluating building connections to central chilled water systems to ensure that they are adequate and do not waste the pumping energy of either the central chilled water system or the building itself.   This article originally was published in ASHRAE Journal in November 2007. Click here to download the article. It will be available here through April 2. After April 2, access to the article from this eNewsletter will no longer be available. It will remain available for free download by Members here and for purchase by nonmembers in the ashrae.org bookstore. Product News Laboratory Exhaust Systems From Greenheck SCHOFIELD, Wis.—Greenheck offers Vektor™-MD and Vektor™-CD Laboratory Exhaust Systems, designed to exhaust fumes from schools, universities, hospitals and research laboratories. The Vektor-MD (mixed-flow high-plume dilution) laboratory exhaust system uses a roof-mounted inline blower to exhaust the laboratory space and is designed for applications where roof space is limited. The Vektor-CD (centrifugal high-plume dilution) blower uses a roof-mounted centrifugal blower and is designed for applications requiring horizontal air intake. Read more Shaft Alignment System From Ludeca DORAL, Fla.—Ludeca offers the Rotalign® Ultra waterproof, shockproof and dustproof laser shaft alignment system. It features an automatic continuous sweep mode, which allows the alignment process to start and stop at any position. The device can communicate with a PC via USB and Bluetooth® technology. Read more Demand-Response Thermostat From Honeywell MINNEAPOLIS—Honeywell introduces the UtilityPRO™ thermostat for utility-sponsored demand-response programs. It features a touchscreen interface, advanced load control and communication capabilities. It can be programmed via the Web. 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