Forget football. Forget politics. Fall is Webinar season—and it’s back.

That’s right. The Fall 2008 Modern Engineering Concepts Webinar Series kicks off next Thursday, Sept. 11, (1 pm ET) when yours truly gets to moderate an extremely interesting session called Cast-Iron Boiler Technology: Past, Present, and Future.

Yes, the MEC Series is back after taking the summer off.

The presenter? None other than PM Engineer’s contributing editor and well-known hydronics guru John Siegenthaler, P.E. (Siggy).

Let me be honest and admit that I come to this Webinar somewhat conflicted. On the one hand, my preparatory research has taught me that cast iron boilers have been the backbone of the hydronics industry for decades.

On the other hand, when I think about the term “cast iron,” I see rust and outdated technology and products approaching obsolescence compared to newer boilers constructed of other materials.

However, I’m willing to give Siggy his due and let him prove to me that my perception is all wrong — that cast-iron, despite its appearance, really is a very "green" material.

If you’re as curious as I am about how well Siggy meets this challenge, I invite you to attend the Webinar and hear for yourself. (Just click here to register.) I also invite you to submit any questions you have after watching the presentation. As moderator, I’ll do my best to get as many questions as time allows to John for a response during the Q&A session.

If you’ve never heard an MEC Webinar, I’ve attached a couple short excerpts (as MP3 files) at the bottom of this Web page for your listening pleasure. These clips are from the most recent Webinar, which was held June 12 and focused on Home Run Distribution Systems. One clip is from the presentation; the other is from the Q&A session. Enjoy.

One more quick point before I close. This is the first Webinar Siggy is presenting since being inducted into the Radiant Panel Association’s Radiant All-Stars Hall of Fame last month — an honor well deserved for his nearly 30 years in the profession.

You can be sure John will bring his “A” game next week. And so will I...once I get over the initial jitters of working with a real HOFer.