Last month, we discussed how solid thermal energy storage, combined with an air-to-water heat pump and an electric boiler, provides a platform to leverage time-of-use electrical rates in ways that can benefit customers as well as the utility providing the electricity.
Keystone Air Power is a thriving Amish enterprise that runs a fully modern hardware store in Central Pennsylvania. The 52,000-square-foot building is constructed around a cutting-edge, off-grid mechanical and electrical system that demonstrates the Amish's knowledge of smart technology.
PM Engineer Chief Editor Nicole Krawcke had the chance to speak with several key industry stakeholders about trends and technological developments in the market, including: Greg Nahrgang, vice president, technical services and product development, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry; Adam Botts, product manager for Viega; and Steven Dolejsi, applications engineering manager, IPEX.
NorthPointe Christian Schools near Grand Rapids, Michigan, has grown from 90 students to over 1,250 across Pre-K to 12th grade. To keep pace with the needs of ever-expanding schools like Northpointe, Chicago Faucets has evolved to meet school safety needs with products like thermostatic mixers and touchless faucets.
I graduated during the Great Recession and worked multiple jobs before my first journalism job at Patch. My colleagues and manager provided invaluable guidance, particularly on handling difficult situations. Mentorship is critical for MEP engineers, providing practical insights not covered in academic programs.
AHR in Chicago was hectic. With 1,875 exhibitors across 527,520 square feet, it was impossible to visit everyone in the 20 hours open to the public over three days. Preparing ahead of time with a schedule is vital. AHR makes it easy with their app, and we had ours in print with highlighted booths.
A reader asked if the process for water heater selection could be used for selecting a faucet. This column provides the process steps for selecting faucets, without discussing the findings in detail, as several resources are available for comparing faucet types.
When a plumbing engineer receives the design of a health care building — our minds gravitate to designing the system to optimize all the different considerations I mentioned above — with the fixture layout the architect has developed. But what if the layout changed? What if the amount of fixtures were reduced?
Heat pumps are growing in importance due to climate change. Extensive investment in heat pump technology has led to higher heating capacities and smaller equipment sizes.