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NEWS

Canada Moves To Regulate Standby Power
Recent amendments to the Energy Efficiency Act give the federal government the authority to introduce standards to regulate the amount of standby power consumed by numerous products. They also allow for energy-efficiency standards to be established for additional products that affect energy consumption, including thermostats and other energy-system control devices.

Main – The NRC's Indoor Air Research Facility at its Ottawa, ON campus has been completed. Inset – The facility's forced-air heating system.

Update From The IAQ Research Facility

The National Research Council of Canada's (NRC) Indoor Air Initiative has been moving along on all fronts with the completion and commissioning of the Indoor Air Research Facility. "Completion was delayed, but at the end of the day, everyone from NRC researchers to designers, contractors and suppliers were impressed with the results," said Luc Saint-Martin, technology transfer advisor, NRC. "Commissioning will take a few months so that a representative sampling of configurations can be tested."

Ontario Scraps Mandatory Energy Audit
Realtors and the Progressive Conservatives have managed to prompt the McGuinty government to drop the home energy audit from the Ontario Bill 150, Green Energy and Green Economy Act, which passed on May 14. The audit would have been performed at the expense of the seller each time a house was sold.

The Burlington, ON demonstration store's mechanical room.

Energy Savings In Store For Walmart
Walmart Canada, which has invested $220 million to modernize and expand its distribution network, recently opened its first environmental demonstration store in Burlington, ON. The mechanical system includes: geothermal heating and cooling facilitated by 15 km of piping in the parking lot; in-floor radiant heating and cooling systems; heat capture from the refrigeration system reused to heat the store; and low-flow sinks, toilets and urinals.
The general mechanical contractor on the project was Kitchener, ON's Nelco Mechanical; the geothermal contractor was Groundheat Systems International Inc., based in Concord, ON; and the geothermal consultant was Stantec.
Walmart will invest $115 million to build a state-of-art distribution centre in Balzac, AB. The 400,000 square feet centre will serve as a distribution hub for perishable food destined for the stores in Western Canada. A newly opened 450,000-square-foot, refrigerated centre in Mississauga will be the model for the Balzac location.
Construction of the Balzac distribution centre will begin immediately and will be conducted by Calgary-based development firm Stuart Olson.

Wood-Pellet Heat System On-Line
A biomass heating system demonstration project at École Évangéline in Abram-Village, PE is now operating. A pellet-fuel furnace is the school's primary heat source, with a supplemental oil heat system. The $180,000 heating unit is an Austrian-built, 300 kW Kob Pyrot pellet furnace, supplied by Atlantic Cool Air of Wellington, PE. The unit is placed outside the building and integrated into the heating system through pipes that connect to the heat exchanger.

AND THE WINNER IS ...

 
Winners of Lochinvar's VIP Extreme Event, including Canadian Pascal Coache, got to visit the Nashville Super Speedway.

• Lochinvar Corporation awarded its first group of top-selling contractors with all-expense paid trips to Nashville, TN from April 1-3 for the inaugural VIP Extreme Event, a revamping of the annual VIP Contractor Program. Among the 12 winners was Pascal Coache of Plomberie Normand in Montreal, QC. Another 12 top-selling contractors will be invited for the second installment of the event in July.
  
• Allied Air Enterprises has presented 19 of its distributors with the 2008 Presidents Club Award for commitment to excellence in the commercial, residential and value products sales, market share and other categories. Canadian winners are: ECCO Heating Products Ltd. from Langley, BC for top residential; Windsor, ON's L-K Metal Products for top market share; Don Park, based in Toronto, ON, for top residential; and Almacorp from Montreal, QC for top commercial.
  
• Boone Plumbing and Heating Supply Inc. has been named one of the "Best Workplaces in Canada" by the Great Places to Work Institute Canada. The 2009 list includes 75 organizations from across the country.

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A conversation with Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton - May 29th Be a part of this exclusive event. Join Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton as they discuss the challenges facing the world in the 21st century. Live in Toronto, May 29th Metro Convention Centre 3:30pm to 5:30pm > For further information or to register click here or call 1.866.994.2555

CITINGS

Natural Resources Canada has developed an online Boiler Efficiency Calculator for boiler operations in heating and steam plants fired by natural gas and fuel oil.

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has launched PhaseOutFacts.org. Designed to reduce confusion regarding the phaseout of HCFC refrigerants, the site is aimed at equipment owners, contractors and technicians who purchase and handle refrigerants, and the wholesalers who sell it. It includes a "Get Answers" feature.

Worth a look…The Art Museum Toilet Museum of Art in New York has launched its web site, which displays a large selection of its collection of images of toilets taken at various art museums from around the world.

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REBATE AND INCENTIVE ALERT

• The Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Green Municipal fund has removed deadlines to apply for the funding and will respond to applications within five months. The loans and grants available apply to capital projects, community plans, feasibility studies and field tests.

• Power Smart is fully funding an efficiency study on minimum 200 horsepower ammonia refrigeration systems for BC Hydro customers in the food and beverage sector through the Energy Efficiency Feasibility Study. Applications must be made on or before May 29, 2009. After this date, 75 per cent of the study will be funded.

• Grants under the ecoENERGY– Retrofit Homes program have been increased by 25 per cent until March 31, 2011. Funds are subject to availability so "homeowners are encouraged to apply early."

• Alberta's Natural Gas Rebate Program expired on March 31, 2009 and will not be renewed for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. 2008-2009 rebate application forms must be filed by June 30, 2009.

• Newfoundland Power's Electrical Services Financing Plan provides up to $10,000 toward the purchase and installation of electric water heaters, R2000 upgrades, electric home heating systems and heat recovery ventilation systems.

• Conserve Nova Scotia and the Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia have partnered to offer owners of multi-unit residential buildings province-wide rebates on energy-efficient products. The Apartment Energy Retrofit Project offers rebates for 20 products.

• Alberta has invested $36 million in a three-year consumer incentive program. Eligible purchases, which are retroactive to January 1, 2009, include: new homes that achieve an EnerGuide efficiency rating of 80 or higher; federal ecoENERGY home energy evaluations; and high efficiency heating systems, such as furnaces, boilers and water heaters.

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CODE READ

• Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) intends to amend its Energy Efficiency Regulations to require dealers to comply with more stringent minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for residential gas and oil-fired boilers, and add prescriptive requirements for electric boilers, imported or shipped inter-provincially, for sale or lease in Canada. The regulations will also contain a reporting requirement for electrical consumption of auxiliary equipment. Stakeholders can submit comments by May 29, 2009 to: Rosalyn Cochrane, senior standards engineer, Office of Energy Efficiency, NRCan.


• The Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCFBC) has launched a spring public review, which runs until May 29, 2009. The review deals with the relocation of building design requirements from the 2005 National Fire Code (NFC) to the 2005 National Building Code (NBC), and the addition of appropriate cross-referencing between the two documents.
  
• Montreal, QC has moved ahead with a ban on the installation of wood-burning fireplaces and stoves in new construction and renovations. Fireplaces and stoves that use pellets, natural or propane gas, or electricity are exempt from the bylaw. Shortly after that, the province of Quebec announced that new regulations for wood stoves will take effect September 1. At that time stoves must meet Environment Canada's or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's standards (CSA B415.1).
  
• The National Building Code's Standing Committee for Part 9 (Housing and Small Buildings) has voted in favour of referencing CSA B214 (Installation Code for Hydronic Heating Systems) as an enforceable standard. Canadian jurisdictions that adopt the next edition of the National Building Code (set to be released in 2010) will have the ability to inspect and reject installations that do not meet the minimum standard. The Part 9 Standing committee also referenced the Canadian Hydronics Council (CHC) Handbook on Hydronic Heating Systems as a best engineering practice.
  
• Amendments to Regulation 347, which ban the burning of used oil in space heaters in Ontario, are effective June 1, 2009 for facilities that have received a certificate of approval before January 11, 2007 or have been in operation since September 1992. Industrial and agricultural operations where the oil is produced at the site where it is burned are exempt, as are users in Northern Ontario.
  
• The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has proposed changes to the National Building Code (NBC) to improve radon requirements for large and small buildings. The solution for small buildings would require the rough-in for a future radon exhaust system in addition to a good air barrier system in below-ground assemblies. Existing requirements will also be restructured. The proposed changes will be open for public review in September 2009 and, if approved, will be published in the 2010 NBC. E-mail frank.lohmann@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.
  
• An ENERGY STAR specification for HRV/ERV's in Canada includes minimum sensible heat recovery efficiency (SRE) and a minimum fan efficacy requirement. NRCan will release the final specification in the near future. Version 1.0 will be in effect July 1, 2009, with a revision of the specification to follow in July 2012. For further information contact David Terlizzi, technical advisor, HRAI Manufacturers Division at 1-800-267-2231 ext. 263 or e-mail dterlizzi@hrai.ca.
  
• The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) recently published AHAM AC-3-2009, Method for Measuring the Performance of Portable Household Electric Room Air Cleaners Following Accelerated Particulate Loading. Used in conjunction with ANSI/AHAM AC-1, this test method provides a means to evaluate and compare the performance of portable household electric air cleaners before and after the air cleaners have been subjected to accelerated particulate loading conditions.

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RECALL ALERT

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STATS AND FACTS

• The solar industry labour force is poised to experience dramatic growth of 101 per cent over the next three years, according to the Labour Force Survey, produced by the Electricity Sector Council (ESC) and the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA). The survey shows the highest growth rates are expected to fall into four job functions: project management (178 per cent), installation (146 per cent), sales (120 per cent) and manufacturing (107 per cent).
  
  
• Two-thirds of senior level chartered accountants interviewed for the CICA/RBC Business Monitor (Q1 2009) expect Canada to experience economic growth by the end of the second quarter of 2010. Overall, national economic optimism remains at historically low levels at four per cent. To mitigate the challenges of the economic downturn, over half (67 per cent) indicated they had reduced labour costs, reduced travel expenditures (64 per cent) and delayed capital expenditures (61 per cent). “There is a distinct need and opportunity for all of us – banks, professionals and government – to find ways to provide support and ensure Canadian business' long term survival,” said Shauneen Bruder, executive vice-president, RBC Business and Commercial Banking. “With Canadian and U.S. policymakers becoming increasingly aggressive in implementing measures to reverse the economic downturn and boost growth, we believe Canada's recovery will gain momentum in 2010.”
  
• The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has released March Heating and Cooling Equipment Shipment Data.
  
• The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada reports that ductless split systems shipments showed largest increase in the first quarter of 2009 with a healthy gain of 20 per cent. Other sectors showed decreases including residential air conditioning shipments by 33 per cent, chiller bookings by 24 per cent, commercial air conditioning shipments by 18 per cent, unit heater shipments by 13 per cent and residential furnace shipments by six per cent over the first quarter of 2008.
  
• Investment in non-residential building construction reached $10.8 billion in the first quarter of 2009, down 1.8 per cent from the fourth quarter of 2008. This marks the first decline since the fourth quarter of 2004. Statistics Canada reports that investors injected $6.6 billion in commercial projects, down three per cent from the fourth quarter of 2008. Investment in the industrial component fell 4.7 per cent to $1.2 billion.

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HAPPENINGS

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TRAINING

GeoExchange Training
June 23-25, 2009 in Halifax, NS
July 6-8, 2009 in Red Deer, AB
(8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)

Developed by the Canadian GeoExchange Coalition (CGC) as part of the CGC Global Quality GeoExchange Program, the three-day training program is intended for those involved with the installation, but not necessarily the design, of residential geothermal systems that service buildings of less than 15,000 square feet or three stories. For more information e-mail Lynn Bartoshuk at HRAI.

TECA's Quality First Training
To register for the Thermal Environmental Comfort Association's (TECA) 2009 Quality First training courses, e-mail training@teca.ca or call 604-594-5956.

Canadian Healthcare Construction Course
The Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society (CHES) is offering multi-city courses for healthcare construction professionals.

SMART Manufacturing Workshops
The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) Ontario Division is offering SMART Manufacturing Workshops across the province.

Energy Efficiency Training
Training sessions have been scheduled through the Energy Efficiency Contractors Network. E-mail spapp@hrai.ca for more information.

CMCEF Education Programs
Registration forms are now available for the Canadian Mechanical Contracting Education Foundation's (CMCEF) 2009 Education Schedule.

HRAI SkillTech Academy
Many of the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) SkillTech Academy courses qualify for a $200 per person subsidy from Natural Resources Canada. For more information contact Lynn Bartoshuk at lbartoshuk@hrai.ca.

LEED Canada Training
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) is presenting LEED workshops across Canada.

Solar Installer Certification Programs
The Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) offers workshops and training courses.

Conference Series on 2009 Canadian Electrical Code
The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is offering a five-city, two-day conference series to address changes in the 2009 Canadian Electrical Code. E-mail seminars@csa.ca for more information.

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CALENDAR

Oilheat 2009
May 27-29
The Canadian Oil Heat Association (COHA) is holding its annual conference at the Delta Centre-Ville Hotel in Montreal, QC.

RPA Annual Conference
May 27-30
The Radiant Panel Association's annual conference will be held at the Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, NY.

HPBAC Summit
June 6-8
The Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Summit will take place at the Brookstreet Resort in Ottawa, ON.

CaGBC National Summit
June 9-11
The Canada Green Building Council's (CaGBC) national summit, Every Building Can Be Green, is being held at the Palais de Congrès in Montreal, QC.

AWWA Annual Conference & Exposition
June 14-18
The American Water Works Association (AWWA) will hold its 2009 conference and exposition at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.

ASHRAE Annual Conference
June 20-24
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) will meet in Louisville, KY for its 2009 annual conference.

Hydraulic Institute Spring Meeting
June 24-27
The Hydraulic Institute (HI) will hold its 2009 Spring Meeting at the Marriott Oak Brook Hills Resort in Oak Brook, Illinois.

CIPH's Annual Business Conference (ABC)
June 28 – July 1
The Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH) is meeting for its 76th ABC at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu in La Malbaie, Charlevoix, QC.

WorldSkills Calgary
September 1-7
Once known as the Skill Olympics, the WorldSkills Competition will host 900 competitors from 49 countries at Stampede Park in Calgary, AB.

HRAI Annual Meeting
September 17-19
The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute (HRAI) is hosting its 41st annual meeting at the Fairmont Newfoundland in St. John's, NL.

CHES Trade Show and Education Forum
September 20-22
The Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society will hold its 29th annual meeting and trade show in St. John's, NL.

MCAC's 68th Annual National Conference
September 26-29
The Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC) will meet at the Marriott San Francisco in San Francisco, CA.

SMACNA's Annual Convention
October 11-15
The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) is hosting its 66th Annual Convention and Product Show at the Desert Springs JW Marriott Hotel & Spa in Palm Springs, CA.

RSES Annual Conference
October 27-31
The Refrigeration Service Engineer Society (RSES) 72nd annual conference will be held under the banner "Lean & Green" in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN.

Solar Power International
October 27-29
Solar Power International is holding its sixth annual conference and expo in Anaheim, CA.

Green Building Festival
September 23-24
The 5th Green Building Festival will be held at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto, ON.

AHRI 2009 Annual Meeting
November 15-18
The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute's (AHRI) 2009 annual meeting will be held in Washington, DC.

Construct Canada
December 2-4
The 21st Annual Construct Canada will be held at the South Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, ON.

2010

CMX/CIPHEX 2010
March 25-27
The biennial CMX/CIPHEX show will be held in Toronto, ON at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre's North Building.

World Energy Congress
September 12-16
The 21st World Energy Congress will be held in Montreal, QC.

CIPHEX Roadshow Schedule 2009 October 22 – Winnipeg, MB October 27 – Saskatoon, SK October 29 – Regina, SK November 3 – Edmonton, AB November 5 – Vancouver, BC The CIPHEX Roadshow is a one-day trade show event with seminars organized by the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH).

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