Send2Press Newswire

Renewable Energy Division Created at S+H Construction

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:25:08 GMT

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 23 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Cambridge, Massachusetts-based S+H Construction, Inc., one of the greater Boston area's premier residential renovation and custom home building companies, recently announced the creation of a Renewable Energy Division. With this new division, S+H can meet homeowner's increased demand for solar energy.

S+H's Renewable Energy Division designs, integrates and installs solar electric power (PV), solar thermal hot water, and geothermal heating and cooling systems. Their services include everything from system design and installation through maintenance of residential equipment as well as energy conservation consultations. S+H is a fully certified turnkey installer and performs all of the paperwork necessary for homeowners to qualify for and obtain the significant rebates offered in Massachusetts to those who install PV.

Additionally, S+H has initiated a company-wide 'Green Building' program to train all employees and subcontractors to utilize green building practices whenever possible. The Green Building Group regularly meets to develop and share resources needed to build green, and is committed to efficient and clean building practices as well as reduced job site waste. Principles include reusing and recycling demolition waste on jobs, choosing suppliers close to New England to minimize the use of fuel for transport, buying materials made with recycled content, encouraging tight building design as well as geothermal, solar and other green practices to minimize energy usage.

"The creation of the Renewable Energy Division for S+H was a logical next step since we've successfully installed quite a few different systems over the last several years, some in homes with unusual building conditions," notes Doug Hanna, co-president of S+H Construction. "Additionally, as an outgrowth of our Green and Renewable Energy Division, we are enacting green practices within the company."

A member of the Solar Energy Business Association of New England, S+H Construction is a regular exhibitor at trade shows and consortiums to discuss renewable energy, and most recently exhibited at the Cambridge Energy Fair on May 17th, and the Residential Design and Construction Show in Boston in April of this year.

S+H Construction is a multi-award winning firm recently named "Best General Contractor" in 2007 by Boston Magazine and "Best Kitchen Remodeling" in the 2008 Boston Home Magazine Awards. Specializing in renewable energy, custom home building, residential renovations, historical restorations, landscaping and site work in the Greater Boston area since 1979, S+H Construction is located at 26 New Street in Cambridge, MA.

For more information on S+H Construction, call (617) 876-8286, or visit the company website at www.shconstruction.com.

Media Contact:
Joanne DiFrancesco
JDCommunications
781-828-0323
JDCommunications@verizon.net.

Copyright © 2008 Send2Press® Newswire, a unit of Neotrope®
TAGS: Send2Press Newswire, SH Renewable Energy Division, Boston home solar power systems

Steam Leaks Costing U.S. Corporations $Billions Annually

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:35:05 GMT

BOSTON, Mass., June 24 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Amidst the ever present and growing energy crisis, lurks an even bigger culprit than your father's old gas guzzler. Steam. According to American Plant Maintenance, steam is still a living necessity in a vast majority of U.S. hospitals, power plants and manufacturing facilities, and in spite of its environmentally "green" disposition, is also single handedly responsible for billions of dollars in fuel consumption every year.

The U.S. Department of energy reports that over 45% of all the fuel burned by U.S. manufacturers is consumed to make steam. Making energy losses associated with the inefficient use of steam critical not only to the companies involved but the U.S. economy as a whole.

Bill Doherty, Chief Engineer of American Plant Maintenance, Inc., an energy conservation corporation dedicated to the survey and repair of steam and compressed gas systems, claims the problem stems mainly from a lack of awareness and preventive maintenance.

"The biggest problem here is neglect," says Doherty. "As long as they don't see steam billowing from a pipe, and the equipment they're powering works okay, they don't concern themselves with the efficiency of their system, and that's a costly mistake to make." This mistake potentially cost one New England hospital in excess of $1M in energy losses over the course of 5 years. Money which could have been better spent on critical medical equipment or nursing staff.

Although $1M is a rare scenario, losses in the tens of thousands of dollars annually are very common. "We've seen annual losses range anywhere from $20K to $200K and in today's economy those can be very critical amounts," says Doherty.

Critical or not, they are also amounts that can usually be avoided or significantly reduced by conducting annual steam trap surveys and routine system maintenance. "Our services traditionally cost a fraction of the amounts being lost, and most of our surveys and repairs pay for themselves well within a year," says Doherty. "So it really doesn't make much sense financially, to just ignore these potential problems and assume everything's fine."

According to Doherty, the majority of calculated losses in a steam system are typically found in the systems steam traps, which are devices used to remove condensate (water) and other non-condensable gasses from the steam line. When these devices fail, they can either leak, or plug causing poor system performance and ultimately a large loss of energy. Annual surveys of the system can eventually result in maximum system efficiency and much less of an economic impact.

For more information please visit www.apmnortheast.com or call 1-781-750-8899.

Copyright © 2008 Send2Press® Newswire, a unit of Neotrope®
TAGS: Send2Press Newswire, steam and compressed gas systems, American Plant Maintenance Inc

Zip-Ez(TM) HVAC Fasteners are GreenSpec Listed

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:57:02 GMT

WARWICK, N.Y., June 24 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- J.T. Products' Zip-Ez(TM) the revolutionary fastener for H.V.A.C. insulation has been GreenSpec Listed and will be featured in BuildingGreen Inc.'s GreenSpec Directory(R). The GreenSpec Directory lists environmentally preferable products with an objective to list only the top 5-10% environmentally preferable products.

"We're proud to announce that BuildingGreen found Zip-Ez fasteners to be an energy-saving system of attaching insulation to ducts and that using Zip-Ez fasteners may add LEED points towards 'green' building certification," said John Tomaini, president, J.T. Products, Inc.

UL Classified and now GreenSpec Listed Zip-Ez fasteners are the preferred, patented insulation fastening system that saves time and also helps save energy.

They are manufactured in the U.S. can be found in all of the top wholesale locations across the country. For a complete listing, check the website location listing at www.jtproducts.com/purch.html.

For more information about Zip-Ez revolutionary HVAC fasteners, contact:
John Tomaini
J.T. Products, Inc.
P.O. Box 626 - Warwick, NY 10990
845.988.2000 phone - 845.988.2001 fax
www.jtproducts.com - sales@jtproducts.com

Copyright © 2008 Send2Press® Newswire, a unit of Neotrope®
TAGS: Send2Press Newswire, Zip-Ez HVAC fasteners LEED, GreenSpec Directory listed

Air Quality Company Provides Free Furnace Testing and Inspection to Ensure Safe Air

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:31:06 GMT

CHICAGO, Ill., March 18 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Having healthy air in a home or workplace should not be a luxury, but a necessity. That's why a new web site, SafeHVAC.com(TM), is offering free furnace tests and inspections to demonstrate not only how to improve air quality, but overall health. Home and business owners fill out a simple online form and are instantly registered for a free test; it's that simple.

Mold spores can grow at the rate of 70 trillion new mold spores in just 24 hours and cooling coils (the lung of a furnace) is a perfect breeding ground for mold and bacteria, due to condensation. While the furnace or air conditioner is operating, it continually re-circulates that same condensation, mold and bacteria.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) both advise on having heating, ventilating and cooling system inspections to ensure that air quality is mold and bacteria free. They agree that these inspections and subsequent actions to improve the system will yield healthier aging and easier breathing.

SafeHVAC.com(TM) not only inspects systems, they provide home and business owners with video and take a sampling of the amount of mold and bacteria that is present; contamination levels will vary. Once the level of contamination is determined, an ultraviolet germicidal c-band (UV-C) is suggested for installation over coils to instantly kill mold and bacteria; it's an affordable EPA treatment to fix the problem.

If not corrected, these micro-organisms will eventually be inhaled leading to a potentially harmful situation, especially for people with respiratory sensitivities and children with asthma.

"Mold is an opportunist, starting at the cooling coils of a furnace," Darryl Morris, Marketing Director for SafeHVAC.com(TM), explains. "Mold breeds; its invisible spores are produced and float throughout the air of a home looking for a moist place to land, reproduce, and create more mold spores. UV-C can stop the cycle at its source - the furnace."

The actual test takes approximately 60 seconds or less and adheres to all laws, regulations and ordinances that pertain to the HVAC and the Indoor Air Quality Industry.

UV-C Antimicrobial Treatment Ultraviolet lights have been used for decades to create some of the world's healthiest environments and it has also been used to disinfect hospitals and sterilize drinking water.

Research has shown that ultraviolet rays with wavelengths of 253.7 nanometers are optimal for killing micro-organisms. This wavelength is commonly called the "Germicidal bandwidth" because it deactivates the DNA of these micro-organisms. SafeHVAC.com's technology has been tested by the EPA against air-borne viruses, mold, and bacteria - and has resulted in being a safe and EPA-registered, non-toxic solution.

Currently, the service is available in six states with plans for expansion: Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. For more information or to arrange a meeting with an environmental consultant, visit: www.SafeHVAC.com - or call: 1-888-355-HVAC (4822).

Copyright © 2008 Send2Press® Newswire, a unit of Neotrope®
TAGS: Send2Press Newswire, kill mold and bacteria in home, Indoor Air Quality Industry

Det-Tronics Receives FM approval for its Eagle Quantum Premier(R) Supervising System

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:41:57 GMT

System supervises one or more flame and gas detection systems locally or remotely as defined by NFPA72.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Jan. 3 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Det-Tronics Corporation (Detector Electronics) today announced that it has received FM approval on its Proprietary Supervising Station System, defined in NFPA 72 2002, for use with the Eagle Quantum Premier(R) (EQP) system.

The EQP Supervising System (EQPSS) comprises a Human Machine Interface (HMI) that provides owners with a graphical interface to supervise their facilities' EQP systems. The FM approval for the EQPSS includes EQP systems, Ethernet Switches, PCs, serial-to-Ethernet converters, and copper-to-fiber converters.

"We are pleased to provide our customers with a rigorously tested and proven system that can supervise multiple flame and gas detection systems," says Jim Vogel, Det-Tronics Vice-President of Sales and Marketing.

Det-Tronics has also received FM approval for EQP controller-to-controller networking via SLC485. This enables the EQP controllers to be networked with either class A or B signaling line circuits. The communications can be over either copper or fiber optic (both multi mode and single mode).

NFPA 72 defines a Proprietary Supervising Station System as being a facility/system that provides supervision of one or more fire alarm systems that are located either locally or remotely, under one ownership, at which trained, competent personnel are in constant attendance.

About Detector Electronics
Detector Electronics Corporation (Det-Tronics), a UTC Fire and Security Company, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), is a world leader in optical fire detection, gas detection, and hazard mitigation systems. Det-Tronics designs, builds, tests, and commissions safety systems that range from conventional panels to fault-tolerant, addressable systems. Det-Tronics flame and gas detectors are globally certified to the latest product approvals standards, including critical SIL-2 industrial applications.

Learn more at eqpss.det-tronics.com.

Copyright © 2008 Send2Press® Newswire, a unit of Neotrope®
TAGS: Send2Press Newswire, Detector Electronics Corporation, UTC Fire and Security Company

U.S. Facilities, Inc. Announces New COO

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 11:33:51 GMT

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Dec. 19 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- U.S. Facilities, Inc. (USF), a leading facilities maintenance and infrastructure support services firm based in Philadelphia, has announced Mr. William H. McAfee, III as its new Chief Operating Officer. The announcement, which was issued on Tuesday by the company's President and Chief Executive Officer, James C. Dobrowolski, will take effect immediately.

Mr. Dobrowolski stated that "Bill has played an extremely important role for the organization over the past several years, and I'm certain that he will continue to bring to the company his expertise, talent and most of all an inexorable vitality that will be critical to growing the business and propelling it into bold new directions."

Mr. McAfee brings over two decades of progressive management experience in all phases of facilities maintenance management to the position. During his career he has directed such services for the Boston and District of Columbia public school systems, and headed facilities management for Johnson & Johnson Products, Inc. in New Brunswick, NJ. He joined USF in 1997, and after several years of providing services as a Consultant and Special Assistant to Chief of Operations, was promoted to Vice President of Business Development in 2005. In the business development role, Mr. McAfee was instrumental in garnering several significant contract awards for USF in Washington, DC.

Mr. McAfee, who, above all matters, champions teamwork and the significance of racial diversity in the workplace, expressed his sincere gratitude for being chosen for the position and stated that he intends "to keep with the company's mission and to preserve the vision of the President and CEO."

The organizational announcement came shortly following USF's awarded four-year contract for facilities operations, maintenance and support services at three of The City of Philadelphia's largest municipal buildings (TRIPLEX). USF has proudly served federal, state and municipal agencies and commercial enterprises for over forty years, and has a proven record of program success and sustained growth in the industry.

More information about USF: http://www.usfacilitiesinc.com

Copyright © 2007 Send2Press® Newswire, a unit of Neotrope®
TAGS: Send2Press Newswire, US Facilities Inc, facilities maintenance

U.S. Facilities, Inc. Awarded Contract for Management Services for The City of Philadelphia Municipal Buildings

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:37:38 GMT

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Nov. 14 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- The City of Philadelphia awarded U.S. Facilities, Inc. (USF) a four-year contract for facilities operations, maintenance and support services at three of The City's largest municipal buildings (TRIPLEX) located in Center City, Philadelphia.

The three high-rise buildings in the TRIPLEX contract include the Municipal Services Building which houses city offices and customer services; Criminal Justice Center which provides courtrooms, judge's chambers, holding cells and judiciary support functions; and the One Parkway Building which provides executive and general office space for various city departments. In total, the TRIPLEX buildings occupy over 1.4 million square feet.

At TRIPLEX, USF provides 24/7 building operations and maintenance services through an assigned staff of managers, supervisors and skilled technicians. USF also provides support services through specialized subcontractors that include security and custodial services, elevator maintenance, landscape maintenance, snow and ice removal, and water treatment. USF continues to partner with The City in developing and implementing cost effective, energy saving "green" initiatives.

About USF
Since 1967, U.S. Facilities, Inc. has provided professional facilities management and infrastructure support services to federal, state and municipal government agencies and commercial enterprises.

USF is a nationally recognized minority owned company with a proven record of program success and sustained growth in the industry.

More information: www.usfacilitiesinc.com/contact.html.

U.S. Facilities, Inc. Awarded Contract for Management Services at the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 18:43:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Jan. 5 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) awarded U.S. Facilities, Inc. (USF) a five-year contract for facilities management and maintenance services at the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building (TMFJB) in The District of Columbia.

The Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building houses agencies that support the work of the United States Federal Courts, including the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, the Federal Judicial Center, and the United States Sentencing Commission.

The building was named after Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American justice of the United States Supreme Court. Situated near the United States Capitol, it has over a half a million square feet of office space and features a striking 5-story atrium. The TMFJB is under the jurisdiction of the AOC and is part of the US Capitol complex.

U.S. Facilities, Inc. is a leading professional facilities management and infrastructure support services firm. USF has been providing services on complex and highly secure maintenance management projects for its clients since 1967.

For additional information, contact William McAfee, Vice President at 202-776-9751 or E-mail: whm @usfaciltiesinc.com.

U.S. Facilities, Inc.
1800 JFK Blvd., 16th fl
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Website: www.usfacilitiesinc.com.

Text provided by the news source.

U.S. Facilities, Inc. Awarded Contract to Manage New Unified Communications Center in District of Columbia

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 23:59:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Oct. 26 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- The District of Columbia Government awarded U.S. Facilities, Inc. (USF) a five-year contract to manage the Unified Communications Center. The UCC is one of the nation's premier large, integrated call centers and public safety/emergency response facilities.

The state of the art, three story 127,000 SF office building houses specialized communications, and consolidates all emergency, non-emergency and public service call-taking and dispatch functions in a single facility incorporating a unified voice and communications system.

*(Photo Caption: Main Entrance to the UCC facility.)

Anthony A. Williams, Mayor, District of Columbia, said recently, "The UCC is our way of ensuring that we are connected in this region in more ways than one ... and that we also have the responsibility to provide the national capital first response efforts, which include providing centralized management for emergencies involving multiple agencies and jurisdictions."

Those agencies include the FBI, Secret Services, FEMA, and the Capitol Police among others. USF's mission will be to manage and keep the facility fully operational.

U.S. Facilities, Inc. is a leading professional facilities management and infrastructure support services firm. USF has been providing services on complex and highly secure maintenance management projects for its clients since 1967.

For additional information: www.usfacilitiesinc.com.

U.S. Facilities, Inc., 1800 JFK Blvd., 16th fl, Philadelphia, PA 19103