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Is there a growing trend of CFOs prioritizing energy reduction projects?
Ed Kirk Facilities & GroundsA growing number of CFOs are pushing for more spending on energy reduction projects despite another year of tight budgets. What has caused this recent shift by the protectors of fiscal responsibility to prioritize funding for energy reduction initiatives?
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Ethanol gasoline creates market for corrosion‑resistant additives
Alan Kelsky Natural ResourcesIn an effort to reduce pollution, the United States federal government and all 50 states have passed laws encouraging the use of ethanol-blended gasoline. However, ethanol gasoline creates many problems for owners of older cars, classic cars, marine engines and small gas-powered tools.
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Comply or defy? Enforcement lacking for HVAC regulations
Andrew Gaved ManufacturingThere is a debate raging currently in the European HVAC community about the burden regulations have placed on the operators of cooling and heating equipment. The legislative landscape for the HVAC sector in Europe already pretty punitive — operators have to deal with the various demands of building regulations, emissions controls and energy efficiency goals, which all require compliance and attendant degrees of administration.
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Watch out for these 3 common electrical safety hazards
Joe Tedesco Facilities & GroundsProper electrical installations are a crucial part of any construction or remodeling effort — whether that's in the home, a commercial setting or a large industrial complex. However, it's not hard to find instances where shortcuts have been taken that violate electrical codes and safety.
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Is no-growth anodizing the future of corrosion protection?
Alan Kelsky EngineeringThe processes for anodizing aluminum are more than 100 years old, and most in the anodizing industry thought we knew all there was to know about anodizing aluminum. Now we have learned that a company in Florida has developed a new way to anodize aluminum.
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Full of cold air: The potential of cryogenics and liquid air
Andrew Gaved Distribution & WarehousingA coalition of researchers and commercial concerns called the Liquid Air Energy Network has published a report called "Liquid Air on the Highway" detailing how the use of liquid air engine technology could transform transport.
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Protect yourself from dangerous arc flashes
Jeannea Jones Facilities & GroundsArc flash is the result of an electrical fault (such as a voltage source contacting a grounding source), and it presents an extremely hazardous condition. The light and heat energy produces sufficient electrical energy to cause substantial damage, fire, injury or death.
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A greener and cooler cold chain
Andrew Gaved ManufacturingThe cooling industry is sometimes accused of being too focused on advancing the technology in their particular sector whilst overlooking the progress of those further down their supply chain. So we have had the situation for instance, in Europe, where a number of supermarkets are confidently trialling new techniques in carbon dioxide refrigeration or forced air display cabinets, while the food production factories that supply the food they sell are still creaking away on the most basic of refrigeration systems.
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Intelligent efficiency for new homes and buildings
Bambi Majumdar Construction & Building MaterialsAccording to economist Jeremy Rifkin, we are right on the brink of a new revolution based on the dynamic convergence of telecommunications, mobile technology, the Internet and energy. Rifkin calls this the "new economic paradigm for the 21st century," which will completely change the way we communicate, live and do business.
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Wind energy applications — the promising road forward
Don Rosato EngineeringWind energy continues to provide major growth opportunities for plastic composites — the industry will reach $4 billion by the end of 2014. The adoption of larger-scale turbines and the expansion of offshore installations that call for stiffer and lighter blades are important to the use of lightweight, strength-to-weight plastic composites.
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