Rinnai America Corporation, the number one selling brand of tankless water heaters in North America, calls on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to revise its proposed efficiency standards for tankless water heaters. In its current form, the draft rule will unreasonably restrict consumer access to certain tankless water heater products, disproportionately impacting middle-income households Read more
Industry News
Rinnai America Corporation, the number one selling brand of tankless water heaters in North America, calls on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to revise its proposed efficiency standards for tankless water heaters. In its current form, the draft rule will unreasonably restrict consumer access to certain tankless water heater products, disproportionately impacting middle-income households and small businesses.
The draft rule would raise standards for tankless gas-fired water heaters to over 91 percent efficiency, while leaving the standards for tank gas-fired water heaters relatively untouched at 70 percent efficiency. While tankless water heaters are the more environmentally friendly option, achieving 91 percent efficiency with non-condensing technology is technologically impossible.
“As currently drafted, DOE’s proposed rule will create an uneven market that effectively bans an already energy efficient product and puts American jobs at risk,” said Frank Windsor, president of Rinnai America Corporation. “Consumers who rely on access to tankless water heaters will see their options limited, resulting in higher energy bills and shorter appliance lifespans, while the very environmental goals prompting this rule will go unfulfilled. We urge DOE to re-consider this untenable rule for standards that better protect American consumers and drive our energy efficiency goals forward.”
Members of the public who wish to submit a comment on the draft rule to DOE or their representative in Congress rule may do so HERE.
Rinnai America Corporation employs over 600 people across the United States at its headquarters, manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers. In the last five years, Rinnai has invested more than $100 million as part of its commitment to developing a strong domestic manufacturing base to serve the North American market.
For more information on Rinnai and its portfolio of products, visit www.rinnai.us.
Company’s ProTools™ App Recognized as a Top Boiler App of the Year Reinforcing its reputation for excellence in product design, Weil-McLain® was recognized for its exceptional manufacturing of HVAC technology in the 20th annual Dealer Design Awards Program sponsored by The Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration (ACHR) News magazine. An independent panel of HVACR contractors acted Read more
Company’s ProTools™ App Recognized as a Top Boiler App of the Year
Reinforcing its reputation for excellence in product design, Weil-McLain® was recognized for its exceptional manufacturing of HVAC technology in the 20th annual Dealer Design Awards Program sponsored by The Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration (ACHR) News magazine. An independent panel of HVACR contractors acted as judges in the contest that had more than 100 entries.
Weil-McLain’s ProTools™ App was the silver winner in the Contractor Services & Software product category, cementing its position as one of the top boiler apps of the year. The ACHR News is the leading trade magazine in the heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration industries, providing readers with coverage of energy management solutions, HVACR equipment and component selections, refrigeration, refrigerants and more.
“These awards give us a unique opportunity to recognize the outstanding research and development efforts that go into many of the products serving the HVACR industry and the awards issue gives our readers an opportunity to read about innovative installation and service solutions,” said Sarah Harding, publisher of The ACHR News.
“Weil-McLain is dedicated to helping spotlight contractors’ hydronic expertise and streamlining customer visits to provide clients with a premium and differentiated experience,” added Dave DeVries, director of product management with Weil-McLain. “This prestigious recognition bestowed upon our ProTools App is a testament to the remarkable skills of our software engineering team. We take great pleasure in being acknowledged in the services and software category and for developing one of the premier boiler apps of the year.”
Available for iOS and Android devices, the ProTools App allows contractors and other heating professionals to conveniently access information on Weil-McLain boiler setup, maintenance and troubleshooting. From reviewing fault codes for troubleshooting and accessing how-to videos to viewing product manuals and schematics, quickly finding parts and working virtually with Weil-McLain’s Tech Support team to problem-solve issues as they occur on the jobsite, the app has become a one-stop resource for boiler installation and maintenance. Technicians can also utilize the app’s connectivity with the ECO® Tec Series 2 residential gas boiler to access features that include a user-friendly dashboard, fault and warning lookup, software update options and a “clone to phone” setting that copies settings from one boiler to another to make installation easier.
Winning entries in the Dealer Design Awards were featured in the July 24, 2023, issue of The ACHR News, which is distributed nationally to over 27,000 HVACR contractors, wholesalers and distributors, and other industry professionals. For more information and further coverage, visit www.achrnews.com or www.weil-mclain.com.
In support of the East Palestine community affected by a train derailment that occurred earlier this year, Carrier has teamed up with Refrigeration Sales Corp. and Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley to donate 500 room air purifiers to recovery efforts. The units monitor the room air quality and deliver cleaner indoor air by Read more
In support of the East Palestine community affected by a train derailment that occurred earlier this year, Carrier has teamed up with Refrigeration Sales Corp. and Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley to donate 500 room air purifiers to recovery efforts. The units monitor the room air quality and deliver cleaner indoor air by adjusting air intake levels up to 18-speeds for optimal purification. Carrier is a part of Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions.
500 Carrier Room Air Purifiers Ready for Distribution in East Palestine, OH
“We’re proud to support the East Palestine community,” said Justin Keppy, President, NA Residential & Light Commercial HVAC, Carrier. “As residents continue navigating recovery efforts, our units will empower them to take control of their indoor environment. From filtering out harmful particulates in the air to odor mitigation, homeowners’ peace of mind is our top concern.”
At a press event hosted in late June, Mike Iberis, Second Harvest Executive Director, said, “This is an example of people helping people. The people of East Palestine have gone through a disastrous situation. They are struggling down there and folks at Carrier knew that. When we approached them, they responded with this wonderful donation of 500 air purifiers.”
(Left to Right)
Kim Brock (Second Harvest Food Bank), Bill Johnson (U.S. Rep.), Bridget Volz (Carrier), Mike Iberis (Second Harvest Food Bank)
Carrier’s innovative air purifiers improve the quality of indoor air and have been independently tested and certified by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers with high Clean Air Delivery Rate ratings for pollen, dust and tobacco smoke*. In addition, the units:
- Capture 99.7% of airborne particles 0.3 microns in size.
- Combine three different filtration solutions and layers to remove particulate and odors.
- Have Smart Auto mode to allow the unit to automatically adjust fan speeds based on air quality level.
- Include an air quality monitor that continuously samples incoming air and indicates air quality with an easy-to-read LED screen.
Carrier encourages homeowners to maximize the use of their air purifier by learning more about the benefits at https://www.carrierathome.com/blogs/air-purifiers.
Leading water heating manufacturer will provide $125,000 over five years through Industry Forward® program to support robotics facility, teams and events Grandville Public Schools is pleased to announce a long-term partnership with Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, for naming rights to the robotics fabrication lab at the Read more
Leading water heating manufacturer will provide $125,000 over five years through Industry Forward® program to support robotics facility, teams and events
Grandville Public Schools is pleased to announce a long-term partnership with Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, for naming rights to the robotics fabrication lab at the district’s new Robotics Competition Center.
Charitable grant funds from Bradford White Corporation’s signature charitable giving program, Industry Forward®, are targeted to support the new Robotics Fabrication Lab as a naming sponsor and robotics teams and events at the new facility in Grandville, Michigan. This facility, attached to the new Grandville Middle School, will be one of the largest built-for-purpose robotics competition centers in the country. Naming rights sponsors for the facility are being coordinated through the Grandville Academic Team Boosters.
Under the terms of the sponsorship arrangement, Bradford White Corporation will provide $25,000 in annual funding over the five-year agreement.
“We are excited to partner with such a great organization as Bradford White. We are grateful for their support as we provide an amazing learning environment for our scholars!” said Roger Bearup, Grandville Public Schools’ Superintendent.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Grandville Public Schools and to provide funding that will positively impact the students in Michigan through meaningful workforce development training and education and exposure to industry careers. Their robotics program has a successful history, and we look forward to a great partnership together,” said Rebecca Owens, senior communications manager, Bradford White Corporation.
“The Grandville Robotics program is celebrating its 25th year, and this new, multi-year partnership with Bradford White Corporation marks a new milestone for us. Long-term sponsorships like this allow us to invest in equipment and make multi-year commitments that expand competitive robotics opportunities for students in Grandville and students from across the Great Lakes region. I would be remiss not to mention that we still have naming rights opportunities at this unique facility, including naming rights for the main competition arena,” said Doug Hepfer, GATB President.
Efforts focused on water conservation and safe access, innovative product development, and diverse hiring Kohler Co. released its 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report with key metrics of the company’s Believing in Better philosophy outlining ambitions and progress across environmental sustainability; diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI); and social impact initiatives. “Over the past year, we Read more
Efforts focused on water conservation and safe access, innovative product development, and diverse hiring
Kohler Co. released its 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report with key metrics of the company’s Believing in Better philosophy outlining ambitions and progress across environmental sustainability; diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI); and social impact initiatives.
“Over the past year, we made substantial progress advancing Kohler’s environmental sustainability, DEI, and social impact strategies. We established targets for relevant Scope 3 emissions, conducted a climate risk assessment, and continued to innovate new products that conserve water and materials,” says David Kohler, Chair and CEO, Kohler Co. “We increased investment in Kohler WasteLAB to advance the company’s circularity strategy and acquired businesses like Heila Technologies and Curtis Instruments to strengthen our clean energy offerings.”
In 2022, Kohler intensified the operationalization of its environmental practices around energy, water, and waste; continued to advance its diversity hiring; engaged more associates to give back to their communities; and expanded programs and partnerships that positively impact lives through arts, education, health, and wellbeing support. Highlights from the 2022 report include:
- GHG, water, and waste intensity reductions: Achieved 16% reduction in GHG emissions, 10 percent reduction for water, and 23 percent reduction in waste, respectively
- Global operational energy use intensity reduction: Saw a 41% reduction since 2008, an increase from 30 percent in 2021
- Water savings and products: Contributed 88 billion gallons of water saved in 2022, and over 560 billion gallons saved since 2007, with Kohler WaterSense-labeled products
- Diverse hiring: Exceeded 2022 goal for diverse hiring with 53 percent of new hires, permanent and exempt, in the US representing diverse backgrounds
- Associate engagement: Hosted over 300 associate-led global community engagement activities, up from 80 in 2021, and increased the number of Business Resource Groups (BRGs) available to associates to 10 – including Bold Ability (creating a disability friendly workplace) and ARK (Asian Resources of Kohler)
- Lives impacted: Positively impacted over 1 million lives in 2022 and more than 17.1 million since 1990 through Kohler Safe Water for All, educational, and arts and industries programs
“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made to bring more innovative, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable solutions to more people, in addition to providing safe water and sanitation for communities that lack equitable access,” says Laura Kohler, Chief Sustainability and DEI Officer. “Our passionate associates and leadership are integrating our Believing in Better philosophy into business strategies and operations which generates ideas and actions for improvement across the organization.”
In 2022, Kohler also expanded its efforts to promote energy resiliency and resource conservation, as well as innovations in renewable and clean energy solutions.
- Kohler Kitchen and Bath continued to lead in U.S. EPA WaterSense-labeled offering by certifying 85 new products across toilets, bathroom faucets and showerheads.
- Continued expansion of global EPD and Declare label product transparency offerings.
- The company’s in house innovation incubator for products with a social purpose, Innovation for Good, launched a porcelain pour flush toilet (Kohler Rinse) for communities without access to piped water and electricity.
- Kohler’s subsidiary, Mira, launched HeatCapture™ which is a double wall stainless steel heat exchanger to help specifiers and new build developers in the UK comply with new reduced emissions regulations.
- Meanwhile, Kohler’s Clarke Energy was part of a consortium that won the 2022 Water Breakthrough Challenge sponsored by Ofwat to support the demonstration of an innovative carbon capture and conversion system at the Severn Trent wastewater treatment site in England.
- Additionally, Kohler partnered with Polar explorer Robert Swan on his excursion through Antarctica to the Geographic South Pole where he relied only on renewable energy sources. Kohler equipped him with a customized KOHLER generator that utilized a KOHLER diesel engine fueled by hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). The off-grid sustainable system provided the energy needed to operate Swan’s base camp and provide battery charge to his mobile equipment.
To read more on Kohler’s progress and impact, you can access the 2022 ESG Report here: https://www.kohlercompany.com/social-impact/believing-in-better/