IAB News Round-Up, Winter 2023
“Rheem, a leading global manufacturer of HVAC equipment, water heaters, boilers and commercial refrigeration solutions, is expanding its investment with Oracle by selecting Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications Suite and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) to scale its global operations and support its mission to engineer high-quality and sustainable solutions. With Oracle Cloud, Rheem will be able to manage its supply chain, customer service, HR, and finance processes on a single cloud platform.”
“Rheem celebrated the grand opening of its Innovation Learning Center (ILC) in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on Oct. 12. The ribbon-cutting event included remarks by Rheem leadership, including Kevin Ruppelt, senior vice president and general manager of Rheem’s U.S. air conditioning division; Andrew Welch, Rheem’s director of operations; and Fort Smith Mayor George McGill. Those were followed by a tour of the facility and lab and company-wide picnic.”
“New solar power technology is in the works and could soon be coming to Hudson Valley homes and business. Con Edison showcased hybrid solar panels at its Spring Valley offices, producing electricity and harnessing thermal energy for heating/cooling.
“The idea behind the technology is to provide all energy needs with one equipment. Utilizing the solar power and utilizing the waste heat recover under the solar power which makes solar panels 90% efficient compared to typical 20% efficiency for conversion on solar panels,” says Silvia Khurrum, of Con Edison Research and Development.”
“Ford’s (F.N) commercial unit will collaborate with utility firm Xcel Energy (XEL.O) to install 30,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging ports across the U.S. by 2030, the companies said on Tuesday. The companies, which did not reveal any financial details on the partnership, said they would work together within Xcel’s broader Electric Vehicle Supply Infrastructure (EVSI) program. Under the program, Xcel will install charging infrastructure for business customers that qualify for and enroll in an approved EVSI program in the customer’s service location, with most upfront costs offset by the utility firm.”
“The City of Boulder has been recognized by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) as one of 119 cities across the globe taking bold leadership on environmental action and transparency. CDP’s A List is designed to encourage and support cities to ramp up their climate action and ambition. A List cities build climate momentum, taking four times as many climate mitigation and adaptation measures as non-A Listers. Only 13% of 939 cities scored in 2023 received an A.”
“The concept of the office is less recent than we think. Clinical work was done in grand halls and courtyards as early as the 1700s. Even earlier in history, Renaissance-era scriptoriums depict work in pod-like stations. We have seen the office structure change over time, and it is no surprise that the modern office has changed in the past three years post-Covid. As contemporary employees and companies adjust to the “new normal,” what office design trends can we expect to emerge?”
“Atelier Ten is developing creative solutions to push projects beyond “Net Zero Carbon” and toward “Absolute Zero Carbon“. The industry has used the concept of “net zero” for some time, and it’s a useful construct, but is limited scope and assumes the use of carbon offsets to balance (or “cancel-out”) building emissions. “Absolute Zero Carbon” buildings on the other hand removes offsets and pushes projects to achieve zero emissions from conception through operation. It means all emissions from building operations and materials, refrigerants, construction, infrastructure, and landscape will be zero. It means buildings will be zero carbon every minute of every day.”
“La Plaza Esperanza, which means “a place of hope,” is an 18,000 square feet community center that aims to serve a vibrant multigenerational community in Gresham, Oregon. The building design prioritizes community with a welcoming lobby, a single-class preschool and playground, a generous front porch, and multipurpose rooms.
Uniquely, the design team is made up of a majority Latinx architects, designers, engineers, and contractors, in the aim of reflecting the diversity of the community. The Latino Network, who will run the building, is a Latino-led education organization with a core belief in self-determination. They support local communities with an emphasis on culturally specific practices and services for youth and families.”