Taco, Inc. Acquires Innovex Technologies

Taco, Inc. has acquired the assets of Innovex Technologies, a Lewiston, ME-based manufacturer of Intelligent Building Systems products (IBS).

Taco President and CEO, John Hazen White, Jr., says the acquisition is part of Taco's strategy to expand its electronics products offerings, and its focus on system selling. taco.com

Icor Launches Virtual Training Center for Busy Technicians

Icor International, Inc., Indianapolis, IN, has launched a Virtual Training Center (VTC) — icorinternational.com/training — to provide refrigerant users with web-based access to Icor training programs.

Gordon McKinney, vice president, says the VTC was designed to accomodate the busy schedules of HVACR technicians.

The initial program offered on the- new VTC is, “The Future of R-22 System Service”. The program details the R-22 phaseout challenge and the various compliance strategies that are available for business owners and technicians.

The program covers critical conversion considerations, such as recording pre- and post- conversion performance data; component compatibility; leak testing; proper vacuum; and more. The program also describes the complete system conversion guidelines for Icor's NU-22B and One Shot refrigerants. icorinternational.com/training

Arzel Zoning Technology Sets ‘09 Comfort College Schedule

Arzel^® Zoning Technology has announced its Comfort College^™ schedule for the first half of 2009. The seminar is held monthly at Arzel's Cleveland, OH location and several times throughout the year at its location in Pasadena, CA.

The Cleveland Comfort College dates are: March 12-13; April 9-10; May 7-8; and June 4-5.

The Pasadena training dates are: February 19-20; April 16-17; and November 19-20. Additional dates will be announced.

The Arzel Comfort College seminar has graduated more than 700 contractors, distributors and other HVAC professionals. The course provides information on recognizing zoning opportunities, product familiarization, system design, and proper installation techniques. Comfort College is a NATE recognized course with hours of credit available for recertification in air installation and distribution.

For more information on Comfort College or to reserve a place in an upcoming class, call 800/611-8312 or visit arzelzoning.com.

Refrigeration Briefs

The Raley's supermarket chain has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership.

Raley's initiatives include printing exclusively on recycled paper, purchasing paper from pulp mills that are certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, installing advanced exhaust filtration systems in their diesel truck fleet to reduce air pollutant emissions, and recycling nearly 100,000 tons of waste per year since 1995. In addition, the company has installed solar photovoltaic panels on one of its supermarkets that will generate enough electricity to meet 20% of the facility's demand, and is currently retrofitting each of its stores with energy-efficient “cool roofs” that reduce the stores' air conditioning loads.

Under the agreement with the EPA, all new and remodeled Raley's stores will be free of ozone-depleting substances, in advance of the Clean Air Act phase-out requirements. Store managers will establish an emissions inventory and meet annual emissions reduction targets. A refrigeration management plan will be established to document technologies, strategies, and practices used to achieve emissions reductions goals. epa.gov/greenchill