EMCOR Group Surpasses $950,000 in Giving to NCMEC
EMCOR Group continues to contribute to the plight of children everywhere. With its recent efforts, it has now donated more than $950,000 to that worthy cause.

In July, Phillip Megna, president, EMCOR Services Northeast; Robert Gallagher, president/CEO, J.C. Higgins; and James Lane, regional vice president/general manager of BTE, presented a $10,000 check to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). The check was presented during ceremonies at the "EMCOR In Greater Boston" 4th Annual Golf Invitational in Sutton, MA.

EMCOR Services Northeast, J.C. Higgins, and Building Technology Engineers, Inc. (BTE) are subsidiaries of EMCOR Group, Inc.

"The participation of our clients in the EMCOR In Greater Boston Golf Invitational event has been exceptional, and EMCOR is proud to make a $10,000 donation to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children", Megna said. "EMCOR In Greater Boston is proud and thankful for the longtime and continued support of our clients which, in turn, has enabled us to provide funds for those who can't help themselves — our children," he added.

EMCOR's national "Taking Kid Safety To The Street" program was launched in 2055, in partnership with NCMEC and other partners in Britain and Canada. Since that time, EMCOR has helped recover 220 children in those three countries.

ASHRAE Recieves Support From Congress on Survey Restart
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has received Congressional support from co-chairs of the High-Performance Buildings Congressional Caucus regarding the Society's call to the federal government to resume work on the 2011 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS). The 2011 edition of the survey was halted earlier this year after data collection errors were discovered related to the 2007 survey.

On July 13, Representatives Judy Biggert (R-IL) and Russ Carnahan (D-MO) spoke on the House floor in strong support of resuming work on the 2011 CBECS. Joining them were chairman and ranking democrat of the House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, Representatives Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) and Peter Visclosky (D-IN).

Carnahan quoted from a letter from ASHRAE issued in May, urging congress to allow work on the 2011 edition of the survey to continue. The letter was submitted to Congressional Record.

"If work on the 2011 CBECS data doesn't resume, government and industry will be forced to rely on data that’s nearly a decade old. This will result in potential missed opportunities to increase building efficiency," Carnahan said.

"Many members of the High Performance Building Coalition have come to us to express their concern about an updated CBECS since the latest data is nearly a decade old," Biggert said in her address to the House. "Substantial investments in the commercial building sector have been made since the last CBECS was published in 2003. The updated data is not only valuable to building owners looking to make improvements, but also necessary to inform the Annual Energy Outlook that we, in Congress, rely on."

Biggert reminded those in attendance that ASHRAE led the establishment of the HPB Congressional Caucus in 2008 to heighten awareness and inform policymakers about the major impact buildings have on health, safety, and welfare.

"There are opportunities to design, construct, and operate high-performance buildings that reflect our concern for these impacts," Biggert said.

ESCO Group Hosts Energy Awareness Meeting in DC
The ESCO Group recently sponsored an energy efficiency event for HVAC industry leaders congressional leaders in Washington, DC. The meeting at the Rayburn House of Representatives Offices Building was held to increase lawmakers’ awareness of initiatives that can impact energy efficiency in the US infrastructure.

The ESCO Group consists of:

• ESCO Institute
• HVAC Excellence
• Carbon Monoxide Safety Association
• Educational Standards Corporation
• AC&R Safety Coalition
• ESCO Press International.

The meeting covered the following topics:

• Developing novel building technologies
• Increasing energy efficiency in the built-environment
• Assuring buildings have minimal climate change impacts and are able to respond to changes in the environment
• Supporting the development of new standards
• Codes and guidelines that address these concerns.

Speakers at the event included: Congressman Russ Carnahan (D-MO); Congresswoman Judy Biggert (R-IL); Doug Read, director of government affairs, ASHRAE; Henry Green, president of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS); and Steven H. Allen, executive director of the Green Mechanical Council.

Mike Arndt, director of education for the United Association (UA) and Henry Green, president, National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) received awards for their leadership and commitment to high performance buildings.
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