August 6, 2021

Gil-Bar Launches Gil-Bar Academy to Offer Convenient, Industry-Leading Training Standards for All HVAC Professionals

New York — August 6, 2021 — Gil-Bar is pleased to announce the launch of Gil-Bar Academy, a continuing development program designed for HVAC industry professionals. A diverse array of courses are being offered on the topics of energy-efficiency, indoor air quality, local code requirements for energy systems, commissioning and PDH credits. Gil-Bar Academy is being established to elevate the knowledge base of HVAC professionals and ensure engineering teams are prepared for coming energy-efficiency changes and new technologies.

 

 

Courses will be available in both virtual and in-person formats, with a seamless registration process meant to maximize convenience for the industry’s busy professionals. Coursework will include best practices and technical specifications across a diverse array of the industry’s leading hardware manufacturers, including Armstrong, AAON, Cooney, Dectron, Hitachi, Konvekta, Nortek, TCF and TSI.

“The Gil-Bar Academy is our way of sharing what we’ve learned in this industry over the past 35 years, while engaging new talent and keeping established professionals sharp,” said Chris Bisaccia, partner at Gil-Bar. “Staying informed and well-educated in the competitive and changing HVAC industry has never been more crucial as local laws bring on rapid change and new systems are produced annually.”

“With the proliferation of highly efficient HVAC systems and local codes that change from state to state across the East Coast, it can be difficult for even the most seasoned HVAC engineers to keep up with the knowledge base that enables them to give the best guidance to clients,” said Alan Stefanac, an engineering executive at Gil-Bar who is helping to build the academy. “HVAC careers should also be attractive to younger talent as offering a specialized field with great earning potential. We want to share this passion for HVAC with the new generation.”

In the New York Metro Area alone, demand for building energy improvements could add 15,000 new jobs by 2024 and another 126,000 jobs by 2030, according to a forecast by MIT’s Associate Professor of Urban Environmental Planning David Hsu.

Examples of topics and lectures that will be held at Gil-Bar Academy this year include “Design Practices for Optimum Operation and Reduced Energy Costs,” “Introduction to Chilled Beams and Radiant HVAC,” “VRF Design and Layout,” and “Optimizing IAQ and Energy Efficiency with Air Scrubbing and Filtration.”

For more information on registration and scheduling, please contact academy@gil-bar.com.

About Gil-Bar Industries
Founded in 1986, Gil-Bar has become the largest and most comprehensive provider of HVAC solutions in New York and New Jersey, spreading into the Pennsylvania and Delaware markets as well. Gil-Bar believes HVAC is about a lot more than just moving air. It’s about creating places where we can live our best lives and do our best work. It requires understanding the total indoor environmental experience and providing optimal thermal and acoustical comfort. Gil-Bar partners with building developers, architects, engineers and contractors to help design, install, problem-solve and service the right custom HVAC solution for every building. We build and maintain these relationships because we have one of the largest and most experienced teams of engineering salespeople in the industry.

June 23, 2021

Gil-Bar in the News: “Modernized HVAC Systems Have Key Role in New York City”

The following article first appeared in New York Real Estate Journal on March 23, 2021.

New energy-efficiency requirements mandated by NYC in Local Law 97, part of the Climate Modernization Act, amount to some of the most sweeping sustainability measures passed by any city globally. Commercial properties spanning more than 25,000 s/f will see their carbon emissions caps tighten starting in 2024 and must achieve a 40% reduction to their carbon footprints by 2030, based on a 2005 emission data baseline. By 2050, the city is targeting an 80% reduction for commercial buildings. In November, the city amended the law to include buildings with rent-regulated units, which were originally exempt. As it stands, Local Law 97 will affect 50,000 buildings in NYC.

The progress of NYC’s landlords in meeting the 40% reductions required by 2030 target is not uniform. Closer to reaching the new 2024 caps are larger, institutional level landlords–they can more easily access the capital needed to begin retrofitting older buildings with advanced, energy-efficient systems and incorporate energy-efficient infrastructure into their new projects. But the majority of Manhattan’s commercial landlords do not operate at an institutional scale and the majority of its buildings are at least 30 years old. As emissions caps tighten, significantly more capital improvements will be needed for the vast array of Manhattan commercial buildings. The Urban Green Council has forecast that by 2030, the energy retrofit market opportunity in NYC will range from $16.6 and $24.3 billion. (In comparison, about $235 million was spent on energy-saving building improvements in 2018.) Right now across the city, owners of commercial real estate are consulting with HVAC, engineering and efficiency experts to understand and roll out the types of retrofitting they will need.

To really make a dent in their carbon footprints, landlords will need to assess and upgrade their HVAC systems. Engineering research has shown that installing energy-efficient systems can have a significant impact on the carbon-emissions performance of older buildings. The heating and cooling of a building is one of the biggest contributors to its carbon footprint; traditional HVAC systems can account for about half of a building’s energy use.

A number of new HVAC systems and technologies are available to building owners to help reduce energy consumption. These efficiency systems utilize less power load thanks to advances in materials, engineering technology and installation procedures. For example, dedicated outdoor air systems are a type of HVAC that can dehumidify air, improve indoor air quality and reduce energy load by venting outdoor air separately. Passive and active chilled beam systems for ceilings are another HVAC option for reducing energy output and thus, building emissions. Sophisticated HVAC options are complex enough to create microenvironments within buildings that can be independently controlled by occupants. Besides being energy efficient, a variable flow HVAC system runs more quietly and offers fine-tuned environmental control with multiple heating and cooling zones.

Working closely with an HVAC specialist is essential to the equation of balancing new energy-efficiency requirements within a commercial building’s envelope. Through the scope of projects, HVAC specialists coordinate with manufacturers on a continuing basis and can leverage these relationships to the benefit of landlords making decisions on retrofits or new installations. Because manufacturers know their products inside and out, they are valuable partners working in concert with HVAC specialists to decide which systems will produce optimal efficiency results for their properties. Landlords should regard the guidance gained from HVAC specialists as essential to solving the puzzle of Local Law 97 compliance.

HVAC systems are far from blanket solutions. Every commercial building in the city has unique characteristics of age, building material and existing infrastructure, and bringing in the right expertise is crucial to ensuring a building is optimized for a reduced footprint. These proactive measures will ultimately help owners avoid penalties and even realize facility management savings in the long run.

See the article in its original form and read more from New York Real Estate Journal here!