George Green III, chairman and chief executive officer of Water Missions International (WMI), and his son, George Green IV, vice president of WMI, recently met with Grundfos Pumps Corp. leadership at the Grundfos world headquarters to explore new ideas to continue to bring clean drinking water to impoverished people worldwide. more

The EnOcean Alliance, an international consortium of 120 companies from the building sector, announces the publication of its first global, open specification for energy-harvesting wireless sensors. Productized in the form of EnOcean Equipment Profiles (EEP), Alliance standardization guidelines ensure interoperability among devices of various manufacturers. Jointly produced by EnOcean Alliance members, the public specification is accessible to everyone and presently contains 50 equipment profiles supporting the development of a variety of solutions for building automation. Currently available EEPs include switches, remote controls, sensors, sensor combinations, and data. more

Clean Burn, a manufacturer of used-oil furnaces and boilers, has received the “2009 Save Energy Now Energy Saver” award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Industrial Technologies Program (ITP). more

Rheem Manufacturing Co. has joined the Green Mechanical Council (GreenMech). The announcement follows Rheem’s recent decision to sponsor the organization’s Green Mechanical Awards, which “recognize mechanical/plumbing contractor and design/build firms that are creating the most fuel- and cost-efficient systems in residential and commercial applications.” The three winners of the competition were announced at the Greenbuild International Expo in Phoenix, Ariz., on Nov. 11. more

Honeywell has announced a $79 million renewable-energy and building-retrofit program with Eastern Illinois University (EIU) in Charleston, Ill. The program, which combines energy-efficient facility upgrades with one of the largest biomass-fueled heating plants on a university campus, will help EIU address deferred maintenance, improve its infrastructure, and save approximately $140 million in energy and operating costs over the next two decades. more