When I sat down to help design and plan a growing brewery, I noticed that significant upgrades can be made in the areas of heating and cooling, steam collection, water recycling, and material reuse. Solar thermal brewing systems are becoming attractive to brewers (photo: Flickr). If you don’t know by now,  I have a soft spot for the brewing industry. On weekdays, I tread through green building projects and disputes, but on the weekend, I spend time designing and crafting beer. Local craft brewers Big Al Brewing and Hales Ales are now finding ways to be green in the brewery. MORE >>

So efficient, in fact, that it inspired Engle’s uncle, who runs a heating and air conditioning company in Zionsville, to get in on the fun, too. In SmartVan’s “ Cool Tool ” contest last year, we asked readers to send photos of their favorite on-the-job tool, with a brief explanation about why that sledgehammer or Maglite or giant wrench was so crucial to getting work done. The SmartVan grand prize? An iPad 2. In the end, though, Chad Engle’s power vac truck couldn’t be topped. Engle admits he’s not the most technologically savvy person. Mit-E Tablet. MORE >>

The Smart Van asked Rob Benefiel, owner of Certified Comfort Heating and Cooling in Louisville, KY, and one of its service techs, to review the new Ford Transit Connect , a compact van that focuses on fuel and space efficiency. Launched in 2002 in Europe, the van made its US debut in 2009 and has been gaining traction as business and fleet owners look to combat rising fuel costs. It’s been a busy summer and I’ve been driving the Transit Connect for two months now. absolutely love it. certainly wish I could have purchased this van two years ago. Why all the love? MORE >>

It is a harsh and unfortunate reality that in the world we live in there are predators that prey on unassuming small business owners so they can make a quick buck – especially in the small business internet marketing world. Internet marketing can be overwhelming and complicated so I’ve put together the top deceptions, scams and the black hat practices that pose an immediate danger to your small business web presence. Deceptive small business internet marketing companies will offer free domains or require you to transfer your existing domain to their control. MORE >>

So says Butch Welsch, Owner of Welsh Heating & Cooling in St. In an op-ed piece featured in Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration NEWS , Welsch wrote how “disturbed&# he was in the professional appearance — or lack thereof — of contractors and employees during evening functions he had recently attended. Despite what Mike Rowe will tell you, “Dirty Jobs&# aren’t an excuse to stay dirty. Louis. Welsch was disheartened to see a large number of the people he came across wearing jeans and t-shirts that were either torn, covered in dirt or both. MORE >>