Briefly …

ASHRAE's 1999 energy conservation standard has been established by the U.S. Dept. of Energy as the commercial building reference standard for state building energy codes. Under the new federal Energy Conservation and Production Act, all U.S. states will be required to have energy codes that are at least as stringent as ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-1999, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.

The world market for structured cable—copper and fiber—is anticipated to grow by 4.4% per year for the next four years, according to BSRIA, a market research firm based in the United Kingdom. Taking a look at market shares in 2002, the report states that North America accounts for 41% of the market, Western Europe represents 31% and Asia Pacific constitutes 17% of the world structured cabling market.

Merger and acquisition activity is still going strong in the M/E/P industry, despite a lagging economy, reports the Natick, Mass.-based market research firm, ZweigWhite. According to a recent study, the firm is projecting 128 deals this year, as compared to 117 in 2001 and 101 in 2000.