Local 36 has been able to spread the word about its commitment to sustainable energy via local media

09/23/2009
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
By Steve Giegerich, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Sep. 23--To work force trainer Dan Andrews, the plans for a new Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 headquarters represent a logical extension of the heating and air conditioning industry's commitment to sustainable energy.
The union, which represents workers in the heating and air conditioning industry, announced plans this week to renovate and move into a former manufacturing plant at the intersection of Chouteau and Jefferson avenues in south St. Louis late next year.
Upon completion, the $15 million headquarters will draw a portion its power from solar panels and windmills and use some recycled rainwater to flush toilets.
Part of the building's roof will be covered with vegetation.
Andrews said the building -- once the home of Missouri Boiler -- will showcase what the heating and air conditioning industry has long preached about energy efficiency.
"If you look close enough, we've been doing this a long time," said Andrews, recalling his first training in the installation of low energy heating and air conditioning systems nearly 30 years ago. "But we never really looked at it as green."
The 50,000 square feet set aside for instruction at Local 36's new headquarters, Andrews said, will take training to the next step with large "mock-ups" of the intricate heating and a/c systems used in today's homes and offices.
The new training facility, he added, will also emphasize the processes heating and a/c specialists have adopted to audit home and office energy use.
Local 36 represents 3,200 sheet metal workers.