LAS VEGAS, March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Carrier, the world's leader in high technology heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) solutions, welcomed a global audience of approximately 900 attendees from 20 countries and 40 states to its 2012 Global Engineering Conference March 18-20 in Las Vegas. With the theme "20/20 the Future in Focus:  Rethink.  Restore.  Regenerate.," building design and engineering industry experts came together to put the future in focus and celebrate 20 years of dialogue on the latest in green building technologies, sustainable design and engineering practices. Carrier is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. UTX.

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Geraud Darnis, president & CEO, UTC Climate, Controls & Security, and president of Carrier, opened the conference with a discussion on the company's ongoing legacy of innovation in the industry and its continued commitment to working with building owners, architects, consultants and contractors to change the world, building by building.

"Buildings will be ecosystems themselves and rest in balance with the natural environment," Darnis said in his remarks. "Who better to change buildings and reshape skylines than those at this Global Engineering Conference? We have the expertise. We have the tools. We can change the world, building by building."

During the three-day conference, more than 30 speakers from the United States, Canada, Egypt, France, India, China and the United Arab Emirates conducted sessions that focused on what is possible when design professionals gather to rethink current engineering practices. Keynote speakers discussed the future of green building, including Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council; Robert F. Fox Jr., AIA, partner at Cook+Fox Architects and Terrapin Bright Green LLP; Scott E. Frank, partner at Jaros, Baum & Bolles; Valentine A. Lehr, P.E., F. ASHRAE, F. ASCE, LEED® AP, senior partner at Lehr Consultants International; David Gottfried, founder of the U.S. Green Building Council and World Green Building Council, and CEO of the Regenerative Network; and Bill Browning, principal of Terrapin Bright Green, LLC.

Rick Fedrizzi remarked in the opening keynote address, "It was the Global Engineering Conference that inspired what would become Greenbuild, the U.S. Green Building Council's annual gathering that will attract more than 40,000 people from around the world to San Francisco this year who are committed to growing the global green building movement and the industries that support it." 

Philippe Cousteau, CEO of EarthEcho International, co-founder of Azure Worldwide and grandson of the legendary Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, closed the 2012 Global Engineering Conference with his discussion on "Continuing a Legacy: Building a Sustainable World in the 21st Century."

Carrier University's Institute for Sustainability provided continuing education units (CEU) and professional development hours (PDH) for Global Engineering Conference attendees who met eligibility requirements. More than 1/3 of the attendees opted to arrive early for a special Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) 251 training session that provided an understanding of the LEED Building Design + Construction (BD+C) rating system family. The session examined all prerequisites and credits in its six credit categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Indoor Environmental Quality, Materials & Resources, and Innovation in Design, as well as addressed Regional Priority credits. Carrier is the U.S. Green Building Council's largest global partner for LEED education.

For more information about the Global Engineering Conference, visit www.2012GEC.com, visit our YouTube channel or follow us on Twitter @carriergreen.

*LEED is a registered trademark of U.S. Green Building Council

ABOUT CARRIER
Carrier is the world's leader in high technology heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions. Carrier experts provide sustainable solutions, integrating energy-efficient products, building controls, and energy services for residential, commercial, retail, transport and foodservice customers. Founded by the inventor of modern air conditioning, Carrier improves the world around us through engineered innovation and environmental stewardship. Carrier is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. Visit www.carrier.com for more information.

SOURCE Carrier