LAS VEGAS (Map) - LAS VEGAS, April 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -. The 10th Global Engineering Conference opened today in Las Vegas, Nev. Sponsored by Carrier Corp., a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), the three-day conference features presentations on sustainability as it relates to the design and construction of buildings. More than a dozen engineering and design industry experts from the United States, Canada, China, Egypt, India, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates will present.

Kelly Romano, president of Carrier Building Systems and Services, opened the conference welcoming a global audience of nearly 700 attendees from 19 countries and 42 states. Romano discussed the need for industry leaders, such as the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Carrier Corp., to work with owners, consultants and contractors on the energy consumption issue.

"I often remind myself that few innovations have shaped modern life more dramatically than the ability to control indoor climate," said Romano. "As remarkable as the invention of air conditioning by

Willis Carrier is -- with buildings and cities that exist around the world that would not be here without this invention -- today we are presented with challenges and a new reality."

Romano explained that buildings are currently responsible for at least 40 percent of the energy use in most countries, and that number is growing. Worldwide building energy consumption is expected to grow 45 percent over the next 20 years, she added. Romano urged the audience to tackle the challenge of energy efficiency. "I believe significant progress in sustainable building development will only be achieved if all of us, as leaders, designers and innovators, set big and bold goals ... and drive after them with passion."

Romano introduced keynote speakers S. Richard Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council, and Valentine A. Lehr, P.E., founding partner of Lehr Consultants International, who provided the keynote address titled "Revolutionary Green" and "08 From Entropy to Innovation," respectively. Fedrizzi urged the audience to became LEED accredited professionals, making the point that "green is not the new black" -- green is here to stay. Karan Grover, principal, Karan Grover & Associates, India, presented the luncheon address titled "What the Khiskoli said: Notes toward understanding the self, stewardship and touching the earth gently."

In addition, more than a dozen engineering industry experts presented throughout the day including Essam E. Khalil, Ph.D., fellow of The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and president of the Consulting Engineering Bureau in Cairo, Egypt, and Hongwei Mao, P.E., director of the China Construction Design International (Shenzhen) Consultant Co. Ltd. (CCDI).

Khalil's presentation, "Air Flow Regimes and Thermal Patterns in the Tombs of Valley of Kings," included a discussion on controlling airflow and air quality to preserve artifacts. Mao's presentation, "Design of a Sustainable Project: 2008 Olympic Games," focused on the National Swimming Center, or "Water Cube," being built for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Conference workshop topics include cutting-edge green building and sustainable design principles and strategies, the environmental effect of industry standards, economic trends and global sustainability. Other presenters include:

-- David M. Ade, LEED(R) AP: principal, SMP Architects; Philadelphia, Pa. -- Robert Bean, R.E.T.: Registered Engineering Technologist, Building Technologies and Industry Development; Calgary, AB, Canada -- George Berbari: CEO, DC Pro Engineering; Dubai, U.A.E. -- Robert F. Fox, Jr., AIA: partner, Cook + Fox Architects; New York, N.Y. -- Brian Griffith, LEED(R) AP: associate, Stantec Consulting Inc.; Seattle, Wash. -- Karan Grover: principal, Karan Grover & Associates; Vadodara, India -- Robert M. Leber, P.E., LEED(R) AP: senior vice president, Cosentini Associates Inc. Consulting Engineers; Cambridge, Mass. -- Tommy Linstroth: Head of Sustainable Initiatives, Melaver Inc.; Savannah, Ga. -- Tom Marseille, P.E., LEED(R) AP: managing principal, Stantec Consulting Inc.; Seattle, Wash. -- Chandra Sekhar, Ph.D., CPENG: associate professor, programme director M.Sc. (Building Science), Department of Building, National University of Singapore; Singapore -- Ronald Wilkinson, P.E., LEED(R) AP: senior commissioning engineer, AKF Engineers, New York, N.Y.

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

The opening welcome reception featured a display of Carrier's new Weathermaker(R) A Series and Weathermaster(R) rooftop units that both feature Puron(R) refrigerant; chilled beams; Microsteam(R) power system; and the AHR Expo award winners Evergreen(R) 23XRV chiller, Aero(R) air handler and Aqua Series chillers with Novation(TM) heat exchanger technology.

The highly respected Global Engineering Conference started in 1992 in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit http://www.globalengineeringconference.com. The conference concludes on Friday.

About Carrier Corp.

Carrier Corp., headquartered in Farmington, Conn., is the world's largest provider of heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions. With 2007 revenues of $14.6 billion, Carrier has approximately 43,000 employees worldwide and operations in more than 170 countries. Carrier is part of United Technologies Corp., a Hartford, Connecticut-based provider of products and services to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. Visit http://www.carrier.com for more information.