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Industry Trends

Lately, the HVAC industry seems to move in a state of constant flux. And, this movement focuses around the quality of the built environment.

Key Trends in the business

Standards
Changes to ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) standards, the new federal Energy Policy Act, and the ongoing evolution of equipment and controls continue to shape the way facilities managers select, maintain, and operate HVAC equipment in commercial buildings. While energy efficiency and sustainability remain in the forefront of today's HVAC-related trends, the overall environment plays a strong supporting role.

"In the past, we focused so much on energy conservation at the expense of comfort and ventilation," says Terry Townsend, president of Townsend Engineering, Chattanooga, TN, and president-elect at Atlanta-based American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

"We have to remain serious about overall resource conservation, but we also have to have a comfortable and healthy built environment so occupants can perform as intended and be comfortable. That's our mantra. That's what it needs to be."

Feds Set Energy Mandate
Changes affecting commercial heating and cooling are occurring beyond the boundaries of the HVAC and facilities industries. The federal government continues its movement into the realm of energy efficiency. "The federal government has been a bit of an early adopter with technologies that relate to energy efficiency," says Robert L. Johnson, Arlington, VA-based director of institutional markets for Trane

President George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 into enactment. The act, which goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2010, provides incentives for traditional energy production as well as newer, more efficient energy technologies and conservation. More than 1,700 pages long, the act has hundreds of provisions that affect the commercial, industrial, and residential sectors.

Most notably for the facilities industry, the act sets minimum efficiency standards for 16 consumer and commercial products, including commercial unit heaters and large commercial air-conditioners. It also directs the U.S. Department of Energy to set efficiency standards for external power supplies, battery chargers, and refrigerated vending machines.

The act also includes requirements for government building upgrades, as well as several rebate and tax credit initiatives to encourage energy-saving design.

Sustainability Drives Total Building Operation
ASHRAE is striving to assist in the creation of net zero energy use facilities. In such a facility, for a year's operation, the building would produce as much energy as it consumes.

One possible step in achieving this is the use of energy recovery ventilators, says Mark Menzer, vice president of engineering and research at the Arlington, VA-based Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI). "You bring in outdoor air [and] precondition it," he explains. "You recover some of the cooling energy you've already paid for as you exhaust some of the cooler air and bring in the warmer, more humid air. You're saving on energy by preconditioning the warmer air."

Sustainability and the quest for efficiency in heating and cooling are driving the way commercial facilities operate, Townsend notes. "What you're going to be seeing coming up in HVAC from ASHRAE in particular is performance evaluation methods for facilities in relation to resource conservation, indoor environmental quality, and comfort," he says. "The industry needs that in order to quantify and qualify what they claim."

Equipment Efficiency Evolves
The question as to whether standards are driving technology or whether technology is driving standards is like asking whether the chicken or egg came first. Standards aside, the biggest drivers behind technology are the end-users--customers who are seeking greater energy efficiency.

Consider variable frequency drives (VFDs), also known as variable speed drives. They're gaining in popularity. The price point on such drives has dropped enough that it now makes sense to use them on smaller applications.

Variable speed drives can be retrofitted to existing equipment and can, in some cases, save up to 40-percent more in energy. Some newer equipment comes with built-in VFDs.

Another recent development in HVAC equipment is variable air volumes. In such systems, anyone who has an air-handler blowing in, on, or around them can control the temperature in their own personal space.

Controls Grab Attention
HVAC systems are also becoming more complex in terms of control strategies--an area important for facilities professionals to understand if they want to achieve maximum efficiency benefits. If the facility manager is not cognizant of what is required, there might be a tendency to revert to what is most comfortable, and then the system doesn't operate as intended.