HVAC News, November 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) to the health and welfare of building inhabitants. Insufficient air filtration and ventilation has proven to increase the risk of airborne viral transmission in closed spaces. While the need to improve IAQ has always been a public health priority, it is now an urgent necessity with far reaching economic and employment impacts. To ensure the safe operation of buildings, improvements to ventilation and air filtration...

The Government’s plan to increase heat pump installations is ‘doomed to failure’ without a substantial increase in training for installers, according to consumer advice specialists at The Heating Hub. Last week the Government outlined its 10-step plan for a ‘green industrial revolution’, which included a commitment to install 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028. Jo Alsop, Founder of The Heating Hub, said: “There are many financial and environmental benefits...

Airthings, makers of indoor air quality and radon monitors for homeowners, businesses, and professionals, officially unveiled a brand-new capability for its business solution: the Airthings Virus Risk Indicator. Designed to create an indoor environment where people thrive, but viruses don’t, Airthings’ Virus Risk Indicator is now available to all new and existing Airthings for Business customers. The new feature helps people understand their indoor air quality and how it contributes...

The impact of COVID-19 has hit all areas of industry in a variety of different ways; with mass redundancies, restructures and the need for diversification now dominating the headlines. It has also made a lot of people question their own careers and what is important to them; in fact, Google searches for the term ‘career change’ are up more than 500% on this time last year. With more than half of the heating and plumbing industry’s workforce due to retire in the next decade, an...

LG Air Conditioning Technologies USA has expanded its robust portfolio of single- and multi-zone products with LGRED (Reliable to Extreme Degrees) technology, bringing powerful heating capability to more single zone products, so as to push the industry forward in the electrification of residential and light commercial building sectors. Single zone products with LGRED Boasting superior heating capacity performance down to 5 °F and continuous heating operations down to -13 ˚F, products featu...

The entire economy has been severely impacted by COVID-19, with small businesses being hit the worst. These businesses make up 47% of the private labor force and contribute 44% to GDP in the United States. Thankfully, not all small businesses are the same. Jobber’s Home Service Economic Report: Summer Edition analyzes the performance of the Home Service category throughout 2020, and shows a positive path towards recovery. It shows that the Contracting segment, which includes HVAC busines...

The UK’s heating industry has failed to train and upskill boiler installers to the standards required to fit modern condensing boilers, and 86% of installers feel ‘let down’ by the sector, according to research from consumer advice specialists at The Heating Hub. Modern high efficiency boilers became mandatory in 2005 and since then around 20 million boilers have been sold. However, there has been no corresponding investment made to upskill the workforce in heating system desi...

In alignment with its strategic focus on enhancing customer experiences and differentiating through innovation, Uponor North America (Uponor) is pleased to announce the appointment of Brett Boyum to the position of Vice President of Marketing & Offerings and a member of the company’s Senior Management Committee. Growing Business In this critical role, Boyum will focus on growing business by accelerating the innovation pipeline, managing the product portfolio, connecting the technical...

As the evidence around the health impacts of poor indoor air quality (IAQ) continues to build, experts from across the ventilation sector have come together to drive awareness amongst installers and the wider public that the Green Homes Grant can cover ventilation improvements alongside insulation installations. Green Homes Grant scheme The UK Government scheme, which launched back in September 2020, aims to support improvements to energy efficiency and indoor air quality (IAQ). The scheme hig...

Renowned boiler manufacturer, Baxi Heating UK and Ireland, part of BDR Thermea Group, has promised to revolutionize the way one heats their homes and buildings. The announcement coincides with the Prime Minister’s 10-point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and places Baxi Heating at the heart of the ‘heating transformation’ that is required to achieve the UK’s climate targets. Karen Boswell OBE, recently appointed Managing Director of Baxi Heating, said: “Futu...

Demand for underfloor air conditioning systems, which are far more flexible and adaptable than ceiling-based systems, has risen as developers and landlords scramble to reconfigure office spaces in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Experts have predicted a 50% reduction in office occupancy, as millions embrace working from home. What is underfloor air conditioning? A zonal underfloor air conditioning system makes use of the raised floor void as a plenum for the distribution of air. Supply a...

Johnson Controls selected Ontotext's GraphDB to provide semantic data creation and management for their Metasys system - a Top-5 Integrated Building Management System. Johnson Controls Building Technologies & Solutions is making the world safer, smarter and more sustainable, one building at a time. Their technology portfolio integrates every aspect of a building, whether security systems, energy management, fire protection or HVACR, to ensure that they exceed customer expectations at all ti...

Honeywell has announced expanding its holistic Healthy Buildings Air Quality offering to help improve and measure commercial building indoor air quality (IAQ) with the introduction of Honeywell Electronic Air Cleaners (EACs) with UV Systems and a new line of indoor air quality (IAQ) sensors. Honeywell Electronic Air Cleaners Honeywell EACs with UV help remove impurities from the air as well as provide filtration and disinfection, without significantly impeding air flow. The new IAQ sensors inc...

Aircuity, the globally renowned provider of measurably better environments, has introduced ‘Air Quality as a Service’ (AQaaS), a new indoor air quality (IAQ) solution that helps building owners create ‘healthy buildings’ that meet both COVID-19 re-entry and longer term air quality requirements. ‘Air Quality as a Service’ (AQaaS) As an operating expenditure, Aircuity's AQaaS requires no or low upfront capital, making it easier and faster to deploy in existing...

Millennials have been shaped by their experiences growing up with technology and by their heightened awareness of the environment. These facets of a consumer market dominated by millennials will guide the future of the HVAC market over the next several years. Each generation reshapes markets in their own image. In the case of millennials, trends and behaviors are influencing how companies design new solutions, including those in the world of HVAC. Sustainable solutions and personalized experie...

The Luxaire® brand of Johnson Controls, the provider of smart and sustainable buildings and the architect of OpenBlue connected solutions, and distributor partner Design Air, rallied the communities of Wisconsin to help raise funds for children with critical illnesses during the Make-A-Wish® Wisconsin Walk For Wishes® event. The state-wide fundraiser garnered record-breaking funds of $250,000 compared to previous Milwaukee Walk for Wishes events, which will grant 50 wishes to Wiscon...

Spring Power & Gas announces that it is now offering heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) protection to eligible new customers as part of its partnership with Cinch Home Services, the home management industry's foremost provider. Spring Guard Products HVAC Protected The HVAC protection will be included in the Spring Guard electric and gas product to provide homeowners the benefit of knowing that their heating and cooling systems and appliances are covered should any unanticipa...

Panasonic, a foremost provider of ventilation and indoor air solutions to the building industry, introduced the new WhisperWarmDC™ bathroom ventilation fan. To deliver healthy and warm air to chilly bathrooms while improving indoor air quality, the WhisperWarm DC fan has a powerful and intelligent ECM motor combined with SmartFlow™ and Pick-A-Flow™ technology. The 1600-watt heating element enables builders and remodelers to enjoy easy, code-compliant installations, while deli...

Pete Mills, Commercial Technical Operations Manager at Bosch Commercial & Industrial outlines how cities are using heat networks to achieve UK carbon emission targets. Heat networks, or district heating, are becoming an ever-greater part of our industry’s involvement in larger scale schemes. The ability to help the decarbonization of heat both now and in the future has made them an attractive solution to the new-build sector, as well as those undergoing deep renovation works. Net zer...

The 14th edition of Johnson Controls Energy Efficiency Indicator study surveyed 150 commercials, institutional, and industrial facility executives in the U.S. in September 2020. The COVID-19 pulse survey included questions on coronavirus-related improvements, investments, and impacts. Flexibility, Health, and Safety Drive With the pandemic, facility managers have new concerns about building health, changing their motivation for building investments. Increasing building flexibility to respond...

For designers, installers and operators of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, energy efficiency is rightly the number one selection criteria. This applies particularly to fan motors. However, while EC fans - the popular solution that integrates a fan, motor and speed control – are regarded as something of a de-facto guarantee for efficiency, that is not always the case. When evaluating the efficiency of your fan, motor and speed control combination it is vital to c...

Axiom Solutions are a professional building consultancy and project managers offering high quality project work through to design and build construction solutions for clients. Adcock was tasked with a challenging project from a long-standing customer looking to install Air Conditioning, utilizing heat recovery VRF systems and Heat Recovery Ventilation systems for fresh air supply throughout a 5 story building in Hatton Garden, London. The project had a limited available footprint for condensers...

Ariston’s super slim Velis Evo electric storage water heaters have been designed with the leisure and holiday accommodation sectors in mind. Providing a perfect combination of comfort and design, the units are suitable for applications such as country cottages, mobile homes, glamping pods and cabins - which are all currently in high demand as UK residents look to enjoy a summer ‘staycation’. For owners and managers of park home, camping sites and other leisure facilities seeki...

Renowned water heating manufacturer, Ariston has a range of high quality, energy efficient products designed with landlords, HMOs and rental properties in mind. Ariston’s electric water heaters are reliable, robust and suitable for buy-to-let applications including apartments, family homes, bed sits and en-suite rooms as an alternative to traditional cylinders. UK landlords are legally responsible for ensuring their tenants have adequate hot water at all times. They are also responsible f...

Superior Sensor Technology announces the HV160 pressure sensor for industrial heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment that offers manufacturers a single solution that can support up to eight different pressure ranges in one sensor. The sensor is based on the company's advanced Multi-Range™ technology to achieve the industry's broadest dynamic range while maintaining up to a 10x performance improvement over competing solutions. The HV160 eliminates the need to manage the...

Elon Musk has proclaimed that HVAC is his ‘pet project’ and has even suggested a timeline: ‘Maybe we can start working on that.’ As a high-profile business magnate, industrial designer and engineer, Musk is CEO of automobile company Tesla, whose goal is to accelerate the use of sustainable energy. Tesla is on the cutting edge of technologies that can transform how we use energy, and Musk believes the benefit of that technology will translate well into home HVAC systems....

As the UK lockdown gradually begins to ease, and offices and retail outlets begin to reopen their doors, Ariston is highlighting the flexibility and benefits of its range of electric water heaters – especially with people now more aware of the importance of washing their hands more frequently. Ariston has an extensive collection of products suitable for all sizes of commercial properties, helping businesses and employees adhere to stricter levels of hygiene, while also accounting for an i...

Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are used to maintain indoor air temperature, humidity and, most importantly now, air quality at healthy and comfortable levels. Employers are required by law to ensure an adequate supply of fresh air and a minimum working temperature in order to provide a healthy working environment. This has not changed. A well maintained and operated system providing good ventilation can help reduce the spread of coronavirus. The Health and Safety Execu...

In an economic sense, the COVID-19 pandemic has created winners and losers. While the tragic human and societal consequences are undeniable, when it comes to economics, some businesses have clearly fared better than others. For example, the hospitality industry has basically been decimated. Meanwhile, the HVAC business has thrived during the pandemic. Part of our success has been driven by increasing awareness of the role of air ventilation in fighting the virus. There has been renewed interes...

A smarter way of killing and containing airborne viruses, such as COVID-19, through a UVC light ventilation system could offer hope to millions of people worldwide. UV Diffusers, designed by Canadian-based EffectiV HVAC Inc., are an innovative solution to contain the spread of COVID-19 through ventilation systems using UVC light. UVC radiation is a well-known disinfectant for air, with the radiation being used effectively for decades to reduce the spread of bacteria. High-Efficiency filtering...