Variable Refrigerant Flow Systems (VRF or VRV) News & Trends

Just in time for the holiday season, Don Kuhl, a Phoenix native, Air Force Veteran, and Civil Servant received a fantastic gift: a brand-new air conditioning unit installed at his childhood home, currently undergoing renovation. This past November, the public voted and selected Don Kuhl as the winner of Forrest Anderson Plumbing and Air Conditioning's 8th Annual Military Hero Giveaway. "This installation couldn't have come at a better time, especially as we prepare to celebrate the holidays. Th...

Laars® Heating Systems, a pioneering U.S. designer and manufacturer of boilers, water heaters, and pool heaters used in residential, commercial, and industrial applications, announces the release of the new NeoTherm® XTR commercial boilers and volume water heaters. The NeoTherm XTR is available as a condensing boiler or volume water heater, with venting up to 150 equivalent feet, has top water and gas piping connections, and can be common-vented, offering increased installatio...

Resideo Technologies, Inc., a global provider of solutions for home comfort, energy management, security and safety, announced a partnership with FilterEasy to launch a filter replenishment service. Resideo’s first direct-to-consumer subscription service will provide consumers with HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) air filter replacements when they need them. Filter replenishment service The filter replenishment service will feature FilterEasy’s innovative 1-inch M...

Employees of Marcone, North America's major distributor of appliance, HVAC, plumbing, commercial kitchen and pool and spa parts, recently joined thousands across the country in placing wreaths on the gravesites of fallen soldiers in an act of gratitude for their sacrifice. On Saturday, Marcone employees took part in Wreaths Across America, a nationwide initiative involving two million volunteers placing wreaths at more than 3,700 cemeteries across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and abroad. Marcone Exp...

The pressure to meet global climate targets has never been greater and with buildings accounting for 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions, there is an urgent need to advance sustainable building technology to help enterprises meet net-zero goals while accommodating for continued growth. 'The Smart Building of the Future', a new paper from Johnson Controls outlines how smart buildings equipped with advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, IoT, cloud, and cybersecurity will help ente...

The demands on refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump systems are increasing. Numerous potential combinations make system design more and more complex. The completely revised BITZER SOFTWARE assists with the selection and combination of compressors and components, all the way to heat exchangers and comprehensive compound systems. BITZER Software Even more, products are integrated, designed even more clearly, and optimized for all devices, these are the advantages of the completely rev...

The latest podcast from Mitsubishi Electric focuses on the future of sustainable buildings and highlights the benefits of the new UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard. This ground-breaking initiative represents far more than just a set of guidelines for the construction industry, focusing as it does on the evolving landscape of sustainable building in the UK. clear and measurable Standard “By establishing a clear and measurable Standard, the initiative aims to eradicate greenwashing an...

The Future Homes and Buildings Standards: 2023 consultation on changes to Part 6, Part L (conservation of fuel and power), and Part F (ventilation) of the Building Regulations for dwellings and non-domestic buildings and seeking evidence on previous changes to Part O (overheating). The UK government has set a legally binding target of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. From homes to offices, the UK’s built environment is responsible for around 30% of the UK’s greenh...

To support HVAC and building services professionals in meeting the latest thermal performance guidance, stone wool insulation manufacturer - ROCKWOOL has released its Guide to BS 5422:2023. The new brochure clarifies recent changes to BS 5422, the technical guidance document covering thermal insulation of building services, and is available to download. BS 5422:2023 BS 5422:2023 presents updated specification recommendations for effective thermal insulation of pipework, ductwork, and other bu...

Trane® by Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator, has been awarded the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Generation 4 (Gen4) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) energy savings performance contract (ESPC).  This government-wide vehicle allows Federal agencies to leverage private capital and utility cost savings to reduce energy consumption, decarbonize, and enhance the resilience of Federal facilities. Trane has held a DOE IDIQ contract for 25 years. ESPC pr...

On the conclusion of COP28 in Dubai: “Coming into COP28 I was looking for three things in relation to the global stocktake: a clear and unambiguous signal that the world will accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels; assurance that this will be reflected in the climate targets of countries to be tabled in 2025; and a commitment to enhance international cooperation to tackle climate change." New climate targets “The outcome of the first global stocktake under the Pari...

COP28 marked the first Global Stocktake, a key element of the five-year ambition cycle designed to ensure that countries ratchet up their ambition in line with the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement. The COP decision laid out a handful of priority actions needed to close the emissions gap, calling on countries to undertake steps including tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030, transitioning away from fossil fuels, substantially reducing methane and oth...

COP28 marked the first Global Stocktake, a key element of the five-year ambition cycle designed to ensure that countries ratchet up their ambition in line with the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement. The COP decision laid out a handful of priority actions needed to close the emissions gap, calling on countries to undertake steps including tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030, transitioning away from fossil fuels, substantially reducing methane and oth...

TE Connectivity, a globally renowned company in connectors and sensors, has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the 12th consecutive year. This designation continues to demonstrate TE's dedication to sustainable business practices that provide value to its customers and are aligned with the company's commitments to its owners. Dow Jones Sustainability Index The Dow Jones Sustainability Index analyzes approximately 13,000 companies around the world using the Corporate Susta...

New research from a pioneering construction professional body shows a large proportion of people would not buy a newly built property due to concerns over quality. The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has published its ‘New Build Housing: How Regulation Can Improve the Consumer Journey’ report. It explores public perceptions of new build homes along with levels of awareness of the standards housebuilders must adhere to and where to turn for help when they’re not met....

The Construction Industry Council (CIC), through their Liability Panel, has written a new Risk Management Briefing, “Personal Liability of Employees”. The Briefing details Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII), when employees may be covered (and when not) how it impacts employers and employees, what employers should do and how employees can protect themselves. This guidance is important for all of those in the built environment to understand. As an employee there is a risk of perso...

Carrier Global Corporation, a globally renowned company in intelligent climate and energy solutions, entered into a definitive agreement to sell its global commercial refrigeration business to its decades-long joint venture partner - Haier (stock ticker: 600690) for an enterprise value of $775 million, including approximately $200 million of net pension liabilities. This represents about 16.5x 2023 expected EBITDA. The announcement follows last week's agreement to sell Carrier's Global Access S...

Airthings, the global pioneer in indoor air quality monitoring and energy-saving solutions, has announced a new partnership with Soter Technologies, a provider of innovative environmental sensors and software technology. This collaboration seamlessly integrates the Airthings for Business solution into Soter’s portfolio to complement Soter Technologies’ FlySense® Vape Detection devices. Monitoring air quality This partnership extends the scope of monitoring air quality in vario...

New research from Fair Fix, the boiler engineer experts, reveals that the number of plumbing and heating businesses operating in the UK has increased by 3% in 2023, which is good news for any homeowners and a result of increasing self-employment opportunities rising within the industry. Growth in the industry Fair Fix has analyzed the number of plumbing, heating, and air conditioning enterprises in the UK and how this number has changed over 2023, discovering that the industry is growing in si...

Toshiba Carrier has become an official partner to Sale Sharks, one of Europe’s top professional Rugby Union clubs, for the 2023/2024 Gallagher Premiership Rugby season.  Toshiba Carrier UK Ltd (TCUK) is part of Carrier Global Corporation, a global pioneer in intelligent climate and energy solutions.   History of supporting rugby Toshiba has a long history of supporting rugby having previously sponsored Rugby World Cups and the Japanese team. Closer to home, this new...

Johnson Controls, the pioneer for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, has re-engineered the industry-renowned YORK® CYK Water-to-Water Compound Centrifugal Heat Pump to deliver superior operational savings and stringent sustainability standards. Now available in a smaller 400-ton capacity, the newly launched YORK® CYK heat pump fills a North American market gap by providing a practical, right-sized decarbonization solution for use in existing commercial building applications. AS...

Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator, announced the appointment of Riaz Raihan as Chief Digital Officer, effective December 11. Raihan will report to Chair and CEO Dave Regnery as part of the executive leadership team and will lead the digital strategy for Trane Technologies globally. “The appointment of Riaz as Chief Digital Officer is an exciting milestone for Trane Technologies as we continue to broaden our digital services and solutions,” said Dave Regnery, t...

Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator, has been named to the S&P Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the third consecutive year and the North America Index for the thirteenth consecutive year. The company performed in the 98th percentile in the Building Products industry in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA score as of November 27, 2023), with a perfect score of 100 in the Resource Efficiency and Circularity category. Sustainability practices The No...

Johnson Controls, the pioneer for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, announced it was named a pioneer in energy management software by independent industry analyst firm - Verdantix in its Green Quadrant: Energy Management Software 2023 report. "Buildings contribute nearly 40% of global emissions and new levels of efficiency and sustainability can only be achieved through digitalization," said Johnson Controls' Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Vijay Sankaran, adding "Recognition as a leade...

Trane Supply, Trane Technologies’ HVAC parts and supply solutions business, and A-Gas are making refrigerant reclaim easier than ever for Trane Supply Customers so that together, they can increase their positive impact on the environment.  Refrigerant reclamation involves processing used refrigerants to meet AHRI-700 specifications and performance. Reclaiming refrigerants reduces the need to manufacture virgin refrigerants, substantially reducing potential emissions and contrib...

HVAC Restoration saves $1 million dollars in capital budget at the University of Texas, San Antonio with refurbishment of two air handler units (AHUs). Challenge The University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA) faced ongoing maintenance issues with two large air handler units (AHUs): AHU 23 S-7 and AHU 24 S-8. After years of wear and tear, the AHUs started to severely deteriorate. Eventually, the axle that drives the blower wheel broke and needed to be replaced. Because of this, there was no airflo...

Daikin UK, the UK’s heat pump manufacturer, has opened the doors to nine new centers and showrooms this year, growing its national Sustainable Home Network by almost 40% year on year. In 2023 alone, Daikin UK expanded its Sustainable Home Network by opening centers across England, Scotland and Wales – including Northampton, Sheffield, Yorkshire, Aberdeen and Port Talbot – in partnership with builders’ merchants, heating specialists and energy companies across the UK. Tr...

The number of active fleet management systems deployed in commercial vehicle fleets in Europe was 14.8 million at the end of 2022, according to a new research report from the IoT analyst firm - Berg Insight. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.4 percent, this number is expected to reach 26.5 million by 2027. The top-38 vendors have today more than 100,000 active units in Europe. Berg Insight ranks Targa Telematics as the largest player in terms of active installed base with ar...

Ford and Resideo Technologies, Inc. announced a joint simulation project to explore vehicle-to-home (V2H) energy management called the 'EV-Home Power Partnership', designed to explore the potential of electric vehicle batteries to support optimal home energy management. full-size electric truck The project will explore, test, and quantify the customer benefits of pairing bi-directional EV charging with a Resideo smart thermostat to help customers potentially save money on monthly electric bill...

Sound is a critical consideration in the selection and application of fans. Despite this, fan sound remains one of the least understood topics in the air handling industry. This series of articles provides a better understanding and point of reference on how fan sound is developed, rated, applied, and controlled. Understanding the Development of Fan Sound Data and the Product Rating Process (FA/120-23) Products that are independently third-party tested and performance certified assure the...