COVID-19 - Editor's Note

Data centers have been around as long as the Internet, although the introduction of the iPhone in 2007 significantly increased the demand for data centers. When the COVID pandemic required more people to work from home, the impact was to push digital demand to even higher levels. In short, as of 2023, it is a challenge to build data centers fast enough. environmental aspects Thousands of computer servers operating in a data center give off a lot of heat, so cooling is a critical need. A typi...

The 486,805 square feet of exhibit space at AHR Expo 2023 in Atlanta provided clear evidence of how technology innovation in HVAC has accelerated in the last decade. Change and progress were everywhere among the 1,779 exhibitors, including 425 international exhibits. HVAC systems on display New electronic tools, cloud-based solutions, higher efficiency ratings, mini-split systems, new regulations, and new control strategies are driving product development enabling HVAC systems to deliver new s...

In its simplest terms, artificial intelligence (AI) enables machines to mimic the operation of the human brain. Combined with the Internet of Things (IoT), AI currently has a higher profile than ever. In effect, AI is changing how we use information, analyzing massive amounts of data, and improving decision-making. The impact of AI is being felt in many industries and markets, from real-time monitoring of manufacturing processes to analyzing medical data trends to enable early detection of canc...

Certification is a way to demonstrate professional knowledge, a specific skillset, and the ability to do a particular job. In the HVAC market, earning certifications provides benefits to contractors as well as technicians. Paying for certifications Historically, typically 70% of technicians paid for their certifications. Now the numbers have flipped, and about 70% of contractors currently pay for certifications because they see the value-add they can provide to keep employees with an organizat...

Before Brexit in 2020, regulations on product safety and performance in the United Kingdom had been aligned with the European Union since 1974. Emblematic of that alignment was use of the traditional CE mark on a variety of manufactured goods throughout the European Union, including the UK. Along with Brexit came the need to create a UK-only mark that served a similar purpose to the customary CE mark. Transitioning to the new mark Formation of the UKCA mark followed, indicating conformity wi...

Supply chain issues continue to plague the HVAC marketplace in 2022, causing longer waits for customers. Diesel fuel costs and shortages are the latest factors contributing to delays, alongside continuing manufacturer setbacks and transportation challenges. A decrease in demand for diesel during the height of the pandemic led to production cuts that are still contributing to the current shortage. In June 2022, diesel cost an average of 5.75 U.S. dollars per gallon, an increase of USD 2.50 per g...

HVAC systems account for around 46% of the average U.S. home’s energy consumption. As big users of electricity, air conditioning (AC) systems this summer face continuing concerns about an adequate supply of electricity and the reliability of the U.S. electrical grid. According to a report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), large parts of the country are at either ‘high’ or ‘elevated’ risk of electricity shortfalls this summer. Notably,...

Demand for HVAC services spiked during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Low interest rates, government stimulus checks and a greater emphasis on home improvement (because more people were spending time at home) drove new business for HVAC companies. However, labor shortages limited companies’ ability to meet the demand. In some cases, money was left on the table. There was another impact of the pandemic on industry labor trends: HVAC contractors kept working, even when much of the eco...

A $500 million grant program seeks to upgrade the infrastructure of U.S. schools, including improving HVAC systems. Many schools rely on outdated HVAC systems that make classrooms less comfortable and may pose health risks. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is launching the grant program to lower energy costs, improve air quality and prioritize schools most in need. Addressing school infrastructure needs An influx of federal money to help schools update their HVAC systems is an opportunity...

For 100 years, the Marley brand has provided evaporative cooling towers and fluid coolers, ranging from large industrial applications to smaller plants such as offices. The equipment is used to cool hospitals, data centers, and large commercial buildings. In data centers, for example, evaporative cooling uses 60% less power than air-cooled systems. Events at 100th anniversary  SPX Technologies, the corporate owner of the Marley brand, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2022. Among th...

AHR Expo was back in a big way for 2022, reflecting a dynamic industry that not only survived the pandemic but has found new ways to thrive. Technical developments on display in Las Vegas spanned traditional product categories, which continued to display new levels of innovation in a mature market. Also reflecting progress were new digital offerings that increase control and efficiency of HVAC products and link them to the expanding world of data.  Omar Tabba, the Chief Product Officer at...

It’s great time to be in the HVAC industry. That was the optimistic vibe as the AHR Expo opened in Las Vegas, the first such in-person gathering of the industry since the beginning of the global pandemic. Attendance was moderate and steady throughout the first day of the show as HVAC professionals took stock of technology developments that have emerged over the last two years. COVID changed the HVAC market, probably forever, and the changes extend beyond the masks that were dutifully wor...

The HVAC market is moving fast. Supply shortages, technology trends and regulatory issues all converged and had a profound impact on the industry in 2021, even as the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic also made a mark. Looking back at the top articles of the year at HVACInformed.com, as measured by those that received the most ‘clicks’ on the website, provides a decent summary of how the industry evolved in 2021. Top 10 articles posted at HVACInformed.com in 2021 Timely and...

Veterans make good job candidates. Military experience comes with a heightened work ethic and sense of responsibility. Many veterans have experience working outdoors and with their hands. They are used to being team members. Coming out of the military, however, veterans may find themselves at a loss for a career path. HVAC may be the answer. “Veterans are used to getting up early, being on time, wearing a uniform, and they are dedicated and committed,” says Marvin Key, CEO and Co-F...

HVAC systems typically operate on a schedule. Heating, cooling and ventilation systems start and stop at fixed times of the day, scheduled around when and how a building is used. But, shouldn’t the number of occupants in a building or a room have an impact on how the HVAC system operates? Considering occupancy, when addressing HVAC needs, is an especially timely approach, given that building schedules are less predictable now, since the COVID-19 pandemic changed work patterns, possibly fo...

Natural gas heating and cooking are coming under more scrutiny, especially their negative impact on indoor air quality. In particular, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emitted from gas stoves and furnaces aggravate childhood asthma. The issue has been obvious for years but is now getting renewed attention of regulators. Gas heating and cooking are popular throughout the United States and Europe. One estimate is that a third of U.S. homes use natural gas for cooking, which has been promoted for decades as...

‘Net zero’ is an unavoidable reality in the continuing fight against climate change. For example, both the United Kingdom and the European Union have set targets of having net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. These objectives are in line with a commitment to global climate action under the Paris Agreement. Net zero - carbon neutral Net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. It’s another term f...

High school seniors and their parents weigh multiple factors, when choosing a college or university. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of one factor has shown a marked increase. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is now among the top-three aspects that an applicant and their parents would consider, when choosing a college, according to one survey. Growing awareness of IAQ Growing awareness of IAQ presents an opportunity, as the HVAC industry seeks to serve the higher education ma...

When COVID-19 hit, North Arkansas College had to close its school, and students had to transition from in-person to online learning, which is especially difficult when teaching a trade that is heavily dependent on hands-on training. The HVAC/R program at North Arkansas College, which has existed for over 50 years, typically has an average of 14 to 16 students enrolled each year. HVAC/R program “With the quick transition we had to think outside the box, and so we found a company that had...

The current Biden Administration’s renewed focus on climate change has expedited the phasedown of high-GWP refrigerants, kicked off by the passage of the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, part of the December 2020 COVID stimulus bill. As the AIM Act phase-down schedule progresses, higher-GWP HFC refrigerants, while viable, have the potential to have a limited useful life and ultimately be eliminated. In response to pending changes, Johnson Controls has announced it will use...

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way the world lives, escalating the need to prioritize health and safety where we live, work, learn and play. As organizations around the world respond to the pandemic, the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has leveraged its expertise to help. Impact of building surroundings IWBI is a public benefit corporation focused on deploying “people-first places” to advance a global culture of health. The community has adopted the WELL Buildin...

It’s shaping up to be a long, hot summer for HVAC contractors and their customers. Disruptions in the nationwide supply chain that began during the COVID-19 pandemic still have not been resolved. Shutdowns last summer played havoc with the supply of parts, and suppliers are still playing catch up, as raw materials remain scarce. Furthermore, prices are going up among some components and key raw materials. Waiting times for parts can run into weeks or even months. Supply shortages of HVAC...

There are way too many stories of contractors falsely telling homeowners they have mold or other toxic substances in their HVAC systems, often using scare tactics to persuade homeowners to pay for costly, unneeded services. Unfortunately, these dishonest companies can make the whole industry look bad. Working to end such abuses, and to promote the value of professional inspection, cleaning and restoration of HVAC systems, is the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA), which was formed i...

Incorporating cool and dry outdoor air into commercial HVAC systems can save money and energy, while causing less wear-and-tear on cooling systems. An economizer is a device that works alongside rooftop HVAC systems to augment the system with outdoor air, in order to provide what has become known as ‘free cooling’. Economizers Economizers introduce low-temperature or low-enthalpy outdoor air into a building to reduce or eliminate mechanical cooling, depending on outdoor air conditi...

The most likely scenario for the next 12 months in the United Kingdom is far lower risk of serious COVID-19 illness due to the vaccine. However, there will be big swings in R rates, and there is uncertainty about how effective vaccines will be against COVID variants. The ‘R’ rate is the number of people one infected person will pass a virus on to, on average. As the scenario plays out, and more companies open for business, issues of indoor air quality will continue to be top of mind...

The cruise ship industry has cracked the code on keeping passengers and crew safe from the coronavirus (COVID-19) spread, including changes to on-board HVAC systems to use more outside air and to filter out particles as small as the novel coronavirus. The industry, which voluntarily suspended worldwide operations at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, under the guidance of international and national health authorities, plans to resume worldwide operations fully later in 2021. Health protoc...

The connectivity of the Internet of Things (IoT) provides new tools to monitor the well-being of an HVAC system, to provide instant alerts to any operational problems and even to predict when problems are likely to occur. Being alert to early warning signs of a problem enables deployment of less-expensive fixes before the problem escalates. predictive analytics Remote monitoring and predictive analytics of HVAC systems have been even more valuable during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, when...

If history truly repeats itself, might we learn lessons from the past – even lessons about managing a novel coronavirus that upends our way of life and changes the world forever? The most commonly cited parallel to the COVID-19 pandemic is the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. Both diseases are caused by viruses that had not been seen before. In both cases, no one had immunity to a highly infectious germ that was spread through respiratory droplets. Both outbreaks occurred in multiple waves o...

Attitudes about indoor air quality need to change, especially given the current pandemic that forces people to spend most of their time indoors. But addressing the pandemic through increased ventilation and better indoor air quality can be expensive. For example, the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest in the nation, has spent $6 million on HVAC upgrades and new air filters in response to the pandemic and expects to pay about $1.7 million a month for ongoing inspections and...

When a freezer failed at a medical center in Seattle, there was a mad dash to use as many of 1,600 stored doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as possible before they expired. Facing expiration at 5:30 a.m. the next day, nurses, firefighters and volunteers worked throughout the night to ensure none of the precious vaccines went to waste. Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna Vaccine freezer requirement The episode underlines the conspicuous role that refrigeration plays in distribution and delivery of...