Latest trends in HVACR

With approximately 80 percent of exhibitors reporting that they will introduce new or recently enhanced technology, the International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition ( AHR Expo ) exemplifies the industry’s push for efficiency and innovation. The 2017 show, Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, is at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“It’s exciting to see such enthusiasm around the rebounding North American building and construction industry and subsequent growth in demand for the latest evolution of products, technologies and services the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) industry has to offer,” said Clay Stevens, president of International Exposition Company, the AHR Expo’s management company. “With this resurgence, a spirit of ingenuity and creativity has flourished among HVACR manufacturers, and we’re pleased to present the venue at which the results of this will be displayed for 2017.”

By and large, innovations to be unveiled at the 2017 AHR Expo echo several major trends driven by the growing construction market, both in North America and the world. These themes include:

Green building as a standard of design, reflected in new, ultra-efficient equipment, monitoring and sensing tools, and building information modeling methods that help achieve notable energy savings and ensure reliable, efficient, long-term mechanical system operation
A rapidly returning residential construction market, answered via the introduction of numerous heating, cooling and ventilation products specifically designed for residential applications and user-friendly homeowner operation
Strong focus on remodeling and renovation as seen across new product and system solutions designed specifically for installation in smaller and/or logistically challenging, existing spaces
Increasing pre-fabricated/offsite construction methods, reflected in modular equipment with multiple installation configurations and more compact footprints
Skilled labor shortages, addressed by several new tools and other resources that streamline mechanical system installations and repairs

The response from manufacturers to these and other market demands can be seen across numerous innovations on display at the AHR Expo.

Air conditioning & refrigeration

Demand for even greater energy efficiency from air conditioning and refrigeration equipment is a consistent trend that continues into 2017, especially with continued growth in the commercial construction market. Flexible, modular and ductless cooling solutions, including those with smaller footprints and ideal for retrofit and general residential applications, also remain in high demand.

Building automation & control

As demand for data acquisition, and the crucially related controls that collect it, has remained strong as a means for most efficiently employing building automation and information system data, innovation has continued to follow. Over the past year, software and control system developers have remained hard at work in further elevating the power of building automation and will bring an array of technologies to the market in 2017.

Many solutions have been engineered around BACnet – a data communication protocol for building automation and control networks developed under the auspices of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. BACnet provides a foundation of consistency and quality that streamlines the integration of building automation and control systems and has become an internationally recognized standard, including by the International Organization for Standardization.

Instruments & controls

Instrumentation and related controls remain critical for the success of in-field mechanical systems personnel – from ensuring reliable long-term equipment operation, to monitoring and troubleshooting equipment functions. Whether integrated within a larger product or system or used independently, HVACR instruments and controls are now relied upon in greater and more crucial ways, particularly as mechanical equipment becomes more technically sophisticated.

A selection of new instruments and controls to be exhibited includes:

A compact-footprint gas ignition control for next-generation, gas-fired appliances
128-channel input gas detector with flexible analog/digital/wireless transmitter combinations, data logging, touchscreen display, alarm, four SPDT relays, an extensive password-protected menu and enhanced logic control
The industry’s first data logger to record and transmit carbon dioxide (CO2) data wirelessly to devices with Bluetooth technology, setting a new standard for CO2
A calorimetric flow sensor to measure and monitor flow velocities of aqueous media, operating without any moving parts and featuring a color-changing LED display (to indicate thresholds), analog or switching output, nominal pressure up to 25 bar, and simple startup with a micro USB interface and optional setup program

More on AHR Expo 2017

In addition to the exhibition, AHR Expo offers a lineup of educational opportunities for professional development. For general information or to register, visit http://ahrexpo.com.