New Technology Featured at Engineering Trade Show
A great place to get an idea of what technologies are becoming important to both homeowners and service contractors is the AHR Show held in Orlando Florida this week. This year over 800 companies from all over the world displayed new or important technologies to an estimated 25,000 attending engineers, building professionals, and plumbing, heating, and air conditioning contractors.
A few years ago new technology made tankless water heaters a terrific new choice for reducing the energy consumed by domestic water heating. At the show this year over a dozen companies displayed tankless water heating products and it’s clear that this technology is here to stay.
Mini-split heat pumps are also a prominent trend. A number of manufacturers displayed inverter based multi-zone heat pump systems that offer unparalleled flexibility and operating performance. Manufacturers represented included a number of Chinese manufacturers joined by better know brands such as Fujitsu, LG, and Daiken. After looking at the capabilities of these systems you might wonder if US HVAC manufacturers will suffer a similar fate as the North American auto industry when facing Japanese imports starting in the late 1970’s.
A related new product segment seemed to emerge this year: heat pump water heaters. This year Rheem, Ruud, and General Electric have all introduced residential heat pump water heaters. They join existing niche manufacturers such as Air Generate and Geyser. At the AHR show this year eight displays featured packaged heat pump water heaters made in China.
Heat pump water heaters use electricity to move heat from one place to another instead of generating heat directly. Therefore, they can be two to three times more energy efficient than conventional electric resistance water heaters. To move the heat, heat pumps work like a refrigerator in reverse.
Heat pump water heater models currently sold in the US are Energy Star and qualify for the current Federal Energy Tax Credits.
