Launching a brand new technology is a lot like raising a child. The first steps are exciting and sometimes painful, but before you know it they are off and running and all of the hard work and discipline begins to pay off.  As the technology develops and matures, you get a sense of accomplishment watching the horizon expand with new talents and the discovery of new opportunities.

Everyone at Emerson Climate Technologies is proud of how far Copeland Scroll has come in its first 20 years. But as we reflect on scroll’s launch, its market acceptance and global expansion, we’re much prouder of what this technology evolution has meant to our customers and the industry as a whole. Thinking back to 1987 when the U.S. unitary market was predominantly 8 SEER, our scroll product lineup consisted of one technology platform and five models. Today the market is 13 SEER or higher, with scroll technology penetrating more than two-thirds of those residential systems. We have multiple platforms and over 1,000 models ranging from one to 30 horsepower with Copeland Scrolls up and running in nearly 60 million installations worldwide.

Scroll technology has opened up a world of differentiation opportunities for manufacturers, supporting the development of better, higher-value systems. Because of its unique characteristics, the technology is also delivering great value in many new applications – not only in our traditional HVACR segments, but in the transportation, medical, cryogenic, computing and oil and gas industries.

Just as the U.S. market has steadily taken big steps up in efficiency, we’re now seeing other parts of the world move in the same direction - places like China, India and Eastern Europe. If you look across the global marketplace, as an industry we have elevated efficiency standards by a significant amount. So while it’s exciting to mark this important milestone for Copeland Scroll, we’re not stopping here.

With energy and the environment both becoming key issues as we look to the future, you can count on Emerson Climate Technologies to be there with the technology, expertise and support to answer the challenge. We are tapping into the minds of some of the world’s best engineers to keep Copeland Scroll ahead of the curve and pioneering new ways to improve efficiency. We will continue to make significant investments in scroll product development, and as our customers globalize, we will be there with engineering and manufacturing resources to support product designs that meet the exact requirements of any given country or region of the world.

The biggest rewards for the industry are still in front of us. New levels of performance are resulting from modulation, electronics and smart, communicating HVACR systems. Yet, as the equipment becomes more advanced in terms of features and functionality, it will still be relatively easy to install and service.  System efficiency and reliability will increase, delivering superior comfort and greater value to homeowners and end-users.  We have projected what this could mean for the OEM, the wholesaler and contractor, and we believe the opportunities are huge for everyone in the industry.

On behalf of Emerson, I would like to thank our customers and channel partners for making Copeland Scroll’s first 20 years so successful.  Here’s looking forward to the next 20 years.

Publication date: 11/12/2007