WESTPORT, Conn. - Submissions are now being accepted for the fifth annual International Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) Innovation Awards Program. The competition is designed to encourage the development of new products that are both creative and useful, meet today's HVACR demands, and feature new technology that will have a significant impact on the residential, commercial, or industrial markets.

Sponsored by International Exposition Co. (IEC), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), and the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), the competition also seeks out products and solutions that meet today's complex energy challenges, offer innovative design, provide value, and have useful applications.

The panel of judges is made up of ASHRAE members who are knowledgeable about a wide variety of products. There are nine product categories: building automation, cooling, green building, heating, IAQ, refrigeration, software, tools and instruments, and ventilation.

In addition to recognizing product innovation, the award program entry fees will be used to benefit local HVACR students in the Dallas area, where the 2007 AHR Expo is being held.

"The AHR Expo Innovation Awards program has a positive impact on the HVACR industry," said Clay Stevens, president of IEC. "It calls attention to how successful manufacturers have been at turning new technology into useful and highly efficient products."

Winners of the awards will be recognized at a ceremony held during the AHR Expo, Jan. 29-31, 2007. They will also receive placards to display at their booths, plus an etched crystal award to be displayed at their company's headquarters. The ASHRAE Journal will also feature a special section on the winners.

The competition is open only to products that will be displayed at the 2007 AHR Expo and have not won a previous Innovation Award. Previous honorable mention winners can be submitted again. All entries must be received by Sept. 25, 2006. For more information, go to www.ahrexpo.com/innovationawards. Winners will be notified in November 2006.

Publication date: 09/18/2006