Carrier Corp. unveiled its newest residential heat pump during the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Conference and Indoor Air Expo - and now can boast the industry’s highest air-source Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) of up to 13. The cooling efficiency of up to 20 SEER is certainly no slouch either, but the HSPF was the real news.

One of the most common HVAC technologies - common to people inside the trade - is variable speed. Although most HVAC people know its definition and how it affects equipment performance, chances are that most customers have limited or no understanding of how it affects the equipment in their basement or attic.

Service Experts announced that it is helping consumers save energy by offering a new program, allowing them to upgrade old, inefficient heating and air conditioning systems for as low as $99 per month. With this program, homeowners can purchase a new Lennox® high-efficiency system to replace their older HVAC equipment.

Emerson Climate Technologies marked a milestone in December 2010 when the 150,000th Copeland Scroll digital compressor was shipped to the marine container industry. Emerson shipped its first scroll digital compressor for refrigerated seagoing containers in 2002, and now builds the compressors in two facilities worldwide.

The HVAC landscape is changing now, as the tax credits have been reduced, the economy is still recovering, and prices on equipment keep increasing. Add in declining home values and higher-than-normal levels of unemployment, and many contractors are facing larger challenges when it comes to selling high-efficiency units.

As HVAC products get more and more efficient, the logical question is what level will they top off at? The laws of physics can limit the efficiency levels of air-source heating and cooling equipment. The laws of economics also come into play, as the cost for each incremental escalation in efficiency can substantially increase the cost of the equipment.

We all create our own individual histories every day. At the same time, we become part of a larger history. With that in mind, we asked a few industry colleagues what the most significant changes were that they have witnessed in the HVACR industry.

This is a product round-up for new high-efficiency systems for light commercial and commercial applications. It highlights a variety of rooftop units and air handlers.

Americans continue to misunderstand phrases commonly used in environmental marketing and advertising, giving products a greater halo than they may deserve. At the same time, most Americans are willing to punish a company for using misleading claims, according to the 2011 Cone Green Gap Trend Tracker, by Cone LLC.

The University of Texas Arlington has commissioned two new high-efficiency chillers that will serve the main campus cooling loop and provide projected annual energy savings of nearly $200,000.