The winds of change are blowing across the U.S., and nowhere is that more evident than in the commercial boiler market. Manufacturers have spent considerable time researching and developing new technologies in order to be able to offer cutting edge commercial boilers that feature high-efficiency performance, increased fuel savings, superior control, and low emissions.

Some heating and cooling contractors don’t buy into the current green trend, which frequently promises clear skies and verdant plains to anyone who buys the right products. But the truth is, many contractors are already a little green, even if they don’t want to admit it.

Every contractor loves the routine maintenance call that ends in a significant sale. It recently happened to Chad and Randall Scott, owners, Scott Brothers Heating and Air, Fleetwood, N.C. The difference in their situation is that comfort consultant Chris Young first sat down and explained several different heating and cooling options.

It is no surprise that swimming pools are popular in Phoenix. While cooling off and relaxing are the main advantages to owning a pool, there is now potentially another benefit to having that hole in the ground: Energy savings achieved through a renewable energy source.

Since the dawn of time, salespeople have been trying to figure out what factors make consumers part with their cash and actually buy a particular product. Is it special features? Is it price? Is it need? Is it because their next-door neighbors have it, and they want it, too? The same is true in the HVAC industry.

Credit conditions have been far from ideal for the last year or so, as both borrowing and lending have decreased due to the ailing economy. The credit crunch has been of particular concern to the HVAC industry, which relies heavily on financing in order to sell new heating and cooling systems.

Based on EPA estimates, the projected servicing needs in the United States for the air conditioning and refrigeration sector will face an imminent shortfall if the recycle and reclaim rate does not increase to 20 percent. Industry estimates for 2007 point to a reclaim rate of only 5-7 percent.

If the rising costs of energy over the last few years haven’t been enough to get your customers interested in finding ways to cut their utility bills, here’s something that might. President Obama would like to implement a cap-and-trade plan that includes cutting greenhouse gas emissions 83 percent below 2005 levels by 2050. Experts agree this would result in significantly higher energy costs.

Interest in renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power is growing, due to the higher cost of fossil fuels as well as the new administration on Capitol Hill. This trend is also benefiting another renewable energy source - geothermal - that is growing in popularity in both residential and commercial markets.

Our own panel of “mythbusters” agreed to dispel some of the most common rumors about R-410A. Jeff Goss, product manager, Bryant Heating & Cooling Systems, and Ron Vogl, marketing manager, Honeywell Genetron Refrigerants, help clear up the confusion surrounding R-410A.