Move over traditional boilers and water heaters - there’s a new kid in town that can do both your jobs in a much smaller space. Who is this wunderkind? The tankless water heater, which is now being paired with hydronic air handlers in order to provide space heating and endless domestic hot water (DHW) in residential applications.

In the last few years, sales of high-efficiency boilers have increased dramatically, compounding the need for highly trained technicians who have an excellent understanding of hydronics, electrical systems, and electronics. That’s because today’s high-efficiency boilers require more complex piping and a need to understand advanced controls, so ongoing training is more important than ever.

The Department of Energy estimates that most energy recovery ventilation systems can recover about 70 to 80 percent of the energy in the exiting air of a home or business and deliver that energy to the incoming air, thus reducing the cost of ventilation.

Today’s advanced thermostats include numerous benefits and are also significantly more expensive than the round thermostats of yore, which make them a profitable add-on to any system sale. However, contractors should be aware that there are many different types of communicating thermostats on the market.

One of the best ways to add a few more dollars to each sale, according to many contractors, is to offer zoning to customers whenever it makes sense. Houses with two or more floors are prime candidates, as are homes in which customers complain that certain rooms are too hot or too cold.

Hard-wired building automation systems (BAS) have long been used to optimize the performance of mechanical systems in commercial and industrial facilities. However, they can be somewhat inflexible. Enter the wireless BAS, which experts say can be installed easily and cost-effectively during new construction or even after a building is completed.

Offering solar energy systems to customers is a natural progression for HVAC contractors, said Greg Gill, president and CEO, Action Air Conditioning, Heating, and Solar, San Marcos, Calif. “Unlike a solar-only contractor who sells equipment based on existing demand, we’re able to take the whole-house approach.”

Roger Findley has offered hybrid heating and cooling systems - a fossil fuel furnace combined with an electric heat pump - for years, even though natural gas prices in his area have remained relatively inexpensive. As oil and propane prices have crept up over time, though, he’s found that more customers are interested in hybrid systems.

Designing green features into a new structure is a far easier process than renovating an existing home with green elements. But this was the challenge that was undertaken by Residential Energy Assessment Services Inc. (REAS), Los Angeles, which recently unveiled its green residential remodel project located in Studio City, Calif.

Air filters have come a long way over the years. Not that long ago, homeowners had few options when it came to selecting mechanical air filters. Now there are a wide variety of filters available that are better able to capture airborne particles such as dust, pollen, dust mite allergens, some molds, and animal dander.