PHOENIX - More than 350 commercial controls contractors and distributors gathered at the Arizona Biltmore recently to attend Honeywell’s Momentum Conference. The annual event serves as an energy, environmental, and economic idea exchange for those who provide the building industry with HVAC, security, video, and intrusion products and solutions.

Those participating in the three-day event were able to attend informative workshops, industry forums, and networking events, as well as a tradeshow that highlighted Honeywell’s numerous product introductions.

CONFERENCE KICK-OFF

Dave Molin, general manager, Honeywell Building Control Systems, kicked off the conference by providing an upbeat forecast, noting that the company has doubled its business in the last seven years, and growth is two times that of the industry average. Going forward, he stressed that the company would continue to focus on organic growth, technology differentiation, and expansion of products and services.

Joe Puishys, president, Honeywell Environmental and Combustion Controls (ECC), which includes homes, buildings, combustion, water, and electrical devices and systems, noted that the macro trends that will affect the industry include energy costs, the green movement, legislation, comfort/convenience/health, and maintenance costs. “Fortunately, Honeywell has the solution for whatever ails the patient,” he joked.

Keynote speaker, Zachary Karabell, president, River Twice Research, provided an analysis of global economics, noting that due to explosive growth in areas such as China, India, and Brazil, the global supply chain will come under increased pressure over the next 10 years. “This will put intense pressure on businesses because costs are going up, but it will not be possible to raise prices because consumers are still struggling. This can result in reduced profits.”

To combat this scenario, Karabell stated that contractors need to focus on helping businesses utilize their resources more effectively. “This will be an incredible growth opportunity because every business is going to have to become more efficient. Contractors can help businesses think more creatively and find ways to work with fewer resources so that they can become more profitable.”

This theme dovetailed nicely with the subsequent presentation on the Smart Grid, which was given by Dan Sheflin, chief technology officer, Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions. “Buildings consume 40 percent of all energy, and building controls affect electricity consumption, so this is a terrific business opportunity for contractors.”

Sheflin noted that moving to a Smart Grid will help close the widening gap between supply and peak demand. “The Smart Grid will become more complex, but it will create more opportunities. Especially in the area of commercial automated demand response, which will be utilized to increase energy efficiency and encourage conservation.”

CHOOSE YOUR TRACK

The breakout sessions at the Momentum Conference included three different “tracks,” which were designed to address the hot topics that affect contractors every day. In the technical track, Honeywell experts focused on the ins and outs of various products, including Spyder®, Zio®, and Venom applications. The business track revolved around sales and marketing tactics to help improve sales and increase profits, while the energy track focused on how contractors can be more profitable by helping customers save energy.

To address that last topic, Jerry Borchardt, strategic marketing manager, and Larry Andriunas, energy and environmental sales leader, provided an overview of Honeywell’s new program-under-development, Energy and Environmental Optimization (EEO). Borchardt explained that the confluence of energy awareness, cost, and volatility, along with legislative mandates and incentives is resulting in an unprecedented opportunity for contractors.

“Our job is to show customers how to be energy efficient,” said Borchardt, which is exactly what EEO is intended to do. EEO centers on the lifecycle process and is basically a toolset for contractors to use in order to provide reliable, cost-effective energy solutions for building owners.

The lifecycle process has six phases, including prospecting, assessment, modeling, proposal, implementation, and management. Honeywell expects to roll out the program early next year in order to help EEO-certified contractors become effective energy consultants who can deliver a wide-range of energy solutions.

NEW PRODUCTS

Five key new products were rolled out at Momentum, including Spyder Tool 5.0. This tool is designed to improve workflow which allows contractors to save time and lower job costs. Product manager Levi Geadelmann explained that recent advancements in efficiencies allow the tool to work much faster than before. “For example, opening a wiresheet used to take 240 seconds, and now it takes five. To download an application, it used to take four or five minutes, now it only takes one minute.”

An application-specific controller was also introduced, which is similar to the XL 10, but better, according to commercial contractor sales representative, Geoff Bridges. “Based on the Spyder hardware, the new controllers are offered with pre-defined applications, so contractors don’t have to design applications from scratch. In addition, the controllers are LonMark 3.4 certified and can be used on a WEB-201.”

New enhancements to Zio were introduced, with product marketing manager Bill Bray explaining that the wall module now has increased memory and is password protected in the contractor mode. “In addition, it is now possible to access the schedule block in Spyder, and users can program for either seven or 5-2 day scheduling, just like a standard thermostat.”

The next product introduced was the C-bus driver software option, which enables integration of Excel 5000 controllers into a WEBs-AX™ system based on Tridium’s Niagara Framework. Sales manager Vince Kelly explained that the new C-bus driver is a great retrofit opportunity and provides automatic discovery of controllers, as well as fully functional proxy points.

Last, but not least, came the introduction of JADE™, an economizer that uses outdoor air to cool and ventilate an indoor space. Simple to install, JADE does not require a certified programmer or installer to set up or operate, saving money and time for users. Senior product manager Adrienne Thomle noted that JADE is a low-cost, energy-saving control that reduces overall installed cost, is expandable for any application, and is a tremendous service replacement opportunity. “When installed and maintained properly, JADE can reduce energy costs as much as 40 percent, depending on geographic region and building usage.”

With a focus on reducing energy costs for end users, Honeywell equipped Momentum attendees with all the knowledge necessary to go out and offer solutions to customers.

Publication date: 06/27/2011