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With more than 1,800 exhibits, dozens of product presentations, and hundreds of educational sessions on topics from A2Ls to net zero, HVACR distributors will find plenty to do at the AHR Expo in Chicago.

The 2024 Expo is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 22, through Wednesday, Jan. 24, at McCormick Place, a lakefront convention center a short distance from Chicago’s Loop. Registrations are free through Saturday, Jan. 20.

The Expo is being held in conjunction with the ASHRAE Winter Conference, which begins Jan. 20

The Expo, which was first held in 1930, typically draws a diverse crowd of HVACR professionals, from technicians who install and service heating and cooling systems to manufacturing employees who design and build those products to the executives who run startups, international conglomerates, and companies of all sizes in between.

For distributors, the Expo is a place to meet peers in different facets of the industry, as well as contractor customers, and have a peek at new products and technology, said Allison Greene, marketing director at Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI).

The event is also a place to get people in the industry on the same page, Greene said.

“Alignment is the key,” Greene said. “Having contractor companies, distributors, and suppliers all under one roof and participating in the same conversations will give HVACR distribution companies an opportunity to hear how information is being received and interpreted by all industry players, thus giving them the context they need to better understand the role they play in helping strengthen the channel.”

The ACHR NEWS spoke recently with people at three manufacturers about what their companies will have on view at AHR. Each is planning an exhibit that offers paths toward some of the most urgent industry goals, such as improving IAQ, saving energy, reducing carbon emissions, and moving away from equipment that burns fossil fuels.

Here’s what they told us about some of the products visitors to AHR can expect to see:

Navien

HYDRO-FURNACE: Navien’s NPF Hydro-furnace comes in an upflow model, left, which is available now, and a horizontal-flow model, expected to be available in February. (Courtesy of Navien Inc.)

Navien Inc., which started in 2006 by making condensing tankless water heaters, released its first HVAC product, the NPF Hydro-furnace, in 2023. The NPF is a forced-air furnace with a 97% annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating, supply and return air temperature sensors, and an electronically commutated motor (ECM). The NPF can operate at between 15% and 100% of capacity, can be fueled either with natural gas or propane, and is dual-fuel compatible with an Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute-matched heat pump. The NPF comes in two sizes, 60,000 Btuh and 100,000 Btuh.

Navien product management director David Hoskyn said the company’s Expo display will reflect decarbonization efforts “at every level,” and that, in addition to the Hydro-furnace and future additions to that line, the company will show off new commercial products and residential water-heating products.

“Navien is ready to embrace the coming changes with products that address market trends, such as a shift in fuel sources,” Hoskyn said. “We will be launching electric products in the near future, along with enhancing our existing gas products to stay relevant in the market.”

Johnson Controls

SUN PRO: A York Sun Pro heat-pump rooftop unit, which the manufacturer says is designed for the changeover to lower-GWP refrigerants. The Sun Pro uses R-454B refrigerant. (Courtesy of Johnson Controls Inc.)

“The focus on healthy air, climate change, and sustainability has driven significant innovations across all sectors,” said David Budzinski, president of the Global Residential and Light Commercial division at Johnson Controls Inc. “Expo-goers will see this reflected in the equipment, technologies, and education shared from Johnson Controls during AHR.”

Among the products the company plans to display are:

• The York Sun Pro heat-pump rooftop unit (RTU), which, Budzinski said, is designed for the refrigerant changeover and features hot gas reheat and refrigerant leak detector for low-GWP R-454B refrigerant.
• The York YVWH water-to-water dual variable-speed screw heat pump, the first screw heat pump in North America to use the ultra-low R-1234ze refrigerant. Budzinski said the York YVWH is a good fit for both indoor comfort applications and process heating.
• A hybrid residential system that pairs a 15.2 SEER2-rated York YH5 heat pump with a high-efficiency Y92E two-stage furnace in order to “achieve precise home comfort while minimizing energy use — and costs,” according to Budzinski.

Rheem

AWARD-WINNER: The Rheem Triton Light Duty commercial water heater, available in 50- and 75-gallon sizes, won a 2023 Edison Award. (Courtesy of Rheem Manufacturing Co.)

Rheem Manufacturing Co. will be displaying both HVAC and water-heating products at the Expo, including some that have recently won awards.

“We’re going to definitely spend time on products that are driving the decarbonization initiative,” said Kim Albrecht, director of marketing and training in the air-conditioning division.

Rheem’s Triton Light Duty commercial water heater, available in 50- and 75-gallon sizes, was among the winners of the 2024 AHR Innovation Awards, for example. The Triton has built-in smart monitoring and leak detection and boasts a thermal efficiency of up to 97%, the company said.

AHR will honor the Innovation Award winners, and announce an overall Product of the Year, at a private reception during the Expo.

The Rheem Renaissance commercial unit, available in sizes from three tons to 25 tons, will also be on display. The 15- to 25-ton Renaissance models, which won a 2023 Edison Award, are the only commercial packaged units in the industry with interlaced indoor and outdoor MicroChannel coils, which offer increased durability and reduce the refrigerant charge required, the company said.

Rheem will also be showing off its ProTerra plug-in water heater — also an Edison Award winner — an Energy Star-certified heat-pump water heater that can be plugged into a household outlet and can eliminate the need for an electrical panel upgrade, the company said.

“As a manufacturer, because we have both air and water products, we want to focus on how we can become one ideal partner with infinite possibilities” for residential applications as well as educational and hospitality facilities, Albrecht said.

Educational Sessions

HARDI CEO Talbot Gee will be among the panelists for the Expo’s State of the Industry discussion, scheduled for 10-11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, in Room E350. The other panelists are ASHRAE president Ginger Scoggins, National Comfort Institute president and CEO Dominick Guarino, AHRI president Steven Yurek, Association for Smarter Homes & Buildings CEO Greg Walker, and HVACRschool.com host Bryan Orr, who will moderate the discussion.

Distributors may also be interested in these educational sessions:

• Refrigerant transition: 1-2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22, Room S403a. Chris Forth, vice president of regulatory, codes and environmental affairs at Johnson Controls, will talk about how distributors, contractors, and homeowners can prepare for the transition to low-GWP refrigerants.
• Smart buildings: 1-2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22, Room S404bc. Dave Robin of BSC Softworks and Nate Benes, director of operational technology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will speak on securing smart buildings with BACnet Secure Connect (BACnet/SC).
• Braving headwinds: 4-5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, Room S402a. Zachary Perge, vice president of distribution strategies at HARDI, will discuss how distributors can maintain profitability despite regulatory challenges.