Nextac PTAC Unit Wins AHR 2024 Product of the Year
Innovation Awards winner by Ephoca aims to disrupt the status quo
Each year, out of thousands of HVACR products exhibited on the show floor at AHR Expo and dozens of products featured in the AHR Innovation Awards, one single outstanding piece is chosen to be AHR’s Product of the Year. This year, that award goes to Nextac by Ephoca, the winner of the Innovation Awards Heating category.
Dubbed “the next generation of PTAC,” the reimagined PTAC unit was picked from new HVAC products across 10 unique categories. AHR Expo hosts the annual contest, and winners were selected by a panel of third-party ASHRAE member judges who evaluated each award entry based on overall innovative design, creativity of the product or service offered, product or technology’s real-world application, and overall potential market impact.
The winners of the Innovation Awards were initially announced in late 2023 and were later showcased at the AHR Expo, held at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois on January 22-24, 2024. This year’s Innovation Award winners’ celebration took place on Monday, the first day of the Expo, in Room N426c at 4:30 p.m.
Ephoca’s product is a completely reimagined and reengineered PTAC, said Yehuda Fulda, general manager at Ephoca. The company has over 61 patent-pending innovations that make significant strides in energy efficiency for PTACs.
“Innovation is really important because our resources for power are really limited,” he said. “Unless we get better efficiency on PTACs, which are so dominant in the market, we’re going to have major problems in the future.”
According to the company’s video on the AHR Innovation Awards page, Ephoca's Nextac “transforms the PTAC into a tour-de-force of total comfort control.” R32, twin rotary inverter compressor, heat pump performance to -10°F, integrated ERV, MERV 13, zero air leakage, self-cleaning coils, 27 dB(A) operations, STC of 40, sleek, all-metal, paintable cabinet. No drain is required for cooling or heating.
“For many years, PTACs have seen minimal advancement,” Ephoca explained. “Often considered a ‘cheap, low-end’ product, installers have favored them for their affordability and ease of installation. However, those living with PTACs in their homes have endured poor performance with no better options to fit existing sleeves. Nextac aims to disrupt this status quo with this new high-efficiency and quality PTAC by compelling manufacturers to enhance their PTAC lineup, making them more efficient, aesthetically pleasing, and adding more insulation for quieter operation and a better seal.”
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The winning companies were celebrated on-site at an award ceremony the afternoon of January 22.
“There’s no shortage of innovation in HVACR right now,” said Mark Stevens, AHR show manager. “To be recognized as an award winner is a true honor and an indication that we as an industry are responding to real problems with creative solutions. The Innovation Awards aim to highlight this innovation trajectory and celebrate those that are pushing the bar.”
See Nextac at booth #S9914 at the AHR Expo in Chicago.
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