HANNOVER, Germany — When the International Trade Fair for Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, and Ventilation (IKK) first started 22 years ago, it was most decidedly a refrigeration show. After all, that was what was needed to keep everything from foods to medical supplies useable over long periods of time.
Air conditioning was mainly a matter for human comfort, more popular in the United States than Europe. But today air conditioning is a major part of the hvacr equation in Europe. In residential applications, it is still mainly mini-splits. But commercial and industrial segments are seeing more and more complex systems, and IKK is paying more and more attention to the topic. Here is a summary of some of what was shown at the most recent show.