The HVAC arena changed after Hurricane Katrina hit Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and parts of Florida. Other hurricanes followed, like Rita and Wilma, making the situation worse. Katrina, however, leveled a brand-new playing field with her category four fury.
It has been a long road to 13 SEER for the HVAC industry. The 13 SEER exit is fast approaching, and with less than 30 days to go, it's time to get in, sit down, shut up, and hang on.
At the Heating, Airconditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) 2006 Annual Fall Conference, Bill Shaw, 2005-06 president, told attendees that the year was spent working to expand relations with all industry organizations in North America and Europe.
The year 2006 proved to be busy for the HVAC industry. Big changes took place as the 13 SEER mandate took effect. Rising energy costs shifted the declining a/c unitary market to a rising heat pump market. And, multiple foreign players began their bid for significance in the U.S. HVACR industry.
A contractor trying to better understand Big Box stores and do-it-yourselfers might be interested in knowing that there is a trade association for such places and folks, and it has just marked its 25th year.
The HVAC market reflected the rises and falls in the various construction sectors. Commercial HVAC heated up this year, while residential HVAC cooled down later in 2006.
Increasingly, homeowners chose to have heat pumps installed in their houses. Improved heat pump minimum efficiencies, fuel savings, and the practicality of installing them in areas that don’t have gas lines were among the reasons heat pump sales rose this year.
The issue of refrigeration equipment efficiencies is still a work in progress, at least until 2010. There are questions about less-efficient equipment already in the distribution pipeline. While California has testing procedures set up, questions were raised this year as to how other states, and the federal government will certify equipment as meeting certain standards.
A skilled worker shortage in the United States is expected to be a continuing trend. Some companies in various industries turn to hiring illegal immigrants. This spring, the issue came into the forefront of national consciousness and people on different sides of that issue voiced their opinions. Another worker trend is more women entering the HVACR industry.
New technology ruled the day in 2006. The race to keep up with the latest and greatest not only affected the general market substantially, but also began profoundly affecting the HVAC market.
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