HVAC Commercial Market

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Does brand loyalty translate to contractors’ and technicians’ preferences in HVAC tools? Perhaps there isn’t a clear-cut, black-and-white answer to that question, but contractors and technicians certainly do develop brand-name preferences, and it can be hard to change opinions once they’ve set in.

Things are changing in the chiller market — especially in regards to air-cooled models, variable frequency drives (VFDs), and refrigerants. Contractors are challenged to stay abreast of these trends in real-time.

An investment in a new chiller is not one that building owners make lightly. Owners typically need and appreciate the guidance of a knowledgeable HVAC contractor when making this purchase as there are a number of factors that go into the selection process, and not all of them are necessarily related to the actual chiller itself.

Commercial building owners and managers count on HVAC contractors to take care of their buildings in many ways. They’re expected to keep their facilities cool and comfortable, ensure their processes and procedures continue to hum along, provide quality IAQ, and, of course, maintain their equipment. On this last point, the proper maintenance of chillers takes top billing.

EGIA works closely with utility companies and the government on their energy-efficiency and renewable energy programs and manages one of the largest energy-efficiency financing programs in the country. In fact, EGIA has facilitated the financing of more than 200,000 residential and business projects valued in excess of $2.5 billion and administered over $750 million in rebate payments.

The NEWS recently sat down with Mark Handzel, vice president, product regulatory affairs, and director, HVAC commercial buildings, Xylem, to discuss the state of the pump industry and what prospective employees should know before they enter the industry.

The XCPC is a solution for solar air conditioning and industrial process heat. XCPC technology pairs a custom evacuated tube receiver with an external non-imaging reflector, which enables the collector to cost-effectively achieve temperatures of 392°F at more than 50 percent efficiency without tracking.

Where do contractors even begin when they are deciphering the options available to them in the high-efficiency arena? Are there certain types of products that are essential? Or, is each situation truly unique? To try and tackle these questions head-on, members of The NEWS’ advisory board were presented with a simple prompt: If you were to design a high-efficiency movement/ventilation equipment system, what products would you choose for the job and why?

In March, Trump released his preliminary 2018 budget proposal detailing several changes to the way the federal government spends money. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is one of many government departments being targeted.

OEMs are striving to improve efficiencies at all costs and seeking ways to offer better options and improved solutions to consumers. However, in the blower marketplace, tightening global regulations are forcing manufacturers to create products that cater to highly-specific consumer needs based upon different requirements in different regions.