Inverter technology is being incorporated into a wider range of HVAC systems, allowing the equipment to operate at lower speeds and consume less energy, which results in significant energy savings and lower carbon emissions.

Microchannel coils are lightweight, offer better heat transfer, and use less refrigerant than traditional fin-and-tube coils; however, care must be taken when charging, as even a few ounces could reduce a systems’ performance, efficiency, and reliability.

At the AHR Expo, refrigeration manufacturers displayed their latest equipment and components that are geared toward the commercial refrigeration market.

Manufacturers were eager to show off their latest energy-efficient RTUs, many of which can also be used to meet building owners’ decarbonization and electrification goals.

End users are looking for more from their systems than just reliable cooling; they also want sustainable equipment that features better energy efficiency and low-GWP solutions. Several compressor manufacturers have happily obliged.

According to Musk, “There is a clear path to a fully sustainable Earth with abundance.”

Refrigerant manufacturers highlighted their low-GWP refrigerants for both air conditioning and refrigeration applications at the 2023 AHR Expo.

The latest refrigerant transition is well underway, with the 10% cut in the production of HFC refrigerants that went into effect last year. But there are growing concerns about some of the chemicals used in certain synthetic refrigerants, such as PFAS.

At the AHR Expo, a panel of HVACR industry experts discussed the refrigerant transition and supply chain issues, as well as the labor shortage and the new efficiency standard.