Industry Trends: Ductless in the Driver's Seat
The NEWS regularly surveys its readers to get their take on industry topics ranging from standards and regulations to certification and the technician shortage. The results of our March poll on industry trends are interesting, if not surprising. The NEWS readers reported the growing acceptance of ductless in North America as the No. 1 trend they are seeing, earning 34 percent of the survey's votes.
Seeing as how I just finished a series of stories about the growing ductless market, I find it particularly compelling to see others recognizing the same trend. According to Navigant Research, by 2020, ductless systems will account for nearly 30 percent of all energy-efficient HVAC systems revenue. More and more manufacturers are adding ductless to their product lines. And, thanks to new technologies, ductless is expanding into new markets, like the Midwest. (Look for these stories in The NEWS on April 27).
Following the ductless trend were greater use of smart thermostats by consumers (18 percent), air-source heat pump market on the rise (15 percent), and increase use of smart controls in the commercial market (14 percent). Click here to see the complete poll results or, to participate in the current poll on global warming, visit www.achrnews.com/polls.
Looking for quick answers on air conditioning, heating and refrigeration topics? Try Ask ACHR NEWS, our new smart AI search tool. Ask ACHR NEWS