HVACR News: September 2018

HEAT INDEX

DOWN: REN21's Renewables 2018 Global Status Report shows the heating and cooling sectors are lagging behind the power sector in renewable energy adoption.

UP: HVACR instrumentation company Bacharach acquires Neutronics, a leading provider of refrigerant and gas analysers.

DOWN: Research conducted by École Nationales des Ponts et Chaussées finds concentrations of microplastics, which can be harmful to health, are higher in indoor air than outdoor air.

UP: Microsoft unveils new Azure IoT technology to help expand smart buildings’ capabilities and increase process efficiencies.

UP: According to Future Market Insights, the global refrigeration and air conditioning compressors market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.1% from 2018 to 2028.

UP: The North American energy saving and performance contracting market is anticipated to increase at a CAGR of 7.34% between 2017 and 2024, according to a report by ResearchAndMarkets.

UP: HARDI has started production on a documentary to help showcase job opportunities in the HVACR industry and recruit new talent.

INDUSTRY SHAKEUPS & PROMOTIONS

Software Motor Company recently hired Paul Wickberg as executive vice president of sales. Wickberg has more than 30 years of experience in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability, which will be valuable as SMC’s Smart Switched Reluctance Motor makes its way to the market. “Paul’s executive experience, industry knowledge and network, and reputation for building successful sales teams will help us meet customers’ needs for energy efficiency, reliability, and accountability. He’s an outstanding addition to our team,” says Ryan Morris, SMC executive chairman.

Chris Peel has been promoted to president and CEO of Rheem Manufacturing Company after serving for 10 years as president and COO. Peel is also chairman of AHRI. He will take over the position from JR Jones, who served as president and CEO for a decade. “Chris has been intimately involved with Rheem’s vision and growth plans, and his guidance has helped us expand globally and strengthen our market position,” Jones says. “I am proud of his leadership and the team he has built around the world with the Rheem family of brands.”

ASHRAE recently appointed Sheila J. Hayter, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, as 2018-2019 president. While serving as president, Hayter will also continue to be a group manager at the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and serve as chair of ASHRAE’s board of directors and executive committee. Her term’s theme will be “Building Our New Energy Future,” highlighting the important role buildings play in the energy world.

CARRIER DONATES HVAC FOR NET ZERO HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HOMES

Carrier and three factory authorized dealers are donating dozens of heating and cooling systems to Habitat for Humanity’s annual Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project to celebrate the 116th anniversary of the invention of modern air conditioning. This year’s project, taking place in St. Joseph County, Indiana, will include the first four net zero energy Habitat homes in the area. The high efficiency systems provided by Carrier will enable the homes to produce as much renewable energy as they consume over the course of a year.

Two of the net zero homes will use Carrier Infinity heat pumps with Greenspeed intelligence, and the other two will use an Infinity geothermal and ductless system, respectively. The Infinity systems are the company’s most efficient and will provide high efficiency climate control that is essential to a net zero home. carrier.com

UNIVERSITY DEVELOPS A SOLAR POWERED “WATER BATTERY”

The University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia is building a giant “water battery” run by solar panels. As part of their efforts to become carbon neutral by 2025, the university is partnering with Veolia Environmental Services to build, install, and operate 5,800 rooftop solar panels and a 4.5-megaliter water storage tank to cool water for air conditioning, which is expected to be operational by early 2019.

The project is predicted to save more than 92,000 tons of CO2 emissions, reduce grid electricity use by 36%, and lead to an estimated $100 million in savings over 25 years. The project will also include an automated system that can react to changing conditions by selecting and switching between the stored chilled water, solar energy, or electricity from the grid to use the most appropriate energy source to maximize efficiency. usc.edu.au

FORGE LAB RECEIVES $140 MILLION FOR GEOTHERMAL R&D

The U.S. Department of Energy has granted the University of Utah $140 million in funding over five years to conduct geothermal research. The Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) field laboratory will be dedicated to researching enhanced geothermal systems, or manmade geothermal reservoirs.

Naturally occurring geothermal resources are limited geographically due to the necessary co-location of heat, permeability, and fluid deep underground, but manmade geothermal reservoirs can be engineered wherever hot rocks are found, giving them the potential to be utilized all over the map. energy.gov

ACCA OFFERS UPDATED EPA TEST AND STUDY MATERIALS

The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) announced the release of their updated Section 608 certification test, required by the EPA. The previous certification test was last changed decades ago, making many of the refrigerants and terms in the test outdated and irrelevant.

The new exam will better prepare contractors and technicians for new technologies in the industry today. ACCA and their partners at the Pennsylvania College of Technology will offer both the revised EPA Section 608 certification exam and the old EPA Section 608 exam through the end of 2018, as well as study materials, including a workbook, a test prep course, and practice questions. acca.org