What Are The Latest Breakthroughs In HVAC Technology?

Please welcome back Jane Marsh with her 17th article appearing here on the 21st Century Tech Blog. Jane is an environmental journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Environment.co.

As climate change produces hotter summers everywhere, retreating from the heat to cool places indoors is no longer nice to have, but rather a necessity. That’s why understanding where HVAC technology is headed is important to consumers who are looking to make the necessary investment in cooling systems whether you are a homeowner, designing and building multi-residential apartments and condominiums, or operating a business. 

Energy professionals and HVAC specialists have to keep up with countless changes in their field. Consumers are demanding technologies that use less energy, and governments are implementing policies that are more ethical and sustainable and designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change. Are there enough new HVAC technologies and innovative ideas in the pipeline to meet these goals? The following represent the most notable trends disrupting the industry.

Integrating Tech Peripherals

Buzzwords like Industry 5.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT) permeate HVAC conversations like they do almost all industries. This includes discourse around big data and artificial intelligence. Smart deployment of these assets leads to monumental breakthroughs in HVAC performance, customer service and product development. HVAC markets are projected to grow 6.7% from 2024 to 2029 due to advancing smart home and data analytics trends.

Digitizing HVAC benefits end users, manufacturers and installers in diverse ways. Customers enjoy using tools like smart thermostats and air quality monitors to understand their home’s performance, boosting electrical literacy. Robust user interfaces help clients communicate with businesses to address efficiency issues and preventive maintenance.

Additionally, HVAC researchers and makers can gather analytics from machine learning
algorithms and live HVAC performance from connected customers. This leads to more precise determinations from AI systems, which can inform future design choices, alert them to shifts in market trends and perform competitive research.

These technologies are only becoming more proficient with expanded capabilities as
investments surge and intrigue mounts. Some include:

• Motion-activated heating and cooling
• Remote maintenance
• Sustainability reporting
• Demand response
• Automated controls based on occupant behavior

Renewable HVAC and Electrification

Solar used to be prohibitively expensive, but it was 29% less costly than the cheapest fossil fuel in 2022. Reductions and increased accessibility have made solar HVAC a promising, widespread solution. For places with intermittent exposure, hybrid systems are another emerging market that provides comfort without inconsistency.

Additionally, more regions are unearthing the potential of geothermal heating and cooling. Heat pump sales are expanding in the U.S. because of available tax credits. This was the starting narrative of solar before prices were regulated and tech was more accessible. Breakthroughs in this realm of HVAC also depend on momentum in geothermal technologies.

Electrified HVAC systems will be a hot product in the coming years. More households and
businesses want to reduce energy consumption, and switching to renewables is one of the most straightforward and effective ways.

Reimagined Refrigerant and Flow Systems

Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) and hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) coolants were the go-to
refrigerants for decades until the Environmental Protection Agency ruled them dangerous for people and the planet. Guidance suggests reducing HFC production and consumption by 85% before 2036 to gradually reduce reliance on these environmentally dangerous chemicals and find alternatives.

Some natural refrigerants that lost popularity to HFCs are making a comeback. Examples include:

• Air
• Ammonia
• Carbon dioxide
• Hydrocarbons

These scalable, cleaner options are becoming preferred to destructive HFCs, even though the latter is what professionals got used to using. All of them are inching back into market relevance because new systems using them are demonstrating higher coefficients of performance. The mindset adjustment is a breakthrough because it shows a priority shift.

Variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems support greener goals and eco-conscious options. They are breakthrough tools leveraging novel inverter-driven compressors and expanded control systems. A case study of an office building using VRF showed a reduced power consumption of up to 80.12% and 14.98% lower electricity bills using demand response.

Good News for Fans of HVAC Progress

The industry is surprisingly adaptable, given current market demands. These
advancements are optimistic insights into the sector’s future for becoming more sustainable and encouraging upgraded building codes.

HVAC managers, stakeholders and contractors must stay in tune with what leading competitors use, what academics say and how governments regulate. Balancing every insight will lead to decarbonized, efficient equipment for the planet.