Top HVAC Industry Trends to Expect in 2020

According to a recent trend report by Wakefield Research, as the global demand for more sustainably designed and energy-efficient buildings rises, energy costs and government regulations on energy consumption experienced a correlating increase. To achieve this vision of a greener infrastructure, the buildings involved will require updated, more efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Because heating and cooling systems consume so much energy, energy efficiency in this industry is vital to the successful design of sustainable buildings.

Here are some key findings from the Wakefield Research report on HVAC trends coming in 2020, include the following, according to Pumps & Systems magazine:

• The rise in high energy costs and government energy use regulations have led to an increase in sustainable infrastructure that features new, energy-efficient HVAC systems with new technologies, smart systems, and new power sources for those systems.
• Think zoning and variable refrigerant flow (VRF) when you think of new HVAC technologies. Both conserve energy by individually controlling the temperatures of different rooms in a building. They also control variable frequency (again, separately), which saves energy by running the smart systems at less-than-full capacity.
• New environmental- and energy-minded refrigerants are under development by industry experts.
• Smart HVAC systems include sensors, self-regulation, remote access, and integration with building controls. This empowers managers to have much more control over the energy output of their buildings.
• Renewable energy sources like solar, geothermal, and desiccant enhanced evaporative (DeVAP) are used to power the HVAC industry by making its systems more efficient and cutting down on electricity costs.

IoT and HVAC

New developments in the HVAC industry and smart home technology have made these systems more smart and IoT-capable, and, as a result, more environmentally friendly.

For example, according to Pumps & Systems, “new developments in inverter technology enable HVAC systems to operate at variable frequency, as opposed to working at peak load.” Energy is conserved because the system does not use more than is required. Additionally, advanced HVAC systems now feature smart thermostats and sensors that detect temperature, humidity, motion, and air quality throughout the monitored building.

For more information, visit wakefieldresearch.com.