Issue link: https://te.mouser.com/i/1478952
SUSTAINABILITY, RELIABILITY & EFFICIENCY: A LOOK INTO TODAY'S TRENDS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR HVAC Sustainability, Reliability & Efficiency A Look into Today's Trends and Opportunities for HVAC 6 Design Challenges With the HVAC industry primed for both residential and commercial growth, HVAC designers are being tasked to create highly energy-efficient systems. Designs are also impacted by a number of considerations and challenges. • Harsh environments: HVAC systems need designs to withstand harsh conditions in both hot and cold climates by taking into account dust and debris limiting condensation and humidity and reducing corrosion. For example, water ingress causes deterioration of exterior wall assemblies, requiring HVAC designs to accommodate more airtight and insulated wall and window assemblies. Limited floor space, a large glazing area and ceiling height, and opaque window coverings that offer privacy but reduce the amount of interior heat, are factors that must be considered in addressing condensation concerns. In addition, HVAC systems need to control indoor humidity in both heating and cooling mode to prevent moisture that causes damage to building materials and components • Maintenance: Ongoing maintenance is a critical component for the effective use and long-term value of HVAC systems in both residential and particularly, commercial settings. As a result, designers must build systems that offer relative ease in maintenance, repair, as well as retrofitting • HVAC upgrades: Designers need to pay close attention to controlled ventilation, dehumidification, and filtration within their HVAC designs as these are key areas where facility managers are focusing on upgrades. ASHRAE and REHVA guidelines have given rise to HVAC upgrades that include: • Replacing fixed-speed with variable-speed fan motors to enhance the control of airflow and allow for a minimum setting that produces lower speed airflow • Introducing sophisticated airflow-control systems, such as those that are sensitive to pressure, in allowing for smoother adjustment of airflows • Installing high-performance air-purification systems to reduce dirty indoor air, which can be rife with recirculating allergens, bacteria, and viruses • Smart home compatibility: A well-designed IoT-enabled HVAC system must allow for seamless data accumulation, filtering, and sharing in smart home applications. Along with these analytics, the systems should be enabled with preventive maintenance and continuous optimization. Connected HVAC platforms should also provide users with direct access to power consumption and CO 2 emissions stats • Seamless technologies/data reliability: System designs require interoperability and inter-usability among its various parts to maximize functionalities and overall system efficiencies, as and ease the integration of component parts into a larger system. Data reliability is also key to the HVAC unit in producing better operational results. Data provided by air quality sensors not only can unlock the combined benefits of greater efficiency and better indoor air quality through HVAC optimizations, but also can help earn building certifications and boost occupant wellness. In addition, product concepts for connected HVAC systems should consider data reliability in preventing and dealing with lost messages. If expected data packets fail to arrive, the design should assume conservative default values, so that people and technology are protected from damage, and there is no loss of comfort to the user • Ventilation to minimize pollutants/Covid-19: HVAC systems must work with other air quality and purification systems to provide effective ventilation and minimize the spread of viruses, such as Covid-19, and other sources of indoor pollution. Epidemiologic evidence has put pressure on HVAC designers to maintain Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) as science has demonstrated a clear association between exposure to damp indoor environments and adverse health effects. Prolonged damp conditions can lead to growth of molds, bacteria, and insect pests in HVAC systems – an issue that must be eliminated to avoid "sick building syndrome" • Cost-Savings: Apart from these listed challenges, HVAC equipment manufacturers and design engineers must adhere to regulatory standards and energy-efficiency labels while keeping costs in-check. The value-add that any advanced feature provides should offset all other associated costs