LAS VEGAS - It was a little different. And, kind of touching. As the nearly 800 building owners, consulting engineers, and contractors filed into the spacious Palace Ballroom inside Caesar's Palace, Carrier Commercial management and personnel lined up along the ballroom entranceway and clapped loudly in unison. It was the company's way of thanking its biggest customers.

By the end of Carrier's 2004 Commercial Convention, many attendees were returning the accolades, asserting that the new commercial products introduced here will help their respective businesses.

"I like what they are coming out with," said Joe Durham of Durham Heating and Cooling, San Diego, "I'm impressed."

Bruce Burdon, director of product management and marketing for Carrier's North America Commercial Division, was naturally pleased with the results, too, based on the positive feedback he and the manufacturer received.

"The meeting had two objectives," he said. "The first was to sharpen the expert skills of our commercial sales organization by providing customer, industry, and product training. The second objective was to launch the largest new commercial HVAC product introduction ever in the history of Carrier Commercial."

Among the products introduced were:

  • A new line of Aquasnapâ„¢ air-cooled chillers, using Puron® refrigerant (R-410A) for the U.S. market.

  • A new Liquiflo-II unit-mounted variable-frequency drive for its line of Evergreenâ„¢ centrifugal chillers.

  • A new 3Vâ„¢ Packaged Control System, a fully integrated system designed to provide precise comfort control for different zones in a building.

  • A new line of Centurionâ„¢ rooftop air conditioning units, using Puron® for the U.S. market. (For more on the company's new products, see "Carrier Unveils Its New Commercial Equipment" in this issue.)

    "The emphasis of our new product designs is on reducing operating and maintenance costs for our customers, while providing them equipment utilizing environmentally friendly refrigerants so they do not have to worry about the pending refrigerant phaseouts," said Burdon.

    In an evening gathering, Carrier went the distance, displaying its full lineup of equipment, from residential condensing units to 500-ton centrifugal chillers.

    "This portion of the event allowed our customers to see firsthand the innovative products and solutions that Carrier provides," said Burdon. "Because the 2005 ASHRAE show is in Orlando, Florida, we thought it would be a great idea if we hosted an event for our customers on the West Coast who might not be able to attend."

    Alliances Announced

    In addition to introducing new commercial products, Carrier announced some alliances. The company entered into a supply agreement with American Air Filter (AAF). AAF will provide Carrier with its full line of filtration products to be utilized as factory-installed components in Carrier's commercial product line.

    Carrier will also utilize AAF products in the aftermarket through its Replacement Components Division (RCD) and by providing filter kits at the time of equipment ordering.

    "Indoor air quality (IAQ) and filtration concerns are paramount to our customers' needs and AAF brings the expertise and product offering to address these concerns," said Burdon.

    "Our factories have been using the AAF products for several months, and today we are launching the unique filter kit program we have developed for the more sophisticated commercial products, such as air-handling units."

    In another agreement, ABB said it will provide Carrier with its new line ACH550 series low-voltage variable-frequency drives designed specifically for the HVAC industry. Carrier said it will utilize these drives as factory installed components in its Weather Series rooftops and Aeroâ„¢ air-handling product lines.

    "The drives met our strict performance criteria and quality assurance requirements that were key to making this agreement happen," said Burdon. "These drives are already being utilized in our commercial products and the customer response has been extremely positive."

    In the eyes of Jeff Miller, HVAC sales manager for ABB, the agreement "marries ABB's innovative technology with the global leader in the HVAC industry. End users gain the most because the features and ease-of-use benefits make equipment installation and start-up faster than ever."

    In one more alliance, Carrier said it now has a distribution agreement for absorption chillers with Sanyo Electric Co. Under the terms of the agreement, Sanyo-manufactured absorption chillers will be marketed and sold with both the Carrier and Sanyo brand names on the product through Carrier's distribution channels in Europe, North America, and South America. The agreement went into effect Sept. 3.

    Financial details of the arrangement were not disclosed.

    Shown is the cover of the “Concepts Of Air Conditioning” training manual, part of Carrier’s new Technical Development Program.

    Training Back In Mix

    In yet another development, Carrier announced the release of its new Technical Development Program (TDP). The TDP consists of all new training manuals and material that cover a wide range of industry topics, from the basics of comfort air conditioning to understanding commercial heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system design.

    "Through these new manuals, Carrier will continue to share its HVAC expertise by providing high-caliber, nonbiased, timeless training for many years to come," said Bob Feduik, product manager of training.

    "Each TDP can be used as a stand-alone textbook for individual study, or serve as material to be taught to an entire class in conjunction with the PowerPoint presentation."

    According to Feduik, these manuals are written by experts who have years of technical experience in the field. Some address topics appropriate for people just entering the field and others are targeted toward more experienced HVAC professionals.

    The TDP addresses nine general categories: introduction to HVAC, psychrometrics, load estimating, the refrigeration cycle, commercial HVAC equipment, distribution systems, commercial HVAC system design, controls, and HVAC applications. Four different curricula have been composed, designed to provide material to conduct programs ranging from 4 weeks to 12 weeks in duration.

    Publication date: 11/08/2004