More and more homeowners are gravitating toward the control and convenience offered by new thermostats, which are designed to make managing energy easier than ever before. But, despite all the bells and whistles, consumers are most often looking for simple solutions because their time is valuable — and most don’t want to spend a lot of time tracking their energy use.

While there are still misperceptions that deter some in the small-building market from investing in building management systems (BMS), many expect small-building owners and operators to continue to invest in BMS.

A new credential — the Energy Management Professional (EMP) certification from Energy Management Association (EMA) — is training individuals to balance the goals of energy conservation and building performance, which, according to Andrew Heitman of Building Energy Sciences LLC, Pensacola, Florida, keeps customers happy.

Energy efficiency is driving innovation in policies, practices, and technologies and is becoming much more significant to our economy, noted speakers at the 2016 Energy Efficiency Forum, held June 23 at the National Press Club in Washington, District of Columbia, cosponsored by Johnson Controls Inc. and the U.S. Energy Association.

While transformation in buildings has been brewing for decades, the new goals of policy — in the U.S. and around the world — will require much more coherence from every corner of the HVAC industry. A group of more than 40 industry leaders met with that goal in mind at Danfoss’s 26^th EnVisioneering Symposium — Tomorrow’s Buildings: New Driving Forces — June 7 in Washington, District of Columbia.

Homeowners who have comfort problems often call HVAC contractors. There is a lot of opportunity here, though the road to success is crowded with barriers. But having a way to truly verify the operation of HVAC installations will overcome many of those barriers. 

These new requirements will directly impact all distributors in the U.S. and all installers in the Southeast and Southwest regions of the country.

As net-zero-energy buildings (NZEBs) become more popular, HVACR manufacturers are working to create highly efficient products and systems to help meet these ambitious performance goals.

High-performance-building-related credentials from certifying bodies like ASHRAE, the Building Performance Institute Inc. (BPI), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the International Code Council (ICC), and many others can help mechanical contractors show they have expertise and experience in certain areas. 

With commercial building codes mandating increasing levels of efficiency and energy prices only continuing to rise, many building owners are looking for ways to boost building performance in both new and existing buildings. These case studies highlight several ways in which HVACR solutions have been implemented to help building owners meet their energy-efficiency and comfort goals.