The European HVAC installation sector has, for several years, been stagnant at best and declining in many aspects, said Martin Viessmann, president of the German company that bears his name. His state-of-the-industry comments came during a press briefing at the ISH Expo.
While high efficiency remains important, humidity control has become an increasingly sought-after benefit. As a result, contractors must now consider more than just efficiency and reliability when looking at system quality and performance.
When concern arose six or seven years ago over the amount of refrigerant in supermarket systems, the industry looked for ways to create refrigeration other than the traditional direct expansion approach. Two approaches have garnered attention.
The nuts and bolts of compressor technology can take on a humanitarian form. Consider the efforts to use a solar-powered refrigeration unit to deal with the issue of immunization.
The use of carbon dioxide as a refrigerant continues to draw attention. The list of places where the refrigerant is being talked about and tried is growing. The ways the refrigerant can work with various compressors is also being explored.
The newest compressor technology usually gets the most attention. But remember this: Once a compressor is installed in a system, any further contact with the equipment becomes part of the retrofit or aftermarket sector of the industry.
The company’s concern for its employees, its family atmosphere, and its drive to succeed are some of the reasons that The News named Estes Heating & Air Conditioning the 2002 “Best Contractor to Work For” in the South Mid-Atlantic/Southeast region.
