But, for those who are not properly utilizing the time they have with their employees, holding meetings can have a negative effect on morale and productivity.

The DOE’s proposed rule represents a significant increase in efficiency that would effectively eliminate noncondensing furnaces and significantly impact the design, installation, and cost of nonweatherized furnaces. 

From energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) to filters and compressor technology, these manufacturers are pulling out the stops to meet consumer demand for better IAQ at home, work, school, and everywhere in between.

Forward-thinking HVAC contractors are training technicians, educating customers, and even providing filter-delivery services on behalf of maintenance customers.

Building codes and increasingly educated consumers who understand the benefits of proper ventilation are driving innovation in the ventilation market.

At this year’s AHR Expo in Chicago, manufacturers displayed and demonstrated some of the many new products they have developed to help both the contractor and the end user achieve the best possible IAQ.

With model building codes mandating tighter and tighter ductwork, and with homeowners and building owners desiring increasingly higher efficiencies from their ducted systems, many new products have hit the market to help builders and installers efficiently and effectively meet those requirements. 

Proactive HVAC contractors have been working to educate their employees and clients on the inevitable phaseout. And, with the price of R-22 already starting to rise in many areas, educated contractors are finding it easier to convince customers to replace aging R-22 units with newer, more efficient models.

In 2014, the HVACR industry saw an unprecedented amount of regulatory action from government entities, and, according to industry leaders, the regulatory action will continue through 2015. 

While the new efficiency standards do not require manufacturers to use any specific technologies to achieve the new EF (energy factor) ratings, they’ve already necessitated a significant redesign effort from manufacturers. Additionally, the increasing unit sizes pose transportation and installation challenges that have yet to be fully understood.