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February 26 - 2006 AHR EXPO Breaks Several Records to Biggest Show

More than 57,000 HVACR professionals filled the aisles and booths at the 76th AHR Expo in Chicago, January 23-25 as the world's largest HVACR event broke several records.
Driven by unprecedented association support, new Show features, and a healthy economy, the 2006 Show set new records for exhibitors (1,981), square footage (411,175) and number of international exhibitors (400). According to Show Management, a total of 57,673 HVACR professionals (36,891 visitors and 20,782 exhibitor personnel) registered for the Show.
"We are delighted with this year's record-breaking event as it reflects the growth of various industry segments within the AHR Expo and our ongoing efforts to add several Show enhancements," said Clay Stevens, President of IEC, the Show producer and organizer. "AHR Expo is the only HVACR-exclusive event in the world that offers HVACR professionals such an extensive overview of all segments of the marketplace."
Several exhibitors echoed Stevens' sentiments.
"We've had outstanding and high-quality traffic with the right type of people," said Duncan Russell, Executive Vice President, Ziehl-Abegg. "Of all the other shows we do in this industry, this is the most critical show and the best venue for HVAC."
"We're launching several new products. This show is a great launching opportunity," said Brenda Keith, Marketing Specialist, York. "We already have our booth reserved for Dallas!"
"AHR Expo is always a great opportunity for us," said Dick Shul, Vice President, Emerson Climate Technology. "The number of visitors grows every year and continues to give us exposure to a diverse crowd."

February 22 - Danfoss Wins Record 4th Consecutive Innovation Award

Danfoss, a global leader in supplying components, controls, compressors and systems for air-conditioning and refrigeration, has received the 2006 AHR Expo Refrigeration Innovation Award, recognizing development of a completely self-contained refrigeration system, the Danfoss Interchangeable Cooling Engine (I.C.E.). The award was announced by a panel of judges from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), who chose products in eight industry categories for outstanding innovation, value to end user, and impact on the market. Awards will be presented at the AHR Exposition in Chicago on January 24, 2006.
The Innovation Awards, jointly sponsored by ASHRAE and the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), are designed to encourage innovation and to recognize significant developments in the HVAC&R industry.
Danfoss now holds four AHR Innovation Awards for Refrigeration. Danfoss won the Award in 2005 for its ICV, a new industrial refrigeration control platform, and in 2004 for its development of a compact hermetic CO₂ compressor. In 2003, Danfoss' joint venture partner, Danfoss Turbocor, won the Innovation Award for its centrifugal oil-free compressor.

February 18 - Japanese Govt to Require 20% Raise in AC Efficiency

The government plans to impose more stringent energy-saving standards on home appliances, requiring manufacturers to cut the power consumption of air conditioners by 20% from current levels by fiscal 2010, according to government sources. Similar regulations will be imposed on refrigerators and fluorescent lighting by spring 2007.
The decision was prompted by a rapid increase in power consumption by households, which has made it difficult for Japan to meet greenhouse gas emissions targets set under the Kyoto Protocol.
The requirement to improve Japan's already highly energy-efficient technology will place a heavy financial burden on manufacturers. The tougher rules may force some firms to withdraw from certain product sectors or prompt them to seek R&D alliances with other companies.
The government hopes to implement the new rule on air conditioners as early as this autumn.
According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, air conditioners account for the largest percentage of household power consumption, at 25%, followed by refrigerators and lighting equipment, at 16% each.

February 14 - World Air Conditioner Market Trend

The world air conditioner (AC) market is continuing to expand steadily. In 2000 the world total stood at about 41 million units including room ACs (window and ductless types) and packaged ACs (single, ductless and ducted types). After reaching 58 million units in 2004, it is estimated to expand to 60 million units in 2005.
Rapid increases are attributable primarily to the rapid growth of the Chinese market as shown in the graph below.
In Europe, too, AC demand has doubled thanks to the intense heatwaves in 2003. In many countries, ACs have become necessary items where they were considered luxury goods.
The USA and Japanese AC markets have remained stable. AC markets in China, the USA, Japan and major European countries make up about 3/4 of the world market. An outline of these markets is described in the January 2006 edition of JARN.

February 10 - U.S. November Shipments Rise 68%

Combined U.S. factory shipments of 629,583 central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for November were up 68%, compared to shipments from the same month last year, according to ARI. Heat pump shipments of 168,960 were also up 45% compared to November 2004. The year-to-date shipment total of 8,016,756 units for the first 11 months of 2005 is 15% more than that of last year.

February 6 - Sustainable Design Recognized in ASHRAE Technology Awards

A circus big top, a school using 80 percent less energy than typical, and a Chicago sustainability education center are being recognized for innovative design by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Three projects received first-place ASHRAE Technology Awards during ASHRAE's 2006 Winter Meeting, Jan. 21-25, Chicago.
The awards recognize outstanding achievements by members who have successfully applied innovative building design in the areas of occupant comfort, indoor air quality (IAQ) and energy conservation. Their designs incorporate ASHRAE standards for effective energy management and IAQ.
Receiving first place in the alternatives and/or renewable energy use category is Laurier Nichols for Ecole Du Tournant, Saint-Constant, Quebec. Nichols is team leader, energy efficiency, Dessau-Soprin, Longueuil, Quebec.
The alternative school has no greenhouse gas emissions and is the most energy efficient school in Quebec. It is 80 percent more efficient than a similar school built according to the energy code used in Canada. ASHRAE's energy conservation standard, 90.1, was the model used to develop the code.
Innovative design methods used include a high quality building envelope, a highly efficient lighting system, and a low energy HVAC&R system with intelligent control system.
Energy bills from the past two years show that the school saves $34,4000 in energy per year, resulting in a payback period of 3.9 years.
Also receiving first place is Lev Zvenyach, P.E., vice president of IBC Engineering Services, Waukesha, Wis., for a City of Chicago building designed to serve as a national model of environmentally sensitive design. He is receiving the award in the existing commercial buildings category.
The Chicago Center for Green Technology functions as an office building, educational facility, a high-tech factory, interpretive center and a "garden in the city." The building houses tenants with a sustainable mission, such as a solar panel manufacturer, and its campus is open to visitors to help educate the public on how green buildings function and how they benefit the public and the environment. The center incorporates a number of demand (lighting, cooling and heating) and energy consumption reduction measures. As a result, the building has a significant reduction in energy consumption: some 75 percent over typical office buildings in Chicago, 45 percent over ASHRAE Standard 90.1 compliant buildings without photovoltaic credit and 60 percent over buildings with the credit.

February 2 - Daikin to Spend 200 Billion Yen on Facilities

Daikin Industries Ltd. said January 16 that it will invest some \200 billion on production facilities in the three-year period from this April.
Daikin Chairman Noriyuki Inoue said at a news conference the company will make two-thirds of the investment overseas, including enhancing production capacity at its factories in Europe and China.
The company is also considering implementing three or four merger and acquisition transactions for its overseas air conditioner business, Mr. Inoue said.
He also said Daikin will seek to bolster its consolidated sales for the 2008 business year to March 31, 2009, to \1.2 trillion-\1.3 trillion from the projected \800 billion in sales for the current business year ending March 31.
The latest business year will mark the 12th consecutive business year in which the company will see an increase in net profit, he said.
Although the company ranked first in terms of domestic market share for household-use air conditioners in both fiscal 2003 and 2004, it may not be able to retain the top slot in the business year 2005.

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