Research and Markets has announced the release of a report into the heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning industry.
The Dublin-based market research company has produced the report Appliance Industry Manufacturing Focus 2011: HVAC, which considers the impact of HVAC systems, which are the biggest user of energy in the average home.

With energy efficiency high on consumers' priority lists, the need to be more efficient and environmentally friendly in the home is motivating consumers to explore less-familiar, non-standard options. Such as in 2010, HVAC OEM Rheem launched an integrated residential system that uses its tankless hot water technology to provide home heating and hot water from a single source. The Integrated HVAC and Water Heating System Powered by Tankless Technology can be combined with Rheem cooling equipment to provide complete air and water home comfort conditioning.

The report also considers how in recent decades, new construction techniques to make commercial buildings more air-tight have resulted in locking in air pollutants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) puts average air pollution levels at 2-5 times that of outdoor air. The result of broadening consumer awareness of indoor air pollution issues has created a need for equipment that will reduce air pollutants. For example, Panasonic's WhisperComfort Spot Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) exhausts stale air from inside the home and replaces it with fresh air from outdoors, providing affordable spot or whole-house ventilation requirements. The fans are designed for continuous, low-rate, balance airflow to ventilate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other indoor air pollutants. As air is brought in from the outside, the capillary core inside the fan transfers heat and moisture to the supply air.

The research identifies that there are plenty of opportunities for enhanced control of home HVAC systems. The cost of adding connectivity to even inexpensive devices such as a mid-range digital thermostat or a room air-conditioner has been reduced dramatically. Consumers now expect new equipment coming into their homes to be remotely operable, and companies that do not offer it will have an inherent market disadvantage.

Key topics covered in the report

• Overview Of The HVAC Appliance Industry
• HVAC Appliance Unit Shipment Data: 2000-2009
• HVAC OEM Review