HVAC Technology and Innovations

It’s no secret that technology is becoming more and more present each day, especially innovative technologies, and they are taking the world by storm. It’s no different for North Carolina homeowners, as revolutionary HVAC technologies are about to change how we heat and cool our homes.

Many of these HVAC technologies are still a prototype, laying on the drawing board, but there are some you can take advantage of as we speak to boost your home’s comfort levels.

Movement-Activated Air Conditioning

Technology has been fundamental to the evolution and modernization of air conditioners. Automatically opening and closing windows and controlling these devices through a cell phone are functions that are already possible to be performed. Air conditioning with a presence sensor is another feature available on the market.

The movement sensors of these devices turn on when they sense the presence of people in the environment and turn off when there is no one, allowing energy savings. In addition, the device controls the air flow that is expelled from the equipment, according to the number of people entering and leaving the environment, thus providing more comfort.

This kind of prototype is just one example of how future HVAC systems are going to be more compact and portable, helping to reduce both energy and utility costs.

Thermally Driven Air Conditioning

An Upcoming New Air Conditioning Technology Is Thermally Driven Air Conditioning. Thermally driven air conditioning operates on solar energy & is supplemented by natural gas when solar alone cannot completely power the system, making it a highly efficient and effective system. The operating costs of Thermally Driven A/C will be markedly lower than today’s electric air conditioning.

In fact, the double-chiller design provides more cooling capabilities than any other system so far, and it eliminates electricity costs altogether.

On-Demand Hot Water Recirculator

A U.S.-based company out of Rhode Island has designed an “on command” pump for a home’s water lines, which allows cool water to be circulated back into the water heater upon activation.

Each year, the average American home wastes about 12,000 gallons of water while waiting for the water to warm up. This product was designed and engineered to be a solution to this major problem to which all of us contribute. Recirculating this otherwise-wasted water back into the system is an eco-friendly solution that’s bound to play a huge part in future homes.

Ice-Powered Air Conditioning

A California-based company has created an ice-powered A/C system called the Ice Bear. The Ice Bear unit is designed for use with rooftop or split system AC equipment. The Ice Bear unit with an air-cooled condensing or rooftop unit operates during off-peak hours to store energy as ice.

During peak daytime cooling, the Ice Bear unit functions as the condenser, circulating ice-condensed refrigerant with a low-power refrigerant pump. Total energy use is only 300 watts to provide 7.5 tons of cooling for 6 hours.

Although this type of technology has quite a way to go before it can be the sole cooling system for a home, we can affirm that six straight hours of cooling a commercial building is a solid step in the right direction, right?

Sensor-Enhanced Ventilation

We present you the Ecovent. This ingenious product consists of sensor-driven vents that replace a home’s existing ceiling, floor, or wall vents. With an app on your smartphone, you can control the Ecovent, providing precise, room-by-room temperature control.

Additionally, the system utilizes sensors to monitor air pressure, home’s temperature, and other indoor air quality factors. Even though this system design is brand new, it’s been well tested and has already hit the market. Therefore, this is one piece of technology you can take advantage of today.

Dual-Fuel Heat Pumps

Another U.S.-based company has come up with the dual-fuel heat pump concept. The argument is that heat pumps tend to be more efficient and provide the maximum amount of comfort when using a combination of fuel. In this case, a dual-fuel system is a home comfort system that pairs an electric heat pump with a gas furnace and alternates between the two fuel sources to maximize comfort and efficiency.

During the summer months, the heat pump works like a high-efficiency central air conditioner. In mild spring and fall weather, it provides cost- effective and efficient heat. As the temperatures drop in the winter months, the pump shuts off and lets your furnace take over.

In addition to saving money in the long run, a dual-fuel heat pump might pay you back right away. This upgrade may qualify for an energy-savings tax credit plus rebates. You can contact us to see if we can find you incentives in your area.

Geothermal Heat Pumps

Geothermal technology is a major investment that will save you much money over its lifetime. Well, Geothermal heat pumps are not exactly a new technology as they have been around since the 1940s. Nevertheless, these products haven’t really been on stage until recently.

With more homeowners being conscient about the importance of going green, geothermal heat pumps have grown in popularity. A geothermal heat pump gets its energy directly from the earth through an underground looped pipe that absorbs the heat and carries it into the home.

The process occurs in reverse, when cooling is needed, with the pump removing warmth in the home. As with any heat pump, geothermal and water-source heat pumps can heat, cool, and, if so equipped, supply the house with hot water for free.

Smart Homes

It’s not only our phones that are getting smarter and smarter every day. It goes from cars, televisions, robots, and it’s only natural that our homes are getting smarter each year, as the investment in Smart Home’s Technology is getting bigger as well each year.

Connected systems and phone apps now allow us to control our home’s security systems, heating, cooling, lightning, surveillance, and entertainment at the push of a “button”. These “smart” technologies will continue to evolve and become integrated into our homes, allowing us to control a home’s comfort levels down to the last detail, without getting out of the couch. Since many of these innovations are already available on the market, this movement is pressing HVAC engineers and designers to think outside the box and making them think big on how to approach this whole new eco-system.

Fully Automated Homes

Owning a smart home is already convenient, but fully automated homes will soon become a reality. There are already technological solutions on the market that are allowing companies to experiment with automated appliances and other products. It is only natural that HVAC systems will one day be directly tied into other systems in your home, making adjustments according to the status of the rest of the house without you even have to press anything. The house could scan itself, and make a decision based on what temperature should your living room be, or your kitchen, and make it happen.

3-D Printed Air Conditioners

The first 3-D Printed Air Conditioner Prototype was released in 2015 by Haier Group.

It may seem a little far-fetched, but 3-D printing has advanced rapidly over the last few years, even 3-D printing a house will soon be a viable option to a large portion of the population, so expecting products like 3-D printed A/C systems could very well be a reality

one day.

In fact, a company called Emerging Objects has already created a 3-D printed “brick” that draws moisture out of an area to cool it. While this simple innovation can’t be used in extreme temperatures, and we’re still a far cry from 3-D printed air conditioners, it’s just one example of the power of such a simple technology. We would not be surprise if over the next 10 years, we could get our hands on a 3-D printed air conditioner.

Harnessing Heat from a Computer

If you own a laptop, have you ever noticed that when you use it for several hours in one setting, it begins to generate a lot of heat? One innovator named Lawrence Orsini, founder of Project Exergy, has seen how efficient computers are at generating heat. Therefore, he’s theorized they can be used for powering heating systems.

Have you haver thought of how cool it would be if you could use your stationary bike or treadmill to power your television? While doing great for your health, you would be saving a lot of money in electricity! It’s something almost everyone has considered at one time or another, even for the fun of it. Harnessing heat from a product you already use every day draws upon the same principle. At the end of the day, why waste all that excess energy when you don’t have to?

Some of these technologies will be ready in no time, while some may take a few years to become a reality, but only time will tell which systems will make the cut and catch on with most homeowners.

If you’d like to know which high-tech systems are available now in your area and how you could be saving a lot of money in the long term, get in contact with us - Butler’s HVAC SERVICE LLC at (910) 335-9090 or (910) 207-6000.