Variable Refrigerant Flow Systems (VRF or VRV) News & Trends

Atos and Johnson Controls, the global front-runner for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, announced a global partnership. Atos and Johnson Controls will help private and public sector customers accelerate their journey to Net Zero by providing a unique set of end-to-end advisory services, digital and other key decarbonization capabilities which aims to help clients formulate and sustainably achieve their Net Zero strategy by reducing their commercial, industrial and office building car...

Johnson Controls-Hitachi announces the addition of five regional companies to its roster of North American distributors for the Hitachi Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems and SmartFlex Mini-Split systems. The new distributors strengthen the North American distribution footprint for these popular Johnson Controls-Hitachi products. Sustainable heat pump The new distributors are: Johnstone Supply of Waltham, Massachusetts, serving Massachusetts, and New Hampshire Engineered Building Sys...

NovoCon® digital control valves are smart devices that provide precise control and communication with the Building Management System (BMS). Building managers can access system feedback and data remotely to continuously optimize HVAC system performance. With the new NovoCon® M, L, and XL digital actuators, Danfoss extends its range of smart actuators combined with pressure-independent balancing valves (PICVs) to achieve digital control for hydronic heating and cooling systems. The new di...

Phononic, a front-runner in solid-state cooling and heating technology, announced the launch of its comprehensive solution for active, portable cooling and freezing of perishable goods: the Intelligent Actively-Cooled Tote. To support the explosive demand for innovative and sustainable cold chain solutions at grocery retail, Phononic has developed the product and platform that delivers unmatched cold chain integrity as well as strong ROI and labor savings across the entire Cold Chain Fulfillmen...

NevadaNano, the globally renowned innovator in gas detection sensor technology, has announced its partnership with Emerson, to jointly develop refrigerant gas detector products, which will provide a solution to the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) industry, for refrigerant leak detection. NevadaNano - Emerson partnership “We are proud to partner with Emerson to develop essential solutions that can help lower the impact of existing HVACR equipment on the gl...

Producing green hydrogen calls for efficient water electrolysis. Reduced current ripple and grid harmonics increase water electrolysis efficiency; however, this often requires flexibility from power electronics. SEMIKRON offers extensive expertise to support power supply development for efficient green hydrogen production Key Take-Aways Following are the Key Take-Aways: What are different topologies and practical assemblies for green hydrogen generation? How do power electronics impact th...

Ofgem has appointed EDF to take on supplying Utility Point’s approximately 220,000 domestic customers. This follows a competitive process run by Ofgem to get the best deal possible for customers. EDF is offering customers a competitive tariff. Outstanding credit balances, including money owed to both existing and former customers of Utility Point, will also be honored. For existing Utility Point customers, energy supplies will continue as normal as they switch over to EDF on 18 Septe...

Though the end result may be the glow of a light bulb or the click of the kettle, the journey energy takes to reach homes is a long one that involves many people in a myriad of roles around the world. This means that the price of wholesale energy - the energy that people buy to supply their homes - is prone to fluctuation. While SO Energy and most energy suppliers will pass any savings on to the customers, and absorb rises in wholesale costs, in order to keep things affordable for them, there a...

EDF has stepped in to help customers left without a supplier after Utility Point ceased trading on 14 September 2021. EDF will take on approximately 220,000 Utility Point domestic customers. EDF has agreed to protect any money a customer may be owed and existing customers’ credit on their accounts will be transferred to their new account with EDF. Energy supply Customers will be matched to standard variable prices to provide a guaranteed rate through winter and protection against the ex...

Tanks are a vital part of so many processes and many of them need to be heated. There are almost as many ways to heat a tank as there are types of tanks. Steam coils, heat transfer systems, direct immersion, tank wraps or heat trace; the list goes on and on. Knowing that there are many different types of heat that can be effectively applied would drastically improve the best selection for the application. Tank heating systems What are the different types of tank heaters? They are going to dis...

On September 6, Hami 50MW tower CSP station developed by Dongfang Electric Corporation (DEC) achieved full load power generation. The outlet salt temperature of the heat receiver reached the design value of 565℃, the main steam temperature is 535℃, and the grid-connected load was 50 MWe. The project was located in Hami, western China, one of the regions with the best solar energy resources in China. Heat collection system DEC has developed for this project a concentrating heat collection syst...

Panasonic Heating & Cooling Solutions is delighted to be returning as Silver Sponsor at ATMOsphere Europe 2021, 28th – 29th September. Organized by Shecco, ATMOsphere Europe has become the forum to discuss and drive the business case for Natural Refrigerants. Event topics  Over the two-day event, Panasonic will highlight solutions that support a sustainable cold chain, particularly focusing on its CR Series of CO2 Condensing Units which deliver reliable and sustainable refriger...

Johnson Controls, the globally renowned company for smart, healthy and sustainable building solutions, has announced that it has joined the Digital Twin Consortium (DTC), an association dedicated to continued development of digital twin technology. Digital Twin Consortium (DTC) The DTC association’s membership includes dozens of technology leaders, such as Autodesk, Microsoft, Lendlease, GE Digital and Northrop Grumman. Johnson Controls joins a collaborative organization that pools resou...

Fluke Process Instruments, a provider of infrared imaging and thermal profiling solutions for industrial applications, releases the latest Datapaq® furnace tracker system – complete with the TP6 data logger, thermal barriers and intuitive software. The Datapaq furnace tracker system is designed to be used repeatedly, in-process in the most hostile manufacturing environments, providing accurate and reliable through-process temperature surveys. Each system can help users improve process...

FresH2, the innovative fuel cell project initiated by Bosch and Carrier Transicold, in collaboration with bodybuilder Lamberet and the European specialist in temperature-controlled food transport STEF, has entered the road testing phase on September 6. Carrier Transicold is part of Carrier Global Corporation, the foremost global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable, and intelligent building and cold chain solutions. FresH2 is a clean and quiet solution designed to deliver electricity requir...

The Phasedown of Hydrofluorocarbons - HFCs is upon us, and it will change how refrigerants are handled, transported, and stored. While a great deal of information has been shared concerning the safe use and transport of flammable refrigerants, little attention has been given to the new storage requirements. Standards and codes for the safe storage of flammable refrigerants will require more space, more sensors, and more safety protocols. Transitioning to Refrigerant technologies When the US P...

Following a year of disruption for the plumbing and heating sector, it is now more important than ever that industry professionals are doing their bit, in order to ensure gas safety is still considered first and foremost in UK homes. Gas Safety Week 2021 Marking Gas Safety Week 2021, Chris Riley, the National Operations Manager at Baxi Heating, commented “With many people making changes to their homes and servicing schedules being disrupted, it is vital that installers explain the reason...

Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator, has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Farrar Scientific, an internationally renowned company in ultra-low temperature control for biopharmaceutical and other life science applications. Farrar Scientific’s proprietary technology fills an unmet need for flexible, modular and efficient ultra-low temperature process and storage, including cooling and heating/thawing. The solutions can provide an alternative to large-scale free...

Trane Technologies plc, a global climate innovator, has been named to the Fortune 2021 list of the Best Workplaces in Manufacturing & Production. The list is based on more than 220,000 employee surveys conducted by Great Place to Work, a global authority on workplace culture. The survey captures overall employee experience, including sentiment about growth and development, as well as company values, innovation, and leader effectiveness. Manufacturing and prioritizing safety “Ou...

ABB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MEDATech to jointly explore solutions to decarbonize mining operations through charging solutions and optimized electric drive systems in battery electric vehicles (BEVs) for heavy-duty applications. The two companies will share expertise and collaborate in bringing solutions to the market that will reduce the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions associated with heavy machinery in mining. Mining customers require solutions specifically designe...

Pharmaceutical and healthcare distributor Trans-Bridge Freight Services has taken delivery of its first Carrier Transicold Vector® HE 19 MT (multi-temperature) unit, heralding the start of a more sustainable future for the company’s temperature-controlled trailer fleet. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, the foremost global provider of healthy, safe, and sustainable building, and cold chain solutions. A long-standing Carrier Transicold customer, Trans-Bridge...

ABB and Södra have entered a long-term, strategic partnership to co-develop a roadmap to drive new levels of efficiency, engagement, and digitalization across Södra’s enterprise to ultimately define the next generation mill. Together, Södra and ABB will lead the way in successful digital transformation with the aim of creating a new benchmark for both the forest and pulp industry and the broader industry, globally. The contract, effective from September 2021, is designed...

A report published as part of the PROTECT COVID-19 National Core Study on transmission and environment assesses the UK construction sector’s efforts to build ‘COVID-secure’ workplaces. Evidence collected by the report’s authors at the Thomas Ashton Institute will be used to support efforts to keep the UK building safely as the economy unlocks. Using survey and interview data from four principal construction contractors, the Keeping the UK Building Safely report highlight...

QM Power and Purdue University announced findings from part one of a two-part study on the impact of QM Power motor technology on the efficiency (SEER) in residential HVAC systems and heat pumps. The result was a significant SEER increase of 1 on the 21-point scale. This announcement was made at the 12th International Conference on Compressors and their Systems by John Brehm of Purdue University and Dave Augustine, VP of Product Management and Engineering for QM Power. two-part study The focu...

Frontier Service Partners (Frontier), a newly launched residential services company, is pleased to announce its acquisition of Haley Mechanical, which is headquartered in Dexter, Michigan. Haley Mechanical is one of the pre-eminent residential HVAC companies, based in Michigan and servicing the Ann Arbor area. Strategic partnership This partnership marks the inaugural acquisition for Frontier Service Partners, which was founded earlier in 2021, on the philosophy of putting people first, delive...

  Pandemic recovery is top-of-mind for so many cities, but a return to the normalcy which in 2019 might not be enough to maintain secure, connected, and resilient communities in this new world. As shared during the presentation at the IoT Global Innovation Forum, cities must reimagine their current infrastructure models and envision a connected, holistic future for the community. By integrating IoT technologies and connected building solutions, cities can build environments that are...

Plymovent has received the renewed TÜV SÜD certification for some of its exhaust extraction systems. For Plymovent safety, security and sustainability are key. That’s the reason why Plymovent works together with TÜV SÜD already for a long time. To get this TÜV SÜD certificate, several Plymovent exhaust extraction systems were tested for safety and the production locations were monitored in Troisdorf (Germany) and Lamphun (Thailand). This shows that Plymo...

A number of standard unit coolers from Friga-Bohn, which supplies a wide range of market-leading refrigeration solutions to the food industry, are fully compatible with A2L refrigerants. The unit coolers support use with both new A2L refrigerants such as R1234yf, R454C, and R455C, as well as existing HFC refrigerant solutions. As a result, a single unit can provide for present and future requirements, reducing inventory for wholesalers and easing selection choices for installers. The market fo...

The new, updated Crestron driver (version 2.1) has been uploaded into the Application Market. Now, the updated driver contains: Improved compatibility with the 4th generation of Crestron controllers Improved algorithm for projects with a larger number of indoor units Improved help file for the use of the driver This module controls the CoolMaster series thermostats and CoreModule via Ethernet and is compatible with CoolMasterNet, CooLinkHub, and CooLinkBridge. Why Crestron Integratio...

Viessmann Kylmäjärjestelmät Oy takes over Suomen Jääkylmä Oy and FCool Oy and expands the range of refrigeration services for the Finnish customers. Suomen Jääkylmä and FCool are well-established refrigeration service companies in Finland covering a full range of installation and maintenance services. sustainability and reliability With the acquisitions and together with the strong local partner network, Viessmann strengthens its service and turnke...