HVAC
THE IMPORTANCE OF AHR The scope of the AHR Expo—held Chicago this year—cannot be overstated. The event brings in thousands of HVACR industry professionals to connect with one another.
AHR EXPO
ONE OF MANY “We attend sessions that help us manage our BAS and controls,” says Steven Thurnberg, facility manager, Allstate Insurance.
AHR EXPO 2018 Chicago
By any measure, the 2018 AHR Expo was an unparalleled success, setting six all-time highs, including more than 72,000 in total attendance and 49,995 registered visitors, both records. When the 70th edition of the world’s largest HVACR marketplace convened in Chicago in January, four additional records were set, including the number of exhibitors, square feet of exhibit space and countries represented.
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Smart HVAC On the subject of VRF, another vendor of the technology, Mitsubishi Electric U.S. Cooling & Heating, demonstrated its PLFY 2×2 ceiling cassette indoor unit, which now includes the 3D i-see Sensor, which allows a building owner to more efficiently manage HVAC system. In fact, according to Kevin Miskewicz, the company’s director, Commercial Marketing, building managers may even have more content occupants since the system automatically directs air toward the spot in the room that requires the most conditioning based on heat signatures. “The 3D i-see Sensor continuously scans the room to develop a thermal profile and to detect room occupancy. If no occupants are found after a predetermined time frame, the unit can set itself back—or shut off— which leads to energy savings for the building owner,” said Miskewicz.
I SEE YOU The 3D i-see Sensor is a small, yet powerful component mounted to the exterior panel of the ceiling cassette. The sensor continuously analyzes the thermal profile of a room, identifying cool and warm spots. To achieve an accurate thermal profile, it performs hundreds of circular scans, with multiple points per scan, continuously monitoring a given space. The sensor is available on many Mitsubishi Electric residential wall-mounted and ceiling mounted products. Mitsubishi Electric www.mehvac.com CIRCLE 306
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Integrated Approach Speaking of cassettes, at Titus’ booth, the company showed its highly integrated “Total Systems Approach” to HVAC users. Its lighting-integrated chilled beam, VENTUS LUX, is the industry’s first to combine the efficiencies of chilled beams and LED lighting. Their variable air volume (VAV) digital diffuser, Helios, is also the first to be powered by both ambient light and direct sunlight. Both technologies enable the lowest possible energy and first costs. “Siloed systems are a thing of the past at Titus, said Matthew McLaurin, Titus product manager—chilled beam, healthcare and critical environment. “We predict more manufacturers will follow our path of merging multiple functions into one product, and that more engineers will approach design from a total system perspective. It’s a more economical, environmentally friendly and effective approach to designing commercial spaces,” said McLaurin. “When you have two directly related systems serving the same occupancy and operation efficiency, why design them separately when they could be integrated to perform better?”
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3/3/18 12:07