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One of our industry’s most respected experts says a golden opportunity is now at hand for good IAQ management to become effective preventive medicine.
By Stephanie Taylor
Optimized ventilation design can remove hazardous waste anesthetic gases in vulnerable hospital post-op settings.
By Kishor Khankari
The annual winners and finalists have been announced, with the actual honors set to be bestowed next February in Las Vegas.
20
Rising Electrical Demand Will Force
Electrically fired boilers are gaining steam, as owners embrace both their efficiency and flexibility for all the regulatory changes ahead.
By Ed Verderose
Thought leaders say smart technologies will continue to transform every facet of HVACR next year, using innovation and collaboration to overcomemarket challenges.
By Rob McManamy
Actual Hope for the Holidays… and Beyond By Rob
McManamy
Strategies
By Nancy Kohout
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Promoting Indoor Environmental Quality, with ASHRAE’s Bill McQuade
*NEW PODCAST* The Society’s new president wants to ensure that the IAQ lessons of the pandemic are not lost to history. www.hpac.com/55330558
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ROB MCMANAMY,
Despite the exhausting daily drama that seems to animate our federal government, even during this fall’s record 43-day shutdown, the design and construction industry has continued to chug toward 2026 with surprising resilience.
Of course, economists and financial planners have been understandably anxious about trying to forecast for the new year without data they normally rely upon. But even with that unusual hurdle, there continues to be a palpable sense of optimism among HVACR thought leaders this winter. And specifically on indoor environmental quality, as our cover story intones, and our November podcast echoes, many believe this post-pandemic moment offers “a new hope” for real positive change in building design.
“Ventilation and conditioning air account for 30–50% of total building energy use,” writes Dr. Stephanie Taylor in this issue. As both a medical doctor and an architect, she brings an eminently rare and respected perspective to these matters.
“The traditional response to IAQ concerns—increase ventilation—often conflicts with energy and carbon goals and can introduce harmful outdoor contaminants,” she adds. “New, affordable sensors and data integration allow ‘smart ventilation,’ where airflow is determined by demand-controlled ventilation. Visibility into indoor and outdoor contaminant levels allow airflow adjustments based on pollutant loads rather than fixed schedules. These integrated strategies make ‘healthy efficiency’ achievable—where energy conservation and air quality enhancement reinforce rather than oppose each other. Our next step in IAQ management will hopefully merge technology with biology.”
ASHRAE President Bill McQuade agrees.
In our November episode of HPAC On The Air, the mechanical engineer turned indoor air evangelist says he is determined to turn the spotlight on indoor environmental quality (IEQ) before building owners forget the lessons of the recent pandemic. Expounding on the theme of his Society
presidential year, Healthy Buildings: Designing for Life, McQuade explains how ASHRAE is now working with several other industry groups, both here and abroad, to elevate the cause of improving IEQ for the benefit of building occupant health.
And those groups still include the federal government.
In late September, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced that four R&D teams would be receiving awards from the Building Resilient Environments for Air and Total Health (BREATHE) program. “BREATHE is intended to advance the next generation of smart and healthy buildings by developing integrated systems that will provide continual measurement and risk assessment of IAQ and deploy real-time interventions, like extra ventilation or disinfection, to reduce airborne threats to human health,” explained Jason Roos, PhD, ARPAH Acting Director. The agency’s initial total commitment to these teams is up to $156 million over five years.
The four teams are each developing various types of IAQ biosensors and they are led respectively by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN; Poppy Health Inc., in Winter Park, FL; SafeTraces Inc., in Pleasanton, CA; and Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, VA. The team at Virginia Tech is led by Dr. Linsey C. Marr, a professor of civil engineering and a previous HPAC On The Air guest during the pandemic.
“The knowledge that comes out of this project will mean that when you go into a classroom, office, restaurant, or other building that has adopted the solutions from this research, the air is going to be cleaner and safer than it was before,” said Marr. “That will mean that you have fewer days of illness, fewer missed workdays, and a better quality of life.”
So, despite everything disconcerting in our lives this holiday season, engineers like you have injected some genuine hope into the air for 2026. May that help us all to breathe just a little bit easier.
William P. Bahnfleth, PhD, PE
The Pennsylvania State University Glenn Barrett, PE DC Engineering
David W. Bearg, PE Life Energy Associates
Lawrence (Larry) Clark, QCxP, GGP, LEED AP+ Sustainable Performance Solutions LLC
Kenneth M. Elovitz, PE, Esq. Energy Economics Inc.
Charles E. Gulledge III, PE, HBDP, LEED AP, FASHRAE Environmental Air Systems LLC
Elise Kiland, PE, YEA Critchfield Mechanical Inc.
Nancy Kohout, PE, LEED AP SmithGroup
Valentine A. Lehr, PE, FASHRAE Lehr Consultants International
Ginger Scoggins, PE, CEM, CxA, LEED AP, FASHRAE Engineered Designs Inc.
James P. Waltz, PE, CEM, ACFE Energy Resource Associates Inc.
Michael K. West, PhD, PE Advantek Consulting
Ron Wilkinson, PE, LEED AP Wilkinson Commissioning Management
Gerald J. Williams, PE, LEED AP 8760 Engineering LLC
BY NICOLE BUSH, AHR EXPO
Thought leaders say smart technologies will continue to transform every facet of HVACR next year, using innovation and collaboration to overcome market challenges.
The following excerpts were gathered from the 63-page AHR 2026 Trend Report, published November 18, 2025.
HVACR is a uniquely dynamic industry, uniting talented professionals from cross-disciplinary sectors. While our day-to-day roles may differ, we share common goals that drive progress with the objective to advance HVACR. The 2026 Trend Report reflects this diversity, offering insights that bridge perspectives and spark meaningful conversations regarding the state of this industry ahead of our February 2026 event in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Insightful contributions from our endorsing associations alongside perspectives from the various voices that make up the industry make for a unique compilation that captures the
breadth of roles within HVACR and highlights key topics shaping today’s discussions. We are grateful to all who participated—their perspectives are essential to understanding both the challenges and opportunities facing our industry in the year ahead.
As we prepare to meet in person, we recognize that aligning our varied approaches is critical to continued growth and shared success—a commitment that grows more important each year. For more information, visit us at ahrexpo.com.
BILL McQUADE
2025-26
President, ASHRAE
The HVACR industry is experiencing a period of rapid transformation. The focus is no longer solely on efficiency or cost savings. It is equally about creating indoor spaces that actively support health, comfort, and productivity. The technologies and solutions driving our sector forward are reshaping expectations for how buildings
should perform for both people and the planet.
In the short term, the HVACR industry is adapting to rising expectations for energy efficiency, carbon reduction and improved resilience of building systems. This includes addressing refrigerant transitions, electrification and smarter controls.
In the long term, the industry is moving toward integrated building
performance, where heating, cooling, water and power systems work seamlessly together. This change requires collaboration across disciplines and reinforces the role of HVACR professionals as central to the future of building design and operation.
The coming year presents tremendous opportunities to expand the adoption of IEQ monitoring and control technologies, further develop
building decarbonization strategies, and strengthen the industry’s role in educating building owners, policymakers and the public about the value of healthy, sustainable indoor environments. These opportunities highlight how HVACR professionals can lead the next chapter of building innovation.
Looking ahead, the industry must overcome challenges related to the cost and adoption of health-centered
technologies, the alignment of building codes and standards with emerging IEQ expectations, and the ongoing need to equip the workforce with the skills to manage increasingly integrated and intelligent systems. These challenges underscore the importance of collaboration, investment and continued education.
The innovations most likely to impact the future of HVACR include
intelligent indoor air quality systems that adapt in real time to occupancy and pollutant levels, AI-driven optimization for predictive system performance, heat recovery from highintensity facilities like data centers, and integrated solutions that manage both air and water quality. These advances promise to expand the role of HVACR professionals in supporting healthier, more sustainable communities.
GREG WALKER
CEO, ASHB (formerly CABA)
Our industry is at a pivotal point, caught between urgent climate commitments and a wave of technological innovation. From AI and automation to electrification and IAQ, the pressure is on to deliver smarter, cleaner, and more resilient systems.
There’s been a noticeable acceleration in how the industry approaches digital transformation and decarbonization. More companies are moving beyond pilot projects and scaling smart building strategies across entire portfolios. AI integration has also matured, shifting
from hype to practical applications like predictive maintenance, energy optimization, and system diagnostics. Additionally, customer demand for open, interoperable systems has grown significantly, putting pressure on vendors to prioritize flexibility and integration.
Finally, the workforce conversation has expanded far beyond recruitment to now include upskilling existing talent in data analytics, cybersecurity, and systems thinking.
Opportunities also lie in enabling smarter retrofits, particularly in existing commercial buildings. Leveraging cloud-based platforms, edge devices,
and integrated analytics can help legacy systems catch up without a full rip-andreplace. Additionally, federal and statelevel incentive programs continue to fuel investment in energy efficiency and indoor air quality improvements.
Cybersecurity is becoming a major concern as more HVAC systems connect to the cloud. We are closely watching how manufacturers are responding with more secure-by-design products.
Supply chain resiliency and equipment standardization are also ongoing challenges, especially as the industry pushes toward electrification and low-GWP.
STEVE YUREK, President & CEO, AHRI
The HVACR and water heating industry has the solutions and experience to help countries and regions to achieve their sustainability goals. This year’s watchword is affordability, as policy makers around the world strive to ensure progress toward their energy and environmental goals while ensuring continued consumer access to economical, efficient, reliable equipment.
Completing the global transition toward next-generation refrigerants remains high on our industry’s priority list. Our continued efforts to expand our global reach – AHRI recently opened
its sixth global office, in Singapore –will help policymakers there and in many other parts of the world use our standards and certification programs as paths to achieve sustainability goals. Other pressing issues include continued state efforts to regulate PFAS and plastics and packaging, and expand extended producer responsibility efforts.
As the tax credits and rebates for highly efficient equipment wind down in the United States as a result of the recent tax bill, and as tariff activities increase, manufacturers will be seeking additional ways to continue to provide essential affordable, reliable, efficient products to their customers.
Additionally, our industry is navigating a changed political landscape that presents both challenges and opportunities. Completion of the refrigerant transition is a challenge we are confident we can meet, while reform of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) has its best chance in a long while, with a relatively sympathetic Congress and White House.
Keeping essential heating, cooling, water heating, and commercial refrigeration equipment affordable in light of eliminated tax credits and increased tariffs is probably the most pressing issue facing our manufacturers.
JOHN MULLEN Director of Technical Services and Research, IAPMO
The heating and cooling industry is changing faster than it ever has. The scope is expanding, and new methods are being tested and verified every day. Keep your ear to the ground for the innovative ways plumbers and fitters are reshaping the nation’s energy landscape.
As we head into 2026, AI-driven controls, advanced hydronic systems, and Thermal Energy Networks are moving from concept to core infrastructure. The momentum is incredible, but so is the responsibility. Meeting climate goals, improving efficiency, and training a new generation of skilled workers to keep pace. Water remains our most overlooked energy asset, and when used
as a tool for thermal energy transfer, it creates systems that are cleaner, more resilient, and more cost-effective for communities everywhere.
Modern methodologies like geothermal systems, thermal energy networks, integrated AI controls, and advanced hydronic applications are no longer ‘special projects’. They’re now standard expectations. That shift demands
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more than just technical know-how. It requires a rethinking of how we train, mentor, and certify the next generation.
Through organizations like the Radiant Professionals Alliance (RPA), we’re creating pathways for tradespeople to get hands-on with these emerging systems while learning directly from industry veterans. Through IAPMO, the RPA’s collaborative approach is bringing together contractors, engineers, manufacturers,
and educators to ensure that knowledge transfer happens at every level, from the classroom to the job site. The industry’s future will be defined by how well we scale this education.
The future of our industry is being written right now and it’s a collaborative story. Heating, cooling, and plumbing are converging into a single, interconnected hybrid, where water and energy are managed with precision and shared across systems; even
entire communities. The leaders in this movement are those willing to break down traditional trade boundaries, share knowledge, and think bigger than their own niche.
This movement is about re-imagining how the built environment works as a whole. By aligning contractors, engineers, utilities, and policymakers toward shared goals, we can deliver systems that are highly adaptable to the challenges of the decades ahead.
CEO, HARDI
The year ahead will test our industry’s ability to adapt as much as it will reward those who’ve learned from the past two years. The refrigerant shortages of 2025 exposed the cost of weak forecasting and breakdowns in communication across the supply chain, but they also sharpened the industry’s awareness of what coordinated planning requires.
The sell-through market is now almost entirely A2L HARDI Distributors: Unitary Volume by Refrigerant Type
The way distributors manage pricing impacts from tariffs will reveal — and strengthen — their value as partners to their customers. It will also be essential that we continue stay the course set by the federal AIM Act, even as uncertainty surrounding the Technology Transition Rule creates some unease. HARDI remains focused on ensuring distributors have the insight and tools to meet these challenges head-on.
Recent trends from HARDI’s Unitary Market Program indicate that the transition to A2L products is nearing completion. As of July 2025, A2L refrigerants accounted for 86% of unitary sell-through volume, with R-410A representing just 14%. This marks a significant milestone for the industry, reflecting both the adaptability of distributors and manufacturers and the growing alignment with the goals of the AIM Act.
One of the most immediate challenges we’re watching is the sharp decline in air conditioning demand during the latter half of 2025. Weak sell-through has led to elevated inventory levels, putting added pressure on margins. As a result, maintaining profitability in the near term will depend heavily on disciplined cost management and careful inventory control. The coming year will test the industry’s ability to balance operational efficiency with readiness for eventual demand recovery.
For the complete AHR 2026 Trend Report, go to www.ahrexpo. com/2026-trend-report.
One of our industry’s most respected experts says a golden opportunity is now at hand for good IAQ management to become effective preventive medicine.
By STEPHANIE TAYLOR, M.D., M. Architecture; ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer; Medical Advisor, ThinkLite Air
Air is, by far, our most extensive exposure. Every day, the average adult inhales about 13,000 liters of air, more volume than a week’s worth of food or water. Moreover, the surface area of our tissues exposed to air (skin, upper airways, and alveoli in lungs) is equal to a full-sized tennis court! Spending over 80% of time indoors, the modern human has extensive and intimate contact with indoor air and all that it carries.
Despite the magnitude of this interface, we casually and often incorrectly assume that inhaled air is benign. We now know that managing indoor air quality (IAQ) properly is more than a matter of comfort or energy efficiency. It is a central determinant of health, cognitive performance, and the very survival of the human species.
Traditionally, IAQ management for occupants has focused on reducing odors and controlling sensible temperature for comfort. While comfort control is important, it is only the tip of the iceberg.
Every cell in our body depends on air for oxygen needed for survival, yet air is also the vector for potentially harmful chemical and microbial exposures. Primarily through breathing, and to a lesser degree through skin exposure, tiny particles, reactive gases, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) enter our airways, with our bloodstream only a cell membrane away.
When inhaled air has low humidity such as during heating seasons, water from our respiratory membranes is extracted, desiccating our protective mucus membranes and impairing cilia movement — harming the first step of our immune defense. Within minutes, inflammation and oxidative stress can begin. Attention, productivity, and motor coordination measurably decline. Irritation of
Direct Cytotoxic Injury
• Ozone
• Particulate matter
• Volatile organic compounds
Immune-Mediated Injury
• Allergens
• Endotoxin
• Mold
Systemic Physiologic Signaling
• Nitrogen dioxide
• Low humidity
• Ultrafine particles
Figure 1: Pathways through which air contaminants affect human physiology.
the nose, throat and sinuses results in coughing, tearing, and sneezing.
When lung airways are aggravated, they spasm - known as asthma or reactive-airway-disease. Longer exposure to even non-detectible contaminants contribute to chronic respiratory and heart disease, dementia, poor pregnancy outcomes and early death. In healthcare and senior living environments where occupants are often more vulnerable, poor IAQ correlates with higher rates of patient infections
Based in Stowe VT, Stephanie Taylor, M.D., M. Architecture, is a medical advisor to ThinkLite Air; an InciteHealth Fellow at Harvard Medical School; an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer; and a member of the USGBC LEED Technical Advisory Indoor Environmental Quality Group.
Occupants send microbes into buildings (37 million microbes per person per hour)
Building materials and IAQ determine which microbes survive indoors and interact with occupants
and staff absenteeism, along with use of more powerful antibiotics.
To summarize, poor IAQ affects the body via three routes:
1. Direct Toxic Effects — Reactive gases such as ozone, NO₂, and ultrafine particles penetrate deep into the lungs, damaging cells and disrupting genes.
2. Immune Dysregulation — Even low concentrations of pollutants trigger the immune system, stimulating inflammation that underlies asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and neurodegenerative disease.
3. Systemic Signaling — Airway irritation triggers stress pathways, influencing blood pressure, heart rate, mood, cognition, digestion, and increasing release of the immunosuppressant hormone, cortisol.
Recent advances in microbiology using genetic analysis tools have revealed dynamic communities of bacteria, viruses, and fungi, called microbiomes, that live within and upon our body. Human microbiomes consisting of diverse microbial species
help maintain almost every aspect of our physiological functioning, for example training our immune system to ward off invading and harmful pathogens, while dampening unnecessary allergic reactions.
Buildings, like humans, also host microbiomes that are shaped by outdoor air, materials, ventilation, and the occupants, themselves. Thus, IAQ management must not only reduce airborne contaminants, but also nurture a balanced indoor microbial ecosystem compatible with human health. (Figure 2)
Poor ventilation, excessively high or low humidity, or overuse of strong chemical disinfectants can drive the building microbiome through “survival-of-the fittest” to favor treatmentresistant, pathogenic species of viruses, bacteria, and fungal organisms. For example, low relative humidity (below 40%) increases airborne persistence of influenza and SARS-CoV-2, while drying occupant airways and harming protective mucosal surfaces that normally trap and neutralize microbes.
Similarly, excessive use of antimicrobial cleaners can remove beneficial
environmental bacteria, allowing pathogenic (disease-causing) strains to dominate. IAQ management that ignores the indoor microbiome risks creating biologically hostile spaces.
Clearly, maintaining good IAQ is preventive medicine, not just mechanical maintenance.
How to manage IAQ for health:
1. Air quality monitoring — The first step in managing IAQ is knowing what indoor contaminants and humidity levels exist. Humans cannot perceive all important gases, particle levels and low humidity conditions that are harmful to health, therefore, questionnaires on comfort and satisfaction cannot provide these data points.
The only way to know what exists is to continuously monitor IAQ, and ideally surrounding outdoor air, with sensors that measure large to ultrafine particles, relevant gases, humidity and temperature. Trying to manage IAQ for healthy occupants and balanced microbiomes without this visibility is like driving on a dark road at night without headlights. You are asking for trouble! (Figure 3)
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2. Ventilation Air Exchange — Ventilating indoor spaces with outdoor air dilutes indoor pollutants — if outdoor air quality is good. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Excessive ventilation with unconditioned or contaminated outdoor air can introduce pollutants such as ozone, carbon combustion by-products (e.g. nitrogen and sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide) and increase energy consumption if extensive heating, cooling, humidification, or dehumidification are needed. Again, holistic and continuous indoor and outdoor air quality monitoring is necessary to effectively use mechanical demand-controlled ventilation, or even passive ventilation through operable windows.
3. Filtration and Purification — Mechanical filters in intake ducts or in-space units can effectively remove particles and allergens, while filters with activated carbon also capture VOCs and ozone. Bioinspired filtration using plant-microbe systems or enzymatic coatings represents an exciting next frontier, integrating natural detoxification pathways into engineered air systems.
4. Humidity and Temperature Control — Relative humidity between 40–60% is necessary for several reasons. This level of water vapor supports our mucosal defense, limits infectious bioaerosol transmission, and shapes microbial communities both within humans and within indoor spaces to favor diversity. To avoid condensation resulting in water accumulation and mold growth, proper insulation in
building envelopes and cold surfaces must be maintained. Smart sensors and integrated controls can maintain proper ranges across climate zones and throughout the four seasons.
5. Source Control — Preventing harmful off-gassing by choosing low-emission materials, managing cleaning products, and maintaining HVAC systems remains the most effective strategy. IAQ monitoring to detect sources, scheduled building commissioning, and following maintenance schedules are crucial.
6. Strategies for microbiome management — A “microbiome-aware” approach introduces ecological principles to IAQ management. Encourage microbial diversity. Avoid over-sterilization. Use cleaning products that remove soil but preserve microbial heterogeneity. Introduce materials like wood and natural fibers that host benign microbial communities and allow uptake and release of water vapor into indoor spaces to contribute to mid-range humidity that supports both human and microbiome health.
The benefits of healthy IAQ extend far beyond preventing odors. Improving IAQ reduces absenteeism, hospitalacquired infections, and cognitive fatigue. In offices, modest reductions in CO₂ and VOCs can improve decision-making by 8–11%. In hospitals, maintaining optimal humidity and filtration can lower respiratory infection rates by up to 30%. For building owners, these translate into measurable returns through reduced energy waste, liability, and healthcare costs. Moreover, microbial stability itself can protect infrastructure: diverse surface microbiota inhibits fungal growth and biofilm formation that degrade materials. This convergence of health and maintenance benefits makes IAQ management one of the most cost-effective sustainability strategies available.
Ventilation and conditioning air account for 30–50% of total building energy use. The “traditional” response to IAQ concerns — increase ventilation! — often conflicts with energy and carbon goals and can introduce harmful outdoor contaminants. New, affordable sensors and data integration allow “smart ventilation,” where airflow is determined by demand-controlled ventilation. Visibility into indoor and outdoor contaminant levels allow airflow adjustments based on pollutant loads rather than fixed schedules. These integrated strategies make “healthy efficiency” achievable — where energy conservation and air quality enhancement reinforce rather than oppose each other.
Our next step in IAQ management will hopefully merge technology with biology. Smart systems can learn occupancy rhythms and detect contaminant sources, adjusting remediation steps accordingly. Surface and duct coatings may incorporate living biofilms that metabolize VOCs, echoing how the liver detoxifies blood.
Materials may contain mycelium composites and bacterial cellulose which have pollutant-absorbing capacity. These bio-engineered solutions, imitating nature’s energy efficient, resilient, and self-regulating strategies, are invaluable guides.
At the same time, occupant health monitoring via wearables or building-linked health dashboards can provide feedback loops. Correlating IAQ parameters with absenteeism, heart-rate variability, or cognitive performance will make the health impacts of air tangible and actionable.
Ultimately, IAQ management redefines the building as part of a larger living system. Our walls should not isolate and harm us. They should connect the occupants’ microbiomes, immune systems, and behaviors into a shared ecosystem. Healthy air can sustain both human and microbial diversity, while polluted or sterile air erodes resilience and fosters disease.
So the challenge ahead is cultural as much as technical as we progress from viewing air as a mostly benign background to seeing it as a vital medium of health. Architects, engineers, clinicians, and facility managers must collaborate around this biological perspective. By doing so, buildings can become not just shelters, but a promising new hope for actually improving human health.
Optimized ventilation design can remove hazardous waste anesthetic gases in vulnerable hospital post-op settings.
1:
distribution of sevoflurane concentration in the breathing plane at a 4-ft (1.2 m) elevation shows that the headwall return location can provide the most optimized exit path for the waste anesthetic gases (WAGs) in the PACU.
By Kishor Khankari, PhD, Fellow ASHRAE, AnSight LLC
Postoperative patients in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) of any modern hospital are the sources of waste anesthetic gases (WAGs). So healthcare workers in any
PACU can potentially be exposed to hazardous WAGs.
To protect these workers, it’s important to design a ventilation system that effectively removes these gases and reduces exposure.
But the traditional approach of dilution ventilation does not account for the impact of airflow patterns and the
resulting flow path of contaminants. By improving airflow patterns and optimizing the flow path of contaminants, the concentration of WAGs in the breathing zone of occupants can be reduced.
To optimize the performance of a PACU ventilation system, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study
The author is founder of AnSight LLC, based in Ann Arbor MI. As a specialist in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Dr. Khankari’s passion for solving engineering problems and providing sound scientific solutions has led to innovations and many optimized designs for our industry. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and has published in several technical journals and trade magazines. An ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer, Dr. Khankari makes regular presentations in various technical conferences and professional meetings worldwide.
2: Spread Index plots that indicate areas of high air concentration in the PACU. It reveals that in the case of headwall return, only 0.07 percent of the space volume near the patients’ faces would have an unacceptable concen tration of waste anesthetic gases.
was conducted to evaluate the impact of various hospital HVAC layouts on the flow path of contaminants. The study employed a Spread Index metric to compare the spread of sevoflurane (a commonly used anesthetic gas) in the HVAC system of a typical PACU.
The traditional approach to ventilation design involves specifying a single number for the dilution air flow rate, often in terms of air change rates. This approach assumes that clean air will instantly mix with and dilute indoor contaminants concentrations to create a uniformly mixed, homogeneous air volume.
However, in reality, well-mixed indoor conditions rarely occur and are almost impossible to attain. The predominant location where a wellmixed concentration of contaminants can be observed is at the return grille or in the return duct.
In real-world situations, the contaminant concentration and the exposure of occupants can vary in time and space across all dimensions. Many factors relating to the design and operation of a ventilation system can impact such three-dimensional nonuniformity. These factors include the number, location, and type of supply diffusers; the volume of supply airflow or air changes per hour (ACH) and the throw of the diffusers; the temperature of the supply air; the number, size, and positions of return/exhaust grilles; the location and strength of various heat sources; the placement of furniture and other obstructions to airflow; and the layout of patient beds in the PACU.
Conducting physical tests for all these parameters under controlled conditions for various operating scenarios is time-consuming and laborintensive, if not impossible. But CFD analysis offers a practical alternative for systematically evaluating these
parameters. CFD can help to identify an optimal path for removing contaminants and ensuring a clean and safe environment for occupants.
This study showed that the traditional HVAC layout with four-way supply diffusers and ceiling returns create mixing airflow patterns. These patterns can potentially distribute WAGs throughout the entire PACU, increasing the risk of exposure for healthcare workers.
Similarly, the low wall and ceiling returns layouts with ceiling laminar diffusers also create recirculating airflow patterns, which can bring sevoflurane (WAGs) plumes from the patient’s face into the breathing zone of attending healthcare workers. In the CFD analyses, the HVAC layout with laminar diffusers and headwall returns showed the most promise in reducing the concentration of WAGs in the breathing zone.
This layout promotes horizontal movement of a sevo flurane plume below the breathing zone of occupants combined with immediate exit of the contaminated air through the headwall returns. This significantly reduces the concentration of sevoflurane in the breathing zone and limits the spread of WAGs in the PACU.
The study also indicates that the PACU with such an optimized HVAC layout can be operated at reduced dilution
airflow rates without significantly affecting ventilation performance. This confirms that it’s not the air change rates but the airflow patterns that play a crucial role in the effective removal of contaminants.
By using CFD to analyze and optimize airflow patterns in indoor spaces, it’s possible to limit the spread of contaminants and reduce the exposure of occupants. Such optimized ventilation designs can further reduce energy consumption, first costs, and the operating costs of the HVAC system.
Electrically fired boilers are gaining steam, as owners embrace both their efficiency and flexibility for all the regulatory changes ahead.
By ED VERDEROSE, Vice President Industrial Steam Boiler USA
Iwalked over to the light switch in my home this morning and flipped it ON. The room was immediately illuminated.
It was also a little chilly, so I pushed the thermostat up a few clicks and the room got warmer. These things I take for granted, but in today’s climate of regulatory compliance and industries racing to zero emissions, there are now many more facets in play that I know we have to consider.
Currently, we’re not suffering from regular black- or brown-outs and for
the most part, we’re not short on fossil fuels, though we do understand their limitations and tradeoffs. The image that comes to mind is the scene from any dystopian narrative that paints the world without the energy of today. Dark factories. Grey skies. You get the idea. We had the chance to make a difference, and missed it.
So, how is it, exactly, that we’re going to power our planet’s future?
It isn’t the coal-fired power plants of yesterday, because we haven’t built one in years. And those plants that are still in operation only represent about 16% of the total consumption of the U.S. market. At the same time,
coal-fired electrical generation continues to provide 73% of India’s and 58% of China’s consumption. So, as we all continue to share the same ozone, it is safe to say that electricity, its generation and consumption, is of worldwide concern.
Meanwhile, the construction of data centers is also at an all-time high, with no slowing in sight. And these creatures devour power like a shark on a feeding frenzy. The U.S. has the highest number of data centers in the world, roughly 5,000. The large/hyperscale units, alone, gobbled nearly 5% of the total produced electricity in 2023, with expectations of consumption to more than double by 2030.
Of course, this does not take into consideration your home’s toaster.
Wind, solar and hydropower account for only about 20% of total electrical production in the U.S. Natural gas weighs in at 42% and nuclear power picks up the remaining 18%. If you’re doing the math along with me, you’ll see that, in order to minimize our carbon footprint, reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) and save the planet for future generations, we have to strategically convert from the long transmission lines required to get fossil, wind and solar renewables (from where they’re made to where they’re consumed) to nuclear and localized “micro grids” over time.
Small Nuclear Reactors (SMR’s), the small referring to both their respective
Based in the Greater Philadelphia Area, the author is VP of Business Development at Industrial Steam Boiler USA. He has also served as a member of the Board of Directors at the American Boiler Manufacturers Association (ABMA) and is currently on the Advisory Committee to the Board of Trustees for the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors (NBBI).
size and generating capacity, are available in the 20 to 300 MW(MWe) size and can be stacked modularly for scalability and redundancy. There are units currently operating in Russia and China, with 74 new projects in development worldwide. The U.S. Navy has powered submarines and aircraft carriers this way since 1955. So, with commercial nuclear power generation dating back to the late 1950’s, it is safe and predictable.
The latest addition to our country’s large-scale nuclear power plants came online in 2023 and 2024 in Georgia at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, representing the first new U.S. nuclear plant in 30 years.
Very well-known are the many consumers of electricity. I remember Dad reminding us to “turn off the lights” or Grandmom warning “not to waste a hot oven.” (The related smells and deliciousness are hard to forget.) What many may not know about are hot water and steam-generating boilers.
These pieces of equipment have traditionally been fossil fuel-fired and are used in the production of literally everything from comfort heating and humidification to food, beverages, textiles, and tires. The list goes on.
But fossil fuel-fired boilers can rarely exceed 90% efficiency, most landing in the mid-80% range, the remainder being lost to the stack
Owned by Southern Nuclear, Plant Vogtle is located in Waynesboro, GA, and features four reactors. Having come online in 2023 and 2024, the facility is now the largest generator of clean energy in the U.S.
exhaust. When fired electrically, however, these boilers become effectively 100% efficient, transferring their energy entirely from the power they consume to the steam or hot water that they produce.
Of course, the electrical power required to operate these boilers is significant, in both voltage and amperage, remaining a barrier to entry for many manufacturers and users who, otherwise, would like to do their part
Thermal Leverage's new Tri-Fuel Boiler is one industry response to the boom in electricity demand. Specifically geared for the emerging ZERO emissions markets, this boiler has been redesigned to incorporate GAS or OIL firing, along with equally balanced state-of-the-art electric resistive heating elements that surpass the hydrocarbon firing capacity, approaching 100% efficiency.
in helping to green the world. Thermal Leverage LLC, with its Tri-Fuel Boiler (below, left), is one of the manufacturers that understands. But until significant changes are made to our electrical distribution system, the boilers that are required for the heating and production needs of this nation will continue to require fossil fuel capabilities.
The idea behind incorporating the conventional boiler burner with matching heat input electrodes encompasses the bridge-building ideology that allows a client to replace their boilers now, or install new equipment that has this immediate electrical conversion capability. And, yes, because the burner is not integral to the boilers design, it may also be specified for the use of biofuels and hydrogen.
So, as soon as the optimistic inevitable occurs, not only plentiful but inexpensive electricity and hydrogen will become available. But they also can and will be available to be used in these UL-listed, full capacity generators without retrofit or alteration.
The conversion then should be as easy as flipping a switch.
The annual winners and finalists have been announced, with the actual honors set to be bestowed next February in Las Vegas.
In October, Westport CT-based AHR Expo (International AirConditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition) announced the winners of its 2026 AHR Expo Innovation Awards.
Winners in 10 industry categories are chosen annually to represent the most innovative new products and technologies in the market today.
“The achievement of an Innovation Award winner is a meaningful distinction in HVACR,” said Show Manager Mark Stevens . “We’re proud to showcase the commitment and to recognize the hard work of these manufacturers and their collective teams who are putting in the work to bring new and inventive solutions to market. Our Innovation Awards not only highlight these accomplishments, but also act as a benchmark for excellence, honoring the creativity and dedication shaping our industry’s future.”
Each year, the Innovation Awards receive hundreds of submissions from manufacturers putting forward their breakthrough designs for new and never-before-seen solutions or improvements upon existing products and technologies. Entries are then closely reviewed by a panel of thirdparty judges made up of distinguished ASHRAE members.
Evaluations are based on overall innovative design, creativity of the product or service offered, product or technology in real-world application, as well as overall potential market impact.
“It is a positive indicator that each year we see more and more manufacturers meeting industry challenges with creativity and innovation,” continued Stevens. “The winning products, along with all the finalists, demonstrate HVACR’s preparedness to respond to critical demands and challenges with innovative solutions to support energy efficiency, compliance, cost-efficiency
and an overall improvement to equipment performance.”
An exciting added benefit of flourishing innovation driving entries to the Innovation Awards is the ability to strengthen the industry through funding attributed to the AHR Expo Workforce Development program. The program, celebrating its fourth year in Vegas, aims to trigger industry growth through experiences geared to inspire future members of the HVACR community.
Funds collected from the entry fees are donated to programming at the student level, including field trips to the Expo, curated introductions to professionals and manufacturers, equipment for hands-on learning in school laboratories, and monetary donations to student programs in the hosting city. We invite you to learn more about workforce development on ahrexpo.com and encourage you to get involved.
Winners of the 2026 AHR Expo Innovations Awards are the following:
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Winner: Honeywell
Innovation: Honeywell Connected Solutions
AHR Booth: C1840
Honeywell’s Connected Solutions suite empowers building owners and service providers with cloud-based tools for remote monitoring, predictive maintenance, energy optimisation, and asset lifecycle management. These applications streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance sustainability, all through a unified, intuitive platform that transforms traditional building management into a connected, data-driven experience.
Finalists include: Boldr, Boldr Mini Split Controller Pro Pack; and eDelta Inc./ eTrapp.
Winner: Daikin Applied Americas Inc.
Innovation: Magnitude WME-C Quad
AHR Booth: C4916
The Magnitude WME-C Quad is the first dual circuit series counterflow chiller that delivers up to 3,000 tons of capacity using Daikin’s magnetic bearing compressor technology. With four compressors, Daikin’s proven WME oil-free magnetic bearing technology and mission-critical features like RideThrough® and RapidRestore®, which offer unmatched part-load efficiency, reliability and uptime.
Finalists include: BAC (Baltimore Aircoil Company), Immersion Cooling Tank with Cortex™ Technology; and Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai, G-Storm Compressor (G-Storm 200Hz Ultra High-speed Compressor)
Winner: Copeland
Innovation: Heating-optimized modulating vapor injection portfolio
AHR Booth: C3607
The Copeland heating-optimised compressor for commercial heat pumps combine twostage, tandem and variable-speed compression platforms with enhanced vapor injection (EVI) technologies to deliver maximum flexibility, scalability and performance in achieving the capacity and efficiency requirements of next-generation commercial heat pumps for hot air and water applications.
Finalists include: Danfoss, PSG Heating Scroll Compressor; and Trane Trane® 17 Multi-Speed Heat Pump with WeatherGuard™
Winner: Sharp Corporation
Innovation: Airest
AHR Booth: SL1919
Airest is the world’s first mini-split heat pump with built-in MERV 14 certified filters. It is said to capture over 99.9% of dust before it enters the unit. With an airflow reach of 43 feet, Airest cools, heats, and purifies the air simultaneously, all made possible by its uniquely engineered internal structure.
Finalists include: CASPR Technologies, CASPR Medik; and Friedrich Air Conditioning, FreshAire® PTAC
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Winner: IDC Fluid Control
Innovation: LeakStop III
AHR Booth: SL1225
LeakStop III is a fully automated water leak detection system for homes and small commercial buildings. The system is built to alarm in the event of a leak detection. When the water flow is continuous and exceeds a preset and programmable maximum value, the system automatically shuts down.
Finalists include: GE Appliances Air & Water Solutions, Smart HQ Wireless Leak Detect System; and Milwaukee Tool, Roll Groover (2927).
Winner: Copeland
Innovation: Transcritical CO2 scroll compressor with dynamic vapor injection technology
AHR Booth: C3607
The Copeland transcritical CO2 scroll compressor marks a new era of simplicity, scalability and sustainability for small-footprint, distributed CO2 refrigeration. Featuring dynamic vapor injection (DVI) technology, which enhances efficiency and simplifies design, the transcritical-rated compressor revolutionizes CO2 refrigeration system designs and applications in North America.
Finalists include: DORIN USA, CD700 Range - CO2 Transcritical Compressors; and Quest Climate, M-CoRR (Multi-Coil Refrigeration Recovery)
Winner: Rebar
Innovation: Rebar
AHR Booth: SL2331
Rebar is the first AI-powered takeoff platform built for HVAC. It reads construction plans, identifies mechanical pages, marks equipment, and generates accurate takeoffs in minutes—cutting hours of manual work. Purpose-built by industry experts, Rebar helps reps move faster, win more jobs, and streamline the entire sales process.
Finalists include: HVAC Solutions, Inc., AGILE-MEP; and PhaseAlpa, LLC, AlphaTakeoff.
Winner: Blue Frontier
Innovation: BF-DOAS
AHR Booth: SL3720
Blue Frontier’s technology to cool & dehumidify is an evolution away from refrigerants and the vapor compression cycle. It’s 300% more efficient than current technologies, contains a dispatchable thermal storage battery and can independently control db and dp, providing superior comfort. The hotter it gets, the more efficient we become.
Finalists include: Conifer, Cypress; Rare-Earth-Free IE5+ EC motor for NEMA Frames; and SHARC Energy, SHARC Series (660, 880, 1212 (coming soon)
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FEB 2 -4 2026
Winner: ABB Motors and Drives
Winner: CSG Compressors (Houston & American Hermetics)
Innovation: SAMMi
AHR Booth: SL3122
SAMMi is an AI-powered HVAC monitoring and dispatch system that detects issues before they cause breakdowns. It autonomously alerts and dispatches technicians, saving time, money, and product loss. Easy to install and scalable, SAMMi turns reactive maintenance into smart, seamless prevention.
Finalists include: NAVAC Inc., Flex-X Manifold Gauge; and Uniweld Products, Inc., Uniweld SmarTech® FUSION Pro Kit
Innovation: ACH580 Variable Frequency Drives
AHR Booth: C1707
The ACH580 drive enables seamless control of up to six EC Titanium motors, optimizing energy efficiency, reducing installation complexity, and lowering total cost of ownership. This intelligent fan array solution delivers high performance and simplified permanent magnet motor management for advanced HVAC applications.
Finalists include: Honeywell, Critical Spaces Control Drives; and Senva Inc., ECMSet Pro.
At the show in February, one overall 2026 Product of the Year winner will be announced. This prestigious honor, selected from the 10 category winners, is awarded based on exceptional leadership in HVACR innovation.
“As the industry continues to face workforce challenges alongside rising equipment demand, ever-changing regulations and the need for more innovative solutions, the AHR Expo Innovation Awards will
continue to play a critical role in showcasing the pulse of industry advancement,” said Kim Pires, with AHR Expo. “Participation in the Awards — and the distinction of being awarded a win is a key indicator to the wider industry that your company is leading the way for the future of HVACR.”
For more information about the awards, AHR Expo, and to register for free, please visit ahrexpo.com.
BY NANCY KOHOUT, PE, LEED AP,
More than 400 energized engineers, manufacturers and owners gathered in Chicago to swap stories about progress made and projects in planning.
The latest ASHRAE Building Decarbonization Conference in Chicago this October highlighted that effective decarbonization planning requires a comprehensive understanding of building systems, plant load profiles, and operational characteristics.
Case studies presented demonstrated that each project brings unique challenges, requiring detailed analysis and customized solutions. Decarbonization is frequently implemented in stages due to the limitations of current technologies and the constraints of existing building infrastructure.
A central theme throughout was the importance of engaging all stakeholders. This includes facilities and plant operators as well as financial decision-makers. Their involvement is essential for understanding the implications of proposed changes and for adopting new technologies and operational strategies. The planning process is typically iterative, involving technical analysis, simplified system design, financial modeling, and scenario planning. These efforts are translated into clear presentations that support informed decisions and anticipate stakeholder questions.
The ASHRAE and USGBC publication titled Guide to Strategic Decarbonization Planning (downloadable https:// www.ashrae.org/about/cebd-technical-resources) is a free available resource. Innovative projects showcased at the conference demonstrated creative and diverse approaches to designing buildings and systems. The conference served as a catalyst for industry transformation and knowledge sharing, reinforcing the need for continued collaboration.
In addition to building-level strategies, the conference also emphasized the importance of considering how buildings interact with the power grid. Sessions explored concepts such as Distributed Capacity Procurement, Virtual Power Plants, and Automated Demand Response. These strategies aim to support and extend the capacity of existing electrical infrastructure especially as power grid capacity is challenged to meet data center and electrification demands.
A key concept introduced was beneficial electrification, which involves designing electrified heating systems that do not exceed a building’s current peak electrical demand, typically occurring during summer months. Achieving this goal requires consideration of a combination of strategies including envelope retrofits, thermal storage, heat recovery systems, advanced heat pump technologies, water source
heat pumps served by geo-exchange or wastewater, and intelligent controls.
As always, financial considerations are a critical component of decarbonization planning, too. Stakeholders must understand not only the technology but also the financial impacts, including federal, state, and local incentives. The potential consequences of escalating Building Performance Standard fines must also be incorporated. Scenario planning is essential to address the various questions and concerns clients may raise during the decision-making process.
Several key takeaways:
• First, financial stakeholder engagement is necessary to ensure that decarb plans are feasible and actionable;
• Second, clients who anticipate pursuing decarbonization in the near future should begin metering, retro-commissioning, and thermal stress testing their buildings now;
• Third, aligning decarb efforts with existing capital renewal projects can significantly improve cost-effectiveness.
Finally, the engineering profession must embrace a paradigm shift that includes robust energy modeling. This involves using physics-based, data-driven, hybrid, and predictive models to analyze both annual and peak energy usage, as well as carbon emissions.
Decarbonization is a multidisciplinary challenge that blends engineering, financial strategy, stakeholder engagement, and policy awareness. It requires a fundamental shift in how buildings are designed, operated, and integrated with the broader energy ecosystem. This conference provided a valuable roadmap for professionals committed to reducing carbon emissions in the built environment.
A member of HPAC Engineering’s Editorial Advisory Board, author Nancy Kohout, PE, LEED AP, BD+C, was assisted in writing this article by fellow SmithGroup attendees and colleagues Brian Noonan, Calina Ferraro, Cindy Cogil.
March 18-19, 2026
Lodi, CA
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Anaheim, CA
NORTHWEST
April 29-30, 2026
Portland, OR
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