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Survey Reveals Interest in Energy Efficiency Is a Critical HVAC Trend Annual EEI survey finds 3 in 4 facility managers planning to invest in IAQ
By / Gordon White
Has a long, unpredicted year taken a toll on people’s interest in energy efficiency, renewables, and smart buildings? In December 2020, Johnson Controls released the findings of its annual Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI) survey. The research found that more than half of organizations plan to increase investment in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and smart building technology next year, comparable with investment trends after the 2010 recession. The Industry Response “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to improve the health and safety of buildings, particularly by increasing their ability to operate under different conditions, both planned and unforeseen,” said Clay Nesler, vice president of global energy and sustainability at Johnson Controls. “Though the pandemic has altered how people are investing in their buildings, occupant health and energy efficiency continue to be top of mind, and we anticipate these investments will be a priority in 2021 as more people return to shared spaces.” Michael Ellis, executive vice president and chief customer and chief digital officer at Johnson Controls, added that digital offerings that integrate into existing systems are increasing in importance for organizations planning 2021 spending. The majority of facility managers—85% of them—said 14 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
that the desire to reduce energy costs for their facility was a very important driver of their willingness to invest in new technologies. In fact, a quarter of organizations said that they planned to replace HVAC systems before end-of-life. And manufacturers are poised to meet the growing interest. Francis Dietz, vice president of public affairs for AirConditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), said that HVAC manufacturers have continually innovated to develop new technologies that can make HVAC equipment and products as energy efficient and environmentally friendly as possible. He added that this has not taken away from the products’ abilities to enhance customers’ health, safety, comfort, and productivity. “As new technologies are developed in the area of renewable energy, our member companies are using them to create equipment that uses them, whether it be solar, biofuels, or advanced energy storage,” he said. Energy efficiency and emission reductions have taken center stage in the United States’ energy policies, he said, and numerous innovations will help meet the challenges of increasing sustainability, including “geothermal and thermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, advanced zone control technologies, energy storage technologies, advances in commercial refrigeration technologies, variable frequency
