Development and Future of HVAC

13/08/2020

The future is about aiming for higher levels of efficiency and sustainability. After all, expect higher energy consumption because of future economic progress. With population growth plus the need for more housing and commercial buildings, we should also expect more HVAC systems to be installed.

Development and future of HVAC

But how do we achieve higher levels of efficiency and sustainability both for energy consumption and HVAC systems? The straightforward solution is to develop more efficient technologies not just in power generation and distribution, but also in heating and cooling systems.

However, we have to facilitate and encourage innovation first before we can expect innovations. After all, it takes huge upfront financial investments to develop better technologies. It also takes years and even decades before we can realise noticeable improvements. And just like with capital-intensive industries and businesses, there are also barriers to entry when it comes to innovation. Not everyone can take part in developing more efficient technologies in power and HVAC.

What will help then is to provide more incentives towards developing better technologies. It can come from research and innovation grants. Tax exemptions might also help so that organisations can set aside more funds for their promising projects. Continuous training and education can also help in raising awareness and building technical expertise about energy efficiency. The key here is to allot more money for development and shift the focus to innovations. Businesses and government agencies already do that. The key is to accelerate the efforts so that we can see the results sooner. Good things will happen eventually. However, we have to catch up quickly because of the environmental impact and rising costs we’re already seeing.

It’s about building a supportive ecosystem and infrastructure so that more things can happen. It’s similar to what happens in Silicon Valley and start-up and innovation centres. When the essential infrastructure is already there, interesting things happen. In the field of HVAC and energy efficiency, it’s happening already. But there’s still that plateau we can’t seem to surpass. With an extra push and commitment, hopefully the challenge will be easier to overcome.