Danfoss' senior leaders offered their perspective on energy efficiency, the Smart Grid, and refrigerants at a press conference.

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During Danfoss’ 17th annual press conference held Jan. 24, 2012, at the AHR Expo in Chicago, senior leaders remarked on the 2012 market outlook and policy trends for the HVAC industry.

Danfoss North America President John Galyen commented on three specific climate and energy challenges facing the industry -- energy efficiency, the Smart Grid, and refrigerants -- and provided steps Danfoss is taking to prepare for the changes that lie ahead.

Specifically, Galyen noted that the Smart Grid is becoming increasingly critical to the HVAC sector since buildings consume 40% of all energy in the U.S. and demand is estimated to increase by 21% by 2030.

“The way supply and demand are synced, the management of electrical power, and improving the efficiency of existing infrastructure, will continue to be critical issues moving forward. We’ll need to be aware of three main elements – demand response, energy efficiency and load management. Technologies like variable speed enable end users and utilities better load control and demand response benefits,” he said.

Robert Wilkins, vice president, public affairs at Danfoss, commented on the policy outlook for 2012. There is little change in policy expected at the national level, but two interesting House bills are emerging. Congressmen McKinley and Welch have drafted a bill that would provide incentives for whole home energy retrofits. Congressman Bass’ bill seeks to increase energy efficiency in government buildings and promote expansion of certain technologies such as combined heat and power plants. Meanwhile, manufacturers are moving ahead with developing equipment for hydrocarbons, using CO₂ in supermarkets and industrial refrigeration, and considering HFC-32 for air conditioning.

“The HVACR world continues to change,” Wilkins said. “It’s becoming more and more complex, with more refrigerants, more system types and new regional differences.”

With investments in variable speed solutions, low-GWP refrigerants, electronic controls, and smart devices, Galyen and Wilkins reinforced Danfoss’ commitment to advancing energy efficiency and refrigerant development in the HVAC industry, as well as helping to prepare for new standards, policies, and technologies.

- Edited by Chris Vavra, Consulting-Specifying Engineer, www.csemag.com