Despite Snow Storm, AHR 2014 Sees Record Attendance & Upbeat Business Outlook

Summary

By Bill Lydon, Editor

Even though New York City experienced a snow storm that accumulated 10 inches of snow, the AHR Expo experienced a record attendance. On January 21-23, 2014, more than 43,000 visitors and 18,000 exhibitor personnel flocked to the Javits Convention Center. One thousand nine hundred exhibiting companies from all 50 states and more than 130 countries participated. During the event, ASHRAE offered 100 educational sessions focused on achieving greater energy efficiency and sustainability. ASHRAE and AHRI co-sponsored the 2014 AHR Expo. The Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) was an honorary sponsor.

1,900 exhibitors occupying more than 385,000 square feet.

HVAC Industry Outlook

Based on a recent ASHRAE/AHR Expo survey of more than 1,000 HVACR manufacturers worldwide, industry suppliers are optimistic. According to survey results, 79% of the respondents said their prospects for business are either “excellent” (19%) or “good” (60%) for the coming year. The remaining 21% of the respondents felt prospects are “fair.” Thirty-one percent of respondents forecast sales increases of between 5% and 10%, and 27% expect increases of less than 5%. Ten percent of respondents believe sales will remain the same, while no one predicts sales will decrease. Manufacturers see the best prospects for business fairly evenly divided among maintenance/replacement (35%), new construction (33%), and retrofit/renovation (32%). Manufacturers ranked customer buying criteria as reliability first, first cost second, and energy efficiency third.

Address by ASHRAE President

William P. “Bill” Bahnfleth, ASHRAE 2013-2014 President, hosted a press breakfast and discussed various topics. He characterized ASHRAE members as the “human capital” of the industry who must strive continually to improve, with particular attention to nurturing the next generation of leaders. The emphasis must be on promoting a global technical community in which all can participate, broadening the scope of activities to meet the demands of integrated, high-performing building design and operation, and working effectively with other organizations and governments worldwide. ASHRAE is working to serve developing markets. The increase of new international members is running two to three times that of new North American members. Bahnfleth emphasized, “We need to determine how our organization can best serve a growing international membership.”

The organization has made significant progress to put a stronger emphasis on indoor environmental quality. An example is free electronic distribution of ASHRAE’s “Indoor Air Quality Guide: Best Practices for Design, Construction and Commissioning.” Since the document was introduced six months ago, more than 14,000 copies have been downloaded.

Bahnfleth also discussed ASHRAE’s research goals and the need to couple research with practical understanding of application. Researchers need to be able to explore, but there needs to be a focus on industry needs. ASHRAE develops and publishes a strategic research plan that identifies key HVAC&R research needs and updates it every five years. ASHRAE also has a grant program to start funding research projects. More information.

Bahnfleth discussed the value of the TC 9.9 standard, which addresses all aspects of mission critical facilities, data centers, technology spaces and electronic equipment. Bahnfleth noted that there is a significant cultural difference between data center professionals and HVAC professionals regarding how each views energy.  Work is required to harmonize these views.

Supporting NYC Community

Each year, AHR Expo donates the awards entry fees to not-for-profit organizations in the city where the Expo is held. This year, entry fees totaling $12,525 were given to the Youth Action YouthBuild (YAYB) organization based in New York City’s East Harlem community. Since the award’s inception, more than $125,000 has been donated to organizations throughout the US. Many such organizations have used the donations to enhance their HVAC systems or help train industry technicians. For more than 35 years, YAYB has been dedicated to providing education, training, and leadership opportunities to thousands of low-income young adults while engaging them in the creation of affordable housing. The donation will be used to help upgrade the HVAC systems of the homes YAYB is building or renovating. Founded on the principle that youth could be a powerful force for good in the neighborhood, the program has been so successful in helping transform the community and break the cycle of poverty that there are now 273 YouthBuild programs in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and 16 other countries. Since 1994, more than 100,000 YouthBuild students have built 20,000 units of affordable, increasingly green housing.

Accepting a check for $12,525.00 from the Youth Action YouthBuild (YAYB) organization are (2nd from right) David Calvert and (3rd from right) Andre Grubbs. Presenting the check (L to R) are Clay Stevens, AHR Expo Show Manager; Bill Bahnfleth, ASHRAE President; and Bob McDonough, Chairman of AHRI (far right).