Jim Rutz, Director of Global Platform Management, Tecumseh, said lack of skilled labour is driving innovation in the HVACR sector in North America. “There is, in North America, a lack of skilled labour,” he said. “Additionally, as systems become more complex to achieve the goals of society, the skill levels required continue to rise. Finding skilled labour and ongoing training is a challenge. This, in turn, drives innovation to remove dependence on labour.”

Aside from the cost of labour, Rutz added that the need for greater efficiency is driving the need for more intelligent and increasingly connected systems, in terms of both individual comfort conditioning applications and for the benefit of integrated systems. More specifically, he said, in terms of taking heat captured in a cooling process and using it elsewhere.

Rutz shared that with system and component reliability considered essential across the HVACR industry, the rising cost is also driving higher demands among end-users in terms of “protecting critical components from conditions that lead to failure, as well as capturing and communicating system performance data that facilitates servicing and maintenance”.

He also touched on the application of Green Building designs to residential and commercial structures, saying, “A tight building is more efficient but is also prone to trapping toxins inside. The challenge, then, is to design air make-up systems that efficiently exchange energy rather than lose it to the outside.” Lastly, he noted that regulations and growing acceptance of sustainability is also driving innovation that will showcase responsible use of materials and energy.