United States. Each year, winners are chosen in ten industry categories to represent the most innovative products and technologies coming to market in the coming year.
"The awards program is growing year after year," said show manager Mark Stevens. "This is a direct correlation to how quickly our industry is growing through innovation. The awards are a key indicator of how HVAC/R is being called upon to solve global problems at a rapid pace. Our goal is to highlight this trajectory of innovation and honor those who are pushing the bar to create solutions to difficult problems."
Building automation
Winner: Cielo WiGle Inc.
Innovation: Cielo Breez Max
Cielo Breez Max (Max) is a smart thermostat for mini-split, window and portable air conditioners. It is loaded with an AI-based engine to automatically detect the AC type and model number. Backed by the AWS Cloud, Max is universally compatible with any brand or type of ductless air conditioner. Works with a 5V adapter or can be wired via 12/18/24 volts AC. It can also be powered with 12/18/24 volts DC. All Cielo Breez Max are protected with TLS1.2 to securely authenticate and encrypt data when transferred over a network. Max supports Amazon Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings, IFFTT, and Siri shortcuts. Learn more here.
Finalists: Falkonair Inc., and Automated Logic Corporation.
Cooling
Winner: Chemours
Innovation: Opteon™ XL41 Refrigerant
Opteon™ XL41 is a low-potential, non-ozone-depleting global warming refrigerant that replaces R-410A in residential and light commercial air conditioning and scroll chiller applications. This product maximizes the benefits of the transition to HFO refrigerants and minimizes the impact of the transition. Opteon ™ XL41 provides a 78% reduction in R-410A GWP, while still being compatible with all R-410A residential and commercial applications and lubricants. This greatly reduces the redesign effort for OEMs and reduces the learning curve for technicians in the field. Learn more here.
Finalists: Copeland Compressors and Condensing Units/Emerson and Fujitsu General American.
Heating
Winner: Copeland Compressors and Condensing Units / Emerson
Innovation: Copeland™ ZPSK7 scroll compressor
The Copeland™ ZPSK7 scroll compressor is a product line of 1.5 to 5 ton two-stage compressors ideal for residential and light commercial HVAC applications. These compressors can operate at 100% capacity or 65% capacity depending on heating/cooling demand. When a partial load is needed, the bypass ports inside the compression chamber are opened that partially discharge the compressor. This allows the compressor to reach 65% capacity, so it consumes less energy under light loads and avoids costly stops and starts that consume more energy. When demand increases, the modulation control valve activates, sealing the bypass and changing capacity to 100%. The ZPSK7 two-stage compressor can operate at a lower capacity without stopping, ensuring that air continues to flow over the coil and filter.
Finalists: Dorin USA, and Mikrofill by Stuart Turner.
Indoor Air Quality
Winner: BELIMO Americas
Innovation: Room Sensor
Belimo room sensors accurately measure temperature, humidity, dew point and CO2 with or without an ePaper touchscreen. Integrated Near Field Communication (NFC) provides easy field adjustment, commissioning, remote viewing capabilities, and troubleshooting, even without power. These sensors are maintenance-free and provide long-term reliability for a comfortable room environment. Select models offer BACnet, Modbus or MP-Bus, improving communication and reducing installation, cables and terminal connections.
Finalists: AirGreen, and Particles Plus, Inc.
Plumbing
Winner: Caleffi Hydronic Solutions
Innovation: Caleffi PresCal 536 Series HP Piston Pressure Reducing Valve
The HP PresCal™family, the only direct-acting pressure regulating valve in North America with true piston operation, ensures stable, high-precision control of water pressure while withstanding severe inlet pressure or punishing water hammer downstream. It is perfect for staged pressure control or demanding applications that are plagued by extreme pressure fluctuations.
Finalists: EasyFit Isolator, and Viega LLC.
Refrigeration
Winner: Retail Solutions / Emerson
Innovation: Copeland™ ZFW variable speed scroll solution for low temperature cooling applications
The Copeland™ ZFW variable speed travel solution includes displacements based on brushless permanent magnet (BPM) motors and variable frequency inverters (VFDs) intended for stationary low-temperature cooling applications. Variable speed travel provides improved efficiency, accuracy, flexibility and reliability, while Copeland's EVM/EVH series variable frequency drives complement Emerson's compressors and controls. It has twice the capacity of a fixed-speed compressor of the same size and provides an efficiency improvement of 20 to 30%. With steam injection technology and a speed range of 1000 to 7000 rpm, it offers unprecedented levels of control, while reducing cycle rates and greatly improving reliability. Optimised for use with the new Copeland EVM variable frequency drives, the combination delivers state-of-the-art levels of performance.
Finalists: Danfoss, and Matelex.
Software
Winner: cove.tool
Innovation: loadmodeling.tool
Designed for mechanical engineers, loadmodeling.tool quickly and automatically sets maximum cooling and heating loads to correctly design and size the mechanical system using the EnergyPlus engine. This web-based tool supports cove.tool's goal of providing the solutions needed for the AEC industry to unlock productivity and solve the climate crisis. One of the most revolutionary aspects of loadmodeling.tool is that it is web-based, which presents a new opportunity for mechanical engineers, as most of its tools are only available through desktop platforms that haven't evolved much in recent decades. Since it's web-based, mechanical engineers can access the tool from anywhere, including results, meaning large files don't have to be manually transferred or shared. Another important function of the tool is that multiple engineers can work simultaneously on the platform, which is a fundamentally new feature that other tools do not and cannot have.
Finalists: HVAC Solution, Inc. and Rep Order Management (AccuQuote).
Sustainable solutions
Winner: Taco Comfort Solutions
Innovation: System M
The ultra-efficient System M consists of a stylish, quiet, inverter-driven outdoor heat pump that can be up to 4 times more efficient than a gas heating system. The outdoor heat pump integrates seamlessly with Taco's unique indoor HydroBox to provide a complete system with only 6 pipe connections needed. System M is an air-to-water heat pump system that provides convenient and efficient heating and cooling and plenty of domestic hot water. A true plug-n-play device, its compact design makes installation less intrusive; No gas or refrigerant lines are needed. System M integrates seamlessly with almost any high-efficiency heating and cooling system and is perfect for both new construction and existing HVAC systems.
Finalists: Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US and Trane.
Tools and instruments
Winner: NAVAC Inc.
Innovation: Breakfree electric ignition tool
The NAVAC NEF6LM BreakFree® electric flapping tool produces precise and hassle-free pipe flaring in a fraction of the time compared to traditional methods. Designed to operate reliably in harsh environments, NEF6LM also enables one-button and one-handed operation. The tool is equipped with a high-performance rechargeable battery that produces more than 100 flares per charge. The tool offers a fully automatic flaring operation and provides the highest quality of flaring that an excellent experienced technician could achieve in years to deliver at the push of a button. This greatly improves the efficiency and accuracy of pipeline jobs and greatly reduces refrigerant leakage in HVAC systems. Learn more here.
Finalists: Airthings and Onset - HOBO Data Loggers.
Ventilation
Winner: SmartD Technologies
Innovation: SmartD Clean Power VFD
SmartD's clean energy variable frequency drive changes the motor control landscape. By delivering a clean sinusoidal signal, it reduces motor system losses by up to 40% and extends motor life in a compact space that can be implemented without auxiliary filters. The SmartD VFD integrates broadband semiconductors (WBGs) into its multi-level inverter architecture and combines them with proprietary modulation algorithms to produce a pure sine wave electrical signal without the need for external filters. WBG semiconductors have intrinsic characteristics that make them more efficient: active state losses are 10-80% lower and switching losses are 9-30 times lower than standard IGBTs.
Finalists: ECM PCB Stator Technology and Lennox International
