Sustainable and Smart Buildings Symposium
Latest Trends and Challenges in the HVAC Industry
Ir Dr. Sam C. M. Hui
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
The University of Hong Kong
http://ibse.hk/cmhui March 2021
Sustainable and Smart Buildings Symposium
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Latest Trends in HVAC
3. Major Challenges
4. Impact of COVID-19
5. Conclusions
Sustainable and Smart Buildings Symposium
1. Introduction
HVAC (heating, ventilation & air-conditioning)
• It is the biggest energy consumers in buildings
• Growing demand for space cooling in the world
Driving factors
• Increasing energy costs & government regulations
• Sustainable & environmentally friendly buildings
HVAC industry 暖通空調
• Respond to market changes & technology advancements
• Electronic, information & communication technology (ICT)
• Need to optimise HVAC systems & building operation
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World energy use for space cooling by subsector
(Source: The Future of Cooling https://www.iea.org/reports/the-future-of-cooling)
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2. Latest Trends in HVAC
Many industry trends & technology innovations
• Reduce energy consumption & carbon footprint
• Markets for new & existing buildings
Latest trends can be summarised as: New
• New HVAC technologies
• Smart HVAC systems
• Green power sources
Global COVID-19 pandemic Smart Green
• Greater safety precautions
• Remote work
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2. Latest Trends in HVAC
New HVAC technologies
New
(a) Zoning systems e.g. variable refrigerant flow (VRF)
- Flexible, adaptable & ductless
- New developments in inverter technology
(b) More efficient heat pumps
- Multistage cycles, hybrid systems (e.g. solar, desiccant), ground source
(c) Environmentally friendly refrigerants
- Ozone depletion potential (ODP) & global warming potential (GWP)
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Zoning systems e.g. variable refrigerant flow (VRF) and inverter-driven compressor
(Source: Allen Anaya, W M Carroll LLC and Fujitsu)
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More efficient heat pumps
Solar-assisted
heat pump
Air-to-air
heat pump
Water-to-air
heat pump
(Source: 2016 ASHRAE Handbook—HVAC Systems and Equipment, Chapter 9 & J. Sol. Energy Eng 136(4), 041013 (Jun 17, 2014))
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Environmentally friendly refrigerants
CFC = chlorofluorocarbon
HFC = hydrofluorocarbon
HCFC = hydrochlorofluorocarbon
HFO = Hydrofluoroolefin
HC = hydrocarbons
(Source: http://www.zondits.com/article/14037/brief-history-co2-refrigerant & http://www.vtechonline.com/r448a-r449a-r513a-refrigerant-charging.html)
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2. Latest Trends in HVAC
Smart HVAC systems Smart
(a) Smart meters, thermostats & sensors
- Network connectivity & systems integration
- Automation & data analytics
(b) IoT (Internet of Things) enabled HVAC controls
- Self-regulation, remote access & integration with smart building controls
- Connecting HVAC to building management system (BMS)
(c) AI (artificial intelligence) analytics for HVAC controls
- Increased level of intelligence, predictive control & optimisation
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Smart meters, thermostats & sensors
(Source: https://www.adriasecuritysummit.com/smart-hvac-systems-on-cybersecurity-and-connection-protocols/, http://www.air-tempmech.com/2019/05/09/future-artificial-
intelligence-hvacr/ & https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2020.00049)
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IoT (Internet of Things) enabled HVAC controls
IoT enabled HVAC functions:
1. Predictive maintenance
2. Air quality measurement
3. Measurement & verification
4. Real-time data accessibility
5. Prefabricated building components
6. Efficient construction management
7. Energy efficiency
8. Better asset optimization
Mobile devices
HVAC equipment IOT gateway Computer
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AI (artificial intelligence) analytics for HVAC controls
24°C
(Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331608687_Artificial_Intelligence-
Assisted_Heating_Ventilation_and_Air_Conditioning_Control_and_the_Unmet_Demand_for_Sensors_Part_1_Problem_Formulation_and_the_Hypothesis)
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2. Latest Trends in HVAC
Green power sources for HVAC systems
Green
(a) Solar photovoltaic (PV) & solar thermal
- Renewable energy applications
- Solar powered & solar assisted HVAC
(b) Geothermal heating & cooling system
- Geothermal or ground source heat pump
- High energy efficiency ratio (EER)
(c) Desiccant enhanced evaporative (DEVap) air conditioning
- Use desiccant to dehumidify the air before cooling it
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Solar photovoltaic (PV) & solar thermal assisted air conditioning systems
(Source: https://www.solairworld.com/solar-hybrid-air-conditioner & https://doi.org/10.3390/su71114710)
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Geothermal heating & cooling system
(Source: https://earthrivergeothermal.com/advantages-geothermal-heating-cooling-systems/ & https://www.remodelingcalculator.org/geothermal-heating-cooling-
costs/ground-source-heat-pump-diagram/)
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Desiccant enhanced evaporative (DEVap) air conditioning
(Source: Kozubal E., Woods J., Burch J., Boranian A. & Merrigan T., 2011. Desiccant Enhanced Evaporative Air-Conditioning (DEVap): Evaluation of a New Concept in Ultra Efficient Air
Conditioning, NREL/TP-5500-49722, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy11osti/49722.pdf)
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3. Major Challenges
Major challenges in the HVAC industry
• Improve system & energy efficiency continuously
• Sustainable building design & HVAC operation
• Healthy building
Decarbonization & sustainability roadmap
• Hong Kong’s net-zero target by 2050
• Reduce carbon emissions in buildings
• District-scale cooling & heating systems
• Smart electric grid
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Route to zero carbon
(Source: CE & HKGFA, 2020. Decarbonising Hong Kong Buildings: Policy Recommendations and Next Steps, Civic Exchange (CE) & Hong Kong Green Finance Association (HKGFA),
Hong Kong. https://www.hkgreenfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Decarbonising-Hong-Kong-Buildings-Policy-Recommendations-and-Next-Steps-2.pdf)
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4. Impact of COVID-19
Transition to the “new normal”
• Social distancing & remote work
Safety precautions in HVAC systems
• Enhanced level of indoor air quality (IAQ)
• Cleaning & disinfecting
• Cloud-based AI system to capture & analyse the IAQ data
HVAC operation & maintenance
• Deal with varied load conditions depending on occupancy rate to maximize
operational efficiency
• Remote technology for operation & inspection
• Remote supervisory & troubleshooting
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Possible transmission routes of respiratory infection
密切接觸
易感染
已感染
空氣傳染
飛沫
(Source: Recognition of aerosol transmission of infectious agents: a commentary https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-019-3707-y)
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4. Impact of COVID-19
COVID-19 prevention strategies in HVAC
• Increase air changes
• Outdoor air intakes
• Exhaust air outlets
• Air filters
• Disinfection & decontamination in air distribution systems
• Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI)
• Bipolar Ionization (plasma)
• Control of aerosols transmission in ventilation system
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5. Conclusions
HVAC demand in the world is growing fast & contributes to significant energy
use + carbon emissions
Latest trends in the HVAC industry focuses on “New, Smart & Green”
Major challenges are to improve system & energy efficiency and satisfy the
needs for sustainable & healthy buildings
Requires strategic planning & right business mindset
Should educate & advise the client on new HVAC technologies &
decarbonization goals
Thank You
