At the 2022 AHR Expo (Jan. 31 – Feb. 2) in Las Vegas, the Johnson Controls exhibit addressed the worldwide HVAC industry’s top challenges with an array of new products and solutions. The company’s expo strategy “focused on the importance of connectivity and innovation to solve today’s built-environment challenges, reinforcing its commitment to helping customers reach their energy efficiency and sustainability goals through the latest AI and digital technologies,” it said in a statement.
At the show, the company showcased its connected, sustainable technologies and solutions, including OpenBlue, its comprehensive digital offering. Visitors to the company’s booth learned how these connected solutions can facilitate occupant wellness, track energy usage and system efficiency and help organizations reach sustainability goals.
Company experts were on hand to discuss DOE 2023 energy efficiency regulations, indoor air quality and the transition to low-GWP refrigerants, among other topics.
As contended by JCI:
Buildings account for an estimated 40% of U.S. emissions. To achieve global decarbonization, it’s critical to improve building energy efficiency, deploy more environmentally sustainable products and electrify building end uses like heating. Johnson Controls is committed to driving continual advancements in HVAC technology that enable a more sustainable future while ensuring compliance with government regulations, including the Department of Energy (DOE) 2023 energy efficiency standards and the industry’s low-GWP refrigerant transition.
“As we face the twin crises of the pandemic and climate change, technology is more critical than ever,” commented Jeff Williams, president of Global Products at Johnson Controls. “We must rethink how buildings operate, and Johnson Controls has the technology today to help its customers navigate this global effort. The 2022 AHR Expo brings together a collection of our latest and most advanced products that help create smarter, healthier and more sustainable spaces around the world.”
New products
The new 15-ton Johnson Controls Choice Rooftop Unit with a heat pump feature and the YORK HMH7 17 SEER Horizontal Discharge Heat Pump, which are already DOE 2023 compliant, were featured at AHR, along with other high-efficiency systems and a broad portfolio of building products, technologies, software and services designed to support digital transformation, sustainability, healthy buildings and security. “The latest in Johnson Controls building automation and controls technology is designed to digitally transform environments in support of occupant health, safety and comfort,” added the company.
Also featured at the expo were the company’s next-generation, IP-enabled equipment controllers, as part of its Metasys and Facility Explorer Building Automation Systems, which provide highly resilient and flexible building networks.
Also on showcase, the Metasys Pandemic Dashboard uses preprogrammed building sequences to achieve negative pressurization and help convert standard hospital patient rooms into isolation rooms.
Meanwhile, the company noted that new features in its TEC3000 Series Thermostat allow configuration of epidemic control ventilation mode and critical environment controls – like touchscreen monitors and Venturi air valves – and manage room pressurization, air changes, temperature and relative humidity. “Cutting-edge OpenBlue digital solutions harness data collected from the building automation and controls solutions, delivering valuable, actionable insights,” noted JCI’s statement.
Also on display at AHR 2022, the OpenBlue Enterprise Manager proactively analyzes building data across an enterprise and leverages industry-first AI to optimize for sustainability, comfort and maintenance costs. The OpenBlue Companion provides a next generation, in-building experience for tenants and visitors, improving occupant engagement and productivity. For its part, the OpenBlue Central Utility Plant monitors thousands of variables from buildings’ connected equipment and external sources, such as weather forecasts and utility rates, and sends commands to turn equipment on and off, or adjust control setpoints in real time to minimize energy costs.
Also on display, JCI’s Smart Connected Chillers product line enables remote monitoring and digital-enabled service – from anywhere – to predict when a chiller needs service, increasing uptime and reliability. Also at the show, Johnson Controls also unveiled an evolutionary development of its award-winning YORK YVAA Variable-Speed Drive Screw Chiller.
“This proven performer has been redefined to meet the sustainability needs of today and the foreseeable future. Implementation of advanced technologies results in higher operating efficiencies, optimization of part-load performance, greater flexibility and improved reliability – all in a smaller footprint,” added the company.
Also on display, the YORK Mission Critical Horizontal Computer Room Air Handler (YORK MCH CRAH) was designed through close collaboration with data center stakeholders to meet the unique cooling requirements of these incredibly demanding facilities, while engineered for the high-performance needs of each application.
Finally at the 2022 AHR Expo, Johnson Controls Hitachi showcased its subsidiary legacy of innovation, including products and systems that serve commercial, light commercial and residential customers. Among its highlights were FrostWash, a new technology that eliminates 99% of bacteria, 95% of mold and 99% of virus from the YORK unit’s interior.
