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Daikin’s Altherma is an air-source heat pump system that can provide heating, cooling, and domestic hot water. Altherma is available with split-type or outdoor-only heat pumps along with a “Hydrobox” heat exchanger that transfers heat to a hot water storage tank. These tanks come in 50- and 80-gallon options and have back-up electric heating elements. Altherma is available for heating only or for heating and cooling (where the refrigeration cycle is reversed). Altherma can be plumbed into a radiant flooring system or a hydronic fan coil unit for forced air applications and is available with a solar thermal option. Altherma uses R410a refrigerant and some units have COPs as high as 4.34 and EERs greater than 12.

The Securus ACDC12 is a solar hybrid heat-pump air conditioner and heater suitable for spaces up to 750 ft2, or to supplement a larger system. It may be connected to up to three PV panels (for a maximum total of 700W) for its primary daytime power, and then runs on standard 220VAC grid power overnight. The SEER 20 unit provides 11,000 BTU of cooling; in the winter it provides 12,000 BTU of heat in temperatures as low as 5°F.

Foil-Grip 1402 is a zero-VOC aluminum tape with butyl sealant for use on flexible ducts. According to the manufacturer, Foil-Grip will adhere at temperatures up to 180ºF, is rugged enough for outdoor or below-grade use, and has a 40-year service life. Foil-Grip is available in 100' rolls in widths from 2"–36".

FlexFix is a zero-VOC, oriented-polypropylene tape with acrylic sealant for use on flexible ducts. FlexFix is hand-tearable and the manufacturer claims it will adhere in temperatures from 0ºF–210ºF. FlexFix is available in 3" and 48mm widths in black and silver.

Intertape AC 698 is a zero-VOC, oriented-polypropylene tape with acrylic sealant for use on flexible ducts. AC 698 hand-tears and Intertape claims it will adhere in temperatures up to 210ºF. AC 698 is available in black, clear, silver, and red.

Multistack MagLev flooded chillers provide cooling for offices, schools, and other large commercial buildings using compressors with shafts supported by magnetic levitation. By minimizing friction, the system improves energy efficiency and eliminates the need for mechanical seals, gears, and many other conventional components. The systems also reduce maintenance and the use of lubricating oil that tends to to contaminate the refrigerant and further reduce efficiency. Available in capacities from 70 to 1,200 tons, these units use the company’s FlexSys controllers, which can control a series of magnetic levitation compressors to create the most efficient cooling.

Crosley offers three washers—two front-load and one top-load—meeting GreenSpec criteria. The washers, with capacities of 3.3–3.9 cubic feet, have MEF ratings of 2.48–3.09, WF ratings of 3.3–3.64, and estimated annual electricity use of 83–123 kWh.

Constant airflow regulators (CAR) from American Aldes help balance ventilation in HVAC systems, minimizing the “stack effect” and other airflow problems and reducing the need for ventilation fans and the amount of energy used by heating and cooling systems. The CAR technology can be used to provide ventilation to occupied areas only and is incorporated into a number of American Aldes products used for ducts, exhaust registers, supply registers, grills, and more.

Soraa Vivid MR-16 LED luminaires are ideal for use where light quality is critical, such as art galleries or retail displays. Unlike other LEDs that use gallium nitride (GaN) crystals grown on a sapphire or silicon carbide base, Soraa uses GaN grown on a GaN base so the crystals have far fewer imperfections. Though less efficacious than some LEDs, Soraa MR-16s produce higher intensity, “full spectrum” light that rivals halogen bulbs, while operating at lower temperatures. They are available in 14-, 25-, and 36-degree beam angles.

Delta PCM—for phase-change material—made of salt hydrates, is available in two application-specific products: Delta-Cool 24 for suspended ceilings and Delta-Cool 28 for thermal mass in glass façades. Delta-Cool 28 uses PCMs encapsulated in plastic sheets and installed above ceiling tiles, where at ambient temperatures of around 72°F it begins to change from solid to liquid, absorbing 44 Wh/kg of thermal energy from the surrounding air. When the ambient temperature drops below 72°F the stored energy is released. Delta-Cool 28 is installed in a thin layer between panes of glass. At about 79°F it begins to melt, absorbing 1.2 kWh/m2 of thermal energy, which the company says can reduce interior temperatures by 7–10°F.

Johnson Controls York YMC2 chiller uses magnetic-bearing technology to provide energy-efficient cooling for offices, schools, and other large commercial buildings. These units use centrifugal compressors with bearings supported by frictionless magnetic levitation. Combined with the company’s OptiSpeed variable-speed drive technology, these units eliminate friction, improving energy efficiency by 10% over comparable conventional variable-speed chillers, according to the company. The YMC2 chillers also employ falling-film evaporators where refrigerant is sprayed over the tubes, significantly reducing refrigerant charging. The York YMC2 chillers use R-134a refrigerant and are available from 215- to 380-ton capacities.

Daikin McQuay’s Magnitude chiller is engineered to provide cooling for offices, schools, and other large commercial buildings. These units use compressors with shafts supported by magnetic levitation, which improves energy efficiency and eliminates friction and the need for mechanical seals, gears, and many other conventional components. Because they do not use bearings or gears, the Magnitude chiller is quiet and does not require oil (which can contaminate the refrigerant), resulting in significantly less maintenance. Magnitude chillers use R-134a refrigerant and are available from 100- to 700-ton capacities.

Compax makes small modular chillers that can be used for simultaneous heating and cooling. The units are available in single compressor and dual manifold models from 3 to 32 tons and can be attached in series up to eight units for more capacity and redundancy so that if one chiller in a series goes offline it can be serviced from the front without affecting the others.

ClimaCool manufactures compact modular chillers, including the SHC onDemand heat pump and heat recovery models that can provide both heating and cooling. Individual units are available from 30 to 85 tons and can be combined together into banks with up to 1,000-ton capacity. The SHC can be hooked into cooling towers, ground-source heat pumps, or hybrid systems and are small enough to be maneuvered through standard 36-inch-wide doorways. According to the company, they use 50% less energy than conventional boiler-chiller systems.

Incnergy offers wireless energy management systems primarily for retrofit applications in commercial buildings. The Incnergy Energy Management System monitors and controls HVAC, lighting, and electricity consumption using wirelessly smart thermostats, lighting controls, and other sensors. These devices do not require wiring or building renovation and can be accessed through Internet-connected devices. The software for this system is “cloud based” and requires a subscription service.