Your Knowledge Of the HVAC Industry May Lead to Enhanced Facility Designs
When your architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) team seeks a new partnership to benefit your project, you may not always know right away how to select a partner. When the services this partner provides are unfamiliar or complex, deciding who to choose is especially difficult. However, the work you do to learn a new industry may reveal unexpected benefits.
If your team is seeking an HVAC manufacturer, you may find that your selection requires an understanding of this industry’s finer points. Although your team isn’t completely in the dark about HVAC, what you discover in your research can help you choose a partner whose services set them apart and add value to your project.
Keep reading to discover HVAC knowledge that can better equip your AEC team to pick an air distribution and filtration team with unmatched expertise.
Learn the Difference Between Commercial HVAC Generalists and Specialists
In the commercial HVAC market, you will likely encounter two types of teams: generalists and specialists.
A generalist likely builds the basic components that any commercial building’s HVAC system should contain, including air conditioners, air handlers, compressors, condensers, and ductwork. They may even supply smaller components like grilles and diffusers.
Specialists focus on building innovative systems and products that augment particular aspects of an HVAC system. For example, a team may specialize in stainless steel diffusers with laminar flow technology to ensure significant airflow. Or, a specialist may be dedicated to designing for HVAC that exists in commercial environments with stringent standards, such as healthcare facilities.
Specialists are particularly valuable for your team, as they can provide support for projects that require a niche skill set. Manufacturers who offer both general products and specialized offerings are even more valuable. An HVAC manufacturer with a foot in both worlds can provide solutions for your commercial HVAC system’s standard requirements alongside industry- or process-specific components.
Understand the Growing Value Of Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality (IAQ) systems and products are highly desirable assets for today’s specific and general commercial environments. Although air filtration components are typically found in environments that require clean air for their primary goals (for example, cancer treatment wards or microchip manufacturing plants), IAQ has become an important metric for a range of indoor environments, regardless of their day-to-day operations.
Schools, office buildings, and other commercial spaces are beginning to view high-quality air as a priority. IAQ is seen as an investment in general health and productivity, employee retention, and protection against environmental crises, such as wildfires and pollution. As the IAQ market continues to grow, significant research has emerged that touts the benefits of IAQ-focused commercial HVAC systems.
The conversation surrounding commercial HVAC is no longer just about heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Your project’s stakeholders are more likely than ever to consider air quality solutions as a part of how their building is designed. As you vet your commercial HVAC manufacturer, inquire about their expertise with IAQ solutions. Their specialization may be particularly useful as you look for ways to add unique value to your project.
Understand Today’s Most Desirable Commercial HVAC Solutions
Businesses with no prior knowledge of air quality have become more interested in the value of clean air, in large part due to the COVID-19 pandemic and adverse climate events. HVAC manufacturers have found themselves in the center of conversations about our health, infection prevention, the environment, sustainability, and more.
In response, the commercial HVAC systems these manufacturers build include state-of-the-art solutions that address problems that extend far beyond indoor comfort. Your AEC team can work with an HVAC manufacturer who supplies critical technologies that complement your HVAC system, such as:
- Cybersecurity features.
- UV-C radiation for infection prevention.
- Connectivity to building management systems (BMS).
- Green building and net-zero solutions.
These solutions are not the primary reason you’ve selected your HVAC team, but a manufacturer’s uncharacteristic and highly relevant offerings may add new-found value.
A Leading Commercial HVAC Partner Adds Value to Your Next Project
HVAC manufacturers are not all the same. You have options to find a team that can customize its offerings for your projects’ commercial HVAC system. If you need a generalist, consider a specialist who also delivers well-crafted standard solutions. When a specialist is necessary for a niche industry project, look for a team with deep expertise that also offers additional technologies that may align with your project priorities.
The team you choose for your commercial building’s HVAC system doesn’t have to play the role of a background contractor in service of your AEC team’s mission. You may find that the knowledge and skills possessed by a superior HVAC team becomes a mission in itself.