ASHRAE Journal - May 2024 - 6

INDUSTRY NEWS
ASHRAE, UNEP Accepting
Submissions for 2024 Lower Global
Warming Potential Innovation Award
ATLANTA-ASHRAE and the UN Environment Programme
(UNEP) are accepting entries for the 2024 Lower-GWP
Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Innovation
Award. The award, organized by ASHRAE and UNEP
OzonAction, aims to encourage the implementation
of projects in developing countries that are shown
to minimize global warming through refrigeration
and air-conditioning (RAC) management. The award
promotes inventive design and practice by recognizing
the implementation of new technological concepts
in developing countries to minimize global warming
potential (GWP) of refrigerants. Awards are presented
to individuals working alone or in teams in two
categories: residential applications and commercial/
industrial facility. Projects will be selected based on the
following criteria: innovative aspects in transforming
conventional concepts (40%), technical replicability to
developing countries (25%), extent of need (25%) and
economic feasibility to developing countries including
energy efficiency (10%). Entries for the 2024 awards are
being accepted through August 15, 2024, and there is no
cost to enter. To submit entries for the 2024 Lower-GWP
Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Innovation Award,
visit ashrae.org/unep-gwp.
Heat Pumps Compete for
HVAC Market Share
ATLANTA-Heat pumps are having a
mixed season in the HVAC industry's
move toward energy efficiency, with
government initiatives in the U.S.
spurring technological advancement
while sales hit a slump in European
and American markets in 2023.
Despite dropping in the market
last year, heat pumps still had a
promising showing in the U.S., as
they beat out gas furnaces for the
second year in a row with their
overall market share increasing
compared to furnaces, sales of
which also fell last year. Also helping
U.S. commercial heat pumps-the
recently announced Better Buildings
Commercial Building Heat Pump
Accelerator program supported by
the U.S. DOE, which has spurred
interest for the production of
higher efficiency and life cycle-cost
effective heat pump rooftop units.
6
Manufacturing and commercial
partners of this program include but
are not limited to Lennox, Carrier,
Rheem, Amazon, IKEA, Whole Foods
Market and Los Angeles Unified
School District as well as DOE's
National Laboratories.
In Europe, fans of the technology
have been rained out, with causes
for the poor showing attributed
to political backlash against green
policies, falling natural gas prices
and high interest rates. Sales fell
by 5% across 14 countries on the
continent (90% of the European
market) in 2023 compared to 2022,
the European Heat Association
stated. Policy change has been cited
as the number one reason for the hit
on the European heat pumps with
energy pricing, specifically the drop
in gas pricing and peaking electricity
costs and taxes, also catching heat.
ASHRAE JOURNAL ashrae.org MAY 2024
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS FOR
2025 ASHRAE WINTER
CONFERENCE IN ORLANDO
ATLANTA-Abstract submissions are
now being accepted for the 2025
ASHRAE Winter Conference
to be held in Orlando, Florida,
February 8-12, 2025, at the
Hilton Orlando. Abstracts of 400
words or less are due May 29,
2024. All accepted papers will
be considered for publication in
Science and Technology for the Built
Environment, ASHRAE's research
journal. For more information,
visit ashrae.org/2025Winter.
Players in the European market
like Poland and Slovakia have
experienced electricity pricing
three to four times the cost of gas,
according to a Cooling Post report.
Notably, global heat pump sales
experienced double-digit increases
in both 2021 and 2022, according to
the International Energy Agency.
http://www.ashrae.org/unep-gwp http://www.ashrae.org/2025Winter http://www.ashrae.org
ASHRAE Journal - May 2024

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