AHR Expo Announces 2023 Innovation Awards Winners
Officials from the AHR Expo (International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition) have announced the winners of the 2023 AHR Expo Innovation Awards.
Each year, winners are chosen in 10 industry categories. The awards draw hundreds of manufacturers who are designing new and never-before-seen solutions or improvements upon existing products and technologies launching into the marketplace in the coming year. Entrants are evaluated based on overall innovative design, creativity of the product or service offered, product or technology real-world application, as well as overall potential market impact.
Funds raised from the entry fees of the Innovation Awards competition will be donated to the Atlanta College and Career Academy, an Atlanta, Georgia-based technical high school.
For more information on award winners, visit ahrexpo.com.
The 2023 AHR Expo Innovation Award Winners and finalists are:
Building Automation
Winner: Cielo WiGle Inc.
Innovation: Cielo Breez Max
Cielo Breez Max is a smart thermostat for mini-split, window and portable air conditioners. It is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings, IFTTT and Siri shortcuts.
Finalist: Falkonair Inc.
Cooling
Winner: Chemours
Innovation: Opteon XL41 Refrigerant
Opteon XL41 is a non-ozone depleting, low global warming potential refrigerant replacement for R-410A in residential and light commercial air conditioning, and scroll chiller applications.
Finalists: Copeland HVAC Compressors and Fujitsu General American, Inc.
Heating
Winner: Copeland HVAC Compressors
Innovation: ZPSK7 Scroll Compressor
Emerson’s ZPSK7 scroll compressor is an efficient two-stage compressor suited for residential and light commercial HVAC applications. These compressors can operate at 100% capacity or as low as 65% capacity based on heating/cooling demand.
Finalists: Dorin USA and Mikrofill by Stuart Turner
Indoor Air Quality
Winner: BELIMO Americas
Innovation: Room Sensor
Belimo room sensors accurately measure temperature, humidity, dew point and CO2 with or without an ePaper touch display.
Finalists: AirGreen and Particles Plus, Inc.
Plumbing
Winner: Caleffi Hydronic Solutions
Innovation: Caleffi 536 Series PresCal HP Piston-type Pressure Reducing Valve
The PresCal HP family ensures stable, high-precision water pressure control while withstanding severe inlet pressure or punishing downstream water hammer. It’s perfect for staged pressure control or demanding applications that are fraught with extreme pressure fluctuations.
Finalists: EasyFit Isolator and Viega LLC
Refrigeration
Winner: Copeland Refrigeration Compressors
Innovation: ZFW variable speed scroll solution for low-temperature refrigeration applications
The Copeland ZFW variable speed scroll solution includes brushless permanent magnet motor-based scrolls and variable frequency drives targeted for low-temperature, stationary refrigeration applications.
Finalists: Danfoss and MATELEX
Software
Winner: cove.tool
Innovation: loadmodeling.tool
Built for mechanical engineers, the loadmodeling.tool quickly and automatically establishes peak cooling and heating loads to design and right-size the mechanical system using the EnergyPlus engine.
Finalists: HVAC Solution, Inc. and Rep Order Management (AccuQuote)
Sustainable Solutions
Winner: Taco Comfort Solutions
Innovation: System M
The ultra-efficient System M consists of a sleek, whisper-quiet, inverter-driven outdoor heat pump that can be up to four times more efficient than a gas furnace.
Finalists: Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US and Trane
Tools & Instruments
Winner: NAVAC Inc.
Innovation: NEF6LM BreakFree Power Flaring Tool
NAVAC NEF6LM BreakFree Power Flaring Tool yields accurate, hassle-free tubing flares in a fraction of time. Designed to perform reliably in harsh environments, NEF6LM also allows one-button, one-hand operation.
Finalists: Airthings and Onset HOBO Data Loggers
Ventilation
Winner: SmartD Technologies
Innovation: SmartD Clean Power VFD
SmartD’s Clean Power Variable Frequency Drive changes the motor control landscape. By delivering a clean, sinusoidal signal it reduces motor system losses by up to 40% and extends motor lifetime in a compact footprint that can be deployed without ancillary filters.
Finalists: ECM PCB Stator Technology and Lennox International, Inc.
