Twenty-two years ago NCI set out on a mission to help the HVAC industry move towards measured performance. At the time, we envisioned a future where most systems would perform at over 90% delivered efficiency. We believed the industry would fix most of the HVAC systems in homes and buildings once the issue was recognized. …
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Are you a member of an HVAC trade organization? I’m talking about the ones you have to pay dues to belong to. If you don’t, think about something that Benjamin Franklin once stated: an investment in knowledge pays the best interest. Seems reasonable, right? Yet it occurs to me, in the HVAC contracting world, the …
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Beating the Comfort Commodity Challenge When it comes to comfort differentiation, HVAC manufacturers have it tough these days. The rapid pace of technological development means that no single manufacturer can maintain a competitive edge for very long. Each one invests millions of dollars developing new products and, before they can cash their first check, one …
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or So what exactly is combustion energy and heat transfer anyway? This article is based on more than 30 years of field testing, measuring, and auditing equipment performance. Although some of the information requires interpretation, it’s still based on proven field performance. What is Combustion Energy? Combustion is the burning of some kind of fuel …
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Like blood pressure in humans, static pressure impacts HVAC systems, positively or negatively, depending on what that pressure is. We all know that high or low pressure is bad for human health. The same is true when it comes to building static pressure as well. Taking a building’s static pressure lets you “see” the HVAC …
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When you want to achieve the highest energy efficiency possible, HVAC equipment must be tuned properly, gas pressure and input most likely need to be increased. It’s also important to make sure the necessary airflow is available before any adjustments are made. But the question is, how can you easily calculate or estimate the potential …
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LEAVE THAT THERMOSTAT ALONE!!!! Staying comfortable in our homes and workplaces has become something of a battleground over the last three decades. OK, let’s not pull any punches — it’s a war! Especially when you think about all the different age groups and generations who live and work together. Each “group” has different comfort needs …
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What if you could offer your customers a system efficiency option of 57%, 78%, or 93%? No, this is NOT equipment-rated efficiency. It’s the operating system’s field-measured efficiency after installation and verification in a home. Here’s a sample proposal of the future. Field Measured System Efficiency Constant advancements in our ability to field measure the …
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When I was a kid, I didn’t know what my beliefs were, so I had a habit of constantly asking why. I questioned my mom and dad repeatedly on the things I didn’t understand. They patiently answered my questions and encouraged me to keep asking. If you’re a parent, you’ve no doubt experienced this with …
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When it comes to dealing with HVAC customer and employee problems, the famous quote, “We have met the enemy, and he is us,” by the comic strip character, Pogo, said it all. Some time ago, I was following a conversation on one of the HVAC Industry discussion forums that addresses how business owners deal with …
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