First, there was the energy crisis in the 1970s that would reshape the HVAC industry and how we would select the optimum HVAC systems based on the primary heating and cooling resources. Also in the 20th century was the 1987 Montreal Protocol, focusing its efforts on our environment. Between the resulting energy crisis and the Montreal Protocol, electric heat became popular in the 1980s. Electric controls would also have its initial impact over pneumatic temperature controls and would be the precursor to the building automation systems (BAS) that control our HVAC systems today.
While each of these topics can be a discussion on their own, together they encircled HVAC applications and changing technology. With an increased demand for electricity and electrical demand side management together, they would challenge the nation’s utility infrastructure. One of the solutions to balancing the electrical consumption from chilled water plants in sync with electric demand during those years was to embrace thermal energy storage (TES). This helped manage the electrical demands that had been creating brownouts that were due to the growth of the air-conditioning portion of the building industry.