Many of you are probably still digesting the innovations and systems described at the 2016 AHR Expo and ASHRAE conference, perhaps feeling awed by new technologies in building automation, green building, indoor air quality, BIM technology, smart buildings, and other new innovations. An air conditioner that walks behind you, phone apps that allow you to control vents, smart buildings, 3-D printed air-conditioning units, computers that are your heating systems — the list is endless.
While continuing to learn about new systems, how can we keep the innovator in us alive and well, maintaining an open mind and fresh eyes so that we don’t become part of the silo problem so frequently found in highly educated, specialized professions? In this era of rapidly developing innovations, it is easy to think, “Everything has already been invented.” Despite these brilliant new technologies, however, every industry has room for improvement, including HVAC systems.