I was at a conference at the end of April, and we were discussing new ways to deliver customer outcomes utilizing technology. The topic then shifted to how to utilize technologies that are primarily operational in nature in a capital project.

Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS) has expanded the S-Series (PUMY) air-source heat pump outdoor unit to include Hyper-Heating INVERTER® (H2i®) technology in select models. Part of the CITY MULTI® family of products, the PUMY is a single-phase heat pump suited for light commercial or large residential applications.

Webster Combustion Technology LLC says it offers custom engineering with its industrial boiler burner, the model FDR(X), to optimize performance in power plant applications.

While the barriers to technology investment are already well explored, what specific challenges do firms face in getting value from existing technology? And what can facility managers learn from their peers who are succeeding in this area?

A. O. Smith introduced the Product Preservers™ Powered Anode System. The new anodes, which are designed to provide maintenance-free protection for all water types, are available as an upgrade to replace the sacrificial anodes that come as industry standard equipment on tank-style heaters.

While yesterday’s engineers have made great progress, we’re just cracking the surface, and the future relies on the experimental efforts of today’s engineers.

Taco Comfort Solutions has released its new Optimized Efficiency (Oe) high-performance package for commercial pumps. According to the company, by adding a permanent-magnet ECM motor and VFD to pumps in Taco’s commercial line, efficiency and service life are increased while exceeding upcoming DOE regulations. Pumps between 3-30 hp are available with the Oe Package.

Johnson Controls introduced the YORK® YZ Magnetic Bearing Centrifugal Chiller. The company claims it is the first chiller fully optimized for ultimate performance with a next generation low-global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant — R-1233zd(E).

SPX Cooling Technologies Inc. has expanded its Marley MD line of factory-assembled counterflow cooling towers. New to the MD line are models with exclusive anti-fouling, low-clog film fill types, which the company says provides a higher degree of resistance for dirty water applications and expands the suitability of the Marley MD for process cooling and heavy industrial uses.