The HVAC industry (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) is rapidly growing. A brief industry outlook shows that it’s estimated to reach a CAGR of over 6.1% from 2019 to 2024, mostly due to emerging economies in the Asia Pacific region. Although the USA is still one of the leading countries in HVAC systems, China and India are fastly establishing their influence within the market.
The expanding market brings new HVAC market trends to watch out for in the upcoming years. Some trends are similar to other field service industries, such as smart technology, mobile-focused services, and user-centric products, but there are a few unique points to pay attention to.
If you want your business to succeed in this day and age, you should keep in mind these ten HVAC market trends that will shape the sector.
What is an HVAC field service?
For those who aren’t familiar with the term HVAC, it translates to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Field service companies that work in the sector usually provide installation, cleaning, and maintenance of HVAC systems.
Nowadays, it’s not enough to rely on traditional business practices and conventional operation management. That’s why we created a list of trends and tips on how to embrace modernization and stand out from the crowd.
HVAC industry trends to lead the sector
1. HVAC technology development
Digitization has affected almost all industries in the world. The field service sector will benefit from it the most because the market is facing major workforce problems – from aging teams to a lack of trained employees. Smart technologies like machine learning and AI-powered devices facilitate the transition to fully automated field business operations.
Don’t worry, it won’t replace humans, but smart technologies can help the HVAC business survive with smaller teams and optimize their spendings and performance efficiency.
2. Smart thermostats
Smart thermostats can be a helpful solution for large public facilities, private homes, and energy efficiency reasons. These devices are designed to detect changes in heating and cooling, humidity levels, and air quality in order to automatically adjust settings to preferred conditions. Smart thermostats can also perform a remote temperature adjustment if necessary.
Smart thermostats are considered to be one of the most promising HVAC systems as they are key components of every new construction.
3. Sustainable energy use
Sustainability and sustainable business practices are not only a trend anymore but a requirement. As heating and air conditioning technologies are often blamed for damaging effects on the environment, the HVAC industry has to make an effort to develop sustainable solutions. High-efficiency tools, energy controls, limited heat loss, renewable energy, and solar power are on the radar.
One of the significant improvements is that solar panels are available for individual buyers. They can be easily installed in a building and provide not only heating but also cooling systems.
Air conditioning has been in the spotlight for a while now, too. For a long time, AC manufacturers were using toxic elements such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFC). Now, the HVAC industry is looking for more environmental-friendly solutions and pushing manufacturers to focus on changing production.
4. Smart homes
An HVAC system is part of the construction industry. As more households and even cities are shifting to environmental and internet of things solutions, so does an HVAC system. Automated construction projects focus on energy efficiency and technology utilization, which means that heating, ventilation, and set air conditioning systems have to be optimized to meet new standards.
HVAC technology will eventually be synced to smart homes through wireless technology and communicate with other devices and sensors. By doing so, HVAC systems will automatically adjust based on custom settings.
5. SaaS implementation
Most of the trends mentioned above require planning and efficient operation management. It’s impossible to implement technological advancement, smart HVAC systems, and sustainable equipment using conventional management tools like pen and paper.
A successful HVAC business has to look a few steps ahead. Field service management (FSM) software is a leading solution to simplify business operations and accelerate workforce performance.
A professional FSM platform enables companies to manage employees, plan routes, assign calls, and conduct administrative work digitally. As a result, you have a reliable system that eliminates all the roadblocks from your daily field business planning and decreases operating costs.
6. Attention to marketing
Although field service companies mostly rely on traditional marketing like face-to-face networking, events, and conferences, it’s slowly changing as the HVAC industry becomes more B2C-oriented.
Social media, press, and other communication channels can be useful to attract more B2C clients as more individual house owners search for smart HVAC systems for their homes. What HVAC businesses can do is customize marketing efforts to offer people the best and safest service.
7. Mobile-friendly systems
Your website, social media channels, and business planning systems should be fully compatible with mobile devices. Nowadays, the number of mobile users exceeds desktop users, and it’s vital to ensure that everyone can access your HVAC service.
But accessibility isn’t the only aspect to consider. Speed and system navigation plays a significant role. User experience is what drives a business to a broader audience and helps adapt to the new generation of consumers.
8. Online presence
An HVAC company without an online presence can hardly stand out from the competition in the current market. While many tech and engineering-related fields are more reluctant to move their communication online, it’s critical to have a good online presence.
Engaging with customers, providing timely information and tips will help establish a respectful brand name. In the end, a business that has great relationships with customers will always have a market advantage. This is hardly an HVAC market trend but more of a necessity that needs to be repeated and stressed out. People look for information such as HVAC technology online and without a respectable online presence, a business is simply not going to be competitive.
9. Internet of Things and predictive maintenance
Predictive maintenance operates based on IoT devices. Machines observe equipment and installations and, based on algorithms, can predict when parts need to be changed, cleaned, repaired, or maintained in any other way. HVAC contractors have a lot to gain from this as installing HVAC systems immediately become intuitive and seamless.
It’s beneficial for HVAC companies to consider this maintenance strategy as it prevents accidents and significantly increases machinery lifespan.
10. Self-maintaining technology
While most of the HVAC equipment companies use don’t require constant care, it can be beneficial to experiment with self-maintaining technology. It promotes energy efficiency and better use of HVAC components. For instance, one of the most common reasons people get sick in their workplace is by sitting close to the cooling units.
Many still believe that it’s because of cold air, but it’s the bacteria that live in a filter that cause the common cold and other infections. Keep the cooling equipment clean, does not only ensure indoor air quality but eliminates bacteria proliferation.
Industry insiders anticipate that self-maintaining technology will go way beyond heating and cooling equipment and be applied to ventilation equipment and other relevant industries. HVAC systems and the HVAC industry as a whole have an enormous upside and it’s only a matter of time before we see broader adoption.
Implementing HVAC equipment with Frontu software
Embracing new things isn’t always easy and HVAC systems are no different. It can be intimidating, especially for established companies that have been doing things their way for years. But new also means development and growth. And no self-respecting business would miss out on an opportunity to stand out.
In summary, the top 10 HVAC industry trends are:
- Technological development
- Smart thermostats
- Sustainable energy
- Smart homes
- SaaS technologies
- Attention to marketing
- Mobile-first systems
- Online presence
- Predictive maintenance
- Self-sufficient technology
And the fastest way to implement HVAC trends is through field service management software. Meet innovation with Frontu – the leading business software solution. Book a demo.
