Four major trends are affecting the design and application of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and building automation systems in commercial buildings:
• The critical need for energy efficiency, reliability, and flexibility
• Urgency of indoor environmental quality, including air quality, comfort, and sound levels
• Demand for open-protocol (and smarter) controls
• Importance of maintenance and retrofit options as a difficult economy throttles investment in new capital equipment
In a recent study conducted by the Home Improvement Research Institute, where 300 new home buyers and 300 existing home buyers were interviewed, the following was discovered:
• 52 percent of recent home buyers had completed one or more home improvements their first year in the home, with half planning at least one more project within the next year.
• Kitchens, bathrooms and living rooms were the most reported spaces improved. +
• Plumbing products were reported purchased by 14 percent of existing home buyers and 9 percent of those purchasing newly built homes.
• New home buyers spent almost double the amount existing home buyers did on improvements.
• Contractors were involved in about one-third of projects done to newly purchased homes, and nearly half of the projects completed to ready a house for sale.
Source: Adbuilder.com
Advertisement