The expertise of parts suppliers such as Johnson Controls and Delphi in managing vehicle HVAC systems is expected to give them a boost when it comes to helping buildings use less energy for cooling and heating.
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The fastest growing division at Johnson Controls is ‘Building Efficiency’ where revenue and profit have more than doubled between 2005 and 2009, according to the current edition of Barron’s, a leading US financial analysis magazine.
Building Efficiency makes and services products used for heating, ventilation, security and lighting large buildings and has the contract to update the 80 year old Empire State building in New York City to a more environment friendly construction.
The price of shares at Johnson Controls slumped from US$1.63 to 57 cents during the recession and closed at $27.37 on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday with analysts predicting they could trade in the mid-$30s next year, according to Barron’s.
Meanwhile, Delphi Thermal Systems president Jim Bertrand last month told a US Congress hearing that Delphi has the energy efficient air conditioning technology that can help the US government in its effort to ‘green’ federal buildings.
With US electricity use forecast to increase by 1.4% annually over the next 20 years, several federal agencies — including the Department of Energy and the General Services Administration — are taking steps to make federal buildings more green and energy efficient.
“Delphi has sought opportunities to partner with the federal government and provide its technologies as a solution to the federal effort to reduce energy usage in federal buildings,” Bertrand said. “By replacing just one traditional tube and fin heat exchanger in every US federal building with a Delphi condenser, potentially up to 10m fewer pounds of refrigerant would be released into the atmosphere.”
The US automotive industry successfully made the switch to micro channel heat exchanger technology more than 15 years ago. Delphi has been leading the technology efforts since introducing the condenser six years ago. The company is now adding to its micro channel portfolio with an indoor evaporator, second generation condenser and soon to be developed outdoor heat pump coil.
