Market Study of Commercial Appliances: Volume 2, Replacement Market for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning and Water Heating Equipment: Final Report.

With the slowing of new construction and with buildings built in the 1960s and 1970s now undergoing renovation and upgrading, the replacement of HVAC and water heating equipment is becoming an increasingly larger proportion of the market for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment. This growing market also offers an opportunity for improving the efficiency with which energy is used if more efficient equipment can be installed to replace the old equipment. Compared to the attention that has been given to encouraging energy conservation in the design and construction of new commercial buildings, relatively little is currently known about the factors affecting the replacement of HVAC and water heating equipment in commercial buildings. The major thrust if the work reported here, therefore, has been to identify sources of information on the factors that are important in affecting replacement decisions, using this information to analyze the replacement market for HVAC and water heating equipment and identifying major considerations involved in developing a marketing program to encourage the installation of more efficient units when replacement occurs. 7 refs., 2 figs., 21 tabs.