Innovation Pipeline

The rising specter of energy costs is front and center concerns for businesses. Much of the buzz in the marketplace is about clean tech innovation. New designs for air conditioning and refrigeration systems don’t get their fair share of the spotlight.

But according to Eckhard Groll, a Purdue professor of mechanical engineering, more efficient heat pumps and integrated approaches to heating and cooling is where big savings can happen. System integration is one of the biggest topics and areas for innovation being discussed among engineers, says Groll. Nowhere is this more evident than in home air conditioning systems. The heat dispensed from an air conditioner is released into the air and wasted. That same heat can be captured and used, for example, to heat water for household purposes.

Another area of energy efficiency and focus in homes is ventilation. We all know it’s important to make sure fresh air circulates inside the walls of a home. But it’s also important to trap warm air inside those same walls with insulation materials to improve the overall energy efficiency of a home. The disconnect between these two opposing forces - ventilation and heat retention - has long been a challenge. To bridge these two forces requires architects, mechanical engineers and construction works to design and build systems that are both integrated and energy efficient. No doubt, it will take time to bring about the kind of cooperation and thoughtful design and planning to bring about real results.

So how important is all of this energy efficiency stuff to corporate executives?

According to a recent Changewave Research survey on corporate energy efficiency, one in five corporate respondents said they were very concerned about improving energy efficiency within the business, which was significantly higher than in past years.

Among the most important technologies to improve the energy efficiency equation are solar power and LED lighting. And one in five said they would be installing alternative energy systems like solar and wind within the next five years. No doubt, energy efficiency is a long and challenging road to navigate. But the corporate focus and innovation efforts afoot suggest we’ll be seeing plenty more nifty technologies over the next few years. By Lee Bruno