Prolitec Inc. has devised a chemical formulation that sanitises the air in HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) ducts, as well as office spaces, homes, hospitals, schools and hotels. The system will be unveiled at the International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Exposition (AHR Expo) in Chicago.

The only catch is that the system, called ARIA™, only works in conjunction with other Prolitec products, for example, their Air/Q ambient-scenting and odour control systems. But it can be used in any size space and can be programmed to sanitise the air on a continuous basis or at regular intervals.

As evaporative coolers have a humidifying effect they work best in dry climates; doing little more in humid climates than moving the air. There are various types of evaporative air conditioners:

• Evaporative portable air conditioners, which are used to cool one room at a time and move around on wheels. They need to be filled with water before each use.
Some portable evaporative coolers have heating elements for warmth in winter.
•    Fixed unit, which are usually mounted through a wall or window. These units have a permanent water connection and so don’t need regular filling. They can be used to cool more than one room at a time.
•    Ducted systems, which are installed on roofs. They can be water intensive and noisy.

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (Cibse) conducted an informal survey to determine the level of awareness for mandatory air conditioning inspections among property owners and found it to be “worryingly low”, according to hvnplus.co.uk. Survey results show that 33% of energy assessors place client awareness of inspections between 0% and 10%.

In addition to inspection awareness, the survey undertook to determine the impact of measures implemented under the auspices of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). Some of the news was promising, for instance, residential and commercial air conditioner owners are well aware of the importance of Energy Performance Certificates, which were deemed “very important” by over 50% of property professionals. 30% of clients request detailed surveys from Energy Assessors, 25% requested price quotes for recommendations and 21% indicated that they implement recommendations made by Energy Assessors.

LG Electronics, one of the largest producers of consumer electronics, has made a rather ambitious New Year’s Resolution: the company aims to increase its air conditioner sales by 10% in 2009; this despite concerns of a deepening recession. To help them capture a larger share of the air conditioning market, LG have established a brand new Air Conditioner Division under the leadership of Nho Hwan-yong, who says, “Our new organisation is better positioned to compete in the global HVAC market and will allow us to better serve our customers. We expect LG Air Conditioning to be a core growth engine for LG Electronics in the years ahead as we continue to expand the business and capture more market share.”