Taco Inc.’s SmartPlug Instant Hot Water Control was announced as the 2017 AHR Expo Innovation Award Product of the Year at the show’s Innovation Awards ceremony in Las Vegas.
The product, which also secured a win in the Innovation Awards’ plumbing category, allows for easy installation onto existing domestic hot water recirculation pump systems, to efficiently manage on-demand hot water delivery.
“Winning an AHR Expo Innovation Award is a great achievement,” says Wil VandeWiel, president and CEO of Taco Inc. “The winning products in all the categories will define the markets in the next decade, where innovation, sustainability and energy management will be key drivers.
“For Taco Comfort Solutions, to be recognized as part of this group of companies, is a confirmation of the strategic direction we started a couple of years ago,” he continues. “Being awarded Product of the Year is an important milestone for our company, and a great achievement by all of our employees. We thank the AHR Expo for all it does to move the industry forward.”
“The AHR Expo Innovation Awards competition is a chance to acknowledge the hard work companies contribute toward the future of the industry,” says Clay Stevens, president of International Exposition Co. , the Show’s producer. “We congratulate Taco for being recognized as 2017’s Product of the Year, and extend further congratulations to all 10 winners for displaying utility, ingenuity and efficiency in their respective product categories. We look forward to seeing what’s next, as AHR Expo’s exhibitors continue to innovate through the coming year.”
Taco’s 115-volt SmartPlug Instant Hot Water Control features technology to learn and record a homeowner’s hot water usage pattern, and employ the resulting data to operate a home’s hot water recirculation pump precisely when hot water is typically required. While hot water recirculation pumps typically run continuously or are controlled with an aquastat or timer, SmartPlug provides automatic and self-adjusting pump operation – only when hot water is desired. Usage patterns are monitored and recorded on a daily and weekly basis, with the SmartPlug system regularly refreshing data and adjusting any changes to hot water usage patterns. The result is an increase in water heater operational efficiency, promoting a way to save on residential energy costs.
All 2017 AHR Expo Innovation Award winners were selected by a panel of third-party ASHRAE member judges who evaluated each entry based on innovative design, creativity, application, value and market impact.
The complete list of 2017 AHR Expo Innovation Award winners includes:
- Building Automation
Company: Danfoss
Innovation: Danfoss Enterprise Services - Cooling
Company: Daikin Applied
Innovation: Pathfinder® Air-cooled Screw Chillers with Variable Volume Ratio (VVR) Technology - Green Building
Company: Carrier
Innovation: Dual Stage Relief Economizer (DSRE) - Heating
Company: Noritz America
Innovation: Noritz CB Combi Boiler - Indoor Air Quality
Company: Nortec Humidity
Innovation: Nortec GS Series – CS Model (Nortec GS CS) Humidifier - Plumbing
Company: Taco Inc.
Innovation: SmartPlug Instant Hot Water Control - Refrigeration
Company: Danfoss
Innovation: Danfoss CTM (Electrical Controlled Transcritical Multi Ejector) - Software
Company: Nidec Motor Corp./U.S. MOTORS
Innovation: Rescue Select Programming App - Tools & Instruments
Company: PEXOLOGY Inc.
Innovation: PEXGUN - Ventilation
Company: Titus
Innovation: Helios Digital Diffuser
All AHR Expo exhibitors are eligible to submit for the annual Innovation Awards competition. Submission guidelines are sent to exhibiting companies approximately six months preceding each show. Products, systems and technologies submitted must be new (launched following the close of the previous year’s show) and planned for display at the upcoming year’s show. In addition to a nominal entry fee, submitting exhibitors are asked to provide a brief (75-word maximum) description of how their product, system or technology excels in the areas of application, innovation, value and market impact.
Visit here for more information on the 2017 AHR Expo or the Innovation Awards competition. Specific questions regarding Innovation Awards submissions can be emailed to [email protected].