Post-AHR Survey Shows Interest in Renewable Energy Continues to Grow

According to a post-show survey of visitors that attended the 2014 AHR Expo, 41 percent of the more than 2,000 respondents said they came to the world’s largest HVACR event seeking products related to “Renewable Energy Resources” (geothermal, solar, etc.). When these sample results are projected across the 42,000 plus visitors, more than 17,000 HVACR professionals came to New York to find products and solutions that could replace conventional energy with more sustainable options.

“We’re not surprised,” says Clay Stevens, president of International Exposition Co., which produces and manages the AHR Expo. “We know the interest in renewable energy resources is growing rapidly, so it is especially encouraging to see such a wide-spread interest across all segments of HVACR professionals at the Show.”

Stevens added that there has also been a steady growth in the number of exhibitors showcasing renewable-energy products in their booths. “This is an area where we’ve seen many long-time exhibiting companies expand their lines, as well as many newer exhibitors with more dedicated product offerings. For example, since we were last in New York in 2008, the number of exhibitors showcasing solar-related products more than doubled to 66 from 29.”

In addition to a growing presence on the exhibit floor, renewable energy has also gained traction in the AHR Expo and ASHRAE educational programs offered at the Show. “Numerous sessions were either dedicated to geothermal or addressed sustainable technologies as part of their curriculum. They were all well attended,” Stevens concluded.

Of course, most visitors to the 2014 AHR Expo came with an interest in multiple HVACR product categories. Other areas attendees said they were interested in seeing were:

Cooling – 77 percent
Heating – 73 percent
Ventilation – 57 percent
Hydronic Heating – 49 percent
Building Automation & Control – 45 percent
Tools & Instruments – 45 percent
Renewable Resources – 41 percent
Refrigeration – 40 percent
Plumbing Products – 31 percent
Components – 27 percent
Software – 24 percent

Several other interesting facts emerged from the 2014 AHR Expo post-show survey. Of the visitors who responded:

98 percent said seeing new products was important to them
91 percent said the Show was an important place to look for new suppliers
79 percent were seeking solutions to address current project needs
68 percent said products they saw would influence their purchasing/specification plans