Heating – ventilation – air conditioning (HVAC) is a branch (also referred to as a sector ) of technical building installations and can therefore be categorized under overall building equipment. This is comprised mainly of the following:

• HVAC systems
• Sanitary facilities
• Material handling systems
• Electrical systems
  (power distribution, communication systems, security systems)
• Building automation.

HVAC is a collective term for all air conditioning technology. Its task is to reliably maintain the required values of temperature, air-humidity and air quality – irrespective of fluctuations in the surroundings (adjacent areas, outdoors).
For this purpose, machines (equipment) are required that dissipate (cool down) or introduce (heat up) heat to the areas concerned, which increase (humidify) or reduce (dehumidify) the level of humidity and transport the media that is used (air, water).

The following functions are vital in HVAC systems:

• Heating of rooms and warm water
• Chilling
• Ventilation
• Air conditioning
  We will also be examining this in conjunction with:
• Energy distribution and
• Building automation.

The price increases over the last number of years as well as the more stringent statutory requirements, relating to minimum energy consumption requirement for building heating and air conditioning systems, has seen the introduction of comprehensive demands. Thus, the requirements for improved HVAC machines, sophisticated building automation and open higher-performance fieldbus systems enabling inter-communication of the machines/appliances with one another and the control station are steadily increasing in their level of sophistication.

Eaton is a supplier of a range of electrical components in this sector.