Experts from several manufacturers said HVAC in a high-performance building should be judged by three key metrics: 

• Energy efficiency, which lowers utility bills and reduces carbon emissions. Efficient equipment, reduced peak HVAC loads, and automation that adjusts system operation based on changing conditions, such as occupancy, can all cut energy use. 

• Occupant comfort, measured by how people in the building experience temperature, humidity, IAQ, and mechanical system noise. 

“Comfort should be measured by the way occupants feel it. Don’t grade HVAC on setpoints alone,” said Tyler Haak, vice president of U.S. digital buildings services at Schneider Electric. “By tracking elements like hot/cold complaints and overrides, facilities professionals can produce proof points of whether the system is truly delivering.” 

• System reliability, which depends on capabilities such as fault detection, connected monitoring and diagnostics, and predictive maintenance. Reliable systems reduce unplanned downtime, extend equipment life, and lower operating costs. 

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“A truly high-performance HVAC system should help improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions, support occupant comfort and indoor air quality, and make operations more reliable and easier to manage,” said Brian Fox, director of digital sales for the Americas commercial HVAC division at Trane Technologies. 

The electrification of HVAC, energy-saving condensing technology, the greater use of sensors and communicating systems, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in building systems management are among the trends defining today’s high-performing buildings. The ACHR NEWS recently contacted Leal, Haak, Fox, and representatives from three other HVAC manufacturers to ask about products that support high-performance buildings. Here’s what they had to say: 

The Danfoss PSG is a scroll compressor that can produce condensing temperatures of up to 212°F to enable electrification with heat pumps and eliminate the need for boilers in many applications. 

The PSG uses low-GWP refrigerants such as R1234ze and is designed to support heat recovery, process heating, and district heating applications that require a high-temperature heat source, the company said. 

“This is of most interest to older buildings or more industrial buildings that were designed to operate with 180°F hot water,” said Brian Dail, an application engineering manager at Danfoss. “The Danfoss PSG compressor can allow manufacturers to replace a gas or oil-fired boiler with a fully electric heat pump, even when the water needs to reach very high temperatures.” 

The PSG compressor is available in two capacities, 105 cubic meters per hour and 140 cubic meters per hour, and two or even three units can be manifolded together to boost capacity. 

The EcoStruxure software platform provides a centralized look at building systems, including HVAC, power, and lighting, allowing the people who run high-performing buildings to make informed decisions based on data, said Schneider Electric’s Haak. 

“By combining real-time data collection with AI-driven analytics, the platform enables facility teams to continuously monitor and optimize building performance,” Haak said. “It can track evolving conditions such as heating and cooling demand, occupancy patterns, indoor air quality, lighting levels, and overall energy consumption, and then trigger automated adjustments to improve comfort, efficiency, and equipment performance.” 

The EcoStruxure platform can reduce engineering time and costs by up to 80%, maintenance costs by up to 75%, and carbon emissions by up to 50%, Haak said. 

EcoStruxure, he added, can benefit buildings like commercial offices, retail centers, education campuses, and healthcare facilities.  

“In these settings, facility managers can improve reliability of these buildings and enhance the occupant experience while advancing broader sustainability goals,” Haak said. 

Rheem Manufacturing Co. recently expanded its Renaissance Commercial Classic Plus line of packaged heat pumps, and new models provide all-electric cooling and heating and include several technologies that contribute to their high-performance capabilities, said Rheem’s Leal. 

“Advanced smart controls and variable-speed components optimize operation based on building demand, while dehumidification capabilities, integrated economizers, indoor air quality features, and Rheem’s patented Micro Channel Heat Exchanger technology help improve efficiency, humidity control, and overall system performance,” Leal said. 

The new Renaissance Commercial Classic Plus models in Rheem’s RHPDYC series are available in capacities of 6.5 tons, 7.5 tons, 8.5 tons, and 10 tons, and can achieve up to 12 EER and 17.6 IEER, plus up to 3.6 COP at 47°F and 2.5 COP at 17°F, the company said. 

The models are especially suited for schools, where proper ventilation, humidity control, and comfortable temperatures support healthy learning environments, Leal said. They are also well suited for hospitality applications, where quiet operation, reliable temperatures, and unit-level controls make for a good guest experience, she said. 

“One of the greatest advantages of this type of packaged system is its ability to combine heating, cooling and ventilation into a single solution, reducing system complexity while supporting electrification and decarbonization goals,” she said. “That integrated approach is particularly valuable in high-performance buildings, where operational efficiency and occupant wellness are equally important.” 

Air curtains protect indoor environments from outdoor temperatures and from dust, bugs, and other contaminants in buildings where exterior doors are frequently opened and closed. The SimpleLink Controller automatically adjusts the fan speed, heat output, and run time of an air curtain based on current conditions at the doorway. 

Replacing the traditional “on/off” air curtain operation with SimpleLink minimizes the air curtain’s unnecessary energy consumption, said Naga Thiyagarajan, director of engineering at Mars Air Systems. 

“In a high-performance building, it allows the air curtain to maintain a strong environmental separation barrier while using only the energy needed for the conditions at that moment,” he said. 

SimpleLink also monitors door traffic, analyzing it every three minutes and keeping the air curtain running during periods of heavy door use. That function, Thiyagarajan said, helps avoid gaps in the protection the air curtain provides and limits motor cycling, improving equipment reliability. 

SimpleLink can also be commissioned wirelessly through a smartphone or tablet, and integrates with building management systems and building automation networks. This helps building management workers configure settings, monitor performance, and incorporate air curtains into broader HVAC strategies, Thiyagarajan said. 

“We see SimpleLink having the greatest impact at high-traffic entrances in facilities where comfort, energy efficiency, and environmental separation all matter at once, such as hospitals, healthcare facilities, transportation hubs, grocery stores, and other buildings with frequent door openings throughout the day,” he said. 

The SlimFit condensing boiler, with advanced controls and thermal efficiency of up to 96.1%, is designed for high-performance hydronic heating, said James Farrell, a commercial specialist at Weil-McLain. 

SlimFit boilers are available in heating capacities of between 550,000 Btuh and 2 million Btuh. They have a turndown ratio of 6:1, allowing the boiler to match a building’s heating demand and cut cycling losses; a cast aluminum heat exchanger designed for durability and ease of maintenance; and Weil-McLain’s Advanced Unity controls, which manage boiler sequencing, outdoor reset, domestic hot water priority, pump operation, diagnostics, and building automation system integration, said James Farrell, commercial specialist at Weil-McLain. Multiple SlimFit boilers can be cascaded for larger systems. 

“These features make SlimFit boilers especially well-suited for high-performance buildings because they deliver excellent part-load efficiency, precise load matching, and intelligent system control,” Farrell said. “Since most commercial buildings operate at partial load for much of the year, the combination of modulation, condensing technology, and advanced controls can significantly reduce fuel consumption while maintaining occupant comfort.” 

SlimFit boilers, Farrell said, have the most impact in buildings with varying heating loads, including schools, university buildings, hospitals, offices, and multifamily housing.  

“In these applications, long operating hours and frequent load changes allow the boilers to maximize condensing operation, minimize fuel usage, lower operating costs, and provide the redundancy and reliability expected in mission-critical commercial facilities,” he said. 

Trane’s AI Control is a cloud-based service that helps buildings operate better using building automation infrastructure. 

“Rather than requiring a major hardware overhaul, it works with connected systems to apply deep learning and continuously optimize HVAC performance,” said Trane’s Fox. 

AI Control, Fox said, uses variables such as weather, occupancy, and utility rates to adjust HVAC system setpoints in real time, enabling buildings to reduce energy waste and improve HVAC system consistency. Depending on the application, he said, using AI Control can reduce heating and cooling energy costs by up to 25% and reduce carbon emissions from HVAC by as much as 40%. 

The system, he said, is valuable for school buildings, retail buildings, and health care facilities, where teams are managing multiple sites and optimizing systems manually in every building is difficult. 

“It reflects the direction high-performance buildings are headed: Using connected intelligence to help improve outcomes without requiring a full system replacement to get started,” Fox said.