Rising Need for Energy Efficiency Heats up Electric Drives Market in the HVAC Industry

Business Wire, June 23, 2008

LONDON -- The boom in the construction business has rippled into the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry in Europe, which, in turn, has buoyed the electric drives market. This is because HVAC accounts for nearly 10 per cent of its total market revenue.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan Electric Drives Market in the European HVAC Industry, finds that the market earned revenues of USD 292.5 million in 2007 and estimates this to reach USD 456.5 million in 2014 (http://www.powertransmission.frost.com).

The HVAC industry's status as one of the major consumers of electrical energy among industries in Europe and the recent hike in energy costs have compelled electric drive manufacturers to develop energy-efficient systems. The passing of standards and directives stressing on energy conservation bolstered this development.

However, the implementation of these directives has not been smooth in certain Eastern European countries due to their unstable political situations and lack of efficient systems. Their changing economies and therefore, varying construction industry trends have also deterred long-term investments in the market.

Meanwhile, rising competition is squeezing electric drive manufacturers' profit margins, especially with the rising demand for smaller and low-cost HVAC drives. Manufacturers have to develop a novel and clever business strategy to maintain their market share in this price-competitive environment. However, the falling prices have also had a positive fallout.

"The declining prices of the drives have ensured that the payback period of the investment on these drives has shortened," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Venkataraman Salavakkam. "With shorter payback periods, users are able to justify the capital expenditure on these products."

The growing awareness of the financial benefits of energy conservation is increasingly driving the replacement of power-hungry HVAC systems with energy-efficient systems, which incorporate variable frequency drives that increase efficiency levels. To sustain this momentum, participants could also offer value-added services, as they can often sway purchase decisions in their favour in this highly competitive market.

They can ensure customer loyalty by developing a strong, responsive and agile after-sales service network that will ensure that customers' after-sales requirements are met. This move will also bring in substantial service revenue. In fact, while the AC and servo drives segments are the biggest revenue generators, the DC segment mainly relies on maintenance and repair orders to sustain itself.

The sales of electric drives are likely to be buoyed by the products' ease of use. The improvements in technology have eliminated the need for operators to have excellent technical expertise or an understanding of the machines and processes.

"The control panel of the drives is user friendly and embedded with a range of features," notes Venkataraman. "This ease of use has converted them to simple devices, and has encouraged OEMs and mechanical contractors to use the drives in HVAC systems."

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users and other industry participants with an overview of the electric drives market in the European HVAC industry, then send an e-mail to Joanna Lewandowska, Corporate Communications, at joanna.lewandowska@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be sent to you by e-mail.

Electric Drives Market in the European HVAC Industry is part of the Power Transmission Growth Partnership Service programme, which also includes research in the following markets: Electric Drives Market in European Material Handling Industry, Electric Drives Market in European Water and Waste Water Treatment Industry and Electric Drives Market in Discrete Control Industries in Central and Eastern Europe. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's TEAM Research, Growth Consulting and Growth Team Membership[TM] empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan's Growth Partnerships, visit http://www.frost.com.

Electric Drives Market in the European HVAC Industry

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