ABB to take 35% of UK HVAC drives market by 2005

With the global market for HVAC drives increasing at 5 percent per annum, ABB is gearing up to become the dominant force in the market.

'We have grown from 5 to 20 percent of the market 'm two years and 1 believe we are well on the way to capturing 35 percent of the market by 2005, becoming number one 'm drives for HVAC," says Mike Carman, sales manager, HVAC, ABB, who is confident of ABB achieving its goal.

Drive prices are now at a level where, HVAC customers see them more and more as a technical and commercial alternative to mechanical flow control.

With the Climate Change Levy in force and electricity prices set to rise, users are giving more attention to the control of pumps and fans to optimise energy use. OEMs, consultants and end users are all seeing the advantages of energy efficiency and are being encouraged by the government to buy energy efficient equipment through schemes such as Enhanced Capital Allowances and interest free loans to small and medium sized enterprises.

In this atmosphere of increasing acceptance of variable speed drives in HVAC applications, Carman feels the time has come to make ABB number one in the market. "ABB's new dedicated HVAC drive is a major part of this strategy”, says Carman. “We have put three years of effort into producing a drive dedicated to the needs of HVAC applications. With input from major customers, our new drive has been designed by HVAC engineers, both within ABB and outside, to produce a product with dedicated features that will be a global offering for a wide range of HVAC applications.

"We are now approaching the market from the top," Carman explains his strategy, "talking to the main consultants, OEMs, BMS integrators and building owners, convincing them they should specify the equipment we have on offer."

But it is not just products that ABB is basing its strategy on. Carman sees excellent service as just as vital. "Ours is a value added approach. As well as system design and installation, we ensure that the customer gets the right advice on how the drive system meets all the G5/4 harmonic requirements. Our products are supported by all aspects of the mix technology, product selection, supply and install, as well as after sales support"

In addition to its global reach and in house expertise, ABB is also working on a local level to bring the advantages of variable speed drives to HVAC specifiers.

Over the past twelve months, the company has appointed nine regional HVAC Partners, each of whom provides a range of services such as energy audits, commissioning, supply and install, as well as local after sales support.

With its reliability, expertise, and track record, ABB is adding a tailor made drive to meet the needs of HVAC customers and help it reach the top spot in the challenging HVAC market.

ENDS