Manufacturers with backgrounds in producing combos, fan coils, HRVs, hot water heaters, furnaces, controllers, heat exchangers, boilers and fireplaces may choose to develop AIMS products.

Project partners are hoping that the initiative will lead to a thriving market for AIMS type products by overcoming such barriers as the lack of established field trial data, performance ratings, and safety certification procedures. The partners assert that the project will also result in improved Canadian production capacity, as well as an increase in residential energy efficiency and a reduction in greenhouse emissions.

According to a press release from Natural Resources Canada "as many as six Canadian manufacturers are expected to participate in the system's development, with many others involved in developing components." Testing and field trials will be carried out in 150 Canadian homes and a performance rating system will be developed by an industry consortium composed of manufacturers, industry associations, utilities and government organizations.

At the same time, training programs are being developed to support the expected growth in demand. HRAI has already launched its Residential Integrated Combo System Course, which rolled out across Canada this past fall.

Projections from Natural Resources Canada indicate that the AIMS project will lead to 380,000 natural gas AIMS installations in Canadian homes within 10 years, and 2.2 million in 25 years. These numbers exclude commercial applications, technology transfer to oil and electric AIMS applications and exports through American markets. NRCan has also indicated that integrated mechanical equipment has the potential to capture 55% of the residential market by the year 2020.

Jamie Glouchkow, AIMS Project Officer for Natural Resources Canada, says that this is a rare instance of industry and government working closely to coordinate product development, marketing and training. "Sometimes products can get developed too quickly and there is no market for them. Other times, manufacturers may decide not to pursue an innovative new product because they do not have the resources to educate installers, utilities and builders about the benefit of the project. The AIMS project will help manufacturers to collectively get the information and know-how to market stakeholders, as well as individually develop and test products. This project is all-encompassing so we can get this type of technology off to a good start."

Project partners anticipate AIMS products will offer a number of advantages from the homeowner' s point of view when compared to more traditional equipment. They may include:

• reduced installation costs
• reduced electricity and fuel costs
• simpler and faster installation (simple gas hook -- up, single venting system, no field integration with other appliances)
• improve total system field installation quality control (site integration i.e., space reduced with standardized)
• in a single company to call in case of any problem
• reduce physical space requirements in the home
• the potential for improved home comfort

The system presents, according to project partners, a number of efficiency advantages to equipment manufacturers: a single burner to provide space and DHW heating functions, fewer control systems, and reduced packaging and shipping requirements.

The potential challenges of the systems include:

• the need for more advanced technological training installers and designers
• the difficulty of designing for the retrofit market
• the potential cost to customers for replacement systems
• inconvenience in the event of a breakdown for the home or one or as everything is integrated.

Warren Heeley, president of HRAI, says that although traditionally combo systems have been around for some years, the concept is becoming much more acceptable to the market. "It's very important to understand that integrated systems will be the products of the future. The federal government is supporting the technology because it helps reduce energy consumption and greenhouse emissions."

Heeley reports that HRAI is supporting AIMS on a number of fronts. For the past five years it has been active in developing standards for combo systems. These have been published as Unified Canadian Guideline for Combo Systems and have been adopted by the Ontario Building Code. "We originally got involved to write unified Canadian guidelines to set standards on installation and commissioning of the systems."

"Working with combo systems is quite different from what many installers are use to," he adds. "It's not like dropping in a packaged piece like a furnace. In many cases, units are not self -- contained, and require knowledge of interfaces. Overall, there's much more system design work involved."

He says that integrating water heating mechanical systems with forced air "is not that simple a process because the two disciplines do not cross over that readily. Water outlet temperatures, for example, have to be within a certain range. There are a number of different applications and system design aspects to consider, from systems for water heating with air handling, to integrated systems that involve fireplaces, in-floor heating systems and boilers."

The next step, he says, is training for installers in the field. HRAI's new training program is a three-day intensive course that covers everything from guideline reviews to installation procedures for all kinds of existing combo systems. "It's the ideal way for installers to get up to speed on requirements and installation issues," says Heeley. "There is no question they will need to understand all the ins and outs of this technology."

Over the course of the two days, attendees will receive instructions on acccepted guidelines, how to select equipment, system design, installation, components and compression.

The courses are scheduled to run in various locations across Canada. Additional courses can be added for groups of 15 or more.

When it comes to combos, investments of time and knowledge are just the thing to keep business rolling in for years to come.

For more information on AIMS and HRAI training, call (800) 267 - 2231.

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