Viessmann and Carrier align; Uponor rebuffs Aliaxis. Are we seeing a renewed “trend” toward consolidation in the PHVAC industy? Inflation, fuel prices, war, supply chain, electrification, and economy woes are all factors for potential wholesale changes. Over the past month, there has been heavy movement in the industry to suggest such a thing. In a Read more
Viessmann
![](https://hydronicshub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_3210-200x105.jpg)
Viessmann and Carrier align; Uponor rebuffs Aliaxis.
Are we seeing a renewed “trend” toward consolidation in the PHVAC industy? Inflation, fuel prices, war, supply chain, electrification, and economy woes are all factors for potential wholesale changes. Over the past month, there has been heavy movement in the industry to suggest such a thing. In a week that saw big movement, we learned recently that two major players in the PHVAC industry have been active in talks.
![Carrier, Viessmann, Viessmann Climate Solutions, HVAC, boilers, air conditioning, energy efficiency, electrification, heat pumps](https://hydronicshub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_3210-610x320.jpg)
The first, just officially confirmed, Carrier will acquire Viessmann Climate Solutions, the largest segment of Viessmann Group, in a cash and stock transaction valued at €12 billion, subject to working capital and other adjustments. According to the release, Viessmann Climate Solutions provides Carrier with an iconic, premium brand in the highest growth segment of the global heat pump and energy transition markets. In addition, Carrier announced plans to exit its Fire & Security and Commercial Refrigeration cabinet businesses.
“The acquisition of Viessmann Climate Solutions is a game-changing opportunity,” said Carrier Chairman & CEO David Gitlin. “Climate change, sustainability requirements and geopolitical factors are driving an unprecedented energy transition in Europe. Accelerated by government regulations and incentives, the transition creates a significant, long-term growth opportunity.
“Viessmann Climate Solutions is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this opportunity with its premier brand, highly differentiated distribution channel and innovative product offerings. With 70% of its business consisting of heat pumps and related accessories, solar PV, batteries and services, Viessmann Climate Solutions is a critical leader in Europe’s energy transition. We look forward to welcoming its 11,000 team members to the Carrier family and Max Viessmann, CEO of Viessmann to the Carrier Board of Directors at closing, which is expected around the end of 2023.
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But a recent announcement from Viessmann found on LinkedIn read, “the new transatlantic partnership underlines the importance of international, cross-border collaboration in the fight against global climate change. Both companies are fully committed to take more responsibility for a sustainable energy transition in the building sector, focusing on our purposes: Viessmann Group’s purpose is to co-create living spaces for generations to come. Carrier’s vision is to create solutions that matter for people and our planet. We both regard the climate goals in North America and Europe as a once-in-a-century opportunity to make a positive impact, by actively shaping sustainable climate and energy solutions for future generations.
“The Viessmann Group will continue to remain an independent family business in full ownership of the Viessmann entrepreneurial family. Today, the Viessmann Group—excluding its Climate Solutions business area—generates a total revenue of EUR 1 billion in sales—including non-consolidated entities—with around 4,000 employees. Looking ahead, the clear goal and ambition of the Viessmann Group is to grow to a size that is larger than the Climate Solutions business area today, latest by the end of the decade.”
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How does this affect contractors? The Hub’s Eric Aune, who is an ardent Viessmann installer, was sent this message: By combining Viessmann Climate Solutions and Carrier, we are co-creating one of the leading climate solutions companies in the world. Through the combination of both companies, we are forming a resilient, fast-growing innovation leader in a highly competitive market environment. All partners and customers of Viessmann Climate Solutions will significantly benefit from this new partnership:
- Viessmann Climate Solutions’ premium integrated offering will be complemented by electrified products and services from Carrier and its sub brands (heat pumps, battery storages, cooling and ventilation solutions as well as after-sales-services, digital and value-added solutions). This will lead to a wider product range for you.
- Viessmann Climate Solutions will get better access to suppliers via the global network of Carrier, especially its subsidiary Toshiba Carrier Corporation in Asia. This will lead to a faster delivery for you, in the long run. Thereby, you can significantly shorten your time to installation completion—a decisive component for the decarbonization of the building stock both in Europe and beyond.
- The iconic brand of Viessmann will be continued. All your respective contact persons at Viessmann will remain in charge. The Climate Solutions Executive Board and leadership team of Viessmann Climate Solutions, led by CEO Thomas Heim will continue to run the business. Viessmann Climate Solutions will become a major driver of Carrier’s growth strategy in Europe. Its headquarters will remain in Allendorf, Germany. The Viessmann Group will become one of the largest shareholders in Carrier. Consequently, Viessmann Group CEO Max Viessmann will become a new member of the Board of Directors of Carrier.
Meanwhile, according to an industry insider close to Mechanical Hub, Putin’s iron grip on the fuel supply in Europe could be a contributing factor to sell now. And, will Viessmann alter its path to market? One observer asked, “Will it be through the DCNE wholesale network?” We will see how things shake out in the next few weeks to months.
PEX Power
On the piping side, there have been tremors of a major shake-up in the PEX world. But all for naught, it turns out. Mechanical Hub has learned that Belgian company Aliaxis, a manufacturer of advanced fluid management solutions—with IPEX already a part of the company—had approached Uponor in its interest to sell. According to information acquired by Mechanical Hub, Aliaxis had announced a non-binding intention to make a tender offer to acquire all shares in Uponor.
Finland’s Uponor said on Wednesday (4/26/23), it rejected an unsolicited offer from Belgian rival Aliaxis, adding that the suggested price of 25 euros per share did not reflect the company’s value and long-term prospects.
According to Reuters and from sources within Uponor, the company’s board unanimously rejected the offer, but said it would consider any further proposals made by Aliaxis or any other party, if it was in the best interest of its shareholders.
Aliaxis last Monday made a $2 billion unsolicited offer to buy Uponor, seeking to form a global water management group, and the following Monday raised its stake in the Finnish company to 10.6%.
Oras Invest, Uponor’s largest shareholder with about 25.7% of the company’s shares, said on the day Aliaxis made its unsolicited offer that it had no intention of accepting it.
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Viessmann introduced the latest additions to its residential product line at a virtual product reveal event on June 17, 2021. These new products, coming to wholesale locations in July 2021, include new boilers in the popular Vitodens line and new digital applications for homeowners and contractors. New Gas Condensing Boilers Vitodens 100-W, B1KE & B1HE Read more
Viessmann introduced the latest additions to its residential product line at a virtual product reveal event on June 17, 2021. These new products, coming to wholesale locations in July 2021, include new boilers in the popular Vitodens line and new digital applications for homeowners and contractors.
![](https://hydronicshub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/ViCare-610x343.jpg)
New Gas Condensing Boilers
Vitodens 100-W, B1KE & B1HE – The all new Vitodens 100-W wall-mounted gas condensing boiler features a compact and lightweight design with zero clearance to combustibles, a stainless steel heat exchanger for lasting performance and reliability, and a fully modulating MatriX-Plus cylinder burner. Available in combi (B1KE) and non combi (B1HE) models. Product highlights include:
- WiFi connected and ready to pair with Viessmann digital tools
- Easy remote monitoring and servicing with Vitoguide app
- Fast and easy commissioning can be done via mobile app or the on-board start-up wizard
- 95% AFUE efficiency with the stainless steel Inox-Radial heat exchanger
- 10:1 turndown ratio with NEW! Lambda ProPlus combustion control
- Dual mount lightguide and 3.5″ LCD touch-screen display that can easily be positioned at the top or bottom of the boiler for comfortable service operation in any space
- Automatic vent length and altitude optimization up to 10,000 ft.
- Fuel source can be switched from natural gas to propane with the push of a button (no hardware required)
- Reduced emissions (low-NOx) with fully-modulating stainless steel MatriX-Plus cylinder burner
- Included ECM Circulator, No DHW pump needed
- Rated input: 8.5 to 199 MBH
Vitodens 200-W, B2HE – The new Vitodens 200-W offers the right solution for every heating demand, including multiple venting options, fuel flexibility (natural gas or liquid propane) with the push of a button, and WiFi connectivity right out of the box. It is controlled on-demand through the most responsive control system in the industry, and equipped with an intelligent combustion management system. With the ability to operate up to four heating circuits and three thermostat zones with individual heating curves, it offers unmatched efficiency and comfort. Up to 15 Vitodens 200-W, B2HE units can be combined in a single cascade system – meeting inputs from 85 to 2985 MBH – utilizing the integrated cascade controller, which comes standard on each unit. Product Highlights Include:
- Powerful and user-friendly 7” inch touchscreen display and lightguide can be moved to top or bottom of boiler
- WiFi connectivity offers easy remote monitoring and servicing through Vitoguide
- Low-emission, fully-modulating stainless steel MatriX-Plus cylinder burner
- Commissioning through the intuitive mobile app or the on-board start-up wizard simplifies complex parameters
- Intelligent combustion control adjusts automatically to gas quality and vent length; gas type and altitude adjustment at the press of a button. No hardware or manual adjustments required.
- True high-altitude operation at up to 10,000 ft
- Can be cascaded (up to 15 units) to suit any commercial application
- Fast installation and reduced maintenance with Lambda ProPlus combustion control
- 14:1 turndown ratio
- Highest efficiency up to 98% at full modulation; 95% AFUE on all models
Digital Tools from Viessmann
Viessmann’s new digital ecosystem includes an improved ViCare app for homeowners and Vitoguide tool for installing contractors.
Vitoguide – Vitoguide is Viessmann’s revolutionary, time-saving digital application for heating professionals that allows installing contractors to commission the new Vitodens boilers right from their mobile device, eliminating a number of manual processes and saving valuable time on the job site. With Vitoguide, an installing contractor can choose the boiler control language, automatically change the fuel and altitude settings, and even fill the boiler with just the press of a button, among other functions. After installation, Vitoguide will enable contractors (with the homeowner’s permission) to remotely monitor and service the connected boilers, stay in touch with their customers, and receive service alerts and/or scheduled maintenance reminders.
ViCare – For homeowners, Viessmann offers ViCare: a unique, all-in-one solution that allows users to control their heating system via any connected mobile device. With a simple user interface, ViCare makes operation intuitive and accessible on demand. The app-based tool provides instant feedback and alerts about changes in the status of the connected Viessmann boiler. Users can see at a glance whether everything is functioning properly, is due for routine maintenance, or needs service. Fuel use and savings are also tracked and displayed in a user-friendly way to monitor the system owner’s return on investment year after year.
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Triangle Tube, the original innovator of the residential fire tube boiler, announces the appointment of Ray Parent as Northeast Territory Sales Manager. The additional sales support in the Northeast has reinforced our commitment and ongoing support to customer services in the HVAC market. Ray has been involved with HVAC and plumbing for over 30 years Read more
Triangle Tube, the original innovator of the residential fire tube boiler, announces the appointment of Ray Parent as Northeast Territory Sales Manager. The additional sales support in the Northeast has reinforced our commitment and ongoing support to customer services in the HVAC market.
Ray has been involved with HVAC and plumbing for over 30 years and has held various roles including working as an installer, in tech support, and in his previous role as Territory Sales Manager with Viessmann.
“Ray’s knowledge and depth of experience brings Triangle Tube to a new level and having him as part of the Northeast sales team supports our ongoing commitment to providing the highest level of customer support” states Triangle Tube’s Director of Sales, Mark Avron.
Since 1946, Triangle Tube has been an innovator and industry leader in the manufacture and supply of quality stainless steel hot water heating equipment. Triangle Tube is owned and operated by Groupe Atlantic. Groupe Atlantic was founded in 1968 and is a leading designer and manufacturer of boilers, water heaters, ventilation and air conditioning, heat pumps and more. Groupe Atlantic is a privately-owned global company whose headquarters are in Paris, France. The Group has a strong manufacturing culture and a business strategy that focuses on its employees and customers.
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In Eagle County, Colorado, local authorities not only promote energy sustainability, but insist on it. Any residential project that incorporates more than 200 square feet of snow melt, for example, must mitigate the load with an offset the draws upon a renewable energy source. So the county required owner to mitigate snowmelt energy draw Read more
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In Eagle County, Colorado, local authorities not only promote energy sustainability, but insist on it. Any residential project that incorporates more than 200 square feet of snow melt, for example, must mitigate the load with an offset the draws upon a renewable energy source. So the county required owner to mitigate snowmelt energy draw with alternative energy or pay a hefty fee.
For Mustafa Aydin, president of American Plumbing Heating & Solar in Edwards, Colorado—an independent, family-owned plumbing and heating company that prides itself in personalized customer service—the county’s demand represented an opportunity for innovative energy planning. His client was gutting and rehabilitating a 7,000-square-foot home in the Red Sky neighborhood of Wolcott, Colo., completely redesigning its infrastructure to include radiant floor heating, 3,000 square feet of outdoor snowmelt, improved domestic hot water, and the comfort of a heated, year-round 1,500-gallon hot tub. The challenge for Aydin was to determine the loads for all the needs and design a system to support it.
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In addition to a clean install, American PH&S had an artist come in and paint an aerial view of a motorcycle on the mechanical room floor to add a personal touch.
Before Aydin had consolidated his design options, he knew immediately where he would source the core components: “I’m a Viessmann installer and have been for many years, I won’t install anything else.”
For design support, Aydin turned to Eric Anderson, a hydronics technical support specialist at Ferguson Hydronics in Denver. He was tasked with creating a system that would integrate solar thermal—the renewable energy resource—with condensing boilers to serve all four loads seamlessly and efficiently.
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The 7,000-square-foot home in the Red Sky neighborhood of Wolcott, Colo., completely redesigned its infrastructure to include radiant floor heating, 3,000 square feet of outdoor snowmelt, improved domestic hot water, and the comfort of a heated, year-round 1,500-gallon hot tub.
“At the highest level, we thought of the solar thermal contribution in two tiers,” says Anderson. “Its top priorities would be serving domestic hot water needs and the hot tub; at the secondary level, it would support the condensing boilers with the radiant heating and snowmelt loads.”
“When you have an involved project like this,” Anderson explains, “you start with a heat loss study to assess the loads. How much DHW do they use or need? What’s the load from the outdoor spa? Anderson ran a TSOL, a solar thermal computer simulation program that analyzes load within the context of the location’s climate and weather. The resulting analysis formed the basis for design that includes nine, 4’ x 8’ solar panels on the roof, and two Vitodens 200 wall-mounted condensing boilers. The solar system ties into two 120-gallon single-coil stainless steel tanks—one for DHW, the other to preheat water for the boilers (reducing their load)—a plate heat exchanger for the outdoor spa’s hot tub, and a 650-gallon stainless steel atmospheric tank that serves as a buffer for the solar thermal system, and as a contributing source of energy for the radiant heat and snowmelt loads.
This installation utilized a Caleffi hydro separator, iSolar control, a diverting valve, Z-one valves, 6762 Series thermo-electric zone valves, 132 Series QuickSetter balancing valve and a 573 Series AutoFill combination valve with backflow preventer.
In addition to supplying the panels, boilers, and tanks, Viessmann provided the panel line set and the boiler controls. The line set—prefabricated from stainless steel and pre-insulated—include sensor lines in the insulation for easy integration into the controls, and, says Anderson, “really solid, high-temperature O-ring connections for the panels, which means there’s no need for us to do soldering on the roof.”
![Screen Shot 2015-11-23 at 8.36.45 AM](http:hydronicshub.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Screen-Shot-2015-11-23-at-8.36.45-AM.png)
Cascaded for maximum efficiency
A carefully planned mechanical room manages the flow of water, and allocation of energy, between the solar and boiler sources, using an integrated array of three-way valves and the intelligent application of the boilers’ controls. “We have the controller set for a cascading strategy that encourages the maximum amount of condensing,” says Anderson. The lead boiler usually fires at 25% to 30% of its peak modulation; when it exceeds 40% – 50%, the second boiler kicks in and the two modulate down again. “The whole goal,” Anderson says, “is to fire at the lowest rate for highest efficiency.”
While the system is complex, sourcing components from Viessmann made the project easier. “It’s the only boiler system I spec,” Anderson says. “Whether it’s solar, controls or boilers, everything’s thought out as a system. For me, that means peace of mind.”
![Screen Shot 2015-11-23 at 8.23.00 AM](http:hydronicshub.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Screen-Shot-2015-11-23-at-8.23.00-AM.png)
American PH&S had an artist come in and paint an aerial view of a motorcycle on the mechanical room floor. Discovering that the owners are big motorcycle fans during his initial bid process, Aydin surprised them with the motorcycle design. The color just happened to match the first motorcycle the owner ever bought. They were delighted with the attention to detail. “I like to add a personal touch when finishing a project like this. In this case, the homeowner is a Harley Davidson fan, so we added the motorcycle image to the floor. It was a surprise gift for the homeowner and he loved it!” said Aydin.
Ultimately, the homeowner was satisfied to have an alternative energy source for his home and a snowmelt system in his driveway.
Inside the Job
Boiler — Viessmann
Water heater — Viessmann
Pumps — Grundfos
Relays — Taco
Piping — Copper and flex
Solar Panels — Viessmann
Hot Water Storage — Viessmann
Separators — Caleffi
Expansion tanks — Caleffi
![56 Jouflas Rd ext sum2 - Version 2](http:hydronicshub.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/56-Jouflas-Rd-ext-sum2-Version-2.jpg)
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Early last month at its U.S. headquarters in Warwick, R.I., Viessmann held a two-day event in which the company celebrated its 25 years of operation in the states. The first day, September 9, was a special VIP event where more than 150 guests attended the anniversary day of celebration with speeches, gourmet luncheon and a Read more
Early last month at its U.S. headquarters in Warwick, R.I., Viessmann held a two-day event in which the company celebrated its 25 years of operation in the states. The first day, September 9, was a special VIP event where more than 150 guests attended the anniversary day of celebration with speeches, gourmet luncheon and a walking tour of the Warwick facility featuring the newly introduced Vitocrossal 300 CU3A, as well as popular products like the Vitodens family of condensing boilers. Honored guests included long-time customers and key partners, public officials from the state of Rhode Island, local academia, Viessmann U.S. staff, top management from Viessmann Canada and senior management from Viessmann global corporate headquarters in Allendorf, Germany.
The celebration was highlighted by speeches from Prof. Dr. Martin Viessmann, CEO and president of the Executive Board, Dr. Michael Luz, managing director of Viessmann U.S., Rhode Island’s Lt. Governor, Daniel McKee, Rhode Island Secretary of State, Nellie Gorbea, and the mayor of Warwick, R.I., Scott Avedisian.
In his keynote address, prof. Viessmann spoke about the growth and evolution of Viessmann’s investment in the U.S. market which started in the 1970s, the importance of the company’s enduring trade partnerships with its customers and Viessmann’s long standing commitments to energy efficiency and sustainability. Prof. Viessmann specifically talked about the company’s precedent-setting accomplishments such as reaching high standards of energy efficiency and German climate policy targets well before the 2050 date established by the German government.
“As a result we have increased energy efficiency by more than 20% and increased our share of renewable energy by 60%. In doing so, fossil fuel consumption has been reduced by 70%, and CO2 emissions by 80%. This shows that it is not the technology that holds up progress in the heating markets because technology is already there today.
“We see this in our comprehensive range of products, which are designed to respond to challenges of the future. Together with our customers we can make an important contribution to the success of the energy transition within the framework of our successful trade partnership,” said Martin Viessmann.
When talking about the future of company, Dr. Luz said, “To 25 successful years for Viessmann in the U.S. they have been successful because of you, our customers our partners, and our colleagues for that we thank you. We are looking forward to the next 25 successful years in the U.S. we are looking forward to continuing working with you, serving you and your customers. Most importantly we are looking forward to doing our share preserving the precious resources of our planet and to leaving this planet in better condition for the next generation after us.”
Open House
On the next day, September 10, Viessmann continued the 25 Years in the U.S. celebration with its annual Open House event, which officially kicked off the 2015 heating season with state-of-the-art technical training, product information as well as demonstrations and networking. 200 contractors and heating professionals experienced a day of best-in-class training and information sessions with the world’s leading heating products and solutions.
This year’s Open House featured hands-on training with the new compact, floor standing Vitocrossal 300 CU3A boiler, solar thermal products, the highly popular Vitodens 100, 200 and 222 gas condensing boilers, Vitocrossal 200 CM2 boiler, control systems and the Vitomobile, Viessmann’s mobile live-fire training lab.
Viessmann’s expert staff of trainers, technical support professionals and sales reps were on-hand for the training, product discussions, and celebration.
Mechanical Hub’s John Mesenbrink and good friend Mark Perrone, purchasing manager, JC Cannistraro, were at the event and both were impressed with the clean, European-influenced facility, the great contractor turnout and the interactive, educational breakout sessions throughout the day.