U.S. HVAC HMIs/Displays Industry Trends
Touchscreens and User-Friendly Interfaces Are Key Trends
Touchscreen HMIs being preferred due to their user-friendly interfaces, which offer graphical representations and customizable dashboards, making system operation simpler. Companies are focusing on improving the user interface and the experience for customers. These interfaces provide better interaction through charts, dynamic displays, and graphical representations, to help users understand the system easily and adjust settings. Modern touchscreen HMIs provide real-time feedback as users make adjustments.
Rampant Urbanization and Climate Change Drive Market
The biggest driver for the U.S. HVAC HMIs/displays market is the rampant urbanization in the country. More than 80% of the population of the U.S. lives in cities, making urban areas highly congested and the space inadequate. As a result, the construction of new infrastructure and renovation of existing buildings are in full swing. A key part of the renovation is the replacement of aging HVAC systems with new ones, especially those designed with smart features and for higher energy efficiency. This is itself because the rising urbanization and industrialization are leading to climate change. Since 1895, the country has seen a 1.9-degree-Fahrenheit increase in average temperatures. Moreover, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), every decade since 1901 has seen a rise of 0.17 degrees Fahrenheit in average temperatures. This has been leading to harsher winters and summers, thus driving the demand for smart heating and cooling appliances, respectively.
Cybersecurity Threats Are Key Challenge
As HMIs are being integrated with IoT and cloud-based solutions, cybersecurity has become the major concern. Hackers can take advantage of weaknesses in HMIs and networks to gain unauthorized access, change settings, and steal sensitive information. This poses challenges for industries such as energy, manufacturing, and healthcare, where problems with systems or stolen data can lead to serious issues. HMIs collect large amounts of data, which raises concerns about data privacy and regulatory compliance.
HMIs allow people to interact with machines, and they are common in many technical fields. However, wherever humans and machines connect, security issues can arise. HMIs have many vulnerabilities that hackers can take advantage of for various purpose, such as extortion and sabotage.