In fact, ARC predicts that the market will grow to $13 billion in 2011.

With that sort of growth on the horizon, many commercial hvac contractors can get ahead of the trends and improve their competitive advantage over their peers.

According to the study, traditional hvac solutions are being cast aside for new requirements.

“The goal is to develop intelligent hvac solutions capable of providing facilities managers the ability to base operational decisions on real-time performance data and uncover hidden costs,” says Jared Malarsky, ARC research analyst and principal author of ARC’s HVAC Control Systems Worldwide Outlook.

To reach that goal, many hvac suppliers have developed new solutions that feature more efficient hardware, integrated control systems and management services. The result: increased productivity and lower costs with minimal operational upsets, according to ARC.

ARC also notes that IT-based solutions lay at the very heart of the direction the market is taking.

“While offering Web-based control will be less of a strategic differentiator going forward, there are still many related areas in which companies can distinguish themselves and improve their competitive advantage over peers,” says Malarsky.

ARC expects HVAC controls to expand in functionality, convenience, scalability, and accessibility. They will be employed to support a broader range of applications, from the largest enterprises to more focused solutions that can grow in functionality as companies increase investments.