Copeland named 2026 AHR Innovation Awards double category winner

Copeland announced that they have been named a winner in two categories of the 2026 AHR (Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration) Innovation Awards competition. This contest will recognize the most inventive heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) products, systems and technologies at the AHR 2026 Expo in February.

Copeland was named a winner in the refrigeration category for its transcritical CO2 scroll compressor with dynamic vapor injection (DVI) technology, and also named a winner in the heating category for its heating-optimized modulating vapor injection portfolio. Both products support the energy and refrigerant transition across heating, cooling and refrigeration applications.

To date, CO2 refrigeration applications in North America have been primarily centralized booster systems in supermarkets. With the introduction of the transcritical CO2 scroll compressor with DVI, Copeland is expanding its technological leadership in fully integrated CO2 refrigeration solutions and unlocking the potential for smaller-footprint, distributed CO2 booster system architectures. From convenience stores to supermarkets and hypermarkets, distributed CO2 systems can now be applied across various retail sectors and store sizes, including new store installations, remodels and phased retrofits of aging hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) systems.

“We are pleased to be recognized as a category winner,” said Kurt Knapke, vice president/general manager, cold chain at Copeland. “This product features Copeland’s innovative DVI technology, which revolutionizes the process of managing CO2 vapor in the compression cycle. This breakthrough delivers significant enhancements in system efficiency, performance and design. This solution offers smaller system footprints, reduced design complexities and lower applied costs — which collectively contribute to a favorable total cost of ownership.”

The Copeland heating-optimized modulating vapor injection portfolio helps original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of residential heat pumps, commercial rooftop units (RTUs) and applied chillers overcome comfort limitations in cold climate applications, with the ultimate goal of decarbonizing gas-fired heating applications. By combining Copeland’s expertise in modulating compression with its pioneering work in vapor injection, this platform sets new benchmarks for system capacity, efficiency and scalability. Depending on their specific capacity and/or efficiency targets, OEMs can align the modulating compressor technology — from two-stage to variable-speed to tandem configurations — with the application requirements. Increasing capacity modulation ultimately delivers proportionate gains in efficiency and seasonal part-load performance, while enhanced vapor injection (EVI) optimization expands comfort into previously unattainable cold climate scenarios.

“The heating-optimized modulating vapor injection portfolio reflects Copeland’s commitment to technological advancements that redefines what’s possible in commercial and residential heating,” said Mark Bills, vice president/general manager, commercial HVAC at Copeland. “By expanding heat pump applications into cold climates and delivering next-generation efficiencies, we’re helping to enable the decarbonization of legacy heating technologies.”

The AHR Innovation Awards encourage exhibitors to submit new products and technologies for recognition via review and selection by a panel of industry third-party judges. Each year, one of the category winners is selected as the prestigious Product of the Year winner, which will be announced during the show.