Miguel A. Llopis (new Secretary General of Atecyr): We are at a pivotal moment for the industry

What does your appointment as the new Secretary General of Atecyr mean to you?

Taking on the role of Secretary General of Atecyr is, above all, a source of pride and a great responsibility. My relationship with Atecyr goes back a long way. I have been a member of the association since 2008 and, over the years, I have had the opportunity to get to know it from different perspectives, eventually serving as its President from 2017 to 2020. It is an organisation that fully reflects my own understanding of our profession, based on technical rigour, commitment, impartiality and a dedication to serving the industry.

Returning now in a new executive role gives me the opportunity to put all that experience and knowledge at the service of the association and, above all, the professionals who belong to it. I approach this new chapter with great enthusiasm and the conviction that we are at a particularly significant moment for our industry, one in which Atecyr has a great deal to contribute.

Furthermore, I am joining an established organisational structure with a strong track record. I would like to acknowledge the outstanding work carried out by Ana Magdaleno over more than two decades and, working alongside her and the rest of the team, help further strengthen Atecyr and its position as a leading technical authority in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industry.

How has the industry changed since you served as President of Atecyr between 2017 and 2020?

The changes have been profound. In recent years, we have moved from focusing primarily on energy efficiency and the gradual introduction of certain technologies to facing a much broader transformation of the energy model and building systems.

Decarbonisation is now a key priority. The electrification of certain applications, renewable energy, heat pumps, energy recovery, digitalisation and intelligent building systems management have all gained considerably greater prominence than they had just a few years ago.

The regulatory landscape has also become significantly more complex. Professionals must now navigate an environment in which requirements relating to energy efficiency, indoor air quality, emissions reduction, refrigerants, sustainability, energy-efficient building renovation and digitalisation all converge.

There is another change that I consider fundamental: society and end users are increasingly aware that HVAC systems must do more than simply provide comfort. They must also deliver that comfort while consuming less energy, generating fewer emissions, ensuring adequate indoor environmental quality and remaining economically viable throughout their service life.

What will your main objectives be in your new role?

My main objective is to help ensure that Atecyr continues to be an organisation that delivers value to its members and to the industry as a whole. To achieve this, I believe we must continue working in several key areas. The first is to strengthen our ability to generate and disseminate technical knowledge. At a time of such rapid change, access to rigorous, independent and verified information is more important than ever.

The second is to further develop our training programmes. We need professionals who are equipped to deal with increasingly complex installations and to correctly implement new technologies and regulatory requirements.

I also want to strengthen the work of the Technical Committee and encourage greater participation from our members, because Atecyr's greatest asset lies precisely in the knowledge and experience it brings together.

What tools will you use to achieve these objectives?

Our main tool will be knowledge. Atecyr has an exceptional technical foundation and a community of professionals with a wealth of valuable experience. We must continue making this knowledge available to the industry. Training will be another essential tool, both in person and online, enabling us to reach more professionals and facilitate continuous professional development.

Atecyr's Technical Committee and its subcommittees will also play a vital role. The speed at which the industry is evolving means we need to examine developments from different perspectives and translate them into practical solutions for technical professionals. And, of course, we will rely on the coordinated efforts of Atecyr's entire organisational structure. Collaboration with Ana Magdaleno, the team, the governing bodies and the regional branches will be fundamental.  

Which challenges facing the industry will you focus most of your efforts on?

One of the greatest challenges is ensuring that decarbonisation is both technically feasible and economically sustainable. It is not simply a question of introducing new technologies, but of designing and maintaining systems that operate correctly, deliver high levels of efficiency and meet the real needs of users.

Retrofitting the existing building stock is another fundamental challenge. A significant proportion of the buildings and installations that will be in use over the coming decades have already been built. Improving their efficiency and upgrading their systems will therefore be just as important as designing new buildings correctly.

We must also pay close attention to indoor air quality and the health and wellbeing of building occupants. Energy efficiency cannot be considered in isolation: we need buildings that are not only efficient but also healthy and comfortable.

Another challenge is the evolution of refrigerants and refrigeration technologies, alongside increasingly stringent environmental requirements. The industry needs to anticipate these changes and ensure that professionals have the necessary training to implement them correctly.

Finally, I would highlight a challenge that cuts across the entire industry: the shortage of qualified professionals. The industry's technological transformation requires technicians who can understand, design, install, commission and maintain increasingly sophisticated systems. Training and continuous professional development will be crucial. 

Could you summarise the main regulatory, technological and sustainability-related changes currently affecting the market?

We are experiencing a transformation that is affecting all three areas simultaneously. From a regulatory perspective, requirements relating to energy efficiency and decarbonisation are becoming increasingly stringent. European regulations are driving a progressive reduction in emissions and improvements in building energy efficiency, with direct implications for the design, renovation and operation of building systems.

On the technological front, we are seeing rapid advances in heat pump technology, the electrification of heating and cooling, energy recovery, hybrid systems, energy storage and the integration of renewable energy sources. This is accompanied by the increasing digitalisation of building systems, with control and monitoring technologies that make it possible to optimise their operation.

In refrigeration, changes in refrigerant technologies and the phase-down of refrigerants with a higher climate impact are forcing the industry to adapt, both technologically and in terms of training and safety.

As for sustainability, I believe we are moving away from an approach focused exclusively on energy consumption towards a much more comprehensive perspective. We need to consider emissions, the life cycle of equipment and buildings, materials, resource efficiency and the ability of installations to adapt to a changing energy and climate landscape.

All of this presents a challenge, but also an opportunity. Atecyr must support and guide professionals, helping them interpret these changes and translate them into technically sound solutions. Our role must be to provide knowledge, technical expertise and independent judgement so that the industry can move forward with confidence.