A new technological trend is beginning to emerge as a solution for many of our industry's processes.
By Guitze Messina*
Lately the world has been hearing a lot about Bitcoin as a digital currency. However, the technology that makes any type of digital currency possible is Blockchain. The questions then would be, what is Blockchain?, how important is the technology?, and what are some uses in the HVAC/R industry that we can feel?
Blockchain is undoubtedly the most important technology that is taking preponderance since the internet took the role in our lives that we all know and live today. The expectation is that Blockchain will be even more important than the internet because of its potential application to a number of industries.
Let's simply define what Blockchain is: it is a ledger of transactions in an open way to those who are in the chain, without needing a mediating company; where all participants in the chain can see the transactions that are made and only those who have access to the book can make some kind of transaction.
Let's look at an example: Let's imagine that we want to exchange a certificate of title of a car electronically. If we only take one photo of the title, we could send that title to millions of people and none of them could know if the title is authentic or if it is the only one that will receive the transfer of that title. The way this is currently done is through a government office that ensures control of car titles.
Using Blockchain, you can create a network of transactions where you can clearly see who was the last to receive the title of the car and who have been all the owners of it over time. This is just one of many useful examples for the use of this technology.
Various Uses of Blockchain in HVAC/R
One of the uses we will see most quickly will be in container insurance. Maersk has been testing the use of Blockchain to reduce its insurance costs and at the same time the time of typing claims. IBM is your technology partner in this project, which will reduce insurance costs dramatically.
Another will be the use of digital contracts through which the merchandise is received and automatically the supplier receives the payment of this. All this is confirmed in the contract and without a third player who is an arbitrator (in this case an agent who adds cost to the process). This process reduces the costs and safety of the parties involved.
We will also see the use of Blockchain in the efficiency certifications that so many countries in Latin America are requesting.
Why use Blockchain for efficiency certifications?
HVAC/R equipment manufacturers globally have been affected by the various standards and tests that are required in the countries of our region. However, the use of Blockchain could eliminate the need to have to do tests in each country, since the equipment tested in international laboratories that are included in a Blockchain chain, would demonstrate their viability to each official body in each country.
Each manufacturer would have to create a Blockchain chain with the units to be imported in each country. The agencies of these countries would have access to these chains and for the review of the information the local bodies would charge the manufacturers. This cost would be lower than the laboratory costs and efficiency tests currently incurred and would also reduce almost entirely the waiting time in which equipment passes such tests in order to enter the country.
Using Blockchain, the process of certification of equipment worldwide would be reduced and at the same time it would be much more reliable, since only the teams that open the chains and that are recognized by the organizations of each country, will have access to the market. Units that enter the market "illegally" will also be more easily detected because they will not be in the chain.
Currently HARDI Mexico and several other associations, with the support of manufacturers, are promoting the use of this technology to make the industry more efficient every day.
The expectation is that transactions not only related to efficiencies, certifications or titles in general will be much more diaphanous worldwide due to the implementation of this technology; we will also see its use in industries and applications that have not yet been thought of. For this reason, it is important to study and learn more about Blockchain and that our technical staff begins to take more action in the knowledge of this chain, which will undoubtedly continue to impact everyone's life very positively.
Blockchain will be increasingly recognized in our industry and we hope that official bodies will also understand the advantages they will obtain with this technology and that they will support the industry's efforts to improve current processes.
* Guitze Messina. Executive Director, Mexico. Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI). www.hardinet.org - [email protected]
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