I have used the CTC-100 unit for a year or so, travelling across hot areas, e.g., Mohave or I-10 in summer, the unit shines. (Yes, I was intrigued by the artcle in the IBR Magazine.) I rarely get off my bike at fill-ups, so there is no need to disconnect the hoses. I wear the special shirt (or vest) for cooling under my Gerbings liner and jacket. It cools my core if my jacket is sealed. The air under my jacket is very pleasant in temperatures approaching 115F ambient (best guess).
When my route takes me to cooler climes, the CTC kicks in to warm my torso. Not a good solution. Extremities need the heat assist, so warming my core is ineffective. At that time the electric gear comes on and my hands warm and all is right with the world. The special "hosed" shirt stays on and the liner warms it, as well as my skin. The propylene glycol in the shirt reservoir retains the heat longer than the air cavity, so the current power draw is reduced. This system of cooling and heating works for me when temperatures swing.
Above are the pros. The cons include the added the alternator load, one more thing to remember to disconnect when leaving the bike, the control unit is hard-wired on a tether making routing problematic, and an additional item to maintain. The cost is another bit of a concern, but the benefit for me tips the scales.
Prologue: The original contact for the product did move on from the company. Why? Don't know or really care. Nice guy, but he chose to leave. But, recently Mike Kincart (Klim) has taken on championing the product. He is improving the design and has said that he will be testing/introducing a "new and improved" system in a month or so.
It will being interesting to see if the new system performs better.
--Chelsea