The commercial space can be a challenge to contractors. The sheer size of a building can make heating and cooling every nook and cranny of offices, warehouses, etc., next to impossible without the right products.

Winners of the The NEWS’ eighth annual Dealer Design Awards’ HVAC Commercial Equipment category have brought new ideas to the commercial market that should help contractors meet the commercial challenges they face. Making the top of this honored list was Lochinvar with the gold, Seeley International with the silver, and McQuay with the bronze.

GOLD WINNER

Lochinvar’s Crest® Condensing Boiler offers fire-tube technology integrated with the exclusive Smart Touch™ operating control. This combination provides engineers, mechanical contractors, and building owners design flexibility and distinctive performance characteristics for new construction and energy retrofit applications. Smart Touch enables Crest to communicate seamlessly and in real time with building management systems by utilizing an onboard Modbus protocol. Another benefit of the Smart Touch operating system is its built-in cascading sequencer. Crest is capable of sequencing up to an eight boiler system using a simple two-wire, daisy-chain connection. One boiler functions as the leader and modulates to capacity; increasing load then cascades to additional “lag” boilers in the sequence as needed. This lead-lag rotation shifts the “first on” boiler every 24 hours, distributing equal run times to each unit. The ability to sequence up to eight boilers that each have as much as 25:1 turndown means that the combined system has the potential of operating with modulation of up to 200:1 turndown.

Available in five models that range from 1.5 to 3.5 million Btu/hr., with thermal efficiencies as high as 99 percent, Crest brings Lochinvar’s technology and energy-efficiency to the largest commercial applications. The boiler introduces a low-NOx combustion system with a stainless steel heat exchanger and a highly unique, patent pending dual-system burner design with up to 25:1 turndown. The top-mounted, single micro-metal fiber burner serves as two combustion systems in one, each with its own blower and gas valve assembly to power the combustion process based on demand. Lochinvar’s fire-tube technology and patented Wave™ 316L stainless steel fire-tube is larger than standard fire-tubes, which means Crest requires fewer tubes and welds.

It can operate at flow rates as low as 20 gpm up to a full 350 gpm flow rate. In addition, the boiler offers a wide variety of horizontal and vertical venting options with increased vent lengths and configurations.

SILVER WINNER

Seeley International has two Climate Wizard commercial models - the CW-H10 and the CW-H15. Climate Wizard is an indirect evaporative air conditioner with a primary function to deliver cool, fresh air with low running costs, even in extremely harsh climates, according to the company. It achieves up to 140 percent wet bulb depression - as shown in independent monitoring - and delivers constant airflow of up to 200 Pa. The unit achieves a coefficient of performance (COP) of more than 13, compared with COPs for refrigerated systems of 2-4.

The unit consists of a cabinet that houses its core - an ultra-high-efficiency counterflow heat exchanger - a fan, reservoir, water management system, water distribution system, as well as the electrical cabinet and controls that operate the system. The unit’s heat exchanger works by drawing in hot outside air and passing it through a series of wet and dry channels. This allows natural evaporation to cool the air without adding moisture to the air that enters the conditioned space. Warm, moist air is expelled outside the building, while cool air is delivered to the conditioned space, with no moisture added. Climate Wizard can be integrated into building management systems and comes with a standard thermostat wall control and cable plugged at both ends, for easy installation.

It is designed to make installation straightforward. The mounting base is provided with pre-drilled holes, for easier bolt down, and no pre-commissioning is required.

“This is a fantastic supplement to manufacturing and large spaces to reduce costs while improving employee environments,” noted a member of the judging panel.

BRONZE WINNER

The McQuay Delivered variable air volume (VAV) system combines a web-based touch-screen system controller with VAV terminal boxes and air-handling equipment such as rooftop air conditioners. This system is a cost-effective, easy-to-install way to get the benefits of VAV efficiency and comfort for small to medium-sized buildings, according to the company. Its primary application is small to medium sized buildings such as office buildings, schools, and retail facilities. Ancillary devices, such as a boiler or exhaust fans, can be interlocked to the system schedules in the field. Up to 100 total devices can be connected in a system.

Field start-up can typically be completed in hours as compared to days. Configuration files are created for the system and preloaded into the system controller while application data is loaded and tested at the factory for the VAV box and rooftop equipment. After the system is installed, the Delivered VAV system components automatically communicate with each other. The commissioning process is automated as a result of the start-up wizard and easy-to-use touchscreen controller.

“This one’s a game changer,” explained one contractor judge. “I like the ease of serviceability and installation. It’s technician proof.”

The McQuay Delivered VAV system can be accessed from any computer with the web-based interface, without additional hardware. A technician in a remote location can check status, respond to alarms, and determine if an on-site service call is required, all through the web interface. Alarms can be sent as email messages to a smart phone.

2011 Honorees: HVAC Commercial Equipment

Gold Winner
Lochinvar
www.lochinvar.com
CREST Condensing Boiler

Silver Winner
Seeley International
www.seeleyinternational.com
Climate Wizard

Bronze Winner
McQuay International
www.mcquay.com
McQuay Delivered VAV System

Honorable Mentions
enerconcept technologies
www.enerconcept.com
Lubi

Johnson Controls
www.johnsoncontrols.com
YORK® YVAA air-cooled variable-speed screw chiller

McQuay International
www.mcquay.com
AAF-HermanNelson Air and Water Source Heat Pump Unit Ventilators

Publication date: 07/11/2011