The meeting room units and the fresh air units will be equipped with new DuPont Caltrel® plastic heat exchangers. According to the company, the heat exchangers are made of plastic materials that will never corrode, and the efficiency of the units, unlike metal heat exchangers (coils), should never decrease due to corrosion.

The central HVAC system is expected to operate with utility costs 50 percent below conventional systems installed in other mid-rise hotels, says the company. The projected return on investment is less than two years. The hotel is scheduled to open in April 2004.

Robert Yoho, president of PowerCold ComfortAir Systems, commented, "The power savings is phenomenal, but the greater benefit is that this hotel will for the first time provide guests with clean, dry, fresh air in every guest room and public space as well.

"In addition, all the exhaust air will be captured through heat exchangers and the wasted heat and cooling previously dumped into the atmosphere will be used to heat and cool the outside air being brought in to each guest room fancoil unit. The fresh air systems will remove moisture, cool or heat the air, and supply it to each guest room through a room fancoil unit that is so quiet that the guest will not hear any noise."

For more information, visit www.powercold.com.

Publication date: 10/27/2003