Top-Notch Features, Accessibility

The Daikin McQuay Rebel with Energy Recovery Wheel received the gold award in the 2013 Dealer Design Awards’ HVAC Light Commercial Equipment category. The unit is a one-piece, factory-installed-and-tested package that eliminates field coordination and leakage problems associated with field installation, said the company. Contractors can place the unit, power it, and turn it on from the control keypad. No field assembly required.

Available for the 3-15 ton Rebel units, the energy recovery wheel option recovers approximately 75 percent of energy from the exhaust airstream. As the wheel rotates, outside air is drawn across one-half of the wheel while exhaust air is drawn across the other half, transferring sensible and latent energy between the ventilation and exhaust airstreams. Free heat and humidity are recovered during winter months while free cooling and dehumidification occurs during the summer months.

To help simplify service and cleaning, Daikin McQuay designed easy, slide-out accessibility to the wheel. Hinged access doors provide service access to all components. The standard application for this product is commercial buildings in any climate where energy savings are desired.

Design and Engineering

Daikin McQuay devoted two years of development engineering to the project before applying the inverter technology to the Rebel product line.

“We used rooftop equipment focus groups to help define what features and options are most desired by building owners, specifying engineers, and contractors,” said Steve VanPeursem, product manager for commercial rooftop systems, Daikin McQuay.

“The equipment was designed with refrigerant pressure gauges installed on the suction and discharge lines. This allows the technician to view the pressure and temperature readings of the refrigerant circuit directly from the unit controller in lieu of connecting gauges to the equipment. This also allows the technician to view these parameters over the Internet, allowing him to pre-diagnose the equipment. The supply fans were de-
signed with direct-drive fan assemblies. This eliminates the maintenance for belt and bearing service for the fans.”

Also important to the manufacturer was the energy-saving element of design. According to the company, Rebel decreases the part-load energy consumption of the unit by 70 percent and increases IEER up to 20.6 IEER.

“We believe that raising the efficiency bar within the industry will inspire other HVAC manufacturers to do the same, with the end goal being supplying cost and energy savings, being environmentally friendly, and offering heating and cooling solutions to a wide range of building owners and applications,” said VanPeursem.

In the future, the company plans to increase the unit’s capacity, increase energy savings to further lower total cost of ownership, and add to the factory-installed options already available.

Gold Winner Highlights

Daikin McQuay
Rebel with Energy Recovery Wheel
www.daikinmcquay.com

Silver Winner

Raider™ Rooftop Unit

The Raider™ rooftop from Lennox Industries is a package unit that is available in 3- to 5-ton gas/electric, electric/electric, and heat pump models. It can be installed in most light commercial buildings under four-stories tall, including schools, retail stores, office buildings, restaurants, warehouses, etc. Although suitable for new construction applications, the line was designed as a reliable value option for emergency replacement situations due to its common curb size and immediate availability. It features the Environ™ Coil System, which allows for a single service technician to clean the coil, helping reduce the time and cost of cleaning.

Silver Winner Highlights

Lennox Industries
Raider™ Rooftop Unit
www.lennoxcommercial.com

Silver Winner

Envision2 Compact

The Envision² Compact from WaterFurnace Intl. Inc. is a water-source, geothermal heat pump that is ideal for boiler/tower applications and the replacement of aging water-source heat pumps. Available in 0.75- to 6-ton capacities, the product’s compact design incorporates a number of advanced features, including the Aurora generation of communicating controls. Options include a factory-installed 24-V motorized on-off water valve for variable-frequency drive (VFD) pumping with automatic internal water flow control; hot-gas bypass and reheat; and a high-efficiency PSC, five-speed ECM, or variable-speed ECM motors to meet efficiency and comfort needs. Single-speed models operate with a Copeland K5 Scroll™ or LG rotary compressor, while dual-capacity units use a Copeland UltraTech™ compressor.

Silver Winner Highlights

WaterFurnace Intl. Inc.
Envision² Compact
www.waterfurnace.com

Bronze Winner

WMC-2500

The modular WMC-2500 a/c unit from AmeriCool Inc. features room or spot cooling. The unit weighs 110 pounds and can be rack mounted, ceiling mounted, stacked one on top of another, or rolled on its casters from room to room. Its operating range extends from 64° to 113°F and it delivers 10,000 Btuh of cooling power. The WMC-2500 includes a condensate pump, washable vinyl chloride filters, and 20 feet of ½-inch diameter condensate tubing. Optional accessories are a hanging installation kit, portable installation kit, rack installation kit, and stacking installation kit. All AmeriCool Inc. units include a one-year warranty on the entire unit, including parts and labor.

Bronze Winner Highlights

AmeriCool Inc.
WMC-2500
www.americoolinc.com

Publication date: 7/22/2013 

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