HVAC Light Commercial: Light Commercial Leaders
Gold Goes to International Environmental Corp.’s ReStoraMOD
The ReStoraMOD (MRY) took home the gold award in the HVAC Light Commercial Equipment category of the 2014 Dealer Design Awards. The winning company, International Environmental Corp. (IEC), spent two years working through the design of what it calls a slide-in replacement for old vertical stack or modular high-rise fan coil units.
“The ReStoraMOD replaces most existing high-rise fan coil units with the latest in energy-saving and IAQ features, including an optional ECM and natural fiber insulation made from recycled materials,” said Darren Mounts, product manager, IEC. “Extensive research was performed at the individual market level and through key contacts in the hospitality and multifamily vertical markets with respect to growth in the renovation market. With so many older vertical stack and modular high-rise units out there, many owners are in the midst of the replace, remodel, or renew decision process. The ReStoraMOD offers the advantages of replacing a unit without the costly delays and downtime.”
According to the company, the downtime with this unit’s install is typically a day or less. The unit uses many existing materials during install to help minimize waste and clean-up time. The specially designed wall panel covers the rough opening and eliminates the need for finish work such as additional drywall and paint.
“It is very easy to work with for installation and service,” said one contractor judge, acknowledging the unit’s simplistic approach.
IEC plans to continue developing the ReStoraMOD platform within this product family as well as determining the potential to use this platform and concept on other products.
Silver Winner
Garnering a silver award, Carrier Corp.’s WeatherExpert™ line has a new addition — a 10-ton unit that exceeds the parameters of the recent Department of Energy (DOE) Rooftop Unit (RTU) Challenge, providing an IEER rating of 20.8, according to the company. It also exceeds the Consortium of Energy Efficiency (CEE) tier II performance criteria, which many utilities use for rebates.
“Efficiency for the small business is often overlooked,” said one contractor judge. “This is a great way to reduce power consumption using an easy-to-fit staged system. The future dehumidification benefits are great.”
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The WeatherExpert 6-23-ton units were designed to maintain product familiarity by taking advantage of common parts from existing Carrier rooftop designs and were designed in collaboration with customers.
The product is designed as an outdoor-mounted, single-package rooftop unit for rooftop- or slab-mount applications. It is designed to accommodate vertical or horizontal airflow configurations. Future plans for the product include a special dehumidification option to help remove more latent capacity when required.
Bronze Winner
Lennox Industries Inc. won bronze for its Energence® Ultra-High-Efficiency Rooftop Unit. The product line includes efficient, light, and quiet rooftop units. They can be installed in most light commercial buildings under four-stories tall, including schools, retail stores, office buildings, restaurants, warehouses, and more. Suitable for both new construction and replacement applications, the Energence line was designed to help contractors reduce their customers’ total cost of HVAC ownership, said the company.
Designed to help buildings qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) points, the Energy Star-qualified Energence rooftop unit is rated up to 13.9 EER and 21.5 IEER. It features a patent pending DirectPlus™ blower system with a high-efficiency motor and an aerodynamic impeller mounted directly onto the motor. This design combines the motor and electronics into one unit, and, according to Lennox, eliminates the need for a variable-frequency drive (VFD). The unit also maintains the ability to ramp the blower down or up to meet comfort needs. The direct-drive eliminates the use of belts and reduces the need for maintenance, according to the company.
Publication date: 7/21/2014
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