Movie Theater Gains ‘Great Escape’ From Energy Costs

NEW ALBANY, Ind. — How can movie theaters escape the high energy costs of providing patrons with comfort cooling?

When Aliance Entertainment’s new 16-screen Great Escape Theater opened in New Albany this past summer — with a digital sound system and 3,000 stadium-style seats — 20 Carrier COBRA™ rooftop units played a leading role in the design-build project. COBRA was designed — combining a high-efficiency rooftop unit, an energy recycler unit, and controls — to arrive on the jobsite as one factory-integrated packaged unit. According to Rod Bachman, vice president of Bachman's Inc., the Batavia, Ohio-based HVAC contractor responsible for selecting the equipment, the units were a perfect match for this customer.

“The Great Escape Theater project was going to require a high ventilation load for a high concentration of people,” Bachman noted. “The COBRA units’ energy efficiency and the fact that they arrived completely factory assembled, as well as being easy to maintain, were big influences.”

The system uses an exclusive technology to recycle the energy of the unit’s unwanted return air as it is exhausting. COBRA then uses that energy to help cool or “pre-condition” the new incoming supply air. With preconditioned supply air, the units don't have to work as hard and ultimately reduce their own operating costs for the building owner, says Carrier.

Bachman's Inc., a Linc Service® Contractor, was subcontracted for the Aliance Entertainment project through prime contractor Al Neyer Inc. The team faced the challenge of having to complete this fast-track project in only 3-1/2 months in order to have the facility ready for Aliance's busy summer movie season. By choosing Carrier’s factory integrated COBRA equipment and controls, the team was able to reduce labor costs and expedite installation in order to meet their critical deadline.

"Just as promised, when the COBRA units showed up, they required no field modifications and had only one power connection,” Bachman reported.

“With the COBRA units, we actually reduced the total equipment tonnage required for the job,” Joel Tiberghien, of Al Neyer Inc., added.

“Carrier’s proud to have been selected to be part of the team to work this great theater project,” Jeff Gries, sales engineer for Carrier distributor Habegger Corporation, said.

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