Taco Inc. announced that it has completed a major upgrade to its indoor comfort system at its main facility in Cranston, R.I. The $3.5 million cogeneration heat/air conditioning system is said to represent the biggest investment the manufacturer has made in its facility since 1950.

New Burnham boilers provided cold weather heating this winter, from a new mechanical room in what had been a receiving area. A new air conditioning system, which is being managed by Carrier Corp., has also been installed.

"The new a/c system will be most welcome," the company said. In past summers, the building's interior built up negative air pressure. This created condensation that occasionally affected castings and paint operations during heat spells.

Taco's new LoadMatchâ„¢ single-pipe system is said to provide better comfort and enhanced energy savings and efficiency over both conventional two-pipe hydronic systems and all-air systems. LoadMatch systems have been installed in a variety of industrial, commercial, and institutional buildings nationwide and in Canada, the manufacturer said.

Local electric utility National Grid is providing Taco with a $200,000 electrical rebate for one year based on the new cogeneration system and its anticipated energy consumption savings.

For more information, visit www.taco-hvac.com.

Publication date: 05/22/2006