BALTIMORE (Dec. 2, 2014) – Danfoss has announced the winner of its fifth annual EnVisioneer of the Year award competition: Daikin Applied.
Launched in 2010, the EnVisioneer of the Year award competition recognizes North American end users, municipalities, building owners or original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that have introduced a new product, opened a new facility or invested in a building or system upgrade within the past 18 months using Danfoss products or solutions to realize significant energy and/or environmental savings. The competition is judged and the winner is chosen by an independent third party.
A manufacturer of technologically-advanced commercial HVAC systems and part of the global air-conditioning company Daikin Industries, Daikin Applied is using Danfoss Turbocor variable speed, oil-free, magnetic bearing centrifugal compressors in its water-cooled Magnitude chillers to help building owners reduce electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and save operating costs over the lifetime of the chiller by minimizing maintenance.
Today, more than 3,000 Daikin Magnitude chillers have been installed around the world and are significantly improving energy use.
For example, three 250-ton Daikin Magnitude chillers have helped to reduce energy use at the Orlando Science Center in Orlando, Fla., a 207,000-square-foot facility opened in 1996. When the eight original water-cooled screw chillers began to fail—causing the center to provide free bottled water to visitors to help keep them comfortable during their visit—the Orlando Science Center chose to replace the original chillers with Daikin Magnitude magnetic bearing chillers, which can operate on part-load capacity. The new system alone provided an estimated energy savings of 30 percent, but, when combined with the control of a building automation system, the chillers were able to reduce electric costs by 50 percent compared with the old system.
Two 280-ton Daikin Magnitude chillers also are helping to reduce operating costs of the Hotel Nikko San Francisco, a 25-story, 533-room, Four Diamond Award-rated hotel near Union Square. In addition to replacing the building’s aging and unreliable chillers, Hotel Nikko also wanted to find a way to reduce its carbon footprint. It chose Daikin Magnitude chillers, which have provided annual energy cost savings of 15.2 percent and helped Hotel Nikko become a seven-time recipient of the U.S. EPA Energy Star Award as well as obtain a rebate from the local utility for 5 percent of the total installation cost.
“For the past four years, the EnVisioneer of the Year award program has been recognizing industry-leading or game-changing investments and improvements in energy efficiency and environmental responsibility,” said John Galyen, president, Danfoss North America. “We’re pleased to recognize Daikin Applied with our fifth annual award for its development of a chiller technology that has proven to dramatically improve building energy use and indoor climate.”
The EnVisioneer of the Year award was presented to Daikin Applied by Galyen and Ricardo Schneider, president and CEO, Danfoss Turbocor. For more information about the EnVisioneer of the Year award program, please visit envisioneering.danfoss.com.
Danfoss is a manufacturer of high-efficiency electronic and mechanical components and controls for air-conditioning, heating, refrigeration, industrial and water systems.