ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, May 12, 1996 TAG: 9605100022
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: cooling
SOURCE: ELLIOTT SMITH
You and I both know that when it comes to central cooling systems, it can be a big hassle when the thing conks out and you have to sweat out the money and time it takes to get a new one installed.
Imagine if, instead of a regular-size home unit, which averages 21/2 tons, you had to replace a machine as large as 1,200 tons?
That's what's been happening in recent months atop area office buildings, at factories and at other big commercial structures.
With the help of a new law, companies are beginning to make that change and, in the process, are helping the Earth's ozone layer as well as their own energy bills.
On Jan. 1, a U.S. and international law took effect further banning the production of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The regulations also forced some companies to take a look at their interior cooling systems, or "chillers," according to Ed Dooley, director of communications for the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute.
"Companies want to get out of CFCs, and this new equipment saves money in operating costs and there's a big difference in functioning capacity," he said.
So some companies are scrambling to get the new cost-efficient chillers installed, while others are merely refurbishing their old machines with the new, safer chemicals that are instrumental in the cooling process.
The law does not deal with home cooling systems, but rather the more than 80,000 chillers that cool offices, hotels, hospitals, colleges and factories. The new chillers will feature what the industry calls "alternate refrigerants" with an ozone-friendly chemical base that will not emit sulfur and carbon dioxides.
These new chillers are also supposed to decrease energy costs drastically. According to Dooley, savings would be approximately 7 billion kilowatt hours - or the equivalent of average annual use of 739,566 homes - and $480 million dollars, by the time 44 percent of old chillers are replaced.
About 14,000 chillers have already been replaced or converted, and Dooley expects another 6,000 for 1996.
But don't throw away your suntan lotion yet. The process could be slow, and since companies aren't mandated to change their chillers - some only do so because their old one dies - even the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute admits they are behind schedule and won't reach their 44 percent goal until sometime in 1999, which means there will be plenty of CFCs wafting skyward into the ozone layer.
Just take the example of the change in chillers at the Elizabeth Arden Co. plant in Roanoke to see how long the replacement process can take.
"We just finished [in April] a 1,200-ton one, which is one of the biggest, that we started right after Christmas," said Robbie Horak of Southern Air Inc., a Roanoke company that has also changed chillers at Mary Baldwin College, Bell Atlantic Corp. and The Roanoke Times.
"It was a combination of things," said Randy Donaldson, engineering manager at Elizabeth Arden. "Our unit was old and we wanted to upgrade with envrionmentally-friendly refrigerants and be able to reduce energy costs. Now we have two 450 ton units that are more efficient."
According to Horak, installation of a commercial chiller can cost $30,000 to $150,000. In addition to equipment, which adds $200 to $300 per ton, and with sizes running the gamut from 200 to 1,500 tons, that means installing a new chiller could cost a company anywhere from $70,000 to $600,000, which may explain why some are a bit frosty at the prospect.
"Well, when they're spending that kind of money, they want to upgrade everything, from piping to wiring," Horak said.
The Trane Co. of La Crosse, Wis., one of the largest commercial chiller manufacturers in the country, advises companies when it's time to make a change.
"We've been involved with every major owner in the Roanoke Valley, advising them about what's available," said Jeff Watson, sales and marketing manager at Newbern Trane of Roanoke. "Owners have to be aware of their financial situation and how long their chiller will be down. It's a complex analysis, but we encourage them to plan ahead as opposed to having an emergency situation. We want the owners to be proactive and determine what the right action is to take."
According to Dooley, in the end, the new chiller will definitely be worth it despite the time and money.
"These new chillers are how to do the job best," Dooley said. "The labor and parts are a major improvement, and the savings and upgrades can be desirable. It's a benefit."
Elliott Smith is a junior majoring in journalism at Northwestern University. He is spending three months at The Roanoke Times as a news intern.
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