For most businesses, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is by far the largest user of energy. An HVAC unit is tasked with heating and cooling, regulating humidity and the exchange of air. In the U.S., these technologies have not changed much in the past 50 to 60 years. While they have evolved to become more efficient, they still do essentially the same thing: pull in air, then heat it or cool it, and then deliver it right into a space.
But now at Budderfly, we are piloting innovative technology that is revolutionizing this process to drastically reduce the amount of energy used and to create palpably more comfortable atmospheres and better air quality inside commercial spaces. This technology is called Ultra High-Performance (UHP) HVAC systems.
Learn more about our pilot programs and how this technology works in our new video:
Taking inspiration from cutting-edge developments in Europe and Asia, these UHP HVACs are seeing incredible results in our pilot programs.
This new type of system decouples the traditional rooftop HVAC unit into two components: energy recovery ventilator and variable refrigerant flow system. The energy recovery ventilator brings in 100% outside air, while reutilizing the air that is being exhausted and recovering energy from it. Variable refrigerant flow system then takes the air which the ventilator brings in and cools it or heats it based on the needs of the space.
UHP HVACs can deliver a complete exchange of air many times an hour without worrying about heating or cooling that air: clearing out any smoke, smells, or chemicals in a space quickly and pumping in fresh and healthy air inside. They also have more control over humidity, taking out humidity in summer or adding it in winter, to further improve the experience for anyone coming into the space. Plus, it enables there to be different temperature zones throughout a building. That means, for example, a kitchen and dining room could be set at different temperatures for optimal comfort.
One restaurant owner in our pilot program said with UHP HVAC, the building felt “100 times better” than any other restaurant he owns, because of lack of humidity and space temperature issues.
A UHP HVAC does all this while requiring less tonnage than a normal unit. On average a quick service restaurant would have a 50-ton rooftop unit, for example, but our UHP units bring this down to 18 tons. Plus, they deliver significant energy savings with a goal of using 70% less energy.
This makes it not only great for business, but great for the environment as it reduces carbon emissions. Plus, most heating in commercial space in the United States currently uses natural gas. By bringing in variable refrigerant flow heat pumps, UHP HVACs will be able to fully electrify heating in the wintertime.
The benefits of using an ultra high performance HVAC systems:
Reduces energy usage and carbon footprint
Improves air quality and occupant comfort, achieved through zoning
Reduces the CO2 levels inside a commercial space or restaurant significantly
Is lower maintenance and longer lasting
Best of all, Budderfly delivers this technology to our customers with no cost or hassle. Our goal is to help our partners save energy, so we provide, install, and maintain our innovative technology using our capital exclusively. To learn more about our program and our suite of energy saving solutions, contact us today.