Category: Blog

Melink HQ2 – Our Zero Energy Vision & Strategic Plan

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Melink’s second headquarters in Milford, Ohio will be one of the greenest buildings in the world.  Not only will it double the office and manufacturing space of our current 30,000 square-feet facility, it will serve as a model on how to design and construct affordable zero-energy buildings (ZEB) of the future.  Why is this so important?

Commercial buildings and homes consume over 60% of the energy in the U.S., and therefore, represent a majority of our country’s carbon footprint.  Though the building industry is on a path to achieve zero-energy on all new construction by the year 2030, it will be very difficult to convert the millions of existing buildings to zero-energy before 2050.

Unfortunately, because of global climate change, we may not be able to wait that long.  We need cost-effective solutions now.  The 17 hottest years on record have occurred over the last 18 years and the trend is getting worse over time.  Climate disasters from floods to fires are becoming more frequent and severe as a result.  In fact, more and more scientists are saying this could become an existential threat.

Yes, solar and wind power have gone mainstream over the last 10 years and that is good news.  And many utilities, businesses, schools, and government entities are starting to jump on the bandwagon.  But renewable energy still only makes up about 20% of our country’s energy mix.  Coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear make up the rest.  We need to go from 20% to 80% renewables within the next 10-20 years.

One way to speed adoption is not wait for fickle governments and regulated utilities to solve this problem.  It’s time for the business sector to lead and create the clean energy economy of the 21st Century.  This means small, medium, and large companies like ours need to start making the necessary investments now.  Together, we can and must wean ourselves from dirty fossil fuels.

To be clear, this is not just about protecting the environment.  It’s about saving our planet and life as we know it.  It’s about investing in our security, health, and economy.  Who doesn’t want to be safe from more natural disasters in the future?  Who doesn’t want to be secure from flooding coastlines and mass human migration?  And who doesn’t want more jobs and long-term economic growth?

Therefore, this epic problem should also be viewed as a tremendous opportunity for humankind to finally work together on something that is bigger than any one person, political party, or country.  We can either smartly invest trillions of dollars now … or stupidly pay hundreds of trillions and likely lose millions of lives later.  We all know what our children and grandchildren would say.    

What does this have to do with our HQ2?  Everything.  Our new buidling will not be just another green project to say we ‘walk the talk’ at Melink.  Our building will be about showing architects, engineers, and contractors how to design and construct affordable zero-energy buildings of the future.  In other words, it will be about helping revolutionize the building industry for the 21st Century.

How will we accomplish this?

We are going to show that one can invest a small premium of 15-20% over and above a conventional, code-compliant building, and make it zero-energy.  The message being: If Melink can do it, so can everyone else across the country.  I believe developers, architects, and engineers from across the land will want to see and hear how we did this.  I believe our customers will want to see and hear how we did this.  The return on investment will be too good for them not to.

How is this different than HQ1? 

We invested a slightly larger premium of 25% over and above a conventional, code-compliant building.  We also made these investments to an existing building – slowly over time as we could afford them.  This project will show we can do it for an even lower premium if we smartly design the building and take advantage of the most recent innovations.

Features will include several of the best ones we incorporated here in our HQ1.  For example, we will have an even more highly-insulated envelope; we will have the next generation of window and door systems; and we will have a larger solar canopy over the parking lot.

While we can’t share too many details at this time because of the proprietary nature of our innovations, we promise we will push the envelope in ways that will make HQ2 one of the most innovative green buildings on the planet. More details will be provided in the near future.

And we will have many other features that won’t necessarily pertain to energy, but will make the building more comfortable and inspiring.  For example, we will have more open work spaces, more windows and skylights, and a green wall or water feature.  And we will have a museum center to educate visitors on the history of HVAC because to see the future you have to know the past.  Last, we will have a spirit wear shop to reward customers with gifts to memorialize their visit. 

Timewise, the building will be completed by the end of this year and we plan to hold a grand opening in June 2020 where we can publicize our initial findings from our building.

How are we going to pay for HQ2? 

I am taking advantage of what is called a PACE loan to invest in the energy efficiency and renewable energy features of our new building.  In essence the capital is provided upfront and paid back over 25-30 years through an assessment on the property taxes.  This is a great financing tool that we also want to share with the world.

In conclusion, if we’re not part of the solution, who and what are we?  As experts in the building industry, if we don’t help raise the bar, who will and when?  We’re certainly not going to rest on past laurels and let the world pass us by.  We’re going to lead and make a difference.  

A Good Time For Technology

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Future of Technology

“Life moves pretty fast.  If you don’t stop and look around every once in a while, you could miss it.”  In my estimation, this quote from Ferris Bueller is more relevant now than when first uttered.  We’re in a period where everything continues to speed up. We’re moving along at breakneck speed to get to the next task, the next meeting, the next event, that it’s often easier to keep your head down.  The downside is that it’s easy to miss some of the amazing things happening in the world due to technology.

Smartphones

Smartphones, for example.  In the span of just a few years they’ve managed to become a nearly indispensable tool.  Gone are the days of proud parents stuffing their wallets with photos – you now have a literal gallery at your beck and call.  Simply carrying the phone gives us the ability to capture those special moments that in years past may be missed.  Try remembering what life was like travelling to a new city before we started carrying portable GPS units in our pockets.  What would previously take hours of planning is now done in minutes (if not seconds).  That’s not to say the consequences of ‘pocket computers’ have been beneficial, but I’d argue the good outweighs the bad by a significant margin.

Furthering Technology

Imagine opportunities to create new technology.  Instead of further connecting people (like the smartphone did), think of developing the next generation of sustainability.  Advancing business capabilities to reduce the amount of energy they consume and to make facilities healthier.  To help build intelligence that create win-win scenarios for companies and consumers at the same time.   Regardless of anyone’s beliefs on climate change and why it’s happening, it’s clear that the climate is changing.  Another thing that has been clear for some time is that the resources that we have on this planet are finite.  Finally, we’ve also learned that the cheapest energy of all is the energy that doesn’t get used.

Make an Impact

Right now, there is such an opportunity available.  Melink is actively searching for an Embedded Software Engineer and an Application Developer who would like to join our family as we continue our journey towards a brighter, more sustainable tomorrow.  We’re growing our sustainable offerings. These offerings include energy-saving demand controls for commercial kitchens (Intelli-Hood), innovative geothermal solutions (Manifest), and HVAC commissioning (Test and Balance). Melink is about to release an innovative new building health monitor (PositiV) and has more innovation on the way.  We’re also creating an awesome Portal that will connect our employees, technology, products, and customers with a clean, intuitive interface. This will create new applications to expand the reach of our hardware and improve the work-life balance of our employees.  Help us build the new tomorrow.

Apply online here

Headquarters 2.0

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Another major step on our sustainability journey will be the design and construction of a second headquarters in 2018 and 2019. As Melink continues to grow, we will need more office and warehouse space than our first building can provide.

Fortunately, we have the land next to our current HQ1 in which to build HQ2. It will be of a similar size and layout – with the courtyard facing our current building. And like our first building, it will be super-green. Except our second building will take green to a whole new level!

In addition to it serving our future workplace needs, it will serve as a model Zero-Energy Building (ZEB) for architects, engineers, and contractors to learn ZEB best practices. The goal will be to show a cost-benefit analysis that will make other building owners want to emulate and mainstream ZEB.

A growing segment of the building industry is calling for all new buildings to be Zero-Energy Building by the year 2030. We want to show that this can be easily achieved, 10 years ahead of schedule, with a relatively simple design strategy.

Since the largest energy loads in most commercial buildings are lighting, HVAC, and hot water, we will focus on showing how these can be minimized – and offset by a slightly greater amount of solar PV electric generation. Nothing new, except HQ2 will do this better than HQ1.

But the main innovation will be around our super-hybrid geothermal HVAC system. Don’t worry, we’ll figure out a cool brand name for it. The point is, this new system will help advance the energy savings of geothermal without the high cost normally associated with it.

If you think we have received lots of regional and national attention with HQ1, wait until you see what happens with HQ2. Through countless tours and presentations, we will influence thousands of additional building professionals and continue building a green brand unlike any company.

By the way, if any of you would like to work in this new super, high-tech, and beautiful workplace, you better get an electric car first. Because only EVs will be permitted to drive and park on its new green parking lot of the future.

The Melink Energy Revolution is just beginning…

Be Curious

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

The older I get and the more people I meet, the more it is confirmed in my mind that curiosity is a highly desirable trait.  Curiosity is a simple recipe for improving intelligence, persevering through hard times, and achieving meaningful goals.  Without curiosity, one is too easily content to settle for the status quo and not grow – personally or professionally.

A couple years ago, an executive friend shared with me that his Fortune 500 company specifically tests for curiosity when recruiting new talent.  The idea is, candidates who demonstrate curiosity are more likely to improve their education, training, and leadership ability.  They never stop reading and asking questions; and become more effective in their line of work as a result.

Of course, being curious is also a great way to build personal friendships and working relationships.  Have you ever met someone who loves to talk about themselves and their weekend, but never turn things around and ask about your kids or whatever?  I would bet they are not on your list of favorite people.  Curious people are naturally more understanding and fun to be with.

Curiosity is getting more attention and research all the time. The most recent issue of Harvard Business Review has made it a feature article as well.  According to HBR, curiosity can improve a firm’s adaptability and performance.

Additionally, this same article posits that curiosity leads to fewer decision-making errors.  A deeper level of analysis and number of options come from asking more questions.  Curiosity also reduces group conflict and leads to more open communication.  And it can mean viewing problems more creatively – with less stress.

Some people assume that asking questions in a meeting shows a lack of understanding, or that they are not as smart as other people in the room.  But the opposite is true.  Asking questions shows you are engaged, that you want to learn, and you care about the end-result.  Don’t be a bump-on-the-log that just attends but does not participate in meetings.  This is a waste of company time.

So be curious!  Every day, with every person, and in every challenge.  Experience the joy of finding new pathways to better relationships and success.  In fact, how can we live our core value of innovation at Melink – without being curious?

Less means more – the Reduction Revolution is upon us

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

‘Reduce – Reuse – Recycle’ has been the Environmental movement “catch phrase”, since the phrase was introduced for Earth Day in 1970.  It’s simple, clean, and powerful.  It’s misunderstood, however.  Ask yourself which of these three you do the most; I also said recycle.  It’s a great start but you can do better – we all can.

 

Think about it for a moment.  How often do you truly recycle?  How often do you reuse items like take-out containers or glass jars for food storage?  But, how often to you make it a priority to just use less of everything (for example, bringing your own cloth grocery bags to the grocery store)?  If we as individuals and businesses intend to really enact change we must focus on reduction.  Cape Town, South Africa has recently limited the water supply of all residents due to an extreme shortage.

 

The foodservice industry is making a major push to focus on efficiency with respect to the amount of food produced as food waste moves to the forefront of consumer’s minds.    Plastic waste is so bad that straws are being removed from restaurants (even McDonalds!) and people now have to pay per plastic shopping bags in certain states if they don’t bring their own.  Can you believe that in 2015, nearly 7 billion tons of plastic waste was produced but only 9 percent was actually recycled?  Come on people!  Even major brands are overhauling their whole product offering in efforts to ‘reduce’.  GM has set a goal to completely get rid of all gas and diesel vehicles and produce an all-electric fleet by 2023.   There is a theme here if you can’t tell;  reduction.  We, as a society, are finally changing our behaviors as a whole. It’s a slow burn, but I believe our society is on the cusp of the Reduction Revolution.

 

Enter, Melink’s Intelli-Hood.  Reduction has always been the name of the game!  Our pioneering system has been reducing commercial kitchen exhaust fan energy use for over 20 years in over 11,000 commercial kitchens to date; we have only scratched the surface!  Did you know that commercial kitchens consume over three times the energy of the average commercial building per square foot (as per the United States Energy Information Administration).  Within this energy intensive space, the kitchen ventilation system comprised of the exhaust and supply fans consume nearly 30% of this energy; this is even higher when fans are left on 24×7.  What a significant waste of energy and dollars!

 

Intelli-Hood simply reduces kitchen exhaust fan energy and also reduces the amount of “Make Up Air” or “Return Air” thus accounting for a reduction in the condition air as well!  The direct result of this means more money in our clients pockets.  Use less energy, save more money (not to mention the other intangibles benefits).

 

As an example, the foodservice industry sees an average profit margin of 3.5%.  The impacts of cost savings with DCKV continues to be incredibly significant to the bottom line profitability.  Here is a great case study showing how Intelli-Hood reduced the utility costs so much that we were able to save them over $14 million dollars which they could spend on the facets of their business that could drive more revenue. Incredible.

 

At the end of the day Intelli-Hood defines the reduce, reuse, recycle motto.  We reduce operating expenses, reuse those saved dollars to spend elsewhere while we live to recycle this technology in all commercial kitchens on planet earth. We intend to change the world here at Melink as we know that our children and future generations need this change.  While Melink continues to do more in terms of energy solutions, our society needs to use a little less.  The time is now.

Sustaining A Great Place To Work

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

During almost every interview or conversation I have with a non-Melinker, I am asked why I love Melink. My response is always the same, the employees!I am grateful for the “Good Mornings” as employees pass my office, to hear Lorie’s laughter, the conversations at the coffee pot, and sharing thoughts and ideas with my teams.  If you know Melink, you know that we are a leader in energy-efficiency and sustainability practices, but our biggest asset and greatest advantage is our employees.

Every year, one of our top strategic objectives is to ensure our organization is considered a Great Place to Work.  I am proud to say that for the last 2 years we have accomplished that goal! It’s very gratifying to know that 93% of our employees told the institute they feel management is honest and ethical in its business practices. What’s more, 96% indicated they have great pride in who we are and what we do!

So, how do we sustain and keep that momentum?

We have to be transparent about our goals and actions, and very intentional about making sure we are meeting the needs of our employees and providing a satisfying work life, which can certainly be tricky with half of our employees being remotely located across the world. That is why I love Springtime at Melink as we approach our Annual Company Meeting.  This is our own version of a big Family Reunion! We get the chance to be together in one and ensure all voices are heard. All employees gather at our headquarters in Milford, Ohio to reconnect (or meet for the first time!), catch up, and learn more about each other.  We share thoughts, conduct training, share our hopes and concerns for the coming year, and of course have fun!  We will beat up new processes, challenge each other to meet our customer needs, and focus on delivering the best results to achieve our annual and strategic goals. It is an all-hands-on-deck, no holding anything back type of week!

Our 2018 meeting is right around the corner and the planning is almost finished. Food has been ordered, hotels confirmed, flights are scheduled, and agendas finalized. Our remote employees will start to arrive tomorrow. Our days may be packed with educational sessions, brainstorming meetings, internal presentations, and forecasting, but we have plenty of fun planned too!  This year we are excited to have Scott Tallman share his BBQing talents for a cookout, and enjoy a dinner cruise down the Ohio River (thanks Lorie!).

The energy is building and we will soon conduct our survey again. How did we measure up? How do we impact our employees? How do we continue to keep them engaged? While I have a good pulse on where we stand, I can’t wait to show the world once again how Melink stacks up as a Great Place To Work!

Purchasing an Electric Car

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

You may have noticed by my title – I’m senior accountant at Melink-  that I’m involved with finances. It’s in my nature to look for a good return on the money I invest in products and services. So, when I decided it was time to purchase my first electric vehicle (EV), I conducted a good amount of research.

I decided on a used 2013 Chevy Volt, and it has been everything I hoped. Being diligent in charging my Volt – at home and at work – I was even able to drive 3,000 miles on one tank of gasoline.

Electric Chevy charging

When considering an EV, the most important thing to determine is your realistic commute. That will help you weigh the pros and cons of the limitations of a pure electric car. Starting with a zero-charged battery, an EV (pure electric and gas backup models) will take anywhere from four to 22 hours to fully charge for a 40-200 mile range depending on the model and charger you select. Take it from me, invest in a 240V charger if you want the shortest charge time.

In the United States, there are about 20 models of mainstream EVs available for purchase.

A Balancing Act: Air Balance is an important part of HVAC maintenance

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

When it comes to HVAC, no news is good news for restaurant facility managers. When you start hearing chatter about the building being hot and humid, drafty, smoky or uncomfortable, you know a problem has already taken root. It’s like a piano being out of tune. In addition to unhappy customers and employees, comfort issues are indicators of energy inefficiency within a system and air balance issues. So, what can facility managers do to prevent comfort and energy threats?

Identifying Common Problems

“Facility managers need to be trained on air balance and push it to their service contractors,” recommends Jeff Dover, resource manager at RFMA.

A good place to start is to gain a foundational understanding of building pressure and common HVAC deficiencies along with following seven easy steps to bring your restaurant back into tune. Most importantly, learn how to look for negative building pressure. Remember, the goal is to stay slightly positive in building pressure.

There are three methods to identify negative building pressure. The first and most reactive method is to monitor signals that your building is negative. These signs are hot/cold spots, entry doors that are hard to open, poor smoke capture, humidity, condensation dripping from diffusers and drafts.
Second, you can measure the building pressure yourself or with the help of your service contractor by using a pressure reading tool such as an anemometer to get a ballpark pressure reading. The third and most accurate method is to hire an air balance firm to check the facility’s building balance once a year. If comfort-related issues or a negative building pressure reading are observed, then an air balance needs to be scheduled.

Investigating the Cause

What causes a building to become negative or unbalanced? The usual offenders are equipment deficiencies, improper preventative maintenance programs, and adjustment errors such as kitchen staff fiddling with thermostats or service contractors opening or closing dampers.

 Here are 10 example deficiencies you or your service contractors should be on the lookout for:
  1. Exhaust fans in poor condition
  1. Supply air leaking above ceiling
  1. OA dampers improperly installed
  1. Exhaust fans not sealed to curb or hinged correctly
  1. Dirty compartment/coil in the RTU
  1. Tops of diffuser not insulated
  1. Filters improperly sized for hoods
  1. MUA not operating properly
  1. Dirty indoor/outdoor filters
  1. Worn/broken belts

Achieving Air Balance in HVAC

Once you’re ready to bring a facility back into tune, there are seven easy steps to complete. These steps may be completed by the facility manager alone, but are more likely in partnership with a service contractor. To get started, pull out the facility’s previous balance report to use as a base line for data.

One Principal Engineer at a hamburger fast food chain overseeing thousands of locations explains how her team uses the air balance report to get started with troubleshooting comfort issues.

“The reports really are my first line of defense when someone says ‘Hey, my store is cold/hot/humid,’ she points out. “The first thing I do is pull out the TAB report and see what it says. I look at the punch list and ask was anything wrong? Not fixed? It helps when I have to remotely assess or diagnose problems.”

7 Steps to HVAC Balance

Whether the previous air balance report has been reviewed or not, proceed to the following steps:

  1. Ask the onsite restaurant managers what the complaints are from employees and customers.
  1. Turn on all HVAC equipment.
    • Verify thermostats are set to “FAN ON”
  1. Check building pressure with the flame test in different areas around the restaurant (Figure 3)
  1. Observe smoke capture
    • Is the hood in the correct overhang position?
    • Are there drafts along the cook line?
  1. Check for common comfort issues (hot/cold spots, entry doors that are hard to open, poor smoke capture, humidity, condensation dripping from diffusers and drafts).
  1. Inspect the equipment.
    • Are the filters clean?
    • Are the belts in good condition?
    • Are the exhaust fan wheels clean?
  1. Determine an intervention plan.
    • If some preventative maintenance actions and/or repairs need to happen, start with the service contractor.
    • If equipment is inoperable, have it repaired or replaced.
    1. If the preventative maintenance actions are in order and the problems persist, call in a certified air balance company that has experience with restaurants like yours.
Facility managers need to trust that their service contractors will notify them of airflow-related issues. Those technicians are out on the roofs and looking at the HVAC system components more than anyone else. If the restaurant has negative pressure or other out-of-tune symptoms, the service contractor needs to inform the facility manager right away. After all, you want your customers and employees to continue singing your praises. 
Air Balance in HVAC

3 Steps to Troubleshooting Your Facility’s HVAC With Onsite Staff

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

HVAC Troubleshooting

Have you identified that your facility is experiencing a potential air balance problem?  You might be experiencing hard to open doors, uncomfortable temperatures, poor smoke capture, odors, drafty areas, or any combination of the other common sick building symptoms.  The inevitable question now is, “Who can resolve this best?” Bringing in your facility’s mechanical contractor may be your first instinct but troubleshooting with your onsite managers is actually the best place to start. Work through the following questions with your facility’s day-to-day manager:  

1.  Is the equipment running?

As basic as this may come across, it is absolutely crucial to check if all HVAC equipment is operating. Check grilles to see if air is being blown out or sucked in. Check roof equipment, can you hear the fans from the RTU, MUA, or EF units spinning? Have the manager record and communicate findings.

2. Check the Thermostats

Navigate to the wall mounted thermostats and ensure they have the proper set points. Often, a thermostat is installed and connected to the system and then left alone. When this occurs the thermostat is left at factory settings which is often set at a random temperature. Your staff can follow the directions on this thermostat to program it for the desired temperatures.  As well, check the thermostats for “Fan ON.”

Thermostat

3.  Check the Circuit Breakers

Check indoor and outdoor circuit breakers. Observe tripped or “Off” breakers. DO NOT flip the breaker on. If tripped or left off, there’s likely a reason for it and you don’t want to risk frying the electrical systems. We recommend calling an electrician for this type of deficiency.

 

Armed with your findings from these simple tests, you can save some money with a Do-It-Yourself fix.  It’s possible that the journey back to a healthy building ends here.  But if the problem persists, it’s time for the level of technical know-how. Call the mechanical contractor. With your observations to these preliminary steps above, you can approach your mechanical contractor with information that will help them to better understand your situation and get you closer to achieving a healthy building.