Category: Intelli-Hood

Creative Financing Pays for Itself with Intelli-Hood

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Drastic Turn

2020 has been the most unique year to date, especially when it comes to the economy. Coming off 2019, the economy was strong, companies were reinvesting and spending money. The economy looked like 2020 would be another great year — until March. Enter COVID-19; companies that could endure the pandemic had to pivot fast. Predictions for a record year were gone in a moment. For months, businesses across the country shut down.

Like other businesses, Melink tried to come out the other side of COVID-19. Many felt more timid than ever about spending cash, and understandably so. Numerous projects put on hold as capital expenditure budgets froze for 2020, 2021, and even 2022 in some cases.

Melink’s company mission is to change the world one building at a time. We achieve this by implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions into commercial facilities for decision makers. Intelli-Hood is a Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation (DCKV) system that saves money by reducing monthly operating expenses in commercial kitchen facilities. Often, Intelli-Hood pays for itself in one to three years, making it an attractive energy conservation application.

 

Intelli-Hood Controls

The question arises: How do we change the world one building at a time with spending on an indefinite pause? 

 

Creative Financing Solution

I worked with a university that wanted to implement Intelli-Hood in a kitchen. Without any utility rebates taken into consideration, the $62,000 project would pay for itself in less than three years. Everything was moving smoothly until COVID-19 put everything on pause. But Melink’s committed to working with customers and customizing energy solutions. As a result, discussions were continued with the university. We were able to come up with a creative financing solution that’s win/win for all parties: an Equipment Loan Program. Thus, the customer paid nothing out of pocket, while simultaneously being cashflow-positive the second we walk off the job site. Working with a lender, we got the $62,000 financed for the university over five full years at monthly installments of $1,287. This was a total investment of $77,220.

The Savings Stack Up

At Melink, our proposals come turnkey, along with a custom Energy Savings Report. The reports give an idea of how much money you will save with Intelli-Hood. In this instance, the customer was going to save more than $18,000 in energy savings the first year alone, resulting in a positive cashflow of almost $3,000. On average, utility rates go up 3% every year, meaning that with the customer locked into an installment payment of $1,287 for 60 months, the positive cashflow will continue to increase year over year. After five years, the loan will be paid off in full and the benefits really kick in, saving more than $20,000 per year. Thus, creative financing creates more opportunities for customers to save on energy costs.

Looking at a 10-year period, the customer is going to save more than $130,000 without having to pay anything upfront. While a traditional purchase would save more money ($148,000) over the same 10-year period, it would require the full upfront cost paid in full.

 

 

Intelli-Hood Creative Financing Return on Investment
A graph comparing Intelli-Hood Investments against creative financing

 

So, if your business is in a similar position where your budget is paused but you are still interested in saving energy, reducing greenhouse gasses, and cutting operating costs – maybe this creative financing can work for you, too. We can continue to work together to change the world one building at a time, all while exploring realistic options in the current economic climate.

Melink Contributes to ASHRAE Committees

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Melink Corporation is passionate about supporting the HVAC industry through its clean energy solutions. To share our field knowledge in commercial kitchen ventilation, as well as test and balance, several employees serve on professional boards like the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

 

 

ASHRAE logo

 

What is ASHRAE?

ASHRAE is a professional association to advance the design and construction of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems. The international group has more than 50,000 members in more than 130 countries. Most members are building service engineers, architects, mechanical contractors, building owners, and equipment manufacturers. ASHRAE is known for supporting research projects, offering education programs, and publishing technical standards.

Overall, ASHRAE’s technical standards support safety, occupant health, and energy efficiency. These standards establish consensus for testing methods for use in commerce, as well as the performance criteria to guide the industry. ASHRAE publishes the following three types of voluntary consensus standards:

 

  • Method of Measurement or Test (MOT)
  • Standard Design
  • and Standard Practice.

ASHRAE does not write rating standards unless a suitable rating standard will not otherwise be available. ASHRAE is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and follows ANSI’s requirements for due process and standards development.

 

 

Melink & ASHRAE

 

Jason Brown
Jason Brown

For many years, Melink Corporation has supported ASHRAE. Employee-owners, including CEO Steve Melink, have written journal articles, technical standards, and presented at conferences. Most recently, Jason Brown (Senior Sales & Applications Engineer) and Bryan Miller (Vice President of Technology) have volunteered their time and expertise.

Here’s a closer look at Melink’s support of ASHRAE:

 

 

 

Bryan Miller
Bryan Miller

 

  • ASHRAE operates through committees. Through the committee structure, members decide policy, develop procedures, and direct the organization’s activities. Brown and Miller have been active for several years on two ASHRAE committees. Brown is a voting member of the following committees, meaning he has influence on what does and doesn’t pass in the committee proceedings:Technical Committee on Commercial Kitchen Ventilation (TC 5.10) Technical Committees (TC) are responsible for identifying research topics, proposing research projects, selecting bidders, and monitoring research projects funded by ASHRAE. Information about research programs is discussed at each TC meeting and at the TC’s Research Subcommittee meeting. For instance, the TC 5.10 Committee, in which Brown serves, is concerned with the design, construction installation, commissioning, and sustainable operation of code-compliant commercial kitchens. The committee is also involved with revisions/updates to model codes such as the International Mechanical Code (IMC) and writing/revising ASHRAE Standards. Additionally, the TC develops sessions for ASHRAE’s winter and annual conferences.Standards Committee for Commercial Kitchen Ventilation (SSPC 154) This Standards Committee provides design criteria for the performance of commercial cooking ventilation systems in regard to kitchen hoods, exhaust systems, and replacement air systems. Serving on this committee primarily has entailed attending and participating in meetings that occur twice per year.

 

  • Brown and Miller have assisted with updating sections of the ASHRAE Handbook. The ASHRAE Handbook is a series of four volumes covering HVAC Applications, Refrigeration, Fundamentals, and HVAC Systems 7 Equipment. One volume is revised each year, ensuring that no volume is older than four years. In relation to the committees previously mentioned, TC 5.10 is responsible for Chapter 34 (Kitchen Ventilation) of the ASHRAE HVAC Applications Handbook, which was last revised in 2019. The chapter focuses primarily on kitchen ventilation systems in restaurants and institutional food service facilities. Brown and Miller provided content and graphics about demand control kitchen ventilation (DCKV) systems and variable frequency drives. In addition, for other handbooks, they have provided content on HVAC test and balance commissioning.

 

 

 

 

 

  • For further professional development, the Melink employee-owners have attended ASHRAE’s conferences. “Normally we meet biannually for a few days in conference settings, but we have a few virtual meetings in between to vote and discuss topics that are requiring attention in the industry,” said Brown.

 

Read more about other ways Melink employee-owners volunteer their time and expertise.

ASHRAE Compliance for Intelli-Hood DCKV

Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy: Fighting Climate Change with a One-Two Punch

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

To invest in energy efficiency or renewable energy? A question often pondered by building owners, design engineers, investors, energy engineers, performance contractors, and anyone in between who has a say deciding how to invest money to make the strongest financial and environmental impacts. In an ideal scenario, one can invest in both efficiency and renewable energy.

 

 

Integrating Efficiency and Renewable Energy

When it comes to the materials we use in everyday life, we have all heard the phrase “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” Well, there is a reason why reduction is mentioned first! It can be argued that the most sustainable energy source available is the energy that we never have to use.

Of course, there will always be energy used no matter how efficient a building is. But, in the energy spectrum, renewables reduce the cost for the electricity that must be used. Renewables also offer many other benefits, such as protection against fluctuating energy costs, incentives like federal tax credits, net metering, shaded parking lots… the list could keep going. And research confirms that investing in both energy efficiency options and renewable energy is a smart move. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) collaborated in a 2007 study, reporting that investments in both energy efficiency and renewable energy are essential for the United States to create a secure energy future.

 

 

Boxing gloves

 

 

Creating an Energy Synergy

Think about it like this… If a boxer has a great right hook but a poor defense, he may win some fights but could easily lose to an opponent with a solid defense and a timely counterpunch. Combining two strengths to be stronger overall is called synergy. That is when the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. When energy efficiency and renewable energy are combined, they complement each other in a way that can maximize the total impact, both environmentally and economically. Consider this…

Right hook: An upgraded utility plan to reduce HVAC costs.

Left jab: Intelli-Hood®, Melink’s demand control kitchen ventilation system to further reduce HVAC costs.

And for the knock-out uppercut: A solar array made of super-efficient photovoltaic modules that meets the entire energy load of the building (taking into account the reduced energy usage from the previous energy efficiency measures).

And what’s even more of a win? By reducing the facility’s entire energy load, the upfront cost of the solar array is reduced. Plus, the quick payback as a result of the energy efficiency measures creates additional cashflow to help pay for a renewable energy source, like solar array (or even geothermal!).

 

 

Accounting for Energy Opponents

But what if? Let’s say that the uppercut was blocked in this scenario because, in many cases, the availability of renewable energy is limited due to geography and available space. For example, in the hills and valleys of Southern Ohio, wind energy is not going to be near as effective as compared to the plains of Northwest Texas.

Or, while solar performs well in Ohio, a building could have very limited space for an array. For the counterpunch here, one could implement new energy efficiency technologies and maximize efficiencies on existing equipment. Then, for the knockout, a smaller solar array like a parking canopy could still be very impactful.

The bottom line? There are many options at play when it comes to the powerful combo of energy efficiency and renewable energy. Together, this combo helps to reduce peak demand charges, which can be astronomically higher than off-peak charges. For example, if a new energy-efficient HVAC system is added to an office building, that building will still see high peak demand charges (although lower than before the upgrade) from the utility. However, capturing a renewable energy source, like wind or solar, can greatly reduce the impact of peak demand charges.

 

 

Renewable energy wind turbine power

 

 

Winning the Fight on Climate Change

In summary, combining energy efficiency and renewable energy delivers the greatest environmental and economic benefits. Melink Corporation can help building owners, engineers, and designers with both energy efficiency and renewable solutions. We know this combination works from experience, too. With our own Zero Energy Building and another LEED Platinum building, Melink does not just talk the talk, we walk the walk.

Contact us today to protect your business from the volatile energy market, commit to sustainability, reduce utility costs, and fight climate change.

Becoming an Intelli-Hood Sales Engineer (During a Pandemic)

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Sales Engineer. These are two words that most of us have a clear understanding of their respective meanings. But what about when they are put together? Well, I ‘m not sure what to expect either, but it sounded like a challenge, and I like those. I’m new to the Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation (DCKV) industry but well-versed in technology and mechanics due to my background. So, when I took the role of a Melink Intelli-Hood Sales Engineer, I felt well prepared.

Then, enter COVID-19.

Onboarding plan? Derailed. Customer visits? Cancelled. Installations with field service techs? Not attending. How was I supposed to embrace my role and be a valuable addition to the team?

 

 

What Next?

That’s where my Melink family stepped in. To continue with business “as normal,” we, like other companies, took advantage of virtual meetings, trainings, lunch-and-learns, and other digital tools. These tools were not thought about or utilized even just 10 years ago! As the pandemic unfolded, our work progressed, thanks to these digital tools. I immediately saw the value in my new role and Melink’s value to their customers.

For instance, indoor air quality became a topic of daily conversation. Essential facilities, like grocery stores and hospitals, were now on the front lines. I helped get Intelli-Hood® kitchen ventilation controls into these areas and ensured first responders had healthy air.

You see, Intelli-Hood learns to optimize your kitchen ventilation by using temperature probes paired with infrared optical sensors. The optics pick up on airborne contaminants in the form of smoke and then trigger the variable frequency drives. The exhaust fan’s variable frequency drive (VFD) adjust to the appropriate speed to ensure adequate evacuation of the effluent. Smoke being present does not have to mean that heat is, which is one more way that a Melink Intelli-Hood control system ensures continuous capture of all effluent. As if that was not beneficial enough, the system is also ensuring that more of the pre-conditioned air is staying in the occupied spaces instead of being wastefully exhausted from the kitchen due to continuous discharge ventilation.

 

 

Melink Intelli-Hood System

 

 

Looking to the Future: Customized Solutions

Pre-COVID-19 and now, I spend each day as a Sales Engineer building customized quotes for our customers’ unique needs. As requests for new construction sites roll in, I work with my Business Development Manager to go through the plans for each site, reviewing the kitchen designs and ventilation requirements, as well as requirements that have been called out by general contractors and food service consultants. Every job requires different exhaust hood types; fan types and horsepower; and temperature monitoring preferences, as well as the possibility of tying the system into a building’s BACnet. All of these items and more are taken into consideration when preparing an accurate, customized quote for our customers.

Thus, these last few months of working in Virtual Corporate America have helped me realize just how adaptable our team at Melink — and our Intelli-Hood controls — really are. COVID-19 or not, these control systems are improving the health and wellness of employees and customers in thousands of locations worldwide, all while being the most energy efficient DCKV system on the market. And the umbrella of Melink solutions extends to other areas, too. When you pair an Intelli-Hood control system with solar panels, a PositiV® unit to monitor building health, and a high-quality Test and Balance plan, you really cannot ask for a more efficient and energy-saving space.

I may only be finishing my first quarter here at Melink as a Sales Engineer, but already I have felt the satisfaction of knowing that what I am doing is making a difference.  We really are making the world a better, greener place, one building at a time.

Intelli-Hood in the Indian Market

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Melink’s Intelli-Hood® demand control kitchen ventilation (DCKV) system has long been a global product. But, more recently, we introduced Intelli-Hood in the Indian market.

 

 

Developing a New Market

We have officially been working in India for 2.5 years now, but it is still a fairly new and developing market for us. Introducing a company into an already mature market with similar products is very challenging. It takes attention, care, and a product that adds more value than its competitors’.

Before committing to the Indian market, we did our homework. We researched the competitors, key differentiators, competing products, and how we could best offer customer support. We put ourselves in our customers’ place to really understand their needs so that we could ensure we had a valuable product and support team that could help them meet their goals.

If we felt our customer service would be compromised by distance or communication barriers, we would not have entered this market. Melink Corporation prides itself on being a customer-focused service company. From the beginning, it was important to have someone on the ground in India to speak with customers, visit sites, and work with the home office in the United States. (That’s where I come in!)

Speaking of the home office, a critical component to entering the Indian market has been the support of the Intelli-Hood’s U.S. team. They have worked continuously with promptness to provide all the technical details that our customers need, which is the biggest boon to earn customers’ trust. I am really thankful for all the team members who supported the launch of Intelli-Hood within my region. Together, we are bringing an end-solution to save energy in our global environment.

 

 

Early Success in India

Because of all the behind-the-scenes work to enter the market, we have seen success.

One of our biggest Indian projects that has been successfully retrofitted with Melink’s Intelli-Hood system is a project in the operation kitchen of a large resort. The kitchen contains all kinds of cooking appliances to prepare food for different cuisines, like Indian, Chinese, Italian, etc. For almost a full year, we have continuously monitored the system from Day 1 of installation and commission. With these real-time result readings, we were able to prove the benefits of our product in regards to energy savings and return on investment, which has paved the way for the approval of many other projects.

Here are examples from this project. You can see the energy savings:

Main Kitchen – Fan Speed Profile
1/1/2019 to 12/31/2019
This kitchen includes five hoods and two exhaust fans. With Inteli-Hood, the customer gained an electrical savings of 1,17,496 kwH/year.

 

 

Intelli-Hood in Asian Market Case Study example 1

 

Secondary Kitchen – Fan Speed Profile
1/1/2019 to 12/31/2019
This smaller kitchen includes two hoods, one pizza oven, and one exhaust fans. With Intelli-Hood, the customer gained an electrical savings of 25,077 kwH/year.

 

 

Intelli-Hood in Asian Market Case Study example 2

Based on this information, we are working with the client to analyse more data to help them to be more energy efficient and to lower their operating costs.

 

 

What’s Next for Melink in the Indian Market?

Moving forward, we are working with our partners to customize Intelli-Hood system designs to meet their site requirements. We look forward to future projects in existing kitchens (retrofits) and also new projects spread across Asia.

If you have a project in India and would like to learn more about Intelli-Hood, please contact me. I live and work in India full-time, and I would welcome the chance to introduce you to Melink’s products. Email me at [email protected].

Why LEED Buildings Make Financial Sense

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

The University of Notre Dame chose sustainable, LEED-approved construction options and why you should, too.

 

Recently, the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded the University of Notre Dame with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification for the design, construction, and operation of three buildings attached to Notre Dame Stadium. These building are Duncan Student Center, Corbett Family Hall, and O’Neill Hall. Your next statement may be “So what?!” Why should the folks at Notre Dame care, and why should anyone else involved with owning, managing, and operating a commercial building care?

The answer? Money.

 

LEED Gold Certification seal from the U.S. Green Building Council

According to research from the U.S. Department of Energy, LEED buildings consume 25% less energy and 11% less water than non-LEED buildings. That translates to lower utility bills. If you could build the same facility but pay 11-25% less in operating costs, why would you choose otherwise? And this isn’t even taking into account all the environmental benefits of LEED buildings!

If the decision is made for the non-LEED option, then that is saying you know you could spend less operating this building, but you want to pay more. You know you could improve the income flow of your building, but you choose to make less. Why?

 

 

LEED Buildings: Financial Common Sense

Perhaps the concern is that a LEED building might cost more to construct than a non-LEED building. Depending on where you are building, there are notable tax benefits and incentives from states and municipalities (AKA free money). Choosing to build a non-LEED building is essentially saying you don’t want free money.

Finally, since a commercial building is an investment, the core factors of occupancy rates, lease payments, and long-term tenants are very important to cash flow. Citing the USGBC, LEED buildings retain higher property values than non-LEED buildings. LEED buildings are healthier for the occupants, and 79% of employees say they would choose a job in a LEED building over a non-LEED building. All of these point to greater demand (occupancy), longer term leases, and higher property appreciation. Money, money, money.

 

 

LEED Building infographic from U.S. Green Building Council
Source: USGBC

 

 

Intelli-Hood: A Solution for LEED Buildings

As I write this from Melink’s own LEED Platinum-certified headquarters, nicknamed HQ1, and across the street from our newly opened HQ2, which is a Zero-Energy Building, I am very happy for Notre Dame. I am also very PROUD that Melink’s Intelli-Hood® variable speed kitchen hood controls were a part of all the conservation measures that helped them achieve this certification. Within the three buildings that achieved LEED status, Intelli-Hood was installed on eight kitchen hoods. Intelli-Hood is now standard on any new hood installations, as well as retrofits, at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame opted for the sustainable, energy efficient, and financially smart option of LEED construction. What will you choose?

 

 

The Advantages of Optical Sensing in Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation Systems

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

As the inventors of demand control kitchen ventilation for commercial kitchen systems over 25 years ago, Melink is solely focused on providing maximum energy savings with safe and reliable controls for our customers with our Intelli-Hood® system. Not surprisingly, we’ve learned a lot of things over these years and continuously improve our controls based on lessons learned, industry trends, best practices, technological advances, laboratory and field research. Our industry leader status makes us a ripe target for competitors and naysayers, to which we welcome and enjoy engaging in a healthy debate to advance the usage of demand control kitchen ventilation across the globe.  To this end, I would like to address a document produced by a manufacturer and a respected goliath in the kitchen ventilation industry. 

*All text in red is directly taken from a Captive-Aire produced document obtained by Melink*

The Captive-Aire Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation (DCKV) system controls the fan speeds based on heat generated from the cooking appliances in comparison to the room temperature. Captive-Aire has done extensive research into the effectiveness and practicality of sensing smoke to override the system and turn on the fans. Melink offers an optic sensor inside the hood, which, if penetrated by smoke, will automatically turn the fans to high speed. This is one of the primary differences between Melink and DCKV. 

Melink has performed extensive research over the years into various sensing methods, including space temperate versus hood canopy sensing (delta T) methods, and fallacies discovered in the delta T method is what led us to the patent for utilizing optical sensors in conjunction with heat sensing. Our research uncovered many external factors in the kitchen environment that caused false readings including cross drafts, supply air configurations, door openings and seasonal temperature changes that could trick the system into a cooking response and eliminate energy savings.

Another challenge in the temperature only approach is determining the level of cooking based on these temperature changes alone as the cooking effluent (smoke, steam, etc) often presents itself before a strong thermal plume on the temperature sensor. For example, if you place a cold hamburger patty on a grill the temperature will initially reduce as the heat transfers into the food while creating effluent that must be captured by the hood.  Systems reliant upon temperature only are slow to react to this change and you are left with two options; decrease the temperature range of the system so it runs full speed at the slightest presence of heat (diminishing any energy savings), OR don’t effectively capture the effluent in the hood canopy and cause smoke rollout.  As we at Melink like to say, “You can’t capture what you can’t see.” 

We have found that using an optic sensor to sense smoke is very problematic. When installed inside a greasy exhaust hood, the lens will tend to get caked with grease. This will cause the fans to run at full speed all the time, and therefore eliminate your energy savings. As a result, Melink installs small fans to continuously blow air at the lens to try and avoid grease particles from landing there. This is another component the needs to be maintained and serviced regularly. These optic lenses also require an I/O processor to be wired into the system—this is one more component. If anything happens to the lens, fan, or processor the system will fail. This results in a sustainability issue. Electrical components inside a greasy exhaust hood may not be a sustainable option over the course of several years. The optic sensors/lenses need to be cleaned, and according to the Melink manual, should not be sprayed with hot water or steam by the hood cleaner to avoid damage.

 Yes, our system has a brain and it’s called the System Controller (formerly I/O Processor referenced). All demand control kitchen ventilation systems have some sort of controller to interpret the signals coming in and we like to think our brain is pretty special.  In fact, unlike most competitor systems that utilize an off the shelf PLC controller we custom design ours for the sole purpose of saving you energy in the kitchen and integrating into your building.  Our System Controller is native BACnet (IP), internet ready, 4G wireless capable and has the brainpower to control up to (39) kitchen hoods and (64) exhaust or supply fans. 

We do utilize a component called the Air Purge Unit (APU) that contains a 12VDC fan to direct airflow into the optic housing to maintain a positive pressure environment to alleviate grease buildup.  However, kitchens can be harsh environments and depending on the appliance type underneath these could benefit from a monthly swipe with a clean cloth if it’s above a high grease producing appliance, but less intensive appliances mean less cleaning.  Fortunately, we use that big brain of ours to automatically re-calibrate the optics every day based on cleanliness for optimal performance and if it gets too dirty the system will alert you via the Touchpad or email as to which hood may need cleaned.  

Additionally, a typical Melink system costs much more than a Captive-Aire DCKV so the payback period for a Melink system is much longer.

Not necessarily, the formula for the simple payback period is the initial project cost divided by the annual savings to determine at what time the investment breaks even. If a more intelligent system can save 3x the energy of temp-only system, then the simple payback periods are equal. The downside of this metric is the failure to account for the time value of money and consideration of cash inflows beyond the payback period.  It’s important to look past first cost and take into account the full savings yielded over the life of the system and perform life cycle cost analysis. 

For example:

        Temp-Only System

  • First Cost = $5,000
  • Annual Savings = $1,500
  • Simple Payback Period = 3.3 Years
  • Energy Savings over (7) Years = $10,500
  • Net Savings: $10,500 – $5,000 = $5,50

Melink Intelli-Hood®

  • First Cost = $15,000
  • Annual Savings = $4,500
  • Simple Payback Period = 3.3 Years
  • Energy Savings over (7) Years = $31,500
  • Net Savings: $31,500 – $15,000 = $16,500

Over the life of the systems in this example Intelli-Hood® will yield $21,000 in more energy savings vs. the competitor, less the initial capital difference of $10,000 ($15,000 – $5,000) = $11,000 more in
free cash flow.  This example does not factor in the time value of money.   

The below data shows the savings difference when a Melink Intelli-Hood® system was installed at a restaurant previously using a temperature only system. The baseline data was provided to the owner by the temp-only hood manufacturer, and we analyzed the electrical and conditioned air savings via our Estimated Savings Report.  Once the Intelli-Hood® system was installed we compared the data and found that Intelli-Hood® system yielded 523% more savings than the previous system. Click here to see real IH performance results.

 

Testing has shown that very sensitive heat sensors are as effective as optic sensors in triggering exhaust fans if heat or smoke is present. If cooking generates smoke, then the cooking process will also generate heat. The heat sensors in the Captive-Aire Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation are easily adjustable as different project and applications may require.

Through our own testing in the lab environment, and more importantly the lab of reality in the commercial kitchen with over 10,000 systems, temperature sensing alone will not allow for a quick response to smoke. Based on our data obtained from an installed temp-only system, the heat sensors appeared to provide no active modulation and acted basically as a two-speed system with an active base speed of 80% and quickly ramping a holding a constant speed of 100% through the day since the appliances were on. Again, without the ability to visually monitor the cooking a temp-only system must be run at much higher minimum speeds as a safety net for capturing effluent. This is a major energy savings penalty.

The heat sensors may be “easily adjustable”; however, this requires human manipulation and functional commissioning.  Most often these systems are sent to a mechanical contractor with the instruction to connect the temperature probes to control panel and are left at whatever the default factory setting is.  We like humans too but given the chance we like to engineer around potential issues and lack of consistency from one contractor to the next around the world.  Thus, we patented another feature dubbed “Auto-Temp Span”, which collects performance data from every sensor in the system at defined intervals and automatically sets the optimal temperature spans for every hood in the system.  If the chef decides to change menus, appliances, or a new tenant takes over the space the system will learn these new habits and self-commission for optimal performance.  Call it “machine learning”, call it “artificial intelligence”, we call it a good idea that benefits the end-user.

Lastly, the DCKV has a 100% air override button to send the fans into full speed as a safety precaution.

This override button feature is a code requirement for all demand control kitchen ventilation systems; we have one too.

Here are a few additional differences between Captive-Aire DCKV and Melink Intelli-Hood®:

  • Captive-Aire DCKV is typically programmed with a “prep mode” feature to allow greater energy savings. This feature will run the exhaust fans at a very low speed
    (typically, 20% speed) when the system is first turned on by staff or BAS. This speed is equal to the design differential between exhaust and make-up air. DCKV will run in prep mode until the heat of the appliances necessitates greater exhaust at which point the exhaust and make-up air will both ramp up and cooking mode will commence.
    Melink as currently designed runs both make-up air and exhaust at 50% of its design. 
  • In cooking mode, Captive-Aire designs for a 20% reduction in fan speed during light load cooking times. This reduction is based on extensive research on the topic. Lab testing by The Food Service Technology Center in California has shown that no more than a 20% reduction from a proper design cfm can be made in order to allow the
    system to adequately exhaust appliances when in light load. The Melink system allows for a 50% turndown, therefore, in order for that amount of
    reduction to work properly, the design cfm would have to be increased so the system still works effectively at a 50% reduction. A lower design cfm with 20% fan speed reduction will be more efficient and save more energy than a higher design cfm with 50% fan speed reduction. Captive-Aire DCKV has the ability to provide a 50% turndown, but we do not recommend this. 

From our perspective, this represents nearly a three-speed system with “modes” to make up for the lack of technology, sensors, programming, and algorithms to modulate based on real-time cooking information and optical monitoring, resulting in a loss of energy savings ability. As representative in our data, the temperature spans are typically set so low with these systems, that as soon as any appliances are on, the fans run at an 80% minimum for a very short amount of time and then jump right to 100%.  Unfortunately, it’s pretty rare to see any appliance gas valve regulation in commercial kitchens and most appliances are left at nearly full temperature all day independent of actual cooking, which causes temp-only systems to run at or near full speed all day. We’ve also come across several temp-only systems in the field running at 100% speed when the exhaust temperature read 72 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Melink Intelli-Hood® system is capable of 20-30% minimum speeds as well, but turn-down ratio is a moot point when the rubber meets the road, or when the meat hits the grill in this case.  Our default minimum speed is 30%, a 2% electrical energy difference vs 20%, and we actively modulate through the entire speed spectrum to 100% to maximize energy savings.  The key to electrical energy savings in motor applications lies in the Law of Affinity (below), which at the top of the fan curve roughly translates to a 10% speed reduction = 25% electrical energy
savings. The key to savings with demand control kitchen ventilation is having the optics to safely and actively modulate at the upper ends of the spectrum during the cooking day to maximize savings near the top of the fan curve between 70-100%.

 

In addition to electrical energy savings from the motor control, Intelli-Hood® also integrates into the make-up air system to modulate based on the exhaust demand.  This modulation provides additional conditioned air savings and can have a significant impact on the payback of the system.  The more extreme the outdoor air environment, the greater the opportunity for energy savings in the reduction of the heating or cooling loads.  The ratio of savings for conditioned air is 1:1 with fan speed reduction, i.e., a 30% reduction in speeds = 30% reduction in conditioned air.

With nearly 20 states adopting ASHRAE 90.1 2010, or higher, energy standards it’s clear that demand control kitchen ventilation is here to stay and we’re proud to have launched this revolution back in 1989.  One of our core values at Melink is Innovation, and we continue day in and day out to develop more advanced commercial kitchen control systems to save our customers valuable money and hopefully make the planet better for our future generations one hood at a time.  Feel free to contact us regarding your next kitchen design involving demand control ventilation or if you’re an existing operator of a commercial kitchen looking to save money, we happen to be experts in retrofits as well.

Determining if DCKV is Right for You?

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

When a customer is first debating if Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation (DCKV) is right for their facility, there are multiple questions that come to mind. What is a good application for DCKV? What does it cost versus the lifetime payback? Does it actually slow fans down that much? What is the ability for service in the future?

All of these are valid questions. The most important thing is to partner with a company that works with your team to evaluate and determine what solution is best at the onset of reviewing the opportunity. In order to answer the above questions, the DCKV provider should be asking you the following at minimum:

 

  • What is the size of the hood(s) (Length X
    Width)?
  • What is the schedule of the exhaust fans, do
    they only run 8hrs/day, 12hrs, 24hrs?
  • What kind of equipment is underneath the hoods?
  • What are current utility rates for your area of
    the country?
  • Is there dedicated supply air to the kitchen
    space?

With this information the DCKV Manufacturer should be able
to provide some advice.

 

What is a good application?

Four primary factors play a role in this answer. They include: utility rates, total fan horsepower (Exhaust + Supply), exhaust fan run hours and your geographic location.

The total horsepower is self-explanatory. The greater the HP the larger available savings. However, lower horsepower may not disqualify an application. If there is a total of 5hp between exhaust and supply, operating longer than 12hrs/day, with moderate utility rates of at least $0.08/kWh, DCKV systems can be a feasible savings opportunity.

Fan operating hours additionally play a role based on the
savings, the longer the operations the greater savings. This type of savings
can be compounded depending on the geographic location as significant
conditioned air savings can be recognized.

 

What does it a system cost versus the lifetime payback?

The cost of a system will vary based on the complexity as
well as the selected technology. Two options are a temp only based system or
one that incorporates additional optic sensors. Although a temp only based
system may cost less, it is important to evaluate savings over the lifetime of
equipment compared to a system that incorporates optics.

Assume a 12-year life cycle of equipment. For the sake of this
discussion, we will evaluate the following scenario:

 

  • Single Hood (20ft long)                  –   24hr Fan
    Operation
  • 5hp Exhaust (5000cfm)                  –   $0.10kWh
  • 3hp Supply                                          –   $1.02therm

 

  Cost Avg. Run Speed Annual Savings Simple Payback Lifetime Savings (12yrs)
Temp – Only $7,000 80.5% $3,502 2.0 yrs $42,024
Optics Based System $16,000 58% $7,865 2.0 yrs $94,380

As seen above the lifetime savings of an optic based system is
greater than twice the amount of a temp-only based system. It is important for
a DCKV partner to offer a solution best for the customer’s needs, perhaps a
blended system would provide the largest amount of savings. For example,
perhaps on a larger kitchen, there is significant savings opportunities for one
or two of the hoods. However, another single hood has only a single pizza oven
underneath, this is when it is important to partner with a manufacturer who has
technologies that will maximize savings, such as auto-temp spans and
scalability of their system.

 

Does it actually slow fans down that much?

In the savings example above there is a significant
disparity between the average runs speeds of a Temp Only based system and that
of a system including optics. When reviewing and selecting a DCKV system, it is
important to have proven data of performance. Look for manufacturers that have
case studies for their technologies, and significant volumes of measurement and
verification. Every market sector is different regarding a 24hr average run
speed. As a buyer do not hesitate to ask for examples of performance for your
market being evaluated. You can also utilize third party publications such as
Demand Ventilation in Commercial Kitchens An Emerging Technology Case Study,
written by Fisher Nickel, Inc found here.

 

What is the ability for service this in the future?

One final important aspect to consider is what happens post installation. Commitment from a manufacturer to service over the lifetime of a system is very important. Does your DCKV partner go beyond the standard warranty? Certain manufacturers offer 24hr engineering technical service. Do they have a service network of technicians available to visit your site if needed? Another consideration is where would replacement parts be purchased from. Some manufacturers have components manufactured outside the United States which can delay delivery and in return create a headache for you to provide consistent service to your customers.

Another important focus on the future would be, what is the adaptability of the system? Everyone has seen a kitchen space eventually be remodeled and cooking equipment is swapped out for a new concept. Perhaps there is increased heat from this equipment change, so can the originally selected system adapt to this change? Certain manufacturers have temperature probes that area initially calibrated at startup based on initial equipment. On the other hand, Melink Corporation’s Intelli-Hood, offers an Auto-Temp span, that self-calibrates, and spans based on trends of continuous data points and monitoring therefore, an equipment change resulting in an increase or decrease in heat load will be recognized and self-adjusted for maximum savings.

 

How to decide what works for you.

In closing, there are many important variables to consider when selecting a product including DCKV. To some, upfront cost is a primary concern, and to many other end users the most important may be what happens over the life of the system. “Will the manufacturer provide me support?” and more importantly “How much will this save me over time?” Many of us are always saving for our retirement, perhaps now is the time to invest in the savings that are available within your kitchen. Personally, I would love to save double that over a lifetime of a system for a product with the same initial payback.

The Melink Umbrella

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Are you an existing customer or follower of Melink?  I’m guessing the answer is “yes” if you’re reading this, so what all falls under the “Melink Umbrella”? In the Cincinnati, OH region, we’re best known for our super-green energy efficient HQ building. Those things help to show who we are as a company; however it isn’t always clear in what we do as a business to support this mission of changing the world one building at time.

To help illustrate the offerings at Melink, pretend you own a hotel, restaurant or operate an entity involving a commercial kitchen facility.  Prior to leaving for work, you utilize your smartphone to check your building’s health for your employees and customers by swiping open your PositiV app. You check the latest building health makers for indoor CO2, temperature, humidity and building pressure.  The building pressure has been trending negatively for a week and notify your Melink Test, Adjust, & Balance account manager.  Next, you request an investigative visit to determine the root cause and next steps for corrective measures.  Upon arrival, a field-technician identifies the outside air damper on your RTU has been locked shut.  An insufficient amount of fresh outside air is being supplied to your building.

This negative air pressure situation would have been substantially worse; however you have Intelli-Hood. A demand control kitchen ventilation system that adjusts exhaust fan speeds to cooking demands.  Your Intelli-Hood control system automatically turns on in case the prep crew starts cooking without the fans. It also preemptively warns your team if there’s an issue with the exhaust fan to mitigate risk from fire.

Knowing your building is back to optimal conditions you head to the back office. You start to review your utility bill statements and prepare payments.  You’re shocked at the 40% electrical bill decline. Then you remember the newly installed and commissioned HVAC rooftop unit.

Welcome to the Melink Umbrella.  Not all customers can benefit from the full suite of offerings, but these services make us a stronger partner for our customers. They invest in business growth in a responsible, sustainable manner, help us change the world, one building at a time.

“We’ve Done Benchmarking. We’ve Done Lighting. What’s Next?!” Kitchen Ventilation.

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

The Benefits of DCKV

Kitchen ventilation, both exhaust and make up air, represent a significant opportunity for kWh and kBTU reductions in your facility. Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation, (DCKV) uses temperature and optic sensors to vary exhaust speed and make up air fans.  This is in response to precise cooking intensity underneath all kitchen hoods. With fans only running as needed, savings are gained on fan energy (controls produce 40-60% average fan speed versus 100% without controls). In addition, there are heating and cooling savings gained as a result of kitchens not evacuating all air that was just conditioned.

These controls can be installed in new construction projects. They’re usually specified by engineering firms in the design phase of your project, and should qualify for one LEED point. In addition, DCKV is a path to compliance for commercial buildings’ energy codes for states that have adopted ASHRAE 90.1 2010 and greater. You can see what your state’s requirements are here.

Retrofitting

Retrofitting the temperature and optic controls within existing kitchen exhaust hoods is equally effective at generating energy savings. It’s important to confirm that the controls are UL 710 and 2017 listed. This permits them to be installed in any manufacturer’s hood in any cooking application. There are many utility rebate incentive programs available for the installation of DCKV as well.

Kitchen Ventilation in Action

The financial impact for hospitals’ operating costs is significant when kitchen exhaust and makeup air fans no longer run at full speed 24/7.  A study by the EPA demonstrated that each dollar saved by a non-profit hospital, is the same as generating $20 in new revenues. Incidentally that same dollar saved in a for-profit facility is like increasing EPS by one penny.

Melink recently completed a Mid-West hospital project that produced $20,000 (per year) in combined savings. The savings included electrical, heating and cooling costs. Using EPA study metrics, this equivalates to $400,000 in new revenue for this facility.  Taking rebate incentives for our technology, the hospital’s ROI was less than one year.

The Purpose of DCKV

The goal of any DCKV project is to install controls that maximize the energy savings within the kitchen. In addition, DCKV will assist compliance with building energy codes, attain LEED points and make kitchens quieter and more comfortable. This article goes into greater detail and dives deeper into how these controls pay back initial investment. The articles recently appeared in the American Society for Healthcare Engineering publication, Inside ASHE.

Find the Inside ASHE article on kitchen ventilation here.