Colorado Company Chills the AC Competition

With much of the western United States dry and hot, the need for cooling systems in our homes and places of business is clear. But the energy requirements for industrial-scale rooftop air conditioning units is substantial.

In the spirit of innovation and conservation, the University of California Davis threw down the gauntlet last year in the guise of the Western Cooling Challenge. Cooling system manufacturers were tasked with design of rooftop AC units that deliver the frosty goods while drawing less electricity. And from the field of 12 participants, Denver's Coolerado came out on top.

The Coolerado team wasn't content to simply meet the challenge's minimum target metrics. The challenge set forth a target of 40 percent energy use reduction for a system designed to cool a large, big-box-style retail building. During the challenge trials, the Coolerado design exhibited a 60 percent peak demand reduction and 80 percent overall as announced in the UC Davis press release.

The company is optimistic that their achievements in efficiency will translate into cool cash: Coolerado is now happily taking orders and aims to ship their new design before the end of 2009.

Photo courtesy of Ingolfson, via Wikimedia Commons