HYDRONICS e Continued from p 42
from the engine is used to satisfy the first 12,000 Btu of heat. As heat load increases, the boiler or furnace supplements the engine generator. The electricity produced is consumed onsite or, if freewatt power output is greater than onsite consumption, excess power is exported through the grid and spins
most efficiency their budget will allow. Efficiency is a trade-off between first cost and operating cost; the importance of each is different for each consumer. We have customers at both ends of the efficiency spectrum, and they’re all important to us. We encourage our contractors to point out to consumers that it is more important
a little further, however, there are many other advantages to the end user. Sealed combustion results in lower operating sound levels, modulating operation provides greater comfort and system performance due to load matching. Also, they’re smaller in footprint; that’s important too, as consumers want to increase the usable living space in their homes. Describe the core products/services offered at ECR.
RP: We are predominantly a 44
hydronic equipment manufacturing company that has added complimentary product lines through organic development and acquisition. Our boiler lineup includes product platforms for virtually every type of residential application. We expand our boiler offering to the light commercial market with water and steam boilers up to 3 MMBtu/hr capacities. We compliment our boiler lines with the Argo control line and Hot Line indirect water heaters to complete the hydronic system and fulfill our single source solution offering for our distributor and dealer customers. Our Olsen and Airco oil furnace lines
are a natural fit for us and our customers as these products are sold right alongside hydronics to the oil dealer. Our air conditioning products consist of EMI ductless air conditioning, which compliments our core boiler business, and RetroAire PTACs, which use the same technology as the ductless products. Our joint venture Climate Energy’s freewatt micro- combined heat and power products are the future of hydronic and warm air heating and keep us well positioned to continue leading in the industry. How has ECR faced the struggling economy?
ECR has two manufacturing facilities in New York State: Dunkirk (heat exchanger and steel fabrication, furnace assembly) and Utica (corporate headquarters, assembly and central distribution.)
the end user’s electric meter backwards. This power exportation is called net metering and earns the freewatt owner retail level credit, which typically negates half an annual residential electrical bill over the course of an operating year. We were the first to introduce a 95%
residential condensing boiler way back in 1996 and now we are the first in micro combined heat and power. It all goes back to a commitment to invest in the critical technology that drives our business and propels the industries in which we compete. How do you sell efficiency, especially in this economy?
RP: All consumers want to get the
than ever for homeowners to invest in high efficiency because, due to the economy, it’s likely they’ll stay in their homes longer. This provides them greater time to benefit from fuel savings and, when home buying returns to normal levels, future owners will be critical buyers looking for the best appliances in new homes. So, those end users who can upgrade to high efficiency should do so for their own near-term benefit and for resale value in the future.
Describe the advantages of high efficiency condensing boilers.
RP: The most obvious advantage to high efficiency condensing boilers is the fuel savings they provide. If we look
RP: When business gets very challenging, as it is in today’s world, we revert back to the fundamentals that have made us successful for 83 years. We are focused on the basics; trying to better understand how our customers are successful so that we can help them be even more successful with our products and services. We are introducing new products faster that not only provide end users with efficiency and reliability benefits but focus on taking labor out of the basement for our contractors. For example, our new wallhung boilers are the only boilers in the industry that are delivered from the factory with primary/secondary piping installed, wired probe type LWCO controls and controls that communicate in English text, not error codes. Doing this allows our contractors to be more productive, deal with employee education and turnover more easily and, ultimately, to be more profitable. We believe that if we continue to provide contractors benefits like these
e Continued on p 46
phc august 2011
www.phcnews.com
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