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MELINK SOLAR & GEO EXPAND ENERGY-SAVING OFFERINGS

Posted on by Melink Solar

Melink Solar & Geo recently became a national representative for SHARC Energy Systems, a company that has developed a series of products focused on recovering thermal energy in liquid waste such as sewage, laundry wash water, brewery tank cleaning water, etc.  This energy is then transferred via a heat pump to create new hot water for either domestic hot water (showering and cleaning) or space heating hot water.  These systems can also take the place of a cooling tower to allow heat rejection in the summer months without consuming precious water or requiring chemical treatment.

Why would MS&G want to promote these products?

First, this is a largely untapped source of thermal energy that is HUGE!  In 2005, the US DOE estimated that 1,194,200 BILLION BTU’s are discarded annually down our drains in North America – probably much more nearly 15 years later.  Note that if you burned natural gas to make that much heat at typical market costs, this untapped energy stream could be worth nearly $6,000,000,000!  That’s a lot of zeros!

Second reason to add this to our “toolbox of energy solutions” includes our mission to “electrify everything” in a manner that is highly cost effective and environmentally positive.  This technology is complementary to our other Solar PV and Ground-Source Heat Pump offerings in meeting that goal.  This additional also complements our other divisions; Testing & Balancing, IntelliHood (smart, variable volume commercial kitchen hoods) and PositiV (our new building “health” monitoring system).

PIRANHA - SHARC Wastewater Heat Recovery System

Case Study

Recently we designed a geothermal heat pump system for a new 7 story/230 room hotel that is under construction in the USA Midwest.  We observed that the heat pump system removed much more cooling energy than required for heating on an annual basis.  One way to address this is to apply this type of technology to “pump” waste heat from the HVAC system into the Domestic Hot Water system to reduce the burning of natural gas, reduce energy cost and allow the heat pump system to operate more efficiently.  We’ve proposed to provide a SHARC PIRANHA system to address this and depending upon the size of the system (5 or 10 tons) we could provide an annual energy savings of $4,000 to $9,000 with a CO2 reduction of 22 to 45 metric tonnes. This system could provide 27-54% of their annual hot water needs.  Payback on the initial investment can be as short as 6-7 years.

We provided the conceptual design for a 235,000 square foot research facility proposed to be built in Ohio.  They wanted to consider a ground-source heat pump solution for their nominal 1,000-ton cooling load.  We looked at a full-size geothermal bore field that would cost approximately $5.3 million, then a smaller bore field with a cooling tower that would cost $3.0 million and finally, a VERY small geothermal bore field with a SHARC system tied into the city sewer for only $1.5 million!  This offering allows us to provide better energy consumption than a full-size geothermal borefield or the cooling tower options with lower first cost, no water or chemical treatment for a cooling tower and ALL HVAC components safely underground or inside to reduce risk from damage from weather events or acts of terror.

SHARC Wastewater Heat Exchange System

Applications

We continue to work with SHARC Energy to develop concepts that can enhance our mission to change how we heat & cool buildings and provide hot water.  These types of systems can be great for:

  • Lodging applications such as recovering heat from sewage or laundry, possibly large commercial kitchens with a significant dish washing load as well
  • Breweries, distilleries and wineries that use a great deal of hot water for cleaning that is then lost down the drain
  • Car washes – also can be lots of hot water down the drain
  • Apartment buildings, college residence halls and senior living facilities – target size of 50 to 400 residents is the sweet spot, but larger is great too!
  • Large swimming pools that have separate tanks for filter backwash water before it is released to a city sewer

We are even looking at two municipal (large) snow melt systems in the Midwest that use natural gas to provide the needed heat.  Converting these to municipal sewage heat pumps can significantly reduce energy consumption, cost and CO2 emissions.

Want more information on the SHARC system? Contact us here or call us at 513.965.7300!

Road-Tripping in a Non-Tesla 100% EV

Posted on by Melink Solar

You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.

Abraham Lincoln

I have the unique pleasure of working with an employee-owned organization, Melink Corporation, that is dedicated toward making the world a better place. Our vision is to help advance clean energy such that it transforms the world through improving our global economy, security and environment – for ourselves, our children and future generations.

Though energy efficiency and renewable energy are at the core of what we do, sustainability is central to who we are. If we don’t lead by example, who will? So, in addition to operating a Net-Zero LEED® Platinum headquarters facility, we have a super-green fleet of vehicles. Our National Network of Service Technicians each drive hybrid vehicles. Our parking lot has over twenty electric-vehicle charging stations. In total we have over forty hybrids and seventeen EVs in our fleet driven. 61% of our employees drive either hybrid or electric.

I, personally, drive a 2018 Chevy Bolt and have done so for about nine months. The car has a 238 EPA estimated range and does not have the luxury of accessing Tesla’s Supercharging Network. I have a 45 mile commute, one-way from my home to my office. Fortunately, by driving an EV, living in a home and working in an office that are both powered by renewable energy, my ‘electric gas’ is very clean. I have three young kids, and it is very important to my wife and I, that we set a good example; not only so we guide them toward making their own integrity-based decisions as they mature, but also so in a direct effort preserve their future. As Abraham Lincon said, You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.

This month was the first time I took the Bolt on a good old fashion, American road-trip. I knew it would be a challenge but as another President said, nothing in the world is worth doing unless it means effort pain and difficulty. Here’s how it was (and can be) done.

The Hardware. You’ve got to have an EV that has an extended range. Here’s a list, for your reference, of the longest range EVs on the market today. But you’ve also got to have the capacity for Level 3 charging. On the Chevy Bolt the hardware cost an incremental $750, from the factory. GM advertises 90 miles of charge in 30 minutes, up to the 80% mark and the speed begins to taper to protect the battery.

The Fuel. There are of course Plug-in Hybrid EVs such as the Chevy Volt and Honda Clarity. Those models have about 30 – 50 miles of battery capacity with traditional gasoline as a backup. This isn’t the kind of EV I’m talking about here; I’m talking about 100% electrons. And I must acknowledge that during my road trip the electrons pulled from the grid may be coming from brown-power sources; but not necessarily. Wal-Mart, for example, has solar on many of their locations. And one of the two EVgo stations I charged at was at a Wal-Mart. Nonetheless, what’s the advantage of driving an EV vs. a traditional internal-combustion engine that uses gasoline? For one, EVs convert about 60% of their energy from the grid to power at the wheels; gasoline only converts about 19% of the energy stored to the wheels. Also, electricity, even from a coal-fired power plant, is a domestic energy source. Finally, you can get your electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind.

The Apps. Before making any long-distance road trip, pre-planning the locations of charging stations (and their distances from one another), is critical. There are a number of apps you can use to see what’s out there: PlugShare, ChargePoint, and EVgo are the ones I use.

The Infrastructure. EVgo is America’s largest Public Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Network, with over 1,000 chargers in 66 markets. As a non-Tesla driver, this network is vitally important for the emerging EV market.

The Planning. A few days before my trip from Southwest Ohio to Eastern Tennessee, a 350 mile commute, I identified two Level 3 Fast charging stations and one Level 2 charging station for my trip. The first Level 3 charger I stopped at was only 35 miles from my house, located at a Wal-Mart in Florence, Kentucky. I topped off and drove another 239 miles to Knoxville, Tennessee… quite literally almost no margin for error between charging stations. Fortunately, during my planning I learned of an EVgo charging station that’s being installed about 3/4 that distance, along I-75 near Williamsburg, Kentucky. So the infrastructure is continuing to develop. After making it to the next fast-charger in Knoxville… I had 8 miles to spare. Nonetheless, I made it. So I charged for about one hour (180 miles). While I waited I was able to eat lunch and catch-up on some work. Then I drove another 35 miles to my final destination, which was for business purposes There I stayed for about 30 hours, plugged in to a residential 120V outlet at 12 amps. I got my charge up to about 90% before making the return trip… back to Knoxville, then to Florence, then home. Similar to my first-leg, I made it back to the Florence charger with about 6 miles to spare.

Lessons Learned. For one, my tire pressure was relatively low when I left my house. It took the necessity of my thin battery margin to realize the impact it had on my mileage efficiency. So, I filled them almost to max-pressure and the Bolt was ‘intelligent’ enough to roll this new information into its algorithm, thus giving me an increased range by about 10 miles from where I was before. Second, I noticed that by turning off my air conditioning, the algorithm gave me another 10 mile boost in my range. Also, I tried to keep my speed (on I-75, no less) at around 65 mph. You’ll notice in this chart the relationship between speed and range; the faster you drive, the less efficient your mileage.

In order to change the world, we’ve got to do things differently. Otherwise, if we continue to do the same things, nothing will change. This trip wasn’t easy. An otherwise normal five-hour trip took me about seven-hours, one way. I didn’t want to leave the house at 5am and I certainly didn’t want to get home at 2am. But I wanted to demonstrate it could be done, in the hope that just maybe it inspires others to make the leap, not only to an EV, but to a brighter future.

Geothermal Codes and Standards

Posted on by Melink Solar

Standardization has always been the hallmark of American way of life and its position as a global leader in achieving protection of public health, safety and welfare. This has been true in every industry and the geothermal industry is no different. This piece will highlight the best practices, standards and codes that have been developed over the years by this ‘relatively nascent’ industry.

The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA), has led the way in design and installation standards for closed loop geothermal heat pump systems. Over the years, this volunteer group of industry experts have perfected design guidelines, pipe and joining methods, flushing, flow testing and antifreeze selection. Their latest version also addresses source water piping, water quality and treatment.

Another industry standard that has gone through the ANSI process is the new ANSI/CSA/IGSHPA C448 Series-16 Bi-National standard that covers five different types of heat exchangers including horizontal, surface water and open loop systems. This is the first edition of the bi-national series and covers both residential and commercial geothermal systems.

As far as codes and its application is concerned, the geothermal industry has effectively been a subset of the hydronics industry. Both the International Mechanical Code and Uniform Mechanical code have addressed it, but only in bits and pieces. The first comprehensive code was launched just last month (August 2018) by International Officials of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) and is called the Uniform Solar, Hydronics and Geothermal Code (USHGC). This code includes systems where equipment and components collect, convey, store, and convert the sun’s energy and geothermal for a purpose including but not limited to service water heating, pool water heating, space heating and cooling and electrical service. This will serve as a great reference document for Authorities Having Jurisdiction over the installation of geothermal systems.

We at Melink take pride in our membership with various industry associations including IGSHPA and IAPMO and are honored to be contributing members of these groups. We also ensure all our design and installs adhere to the above standards and applicable codes.

It all fits in our vision to drive the industry by ‘innovating without reinventing’.

 

Holistic HVAC Design – A New Level Of Efficiency

Posted on by Melink Solar

Commercial buildings are commonly heated and cooled with mechanical equipment, powered by electrical service, and connected to plumbing systems such as natural gas and condensate lines depending on the type of HVAC system. Hence, building drawings are separated by the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing scopes of work, ie., M, E, and P sheets.

Often the mechanical engineer works independently of the electrical and plumbing engineers, and vice-versa. And often the mechanical contractor installing the heating/cooling system works independently of the electrical and plumbing contractors, and vice-versa. While this makes sense from a specialization standpoint, it can prevent holistic thinking and creative optimization strategies.

For example, the most energy-efficient HVAC system for a particular type of building in a given geographic area would naturally combine the best of all three specialties. In other words, the electrical and plumbing service should not just serve the mechanical equipment as an input or output. All three should be designed as a complementary system to provide heating and cooling capabilities depending on the resource that is most available, lowest cost, and cleanest/greenest at any period of time.

When there is a summer hot spell, it may be best to meet the incremental peak load with a small geothermal loop or thermal energy storage system. When there is high water usage for showers, toilets, and food prep, it may be best to meet the heating/cooling loads with a domestic water heat exchanger. When it is raining, it may be best to meet the heating/cooling loads with a rainwater heat exchanger.

And during the nights and weekends, when temperatures are lower and/or electrical rates are lower, an air-to-water condensing unit may be the best way to precondition the building water loop for daytime and occupied cooling needs. Moreover, it is a way to reduce peak demand charges by level-loading the HVAC system over a 24/7 period rather than a 8/5 period.

Melink is pioneering a super-hybrid geothermal HVAC system that will do all of this and more for its new HQ2 building. And it will be designed and constructed in a way that will make zero-energy buildings cost-effective and a model for future new construction and remodels.

We hope you will visit us next year after construction is completed to see the potential of holistic HVAC design. This means not only tapping Mother Nature’s resources, but the various ingoing and outgoing building waste streams. Conventional design practices rely on very dedicated and limited mechanical equipment – and this is typically less than efficient, not to mention optimal.

Steve Melink, PE

Melink Corporation

CEO

Solar PV Module Prices About To Drop Over 30%

Posted on by Seth Parker

Over the last five years, commercial Solar PV prices have dropped by 58%, making the renewable source of solar energy more accessible to the average consumer. And with recent news from China, we know solar module prices are about to plummet once again. Earlier this year, you might have heard about the recent tariff on solar modules and thought to yourself that now may not be a good time to invest in solar for your business, but that is simply not the case now. The Chinese government recently announced an abrupt withdrawal of support for their solar PV market, which will lead to installed capacity decreasing by 30-40% this year. China has halted approvals of new subsidized utility-scale solar plants and will limit the amount of smaller-scale distributed generation installed by shrinking subsidies it provides to solar generators.

The reduction in installed capacity is expected to be around 20 gigawatts. To put this into perspective the U.S. only installed 10.6 gigawatts of solar in 2017! This decision by the Chinese government is going to cause a huge global oversupply of modules. Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) has predicted this surplus in available modules will result in a 34% decline in multicrystalline solar module prices. This will likely completely counteract the 30% tariff implemented earlier this year and we are expecting to see the results of this in Q4 of 2018 and Q1 of 2019.

The Chinese government’s abrupt withdrawal of support for China’s solar PV industry is going to flood the global market with lower priced solar PV modules. If you want to take advantage of these ultra-low prices while there is more supply than demand, you will need to start your planning now. To receive trusted and certified assistance, contact us today for a free quote and financial analysis.

Melink Develops 1.26MW Solar Arrays At University Of Dayton

Posted on by Melink Solar

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CINCINNATI, OHIO – Melink Corporation has announced a partnership with the University of Dayton to install 4,026 solar panels with a capacity of 1.26 megawatts of power at two of the University’s campus locations; Curran Place and Fitz Hall. Melink Corporation will engineer and construct the arrays, as well as own them and sell the electricity to the University as part of a long-term power purchase agreement.  The University has an option to purchase the arrays after eight years.

The solar arrays will provide nearly 10 percent of the power consumption of both buildings as well as power electric car stations at the two locations. Overall, the panels will provide approximately 2 percent of the campuswide power consumption and offset carbon emissions by about 1 percent annually. Offsetting campus carbon emissions by 1 percent in a year is equal to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of 278 cars or the annual carbon dioxide emissions from 1.4 million pounds of burned coal, 140 homes, or conserving 3,010 barrels of oil.

 “We are super-excited to partner with the University of Dayton, said Melink CEO Steve Melink.  “This is an opportunity to educate and inspire not only the students and faculty but the public
throughout Ohio and the Midwest.  Sustainability and clean energy are the way of the future, and U.D. has just put a big stake in the ground as a leader.”  

 

Melink Corporation and the University of Dayton will work together to provide opportunities for students, faculty, and researchers to participate in the installation of
the modules, and document the process for future use. Post installation, the Hanley Sustainability Institute and the University of Dayton Engineers in Technical Humanitarian Opportunities of Service learning (ETHOS), among other faculty, staff and students,  plan to use the modules for sustainability research and/or incorporate them into the curriculum or other programming.

“One attractive feature of working with Melink is that Melink involves our students in this project from the very beginning and on an ongoing basis,” said Bob Brecha, director of research in the University of Dayton Hanley Sustainability Institute. “Our campus has quite intentionally become a giant sustainability lab where students from all majors can have a hand in many of our efforts to become a greener campus.”

Learn about how solar could benefit your school or business at www.melinksolar.com.

About Melink Corporation: We are a global provider of energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for the commercial building industry. With four business units and a singular energy mission, we help companies save energy, increase profits and make the world a more sustainable place.

Geothermal Heat Pump Tax Credits Reinstated Through 2021

Posted on by Melink Solar

On February 9th, 2018 the U.S. geothermal heat pump industry had its federal tax credits restored for both residential and qualifying commercial installations. The federal tax credits, which correspond to a 30% credit for residential installations and a 10% credit for qualifying commercial installations, were passed as part of the Continuing Resolution spending bill that was recently approved by congress.

The reinstated tax credits for the geothermal heat pump industry are retroactive to January 1st, 2017 and have been successfully extended to January 1st, 2022. For commercial geothermal heat pump projects, the language of the tax credits has also been adjusted to reflect a favorable change regarding project eligibility. Commercial geothermal heat pump projects are now eligible for the federal tax credit if they are commenced by January 1st, 2022. Under previous language, commercial geothermal heat pump projects would have needed to be placed in service by January 1st, 2022 in order to qualify for the federal tax credit.

As a proud member of the geothermal heat pump industry, Melink is thrilled to see a renewed commitment from our congressional leaders towards the future of this energy-efficient and sustainable technology. Through it’s more efficient operation in both heating and cooling modes, geothermal heat pump technology has incredible potential to reduce both the peak electrical demand and overall utility usage of the built environment here in the United States.

These federal tax credits will ultimately make geothermal heat pump technology more accessible to the public and will help drive adoption of one of the most energy-efficient and sustainable heating and cooling systems available. Furthermore, these tax credits will only stand to improve the financial return of geothermal heat pump systems for Melink’s clients around the country, further enhancing what has already been proven as a sound financial investment.

Here’s to a bright future for geothermal heat pump technology, in 2018 and beyond!

Major Company Invests in Geothermal HVAC, Legitimizes Revolutionary Heating & Cooling Approach

Posted on by Melink Solar

Alphabet’s Moonshot Factory X, formerly known as Google [X], revealed one of its newest projects in July: a geothermal HVAC startup known as “Dandelion” that will focus on using innovative drilling techniques to deliver residential geothermal systems. We couldn’t be happier to see one of the world’s largest and most technologically influential companies showing substantial interest and
shedding light on an industry we’ve been working in for years. Geothermal HVAC systems provide a more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solution than conventional heating and cooling systems, and the world is taking note.  While Dandelion focuses  on residential applications, the same benefits can be seen on an even larger scale in a commercial setting. Have you recently been tasked with replacing an existing HVAC system or deciding what system to install in a new building? If so, you owe it to yourself to get ahead of the industry curve and consider installing a geothermal heating and cooling system. Beyond the system being a better solution for the environment, you will save 25-50% on HVAC energy costs, reduce system maintenance and water usage and extend your equipment life.

 

At this point you’re probably wondering how this type of technology works. Most Geothermal HVAC systems are installed underground as a large heat exchanger via a closed-loop water circuit. In other words, there is a large network of pipes buried underground which circulate a working fluid that exchanges heat with the ground. For cooling, the system transfers heat from the building to the ground; and for heating, the system transfers the heat from the ground to the building. Since the ground maintains a constant temperature of 55-70 degrees depending on your location, a geothermal HVAC system can cut traditional heating and cooling costs in half by being more efficient.

At Melink, we offer innovative and customized solutions that range from individual services to our full turnkey project deliveries which take your system from concept to completion and include financing, design, installation and commissioning services. Interested in learning more? Click here for our FAQs or contact Geo Project Engineer Connor Donovan at cdonovan@www.melinksolar.com.

Melink launches geothermal HVAC division to meet growing demand

Posted on by Melink Solar

For Immediate Release

CINCINNATI
– April 6, 2017 – Data indicates a growing demand for geothermal heating and cooling technology, and Melink Corporation responded by starting a new Melink Geo business unit.

Geothermal heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) offers building owners a more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solution than conventional systems. Structures using geothermal HVAC typically save between 25 and 50 percent on HVAC costs, reduce their maintenance costs and water usage, and extend the life of the building’s equipment.

Additionally, as part of Melink Geo, its team of innovators have developed a patented pre-engineered geothermal pump station. The Manifest™ eliminates the need to engineer a custom pump station for each individual geothermal HVAC project, thus making geothermal more affordable and efficient.

“With 30 years of experience in the HVAC industry, providing geothermal solutions for building owners is a logical next step for Melink,” said Steve Melink, founder and CEO. “We provide turnkey management of geothermal projects for architects, engineers, ESCOs and building owners. In this capacity, we also serve as a consulting engineer for architects and engineering firms across the nation.”

A report by Transparency Market Research stated, “the global geothermal heat pumps market is forecast to reach $130.5 billion by the end of 2020, exhibiting a 13.1 percent compound annual growth rate from 2014 to 2020.”

And a survey conducted by Consulting-Specifying Engineer showed that geothermal ranks in the top five of technology demands for office building projects. According to the survey, 42 percent of engineers expect to see increasing use of geothermal HVAC for office building projects.

What is geothermal HVAC?

Geothermal is a proven, reliable and efficient technology. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that a geothermal HVAC system is the most energy efficient way to heat and cool a building.

Geothermal heat pumps use the ground as a heat exchanger via a closed­-loop water circuit. During the cold winter months, the geothermal HVAC system takes heat out of the ground and transfers it into the building. And during the hot months of summer, the system removes heat from the building and transfers it back into the ground.

Since the ground maintains a constant temperature of 55­­-70°F depending on location, a geothermal HVAC system can result in considerable HVAC savings for a building owner, compared to conventional systems using air­ source condensing units for cooling and fossil fuels for heating.

To learn more or to schedule an interview with Steve Melink, please contact Marketing Manager Allison Sternad at 513.965.7300 or melinkmarketing@www.melinksolar.com.

Melink develops vast solar farm for NC country club

Posted on by Melink Solar

For Immediate Release

CINCINNATI – Dec. 1, 2016 – Melink Corporation has completed development of a 5.25 megawatt solar farm in the Charlotte, North Carolina, metro region.

Located on land owned by Rock Barn Country Club & Spa in Conover, the photovoltaic array began operating Nov. 18. The vast array comprises 16,948 solar panels on 28 acres.

All of the electricity produced by the solar farm will be sold to Duke Energy. The system is expected to generate more than 7.3 million kilowatt hours of clean energy – enough electricity to serve 500 homes annually – in its first year of operation. The system has an expected life of up to 35 years.

“We are very grateful for the opportunity to have partnered with Rock Barn’s owner, Don Beaver, on this project,” said Steve Melink, founder and CEO of the Cincinnati-based company that provides energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for the commercial building industry. “At 5 megawatts, it is our largest solar PV project to date. And being located in North Carolina, it allows us to show our national capabilities. Solar power is the way of the future and we are proud to be helping lead the way.”

Bill Parrish, vice president of Rock Barn Properties, added, “We explored development opportunities on some of our land that was otherwise unbuildable for commercial or residential, and identified this project as a good economic return and an environmentally friendly investment. Through our subsequent due diligence process, we identified Melink Corporation as an outstanding partner for our solar project.”

Rock Barn Properties is the owner/operator of Rock Barn Country Club & Spa, which includes two signature championship golf courses, 485 residences and an equestrian center.

Construction of the solar farm began in November 2015 and concluded in June, despite record precipitation in the Blue Ridge Mountain region of North Carolina in November and December. The solar farm has just received final regulatory approval to begin operations.

To learn more about the solar project and see the array from an aerial viewpoint, click here. You may learn more about the country club at Rock Barn Properties.

To schedule an interview with Steve Melink, please contact Marketing Manager Luci Feie at 513.965.7300 or lfeie@www.melinksolar.com.

ABOUT MELINK

Melink Corporation is a global provider of energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for the commercial building industry, with four business offerings: HVAC Testing & Balancing, Intelli-Hood® Kitchen Ventilation Controls, Solar PV Development and Geothermal HVAC. For 30 years, the Cincinnati-based company has been helping organizations save energy, increase profits and make the world a more sustainable place. Melink’s corporate headquarters is LEED Platinum and Net-Zero Energy, and its vehicle fleet consists of all hybrid and electric cars. To learn more about Melink Corporation, visit Melinkcorp.com or call 513.965.7300.