Power Partners' ECO-MAX(TM) Adsorption Chiller
ATHENS, GA - Power Partners, Inc., announced today that the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Overseas Building Operations has approved B.L. Harbert's submission of the Power Partners' ECO-MAX(TM) adsorption chiller for use in the new U.S. embassy now under construction in Monrovia, Liberia.
ECO-MAX adsorption chillers are a unique approach to utilizing waste heat to provide cold water for air conditioning and other process requirements. Using water as the refrigerant, ECO-MAX adsorption chillers present no crystallization problems, no corrosion, no need for chemical testing and no hazardous leaks. Their ultra-low electricity usage means lower electrical demand on prime power generators, which will result in lower operating costs and lower carbon emissions. Water is adsorbed onto a bed of silica gel and regenerated under low pressure to produce chilled water. Power Partners launched its ECO-MAX product line (eco-maxchillers.com) in 2009 and its first unit will be used at the American embassy in Liberia.
Since 1999, the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations has worked to significantly decrease energy consumption and increase the sustainability performance of its more than 285 embassies and consulates around the world to address Federal mandates that have reclassified energy and water as issues of national security.
In March 2009, the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations announced the award of a contract to build a new embassy compound in Monrovia, Liberia. The project, which consists of a chancery, support annexes and security facilities, is being constructed by B.L. Harbert International, LLC, of Birmingham, AL. Completion of the compound is expected in 2011. Groundbreaking took place in June 2009.
The ECO-MAX unit that the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations has approved for the embassy in Liberia will provide 150 tons of low-maintenance, low-energy consumption refrigeration. The ECO-MAX adsorption chiller will work in conjunction with mechanical chillers to provide air conditioning for the entire embassy compound. The chiller will be part of a trigeneration installation that provides cooling, heat and power.
"This innovative chiller and other sustainable designs such as photovoltaic energy and rainwater collection will greatly aid us in meeting our energy conservation and sustainability goals," said Larry Lamar, a U.S. Department of State Mechanical Engineer.
About Power Partners
For more than 50 years, Power Partners' facility in Athens, GA, has been a leading manufacturer of overhead distribution transformers (www.powerpartners-usa.com) for the electric power industry. More recently, the company expanded into production of ECO-MAX adsorption chillers (eco-maxchillers.com) and solar water heating systems (www.powerpartnerssolar.com), enabling new customers to benefit from its short manufacturing cycles and innovative designs. Power Partners is a member of the Green Suppliers Network and the EPA's Combined Heat and Power Partnership, and the company is one of the ten largest women-owned businesses in the United States as certified by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
For more information, contact Nancy Foltz at 828/628-6825 or at nancy@communicatia.com.
