New Emerson Innovation Center to be Proving Ground for Building Controls, HVAC Research
DAYTON, Ohio — In addition to supporting industry research across residential HVAC, supermarkets, commercial kitchens and data centers, Emerson’s new 40,000-square-foot innovation center will itself be a lab for commercial building controls and HVAC technology.
The Helix Innovation Center, currently under construction on the University of Dayton campus, Dayton, Ohio, will feature multiple HVAC systems to monitor and enhance comfort in the building and for testing and evaluation of building controls and efficiency.
“There are a number of new regulations on the horizon that affect commercial HVAC systems. This facility will give us a way to evaluate how modulating systems and controls can work to maximize efficiency and comfort while testing in a real-world environment,” said Shane Angle, vice president & general manager, commercial at Emerson Climate Technologies air conditioning business.
Initially the Helix Innovation Center will feature a 50 ton rooftop unit, a separate 20 ton rooftop unit and a VRF system, along with Emerson building controls. For easy testing and evaluation, the facility will have visible ductwork and a station where building metrics from electronic monitors and building controls can be easily accessed.
“This is a unique opportunity for us to collaborate with our industry partners to evaluate comfort and efficiency in a commercial building,” said Rajan Rajendran, vice president, system innovation center and sustainability for Emerson Climate Technologies. “One of the exciting things about working in The Helix is that we can look at settings like an office, a supermarket and a restaurant all in the same facility and share what we learn across those environments.”
About The Helix Innovation Center
The light commercial building module is one of five modules currently under construction at The Helix innovation center, a nearly 40,000-square-foot facility on the University of Dayton campus. Emerson’s $35-million total investment in The Helix will foster an ambitious, collaborative approach to conducting research to create new technologies that address heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industry challenges.
The Helix will focus on five HVACR industry markets: supermarket refrigeration, food service operations, residential connected homes, data center cooling and light commercial buildings.
Emerson plans for The Helix to be a global hub of HVACR industry education. In addition to the five modules, the facility includes three learning labs and the company plans to host industry meetings and hold forums for HVACR professionals onsite.
