EPA Recognizes Melink Intelli-Hood with 2015 ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award
CINCINNATI, Ohio — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized Melink Corporation’s Intelli-Hood Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation System with the 2015 ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award for its ability to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Intelli-Hood’s accomplishments will be publically recognized at The North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers Show in Anaheim, California, on Feb. 19-21.
This accomplishment marks another milestone for Intelli-Hood since pioneering DCKV technology in 1989. After overcoming regulatory obstacles and winning the 2012 AHR Product of the Year, this award further propels the market acceptance of DCKV and its aim to further green the commercial kitchen. With over 10,000 systems installed worldwide and an estimated 650 million kWh/year saved, Intelli-Hood contributes to energy conservation goals of the top commercial food service operations.
EPA ENERGY STAR Program Manager, Una Song, responded, “We extend congratulations and applause to Melink Intelli-Hood for the Emerging Technology Award accomplishment. The Intelli-Hood System is a benchmark for DCKV technology that offers energy savings with financial value.”
Craig Davis, vice president of Intelli-Hood, commented on receiving the award, “Melink Corporation is fully committed to sustainability, and we are focused on the development of energy-efficient products and services that support this commitment. Not only are we honored to be recognized by the EPA for our Intelli-Hood technology, we also applaud the EPA’s effort to bringing DCKV technology, such as Intelli-Hood, to the forefront of energy efficiency.”
Steve Melink, president of the Melink Corporation, states the following as a response, “We are very grateful for this award. As the pioneer of automatic variable-speed controls for commercial kitchen hoods over 25 years ago, this further validates our vision and passion for innovation.”
Technology Overview
Commercial kitchen ventilation removes the heat and effluent generated by the cooking process from the kitchen space, ensuring the comfort and safety of the cooking staff. Commercial kitchen ventilation is typically composed of an exhaust hood suspended above the cooking appliances ducted to fans necessary to expel the heat and effluent outside. To replace the air lost through this process, make-up air must be provided by the building’s HVAC system or a dedicated MUA fan to the kitchen, which is composed of its own fan, ducts and potentially heating or cooling depending on the climate.
DCKV provides control over the ventilation system by modulating the speed depending on cooking activity. Traditionally, commercial kitchen ventilation systems would operate at their maximum designed speed/volume throughout the duration of the kitchen’s operating hours. In contrast, DCKV provides automatic, continuous control over fan speed in response to temperature or optical sensors that monitor cooking activity.
Source: Melink Corporation