PaceControls is an important green technology company, yet it has nothing to do with solar, wind, geothermal or biofuels. The York-based company, however, has everything to do with conserving energy, and doing it in a way that meets the immediate needs of commercial and residential customers alike.
While countless other companies are focused on supplying clean, next-generation energy, PaceControls is helping stem the tide of demand with its PACE2 product line. The company, which recently received a nearly $250,000 investment from Ben Franklin Technology Partners, sold about 1,000 energy-saving retrofit controls for HVAC and refrigeration (HVACR) units in the third quarter alone, bringing its overall market presence to 10,000 units installed for customers like McDonald’s, Whole Foods, the City of New York, and Marriot.
“There are a lot of interesting technologies coming along, but they’re 5-10 years away,” says Bob Shaw, PaceControls’ senior vice president for business development and partnering. “Right now the most important thing is to conserve energy without significantly effecting the consumer, without requiring a lifestyle change.”
Shaw indicates the primary reason for the company’s growing success is its commitment to rigorous testing and trials of the PACE2 technology, which establishes optimal run times for HVACR compressors and burner units–the primary energy-consumption elements in most HVACR equipment. He estimates 30 independent studies in the last four years and a growing list of 9 million data points to back up the product’s claims.
The PACE2 installs for roughly $1,000 per unit controlled, like each rooftop fan of an air-conditioning system, and Pennsylvania customers can take advantage of the state’s Act 129 incentives to save up to roughly 33 percent. Shaw says payback, or the expected time it takes to recoup the cost of investment, can be achieved in about two years.
“There are a lot of creative things being done right now, but most require replacing entire HVAC systems or installing large infrastructure to centralize control,” says Shaw, who notes the PACE2 is especially beneficial for users of natural gas. “There’s not many things you can install for $1,000 per point and get that kind of savings.”
Source: Bob Shaw, PaceControls, LLC
Writer: Joe Petrucci