Page 31 - Green Builder July-August 2018 Issue

Turning point.
Enhancements such as a
state-of-the-art smart
assembly line has helped
COURTESY OF RHEEM Rheem be more productive
and sustainably focused.

Rheem

e ising inno ati e ways to impro e water heating and efficiency.

Rheem is a manufacturer and vendor of sustainable water which would normally be ejected into the atmosphere—and uses it
heaters and HVAC systems. The company (www.rheem.com) as an e—cient source for heating water.
is headquartered in Atlanta and operates ve manufacturing “Before we began working with Rheem to install the H2AC
facilities across the United States. Its products, sold by Packaged Rooftop Unit, I never would have imagined that we could
independent distributors and select retailers, meet residential use our A/C system to, essentially, generate free hot water,” Stovall
and commercial needs. says. “Given the amount of food that we prepare and customers that
we serve every day, having such an e—cient way to heat water has
ISING ENERGY COSTS have signicantly impacted the signicantly impacted our operations.”
U.S. restaurant industry, which uses ve times more In the rst year after Rheem installed the integrated air and water
energy per square foot than other commercial buildings, system, Western Sizzlin’ saved nearly $5,670 on its gas utility bill.
according to Energy Star. Gary Stovall and Wyatt The restaurant hit the payback point on its system in during the
R Kaundart, franchisors second year. The savings are especially signicant, considering the
of steak house Western Sizzlin’, “At Rheem, we strive to 12.3 percent increase in the cost per cubic foot for natural gas.
have experienced these pains integrate sustainable
rst-hand.† thinking into our
The 9,500-square-foot Towson They’re an Eco-Leader because...
Avenue Western Sizzlin’ in Fort operations and products to ■ The company’s line of EcoNet-enabled, inverter-driven heat pumps and air
Smith, Ark., oŒers daily buŒet ser- help make it easier for conditioners only run to meet demand, versus the typical on or off settings.
vices, but the building is more than customers to li e They are up to 54 percent more efficient than traditional cooling designs.
30 years old. The amount of energy comforta ly while also ■ Rheem has also turned its energy-saving efforts inward by remodeling
used on air conditioning and water its five-decade-old Fort Smith, Ark,. commercial air conditioning site.
heating is immense. On average, li ing more responsi ly. Upgrades include a new smart assembly line for HVAC products, which
Western Sizzlin uses approximate- ohn it gerald, e ecuti e yields greater flexibility, efficiency and quality; switching to energy-
ly 2,100 gallons of hot water. ice president of efficient lighting throughout the entire plant; and storing finished goods
Rheem piloted the H2AC indoors in a dedicated area, which allows the storage process to be less
Rooftop Unit featuring eSync operations, Rheem wasteful.
integration technology at this location. The industry-rst system
takes the heat removed from the restaurant by the HVAC system—

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