Enerfit launches first commercial air conditioning retrofit to provide mobile and online access to real-time unit data

CHATTANOOGA, TENN. — Enerfit, LLC, providing a patented, easily installed retrofit for commercial air conditioning units that cuts annual electric consumption by half or more, is pleased to announce the launch of Enerfit Version 1 Basic (V1B), the first air conditioning retrofit to combine highly advanced technology with easy installation and real-time access to streaming unit data.  

The V1B comes pre-programmed and boasts a radically simplified installation process that can be completed in only one to two hours by the regular technician servicing the unit. Enerfit V1B also has a comprehensive alarm system that gives field service technicians early warnings about refrigerant pressures and superheat that can take an HVAC system offline if left untreated.

The V1B delivers Enerfit’s industry-leading Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) energy savings and introduces EnerTouch, a breakthrough ARM-powered touchpad controller and web server. This technology aggregates building automation and control networks (BACnet) data and makes it available on any browser or mobile device. As a result, service technicians can see real-time unit data on their smart phones and building owners can check the status of their units from any location. 

“Enerfit is committed to addressing the needs of field service technicians, while providing building owners with exceptional – and ongoing - return on investment (ROI),” said Ron Patch, President, Enerfit. “Owners save considerable time and expense with the V1B’s simplified installation, real-time data monitoring and seamless integration into building automation systems. Equally important, our technology ensures that on-site technicians can easily understand and accurately use the retrofit, enabling owners to maximize their ROI over the long term. Service technicians are the missing link in the HVAC payback equation and we’ve spent years listening and improving our product based on feedback from the field.” 

Enerfit is a retrofit for single-zone commercial air conditioning units that typically cuts annual electrical consumption in half or better. Enerfit saves energy and increases comfort by controlling the indoor (evaporator) fan speed in response to the operating mode of the unit.  Critically, Enerfit in cooling mode modulates the fan speed in response to actual conditions outdoors and in the conditioned space. Unique among VFD retrofits, Enerfit also lowers relative humidity by 15 to 20 percent on average, resulting in huge improvements in occupant comfort.  

Enerfit’s V1B is designed for easy and immediate integration in a building automation system and in analytics programs such as SkySpark, CopperTree and others.  Alarms and data points are uniformly labeled and clearly transmitted for maximum ease of integration. 

Although each Enerfit kit is custom designed for its specific HVAC unit, the V1B features standardized wiring diagrams and programs that reduce the retrofit’s engineering and hardware costs while maintaining high performance standards. Enerfit passed those savings directly to customers.