Danfoss has named two winners of its ninth annual EnVisioneer of the Year award competition. Escambia County School District (Pensacola, Florida) received the award in the End User category; Multistack received the award in the OEM category.

Launched in 2010, the annual EnVisioneer of the Year award competition recognizes North American original equipment manufacturers, building owners, municipalities, contractors, and end users that have introduced a new product, opened a new facility, or invested in a building or system upgrade in the past 18 months using Danfoss products or solutions to realize significant energy and environmental savings.

Selected as this year’s EnVisioneer of the Year in the End User category, Escambia County School District (ECSD), Pensacola, Florida, is using Danfoss AB-QM pressure independent control valves and Danfoss Turbocor oil-free compressors as part of new, high-efficiency HVAC systems within its seven million square feet of total facility space.

The technology was first implemented at the district’s A.K. Suter Elementary School when the original 1921 building was torn down and rebuilt. Facing challenges of extreme heat and humidity in Florida’s gulf coast region, the district is now using a chiller-to-air-handler-to-VAV-with-reheat design for its HVAC systems. Danfoss AB-QM valves and Danfoss Turbocor compressors provide dramatic improvements in system control and efficiency, even at part-load conditions.

With improved hydronic balancing and control, and chillers that use nearly 50 percent less energy, ECSD has reduced its total energy costs by $2.5 million.

Multistack was selected as this year’s EnVisioneer of the Year in the OEM category in recognition of the company’s use of Danfoss Turbocor compressors to slash their customer’s energy consumption and emissions.

For this project on board Royal Caribbean Cruises’ Grandeur of the Seas ship, two existing 4.2-MW, R-22 water-cooled screw chillers were replaced with eight 1.2-MW, R-134a Multistack MagLev chillers featuring Danfoss Turbocor oil-free, magnetic bearing compressors. A Multistack MultiPRO central plant controller was also installed to optimize chiller plant operation.

“This project was outside our traditional applications, but we worked together with the customer to mitigate the risks and achieved results beyond expectation,” said Ricardo Schneider, president and CEO, Danfoss Turbocor Compressors.

“This unique project put our chillers to the test, but, through strong partnership and close collaboration with Danfoss, we are pleased to have been able to help our customer achieve great results, including 42 percent energy savings,” said Charlie Kenyon, president and CEO of Multistack. “Danfoss Turbocor compressors not only allow us to achieve industry-leading levels of energy efficiency, but also offer the reliability and flexibility needed to meet the demands of even the toughest applications.”

“We are pleased to recognize these two tremendous examples of technology at work this year. Both Escambia County Schools and Multistack have proven that it is possible to apply innovative engineering and design to prioritize energy efficiency and environmental impact without compromising operability or performance—and that, ultimately, produces attractive payback,” said John Galyen, president, Danfoss North America.

Nominations for Danfoss’ EnVisioneer of the Year award competition are reviewed and evaluated by an independent third-party judging panel.