NATIONAL REPORT—Many hotels rely on a Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner (or PTAC) system to reliably provide both heating and cooling for individual rooms as well as other areas of the hotel; such as the lobby, meeting rooms and gyms. PTAC units are popular heating and cooling solutions for any single living space such as those provided by hotels, motels, dormitories, hospitals and apartments. There is no need to install expensive and intrusive ductwork to use PTAC units. The units are self-contained and can easily be installed through a wall.
Older PTAC units are relatively inefficient compared to the increased energy efficiency ratings of newer PTAC models. The Energy Efficiency Ratio (or EER rating) is an indication of how well the unit takes input energy (electricity) and converts it to output energy (either hot or cold air). Comparing EER ratings is a useful way to distinguish the efficiency of different PTAC units. Consider a PTAC unit that is 10 years old. A good EER rating when this model was new would have been 5.0. As the PTAC unit ages, the EER rating lowers as well. It would be normal for a unit this old to run at an EER around 3.0. Now consider a new PTAC unit with an EER rating of up to 10.0 (or higher) and you will see the significant energy savings that can be realized by upgrading older PTAC units. In some cases, the cost of upgrading the PTAC unit can be fully recovered by the actual energy savings that the new model provides.
Newer PTAC units are not only energy efficient; they also offer increased comfort due to innovations such as multiple speed fans and blowers that result in a quieter operation of the unit. Some newer PTAC units also include higher quality internal components and have more insulation to reduce noise.
Newer Models Offer Greater Efficiency
Some hotel owners and property managers prefer to replace an existing PTAC unit with the same model from the original manufacturer. Replacing an existing PTAC unit with the exact same model is an effective way to ensure the unit will fit the existing space perfectly. But it is not always possible to do this. Perhaps the original manufacturer no longer produces the model or the old unit is a non-standard size. Replacing the existing model with the exact same model (which is likely a number of years old) prevents owners from taking advantage of alternate models with increased energy efficiency offered by newer models that are available in the market today.
There are manufacturers of new PTAC units that design new retro-fit models to fit perfectly in place of older models from brands that are no longer available. Brands such as KeepRite, Seasonall, Climette, Singer EA, Reminton RS, McQuay EK Series and Zoneline are just some of the examples of older models that are no longer available.
Finding the right supplier is almost as important as finding the right hotel PTAC systems. There are suppliers of top quality PTAC units with over 20 years of experience working with clients to find solutions for their new construction, replacement and retrofitting needs, however standard or unique they may be.
This article was contributed by NRG Equipment Inc.
