Team Mechanical completes design, installation of solar wall for Grainger

BUFFALO GROVE, ILL. — EMCOR Services Team Mechanical has completed the design, installation, and commissioning of an innovative, energy saving solar wall for a new distribution center in Minooka, Ill., for Grainger, a supplier of facilities maintenance products to businesses and institutions.

A leading mechanical contractor in the Chicago area and throughout the Midwest, EMCOR Services Team Mechanical is a subsidiary of EMCOR Group Inc.

Team Mechanical is the first to design and install a solar wall for use at a commercial facility in Illinois. Installed on the exterior south side exposure of Grainger’s new 1 million-sq.ft. distribution center, the 2,700-sq.ft. solar wall pre-heats outside air before it is introduced into a roof mounted air unit serving two storage rooms. The solar wall's pre-heated air is regulated through dampers integrated into the building automation system, resulting in automatic switch-over from preheated solar wall air to outside ambient air based on current outdoor air temperatures. This cuts down considerably on the energy used to power the mechanical unit serving these areas.

In addition to the solar wall, Team Mechanical also installed the total HVAC system and performed the commissioning and functional testing of all new and existing mechanical systems for the distribution center.

"Our client has calculated that the solar wall will pay for itself in less than 10 years,” stated Robert Doessel, president of EMCOR Services Team Mechanical. "This project is an example of Team Mechanical’s ability to provide clients with the latest, cutting edge and energy saving technologies, something we’re very experienced and skilled in delivering, including using our expertise to support the project objective of achieving LEED Gold Certification.”

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