Sound Associates

Yonkers, NY

Sound Associates, located in Yonkers, NY., has supplied professional audio and video systems to Broadway theaters, concert halls and the theatre district in New York City for over 40 years. In fact, they have even won a Tony award, among others, for their dedication and accomplishments.

Last year came time to renovate the facility with new offices and an updated HVAC system. Sunrise Heating & Cooling was the HVAC contractor brought in to tackle the job.

Strategy

After walking through the facility, Scott Kelly, owner of Sunrise Heating and Cooling, quickly realized the Unico System was the best option for the job. This was due to several factors. One, the owner was adamant about having 9 foot ceilings and with a conventional system they would have been lowered to at least 8 feet. The other issue was that the roof was completely covered with solar panels creating even more space constraints. This made it nearly impossible to have a conventional roof top unit and penetrate duct work throughout the facility. Scott adds, “Far too much duct work and labor would have been involved which would have increased costs and decreased the ceiling height.”

To combat these challenges, Scott recommended the Unico System. Aside from the largest benefit of smaller duct work, the other benefit is energy savings. With the Unico System, Scott was able to provide the same amount of comfort and efficiency from 10 tons as he could have from a conventional 12.5 ton system. This is due to the Unico System E.C. motors. These motors allow for precise control over the air flow. Using a laptop, Scott was able to zone both air handlers into two zones and dial in the exact amount of airflow needed, saving a lot of energy.

Scott installed two 5 ton Unico System units. For cooling, Scott installed 2 Unico System heat pump coils matched to 16 SEER two stage condensing units. For the heating, Scott also utilized Unico hot water coils which are connected to an existing boiler.

The ductwork and plenum were easily snaked through the drop ceiling. The outlets match the interior of the offices and blend in very nicely.

Results

The results were exactly what the business owner was looking for. The Unico System allowed the owner to keep the ceiling height he desired, yet have an efficient and comfortable system for the new offices.

The owner commented, “I’m very pleased with Scott and his team. They did a great job and the Unico System has been working flawlessly.”