Greenheck Project Profile McKnight Cullinaire Catering Company Houston, TX Engineering Firm: Syska Hennessy Group, Inc. Houston, TX General Contractor: CAM Construction Houston, TX This historic 1912 house is home for the McKnight Cullinaire Catering Company Mechanical Contractor: which opened in February, 2007. New Balance Houston, TX Greenheck Representative: HD Grant Houston, TX The Challenge Ensure lower heating Owner Lance McKnight added control that would not only and cooling costs in a 1,000 new square feet to the protect the food his company new commercial kitchen existing 500 square-foot kitchen prepares but also would keep his installed in an historic for new cooking equipment skilled and creative employees home. and ventilation. Due to the working productively. The Effectively exhaust con- cyclical nature of the catering warm, humid climate in Houston taminated air and contain business, use of the kitchen eight months of the year (with grease while minimizing cooking equipment and average highs in the mid-80s) maintenance required for ventilation system demands provided opportunities to the ventilation system. vary significantly throughout recover and transfer heat from Maintain appropriate the day and into the evening. cooking operations and rooftop humidity levels and room Charbroiling is often necessary cooling and heating equipment temperatures in a profes- and the smoke needs to be to help heat water and warm the sional food preparation exhausted and grease produced building outside temperatures environment. must be efficiently captured. were cooler. McKnight also McKnight, who is also an wanted to minimize maintenance McKnight Cullinaire Catering electrical engineer, was very of exhaust equipment and Company opened for business interested in maximizing energy protect his investment in in February, 2007 in an historic savings in the newly expanded the historic building with 1912-constructed home that’s kitchen and maintaining a appropriate fire suppression listed on Houston’s Historic comfortable indoor temperature protection. Home Registry. Prior to opening, with appropriate humidity Greenheck’s Solution One Greenheck Variable to a pre-set minimum speed Volume Kitchen Hood dramatically reducing energy Model GHEW consumption and costs. The One Zone Defense Fire kitchen hood also includes a self- Suppression System contained Amerex Zone Defense fire suppression system with One KSF with CUBE discharge nozzles equally spaced Two IGX Make-up Air Units over the length of the hood. This Greenheck’s KSF supply fan, gas-fired make- allows the owner to reposition up air unit, Model IGX, and CUBE exhaust Whenever McKnight cooking equipment anywhere fan. Greenheck’s Model KSF supply Cullinaire employees activate under the hood without fan supplies untempered make- cooking equipment, Greenheck’s having to move and reinstall up air where needed to balance kitchen hood with variable the fire suppression system. negative pressures caused by the volume controls and a The Greenheck CUBE exhaust discharge of exhaust air. Finally, centrifugal upblast exhaust fan fan discharges contaminated the two Greenheck gas-fired (Model CUBE) automatically grease laden air directly upward make-up air unit (Model IGX) respond to the resulting heat away from the roof surface. provide 100% outdoor air into load detected by built-in The CUBE offers an easy access the kitchen and can heat and duct temperature sensors. As clean-out port and a grease- cool the air as needed. A custom- cooking temperatures increase, resistant Teflon coating for quick designed heat transfer system fan speeds automatically rise easy cleaning. In addition, the allows the building owner to to exhaust more smoke and motor in the CUBE is mounted recover heat off the condensing capture grease-laden vapors. outside the air stream where unit to help pre-heat hot water When cooking activity slows it cannot be contaminated for use in the kitchen and to help down or stops and temperatures by grease and can be easily reheat room air for comfortable drop, the ventilation system (fan maintained when necessary. and make-up air) slows down indoor humidity levels. The Results Lance McKnight, owner of a comfortable uniform room humidity levels we want. The the building, says the variable temperature and humidity system works great and our volume ventilation system “has level. The system also yields gas bills have been relatively been fantastic” and he believes significant amounts of hot water low,” he says. McKnight is also its ability to function on demand for use in the kitchen. “We’re impressed with Greenheck’s easy has definitely helped him reduce able to recapture approximately maintenance CUBE. “It’s easy to energy costs compared to a 105 degrees of heat from the clean and maintenance is non- non-variable system. He is also air conditioning condenser existent,” he explains. “I checked very pleased with the custom- unit for our hot water heating it two months ago, (about eight designed heating, cooling and system and for reheating the months after installation) and it ventilation system that maintains kitchen space to maintain the was spotless.” Copyright © 2008 Greenheck Fan Corp. P.O. Box 410 • Schofield, WI 54476-0410 • Phone (715) 359-6171 • greenheck.com April 2008.