Commercial News Residential
Emerson launches Helix initiative and $35-million innovation centre

“Heating and cooling innovations help us to keep food safer and fresher, to improve our health and comfort, and to realize these gains while also reducing energy consumption and environmental impact,” said Emerson chair and CEO David N. Farr. “With The Helix, Emerson serves as a catalyst to drive rapid, meaningful industry advances that address today’s challenges and help us stay a step ahead of tomorrow’s needs.”

Located on the campus of the University of Dayton, the $35-million US innovation centre is dedicated to advancing research and education for the global HVACR (heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration) industry.

The Helix will focus on advancing ideas from concept to prototype in 90 days or less, says Emerson. To get there, it will collaborate with customers, HVACR industry partners and competitors, as well as experts from other industries “who can bring new perspectives to specific challenges”.

The centre features full-scale simulated environments, including a working commercial kitchen, a 2000-sf two-storey residential home and a grocery store. Teams will use the facility to generate new ideas then test them under real-world conditions.

The company aims to advance areas like IoT (internet of things) connectivity and use of big data to better manage heating & cooling; solve challenges related to efficiency, environmental demands and regulations; and develop new applications for automation to increase efficiency and performance of residential and commercial solutions.

A second Helix facility is planned at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, with additional future sites under consideration.