Seeley to expand air conditioning manufacturing

Heating and cooling systems manufacturer Seeley International is to expand its air cooling manufacturing operations in Adelaide focused on export to the California market.

Group Managing Director Jon Seeley said the company would extend its Lonsdale facility and update equipment for the scale-up of its innovative Climate Wizard Hybrid model which integrates evaporative cooling, heating and humidity control functions in one all-electric product.

Climate Wizard uses unique indirect evaporative cooling technology which allows the achievement of lower temperatures than previously possible with traditional air cooling.

Supported by the South Australian Government’s Economic Recovery Fund, expansion of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) production will create 100 jobs and will initially target the California, US market where there is an increasing focus on energy efficiency.

The original $2.6 million project to develop Climate Wizard was supported by the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre through a $1 million grant.

The expansion of Seeley’s Lonsdale facility will see an initial low-volume assembly line in operation this year, scaling up to high volume manufacturing from next year, with additional jobs created through the company’s supply chain.

It provides a significant boost to the company’s export profile, with the hybrid specifically designed for rooftop deployment in California where there is an increasing focus and urgency on energy efficient products.

Seeley said: “Innovation sits at the heart of our company, driving greater energy efficiency in our products, reducing the load on our energy systems, lowering emissions, and slashing energy costs for consumers.

“The Climate Wizard Hybrid model is a revolution in air conditioning and heating _ break-through technology that is Australian designed, Australian built and Australian owned. It is a whole new category of cool.

“It is tremendous to have the support of the South Australian Government as it continues to empower Australian manufacturing and champion innovation, working hand-in-hand with local businesses to turbocharge the State’s industrial base.’’

The heart of the Climate Wizard is a PVC pad made up of a series of alternating wet channels and dry channels.

Hot air from the outside is blown in through the dry channels, a portion of the air is supplied to the building, and the rest is returned to the air through the wet channels, where the evaporative cooling process takes place.

Heat is exchanged between the cool, wet channels and the incoming air, so no moisture is added to the air in the process.

Seeley said the International Energy Agency projects continuing rapid growth in global HVAC demand will undermine the world’s emissions reduction efforts, labelling it as ‘the most critical blind spot in today’s energy debate’.

Seeley said: “The Climate Wizard Hybrid model is a clear solution to what has been a confounding energy and emissions problem: delivering peak performance while reducing energy use, and therefore emissions and cost.’

In preparation for its commercial launch in California, Seeley International has developed a network of Tier 1 HVAC sales representative firms in California who recommend and specify HVAC technology solutions to light commercial operators, and the construction and facilities management industries.

Further reading:
Saving through smarter energy use – Seeley evaporative cooling outshines refrigerated systems

Picture: rooftop mounted Climate Wizard systems