Category: Press Releases

Melink Solar & Geo Awarded U.S. Department of Energy Grant

Posted on by Melink Solar

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Why it Matters

Cincinnati, Ohio — Melink Solar & Geo, Inc., a solar PV and geothermal engineering company, has been awarded grant funding by the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE). The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) specifically provided the grant funding. The funding enables Melink to accelerate the research and development of its next-generation Hybrid Geothermal HVAC System. This system stores energy using thermal batteries. It can potentially reduce installation costs of geothermal heat pump systems. In effect, providing significant energy saving opportunities for the U.S. with widespread implementation. The system’s prototype currently heats and cools Melink’s new Net-Zero Energy HQ2 facility in Milford, Ohio.

Melink Hybrid Geothermal HVAC System
Melink Solar & Geo has been awarded an innovation grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for its Hybrid Geothermal HVAC System. A system prototype is in operation at its Milford, Ohio, headquarters.

“Our company is developing a Hybrid Geothermal HVAC System to minimize the need for expensive ground loops. Instead, we are mimicking the thermal energy storage capacity of the water inside such ground loops with phase change materials (PCM),” said Steve Melink, founder and CEO. “Melink is piloting the first prototype at our Net-Zero Energy headquarters, and we are now developing next-generation prototypes for eventual commercialization. With our third U.S. Department of Energy grant, we are committed to mainstreaming this technology for the benefit of the entire HVAC industry.”

Hard Work Pays Off

The funding is part of an ongoing innovation project with the DOE. The project encourages small businesses to advance innovation at federal agencies. Melink received the recent funding as a result of its Hybrid Geothermal HVAC System. This system demonstrated technical feasibility during the first phase of research. Melink Solar & Geo’s skill team worked collaboratively with the University of Dayton, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and industry partners. Together, we designed a more cost-effective and energy efficient HVAC system.

“Funding from the DOE is the result of a multi-year effort. A group of intelligent and highly dedicated people have proven that the system has merit. I’m excited to say that the Hybrid Geothermal HVAC System is just one part of our growing platform of Net-Zero products,” said Seth Parker, vice president and general manager of Melink Solar & Geo.

The two-year funding will be used to finalize engineering and early commercialization of the Hybrid Geothermal HVAC System. For more information about the system or Melink Solar & Geo, please visit https://www.melinksolar.com/geothermal or contact geo@www.melinksolar.com.

About Melink Solar & Geo

Melink Solar & Geo is a national provider of renewable energy and efficiency solutions for commercial buildings. We provide consulting services and turnkey management of solar and geothermal projects. These services help businesses of all sizes reduce energy consumption and produce clean and sustainable energy for their facilities. The company recently opened a Zero-Energy building on its campus, featuring new thermal storage technologies being tested. This will help further mainstream geothermal HVAC for commercial use. Melink Solar & Geo is affiliated with Melink Corporation, which provides energy efficiency solutions for commercial buildings.

Melink Solar Featured on 2020 Top Solar Contractors List

Posted on by Melink Solar

Solar Power World magazine’s Top Solar Contractors annual list includes Cincinnati-based solar installer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cincinnati, Ohio — Although the COVID-19 pandemic is the immediate crisis, mitigating climate change is also an urgent issue. Solar installations are one way to help reduce greenhouse gases from fossil fuel-based power generation. Solar Power World has recognized the efforts of solar contractors across the United States in its 2020 Top Solar Contractors list, where local solar installer Melink Solar achieved a rank of 69 out of 407 companies.

Top Solar Contractors

The Top Solar Contractors list is developed each year by Solar Power World to honor the work of solar installers big and small. Solar firms in the utility, commercial and residential markets are ranked by number of kilowatts installed in the previous year. Companies are grouped and listed by specific service (developers, electrical subcontractors, EPCs, installation subcontractors, rooftop installers), markets and states.

“The Solar Power World team is so pleased to highlight more than 400 companies on the 2020 Top Solar Contractors list, especially during this unprecedented time,” said Kelsey Misbrener, senior editor of Solar Power World. “All contractors featured on the 2020 list reported strong 2019 installation numbers and are continuing to stand tall this year.”

This year’s collection of more than 400 Top Solar Contractors is facing obstacles that the industry has never seen before. The first quarter of 2020 was the country’s biggest ever capacity gain, with 3.6 GW of new solar capacity added. However, COVID-19 impacts slowed the market in Q2.

Melink Solar installed 27,266.8 kW (27.2 MW) of solar power in 2019. Since its founding, the company has installed more than 65 MW of solar, equivalent to 215,000 solar panels. Melink Solar is a commercial solar EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) firm offering turnkey solutions with projects across the U.S. The firm designs solar systems, procures all labor and supplies, constructs the solar array, monitors performance and provides remote and field troubleshooting assistance.

To learn more about Melink Solar, please visit www.www.melinksolar.com/solar.

About Melink

Melink Corporation is a global provider of energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for commercial buildings with five offerings: Intelli-Hood® Kitchen Ventilation Controls, HVAC Test & Balance, Solar PV, Geothermal HVAC, and PositiV® Building Health Monitor. For more than 30 years, Melink has helped companies save energy, increase profitability, and make the world more sustainable. In 2018, Melink became an ESOP and is now 100% employee-owned.

About Solar Power World

Solar Power World is the leading online and print resource for news and information regarding solar installation, development and technology. Since 2011, SPW has helped U.S. solar contractors — including installers, developers and EPCs in all markets — grow their businesses and do their jobs better.

Melink Develops 1.26MW Solar Arrays At University Of Dayton

Posted on by Melink Solar

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CINCINNATI, OHIO – Melink Corporation has announced a partnership with the University of Dayton to install 4,026 solar panels with a capacity of 1.26 megawatts of power at two of the University’s campus locations; Curran Place and Fitz Hall. Melink Corporation will engineer and construct the arrays, as well as own them and sell the electricity to the University as part of a long-term power purchase agreement.  The University has an option to purchase the arrays after eight years.

The solar arrays will provide nearly 10 percent of the power consumption of both buildings as well as power electric car stations at the two locations. Overall, the panels will provide approximately 2 percent of the campuswide power consumption and offset carbon emissions by about 1 percent annually. Offsetting campus carbon emissions by 1 percent in a year is equal to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of 278 cars or the annual carbon dioxide emissions from 1.4 million pounds of burned coal, 140 homes, or conserving 3,010 barrels of oil.

 “We are super-excited to partner with the University of Dayton, said Melink CEO Steve Melink.  “This is an opportunity to educate and inspire not only the students and faculty but the public
throughout Ohio and the Midwest.  Sustainability and clean energy are the way of the future, and U.D. has just put a big stake in the ground as a leader.”  

 

Melink Corporation and the University of Dayton will work together to provide opportunities for students, faculty, and researchers to participate in the installation of
the modules, and document the process for future use. Post installation, the Hanley Sustainability Institute and the University of Dayton Engineers in Technical Humanitarian Opportunities of Service learning (ETHOS), among other faculty, staff and students,  plan to use the modules for sustainability research and/or incorporate them into the curriculum or other programming.

“One attractive feature of working with Melink is that Melink involves our students in this project from the very beginning and on an ongoing basis,” said Bob Brecha, director of research in the University of Dayton Hanley Sustainability Institute. “Our campus has quite intentionally become a giant sustainability lab where students from all majors can have a hand in many of our efforts to become a greener campus.”

Learn about how solar could benefit your school or business at www.melinksolar.com.

About Melink Corporation: We are a global provider of energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for the commercial building industry. With four business units and a singular energy mission, we help companies save energy, increase profits and make the world a more sustainable place.

Melink launches geothermal HVAC division to meet growing demand

Posted on by Melink Solar

For Immediate Release

CINCINNATI
– April 6, 2017 – Data indicates a growing demand for geothermal heating and cooling technology, and Melink Corporation responded by starting a new Melink Geo business unit.

Geothermal heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) offers building owners a more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solution than conventional systems. Structures using geothermal HVAC typically save between 25 and 50 percent on HVAC costs, reduce their maintenance costs and water usage, and extend the life of the building’s equipment.

Additionally, as part of Melink Geo, its team of innovators have developed a patented pre-engineered geothermal pump station. The Manifest™ eliminates the need to engineer a custom pump station for each individual geothermal HVAC project, thus making geothermal more affordable and efficient.

“With 30 years of experience in the HVAC industry, providing geothermal solutions for building owners is a logical next step for Melink,” said Steve Melink, founder and CEO. “We provide turnkey management of geothermal projects for architects, engineers, ESCOs and building owners. In this capacity, we also serve as a consulting engineer for architects and engineering firms across the nation.”

A report by Transparency Market Research stated, “the global geothermal heat pumps market is forecast to reach $130.5 billion by the end of 2020, exhibiting a 13.1 percent compound annual growth rate from 2014 to 2020.”

And a survey conducted by Consulting-Specifying Engineer showed that geothermal ranks in the top five of technology demands for office building projects. According to the survey, 42 percent of engineers expect to see increasing use of geothermal HVAC for office building projects.

What is geothermal HVAC?

Geothermal is a proven, reliable and efficient technology. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that a geothermal HVAC system is the most energy efficient way to heat and cool a building.

Geothermal heat pumps use the ground as a heat exchanger via a closed­-loop water circuit. During the cold winter months, the geothermal HVAC system takes heat out of the ground and transfers it into the building. And during the hot months of summer, the system removes heat from the building and transfers it back into the ground.

Since the ground maintains a constant temperature of 55­­-70°F depending on location, a geothermal HVAC system can result in considerable HVAC savings for a building owner, compared to conventional systems using air­ source condensing units for cooling and fossil fuels for heating.

To learn more or to schedule an interview with Steve Melink, please contact Marketing Manager Allison Sternad at 513.965.7300 or melinkmarketing@www.melinksolar.com.

Melink develops vast solar farm for NC country club

Posted on by Melink Solar

For Immediate Release

CINCINNATI – Dec. 1, 2016 – Melink Corporation has completed development of a 5.25 megawatt solar farm in the Charlotte, North Carolina, metro region.

Located on land owned by Rock Barn Country Club & Spa in Conover, the photovoltaic array began operating Nov. 18. The vast array comprises 16,948 solar panels on 28 acres.

All of the electricity produced by the solar farm will be sold to Duke Energy. The system is expected to generate more than 7.3 million kilowatt hours of clean energy – enough electricity to serve 500 homes annually – in its first year of operation. The system has an expected life of up to 35 years.

“We are very grateful for the opportunity to have partnered with Rock Barn’s owner, Don Beaver, on this project,” said Steve Melink, founder and CEO of the Cincinnati-based company that provides energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for the commercial building industry. “At 5 megawatts, it is our largest solar PV project to date. And being located in North Carolina, it allows us to show our national capabilities. Solar power is the way of the future and we are proud to be helping lead the way.”

Bill Parrish, vice president of Rock Barn Properties, added, “We explored development opportunities on some of our land that was otherwise unbuildable for commercial or residential, and identified this project as a good economic return and an environmentally friendly investment. Through our subsequent due diligence process, we identified Melink Corporation as an outstanding partner for our solar project.”

Rock Barn Properties is the owner/operator of Rock Barn Country Club & Spa, which includes two signature championship golf courses, 485 residences and an equestrian center.

Construction of the solar farm began in November 2015 and concluded in June, despite record precipitation in the Blue Ridge Mountain region of North Carolina in November and December. The solar farm has just received final regulatory approval to begin operations.

To learn more about the solar project and see the array from an aerial viewpoint, click here. You may learn more about the country club at Rock Barn Properties.

To schedule an interview with Steve Melink, please contact Marketing Manager Luci Feie at 513.965.7300 or lfeie@www.melinksolar.com.

ABOUT MELINK

Melink Corporation is a global provider of energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for the commercial building industry, with four business offerings: HVAC Testing & Balancing, Intelli-Hood® Kitchen Ventilation Controls, Solar PV Development and Geothermal HVAC. For 30 years, the Cincinnati-based company has been helping organizations save energy, increase profits and make the world a more sustainable place. Melink’s corporate headquarters is LEED Platinum and Net-Zero Energy, and its vehicle fleet consists of all hybrid and electric cars. To learn more about Melink Corporation, visit Melinkcorp.com or call 513.965.7300.

Melink Partners with Equity Industrial Partners Corp. to Utilize Extra Space for Solar Facility

Posted on by Melink Solar

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – September 15, 2014 – Melink Corporation recently developed and installed the largest rooftop solar PV system in the Midwest on property owned by Equity Industrial Partners Corp. (EIP). The system is estimated to produce more than 4.1 million kWh annually. This system, composed of 12,264 modules on approximately 600,000 square feet of rooftop space, was installed on a new mechanically fastened roof on Rockville road. Power began flowing on August 19, 2014.

The system supports EIP’s initiatives to be a good environmental steward. The solar facility will be connected to Indianapolis Power & Light Company’s (IPL) distribution system, making it part of the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) program for an investor-owned utility in the Midwest. The energy produced equates to providing electricity to power 360 average American homes per year and removing over 2,722 metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere each year.

“This solar array is the perfect application for almost 14 acres of rooftop area that would otherwise provide no additional use”, said Donald Levine, Principal at EIP. “Equity
Industrial Partners is extremely pleased to be a participant in IPL’s Rate REP and by the exemplary fashion in which our EPC partner, Melink, executed the installation of this PV project.”

Cincinnati-based Melink was the developer of the project and performed the engineering, procurement, and construction services. Melink’s financing partners include U.S. Bancorp and Union Bank & Trust.

“Melink is very excited and proud to be the project developer and EPC of the largest rooftop solar PV array in the Midwest, and to be partnering with Equity Industrial Partners and Indianapolis Power & Light Company to expand solar generation in the Midwest,” said Steve Melink, President of Melink Corporation.

About Equity Industrial Partners

Equity Industrial Partners (EIP) is a privately held developer and operator of industrial warehouse and distribution facilities throughout the United States. Since the firm’s inception in 1995, EIP has acquired and developed over 50 million square feet of industrial property and is responsible for in excess of $1.5 billion in property investments. Please visit www.equityindustrial.com.

About Melink Corporation

Melink provides energy savings for their customers through HVAC commissioning services, demand ventilation controls for commercial kitchens, and solar power projects. In effort to mainstream the value of environmental sustainability, Melink operates in a LEED Platinum and Net Zero Energy office building, making it the greenest building in Ohio. Please visit www.www.melinksolar.com.

Aerial view of Equity rooftop with solar panels

Contact:

Marketing Department

Melink Corporation

513-965-7300

Melink Partners with Rexnord to Utilize Extra Space for Solar Facility

Posted on by Melink Solar

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – May 29, 2014 – Melink Corporation recently developed and installed a solar energy system on property owned by Rexnord Industries that is estimated to produce more than 4 million kWh annually. The 3,102 kilowatt solar array, composed of 12,040 collection modules on approximately 13 acres of land, was installed adjacent to the Rexnord manufacturing facility on Rockville Road. Power began flowing on April 9, 2014. 

The system supports Rexnord initiatives to be a good environmental steward. The solar facility will be connected to Indianapolis Power & Light Company’s (IPL) distribution system, making it part of the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) program for an investor-owned utility in the Midwest. The energy produced equates to providing electricity to power 360 homes and removing over 2,722 metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere each year.

Cincinnati-based Melink was the developer of the project and performed the engineering, procurement, and construction services. Melink’s financing partners include U.S. Bancorp and Union Bank & Trust.

“Melink is very excited and proud to be the project developer of this large solar PV array, and to be partnering with Rexnord and Indianapolis Power & Light Company to expand solar generation in the Midwest,” said Steve Melink, President of Melink Corporation.

About Melink Corporation

Melink provides energy savings for their customers through HVAC commissioning services, demand ventilation controls for commercial kitchens, and solar power projects.  In effort to mainstream the value of environmental sustainability, Melink operates in a LEED Platinum and Net Zero Energy office building, making it the greenest building in Ohio.  Please visit www.www.melinksolar.com.

Aerial view of field with solar panels

Contact
Melink Marketing Department
513-965-7300

Cedarville University Announces Large Solar Power Installation

Posted on by Melink Solar

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CEDARVILLE, OHIO – January 9, 2013 – Cedarville University will soon receive clean, renewable energy from the sun.  On December 31, 2012, the financing package was finalized, setting the stage for construction in early January 2013 for a 2,154 kilowatt solar array on the southwest edge of campus. Power is expected to begin flowing in April.

The solar array will be located on newly acquired land the University purchased from the Village of Cedarville.  A new underground utility corridor for the solar array will allow the zero emission source to feed electricity to the University’s distribution system, making it the largest solar system directly connected to a university in Ohio.

The system will include monitoring and display features that support the University’s curriculum.  Also, the energy produced would be sufficient to serve the needs of 250 homes and provide cleaner air by removing over 2,478 metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere each year.

“Cedarville University has been pursuing ways for the engineering department to use renewable energy as a teaching tool in the classroom,” said William E. Brown, Ph.D., president.  “This is a great opportunity for our students, but also for the Southwest Ohio region.”

Cincinnati-based Melink Corporation, the developer of a similar project for the Cincinnati Zoo, is the developer of the project.  It will perform the engineering, procurement, and construction services, as well as financial arrangements.  Melink’s partners include U.S. Bancorp, Union Bank & Trust, DP&L Energy, Yellow Springs Renewable Energy, TMI Electric, and the Village of Cedarville.

Cedarville University has been using solar technology in its academic curriculum for many years. Engineering faculty have incorporated the technology to advance missions-minded projects in Liberia and throughout the world, while the University’s engineering students have won six World Solar Splash boat competitions.

“The Village of Cedarville deeply appreciates the University’s role in making this project a true partnership that benefits the entire Cedarville community,” said Robert Fudge, the Village of Cedarville Mayor.

“Melink is proud to serve as the developer for this largest-of-its-kind solar PV installation in Ohio,” said Steve Melink, President of Melink Corporation.  “Hopefully, it will inspire other schools and universities to consider clean and affordable renewable energy solutions.”

 

About Cedarville University

Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University attracts 3,400 undergraduate, graduate and online students to more than 100 areas of study. Celebrating 125 years, Cedarville is a Christ-centered learning community recognized nationally for rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and leading student satisfaction ratings. Visit www.cedarville.edu.

 

About Melink

Melink Corporation provides energy savings for their customers through HVAC commissioning services, demand ventilation controls for commercial kitchens and solar power projects.

Wide aerial view of solar panels at Cedarville University

Contact
Mark D. Weinstein
Executive Director of Public Relations
Office: 937-776-8800

Mobile: 937-532-6885