In 1890, the Emerson Electric Manufacturing Company was founded in St. Louis, Missouri. They began producing electric motors, with their first major product being electric fans. These were the first electric fans to be sold in North America. Emerson went on to develop ceiling fans in 1897. This was a significant step in indoor air conditioning.
Since then, the Emerson company has grown by leaps and bounds. They acquired many other companies along the way. Today, Emerson develops and manufactures a wide range of products, from wet/dry vacuums to garbage disposals to precision welding equipment.They still play a major role in the HVAC industry. This is particularly as the producers of Copeland compressors. These can be found inside of many different brands of air conditioners and heat pumps.
Emerson’s Copeland compressors are known for their quiet and extremely reliable operation, as well as for their constant innovation and improvement. Emerson aims to enhance comfort while simultaneously improving energy efficiency.
For instance, Copeland’s two-stage and variable speed compressors allow air conditioners and heat pumps to run at partial capacity when appropriate. This is instead of always running at full capacity like the traditional fixed-capacity compressors do.
This allows the HVAC system to maintain a steadier temperature in the home, and it saves energy and reduces wear and tear by allowing the HVAC to run at a lower speed for longer times rather than frequently cycling on and off.
Copeland’s two-stage compressors run at either 65% or 100% capacity, depending on the demand. The variable-speed compressors can be even more precise, running at anywhere from 20% to 120% capacity. HVAC units containing these variable-speed compressors can achieve efficiency ratings higher than 16 SEER.
In addition to producing compressors and other HVAC and refrigeration equipment, Emerson also supports research in the HVAC field. Their Helix Innovation Center at the University of Dayton provides testing environments for researchers and industry professionals. An example is as a fully-furnished model home whose “outside” temperature and humidity can be controlled.