FAIR LAWN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CALMAC®, a world leader in energy storage systems, is proud to announce that its founder, Calvin D. MacCracken, was posthumously inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame, joining notable members Willis H. Carrier and Reuben N. Trane. MacCracken was best known for his work in off-peak cooling technology and energy conserving options in ice rinks. CALMAC’s industry-leading IceBank® energy storage technology, which dramatically reduces cooling energy costs for commercial buildings by shifting cooling production to off-peak hours and continues to create a more sustainable future, is just one of MacCracken’s 200+ products and 80 patents.
The ASHRAE Hall of Fame honors members who have made contributions to the advancement of sustainable technology for the built environment or the development of ASHRAE as a society. In addition to pioneering IceBank technology, which played a key role in creating the thermal energy storage market, MacCracken is credited with inventing the IceMat® ice rink system which is still used in thousands of portable and permanent rinks worldwide, SunMat® roll-out solar collectors and comfort controls for astronaut space suits.
Another of MacCracken’s innovations, the low-emissivity ceiling, continues to be a fixture of indoor ice rink technology. Currently installed in over 2,000 indoor rinks around the world, the patented Alumazorb® Low Emissivity Ceiling dramatically reduces radiant heat loads from the warm ceiling to the cold ice below, reducing energy consumption for freezing ice by up to 30 percent. In 2010, MacCracken was honored for his contributions to ice sports through posthumous receipt of the Ice Skating Institute’s Frank J. Zamboni Award.
“I am deeply honored to accept this recognition on behalf of my father, but also for the company that he worked so hard to build,” said Mark MacCracken, CEO of CALMAC. “Beyond the good fortune of being his son, I had the privilege to work next to him for more than 20 years, and I know he would have been thrilled to receive this award. He loved innovation and ASHRAE. It’s a pleasure to see his work still influencing the industry today.”
MacCracken’s other notable inventions include the JetHeet® furnace, the AquaJet® water powered sump pump, the KPad® for burn victims, the HI-V® high velocity furnace with flexible duct system for adding central heating and air-conditioning to homes, as well as the Roll-A-Grill® hot dog cooker.
About Calvin D. MacCracken:
Cal founded CALMAC (formerly named Jet Heet) in 1947 as a research-orientated company that is best known today for its global leadership in thermal energy storage and its ice rink technology. Prior to CALMAC, Cal worked for GE where he designed the combustion chamber and throttled the first jet engine. At age 16 he entered Princeton, and briefly worked side-by-side with Thomas Edison’s son before heading off to MIT. Cal was a prolific inventor, 11 time national squash champion, local councilman, and appeared in TV commercials in the early 1960s as the “Ballantine Ale Man.” He was also a devoted husband and father to the both CALMAC’s CEO, Mark M. MacCracken, and Al Gore’s former scientific advisor and Chief Climate Change Scientist, Dr. Michael C. MacCracken. During the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) Winter Meeting in January 2016, MacCracken was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame for his milestone contributions to the growth of ASHRAE. Interestingly, Cal’s grandfather, Henry M. MacCracken, chancellor of New York University, coined the term “Hall of Fame” in 1901.
About CALMAC:
At CALMAC, we’re changing the world, transforming the way buildings use energy for cooling. As the world’s leading manufacturer of ice-based energy storage systems, CALMAC’s proven technology lowers cooling costs, supports sustainable energy and contributes in LEED® certification. IceBank systems strengthen the smart grid storing critical energy sources - including renewables like wind power - for later use. Our IceBank tanks are installed at over 4,000 locations in 60 countries. Widely recognized for promoting peak energy conservation and energy cost savings CALMAC is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the New Buildings Institute and the Alliance to Save Energy.
