Kyma Technologies, Inc., a leading supplier of crystalline aluminum nitride (AlN) and gallium nitride (GaN) and related products and services, is pleased to announce energy saving measures completed in 2011, including the largest geothermal HVAC system for cleanroom air handling in North Carolina.

Funded by the North Carolina Green Business Fund, Kyma contracted TriMech, Inc. of Mebane, NC to install a 30 ton geothermal HVAC system and a 20 ton energy efficient industrial chiller, and Danco Electrical Contractors, Inc. of Youngsville, NC to install energy efficient lighting. Additionally, Kyma installed a facility-wide data acquisition system for energy usage analysis and optimization.  Kyma estimates that the energy needed to run the facilities for its cleanroom has been reduced by 68% and that overall energy usage of the company has been reduced by 35%.  In addition to immediate energy savings, the data acquisition system will allow continued analysis of other energy-consuming systems to identify additional energy savings opportunities.

The geothermal HVAC unit controls all of the air handling for Kyma’s class 10,000 (ISO 7) cleanroom, and maintains stringent temperature and humidity requirements with 25 air changes per hour using 100% outside air.  This geothermal unit is one of the largest geothermal units in the state of North Carolina and is the only one that uses 100% outside air.  Addison provided the custom HVAC unit that is uniquely designed for parameters outside the normal design space.  Kyma is continuing to work with TriMech and Addison engineers to monitor and optimize the operation of the machine.

According to Paul Penland, President of TriMech, Inc., “The end results of this very unique and challenging project were very satisfying.  This is the only known geothermal heat pump in the state using 100% outside air, and we are breaking new ground in showing that this type of system works and is very energy-efficient.”

Dr. Heather Splawn, who is Kyma’s Chief Operating Officer and Director of Business Development and who led the project for Kyma, commented, “This project has helped us to significantly lower our costs while simultaneously lowering our impact on the environment. Additionally, we now have a much better understanding of our energy usage which will help in downstream decisions. We are very thankful for the vision of the North Carolina Board of Science and Technology and those state legislators who support the NC Green Business Fund.”

About Kyma Technologies

Kyma is a leading supplier of crystalline nitride semiconductor materials including gallium nitride (GaN), aluminum nitride (AlN), and aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) and related products and services. 

The market for nitride semiconductor devices was $12B in 2010 and is expected to reach $90B over the long term, including $60B in visible lighting applications and $30B in power electronics applications.

Kyma’s materials products enable higher electrical efficiency in all of their customers’ applications, in support of a greener tomorrow.

For more information about Kyma Technologies, visit www.kymatech.com, e-mail info@kymatech.com, or call the company directly at 919.789.8880.

Kyma is a registered trademark of Kyma Technologies, Inc.

About The North Carolina Green Business Fund

The North Carolina Green Business Fund provides competitive grants to help NC small businesses develop commercial innovations and applications in the biofuels industry and the green building industry, as well as attract and leverage private sector investments and entrepreneurial growth in environmentally conscious technologies and renewable energy products and businesses.  The North Carolina Green Business Fund is managed by the North Carolina Board of Science & Technology, a State-authorized advisory board administered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce that encourages, promotes, and supports scientific, engineering, and industrial research applications in North Carolina. The Board is focused on accelerating North Carolina's next generation of technology and technology companies.

For more information about the North Carolina Green Business Fund, visit www.ncscitech.com/grant-programs/green-business-fund.  For more information about the North Carolina Board of Science and Technology, visit www.ncscitech.com.