Malvern Company Gets $730K To Reduce Truck Idling Times: Gov Wolf

MALVERN, PA – A Malvern-based air conditioning unit manufacturer was approved for a sizable grant that will help them greatly reduce idling times of trucks to cool their sleeper cabs, as well as bring more than 70 jobs to the area, according to an announcement from Gov. Tom Wolf's office.

Wolf's office announced nine new project approvals through the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA), that will benefit Pennsylvania residents and businesses through promoting energy efficiency and building out infrastructure to bring abundant energy to homes and commercial buildings.

OxiCool, Inc., a manufacturer of air conditioners in Malvern, was approved for a $730,000 grant through the Alternative and Clean Energy program to incorporate a manufacturing line for the company’s TruckCool line of products.

The TruckCool line uses molecular sieve-based technology to create air conditioning units for sleeper cabs of heavy-duty trucks, according to Wolf's office. The sieve-based technology, created in a joint venture between OxiCool, Inc. and the U.S. Navy, will reduce truck idling for continued cooling of the cab by utilizing a small amount of diesel fuel or an alternative energy like solar panels as a source for power, Wolf's office said.

TruckCool units will reduce the use of diesel fuel during engine idling by 90 percent, resulting in a reduction of 2,268 gallons per unit annually, and it will also allow the unit to use water in place of chemicals as a refrigerant, further reducing chemical emissions.

The ACE funding will be used to purchase the remaining equipment needed for the new manufacturing line.

The increase in production capacity is expected to create 73 new jobs over the next three years. The total project cost is $2,551,715.

"Development of our energy infrastructure – whether through expanding access to natural gas, boosting the efficiency of buildings, or harnessing renewable energy resources like wind – are all vital to Pennsylvania’s economic health," Wolf said in the announcement. "These projects approved today won’t just support our business sector, but it will also help residents by improving school buildings, enabling access to gas energy in homes, and creating jobs, bringing countless benefits to communities."

The approved projects include grants to support the purchase and installation of combined heat and power systems, the renovation and construction of highly energy-efficient school buildings, the implementation of environmentally-friendly and economical manufacturing technology, and the purchase of wind turbines to harness renewable wind energy, according to Wolf's office.

The projects also include installation of pipelines that will bring Pennsylvania’s abundant natural gas energy resources to more than 500 residential and commercial customers, boosting economic development in the areas where the projects are located, Wolf's office said.

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