PermaFrost saving energy

EDINBURG - Many Rio Grande Valley residents are searching for ways to save gas and energy in a troubled economy.
One such cost-saving method is a product produced by Affordable Energy dubbed "PermaFrost" a material officials say will reduce the operating cost of air conditioners and refrigeration units.

On Aug. 23, local business owners, school district administrators, city officials and merchants attended a presentation at Edinburg's Esparza Pest Control to gauge the performance of PermaFrost for themselves.

Jaime Reyes, manager of the Weslaco-based Affordable Energy, said PermaFrost has been in development since 1991.
It's designed to remove heat from metal surfaces, accelerate refrigerant flow, increase thermal-conductivity and transfer heat throughout the equipment, Reyes said, adding that PermaFrost allows appliances to achieve set temperatures more rapidly while consuming less energy than traditional cooling materials.

Reyes said air conditioning systems require one one-ounce bottle of PermaFrost for each ton of their weight. But because PermaFrost helps the unit's compressor work less to achieve cooler temperatures, Reyes said it doesn't take long for a business owner to recoup the material's cost of $99.98 per bottle. "That little thing can save you money," Reyes said.

Reyes said different types of units using PermaFrost would experience ranging savings, adding that the appliance should be in good working order for the owner to see the most bang for their buck.

"If it's a new unit working fine, you can get up to 40 percent savings on your utility bill," Reyes said. "That's pretty impressive."
 Business owners were impressed with the demonstration.

"It was instant," said Esparza Pest Control owner Adrian Esparza. "There were 40 or 50 people here in the office as they were putting it in during the presentation. You could feel the temperature drop, it was amazing."

Esparza also tested PermaFrost in his 1978 Ford truck. During the test, air pumped out of the air conditioning dropped from 47 to 32 degrees in a matter of minutes.

"It was able to cool the whole truck down," Esparza said. "To make that thing go is impossible."

As a business owner, Esparza said PermaFrost would likely be a hit in South Texas once word of its effectiveness spreads among business owners.

Since he has utilized the product in his business, Esparza said he's gotten positive feedback from his employees.
"It's been good," Esparza said. "I'm in the office and it's made a big difference. It turns off the compressor more and that helps save electricity."

Reyes said PermaFrost is already catching on in the Valley with both businesses and technicians hoping to use the material in their jobs.

"Nowadays, everybody is looking for some kind of relief, this is the relief you can put into your home," Reyes said.
For more information, call Reyes at 472-1459 or e-mail him at affordablenergy.us/reyes.