Berner International, New Castle, Pa., North America’s leading air curtain manufacturer and innovator, introduces the Architectural Elite, the debuting model of Berner’s new Architectural Collection, which has the most revolutionary and beautiful cabinet redesigns in air curtain history. The patented Architectural Elite air curtain combines the air curtain industry’s decades-old energy savings and thermal comfort protection performance with today’s industry-leading controls platform and efficient, quiet electronically commutated (EC) motors.

The Architectural Elite design anticipates the increased demand from millennials and Gen-Z for aesthetic, high performing, quiet air curtains that support the increased sustainability goals of the built environment.  The sleek and discreet cabinet design incorporates Berner’s strong engineering foundation to deliver a quiet, technologically advanced, and beautiful air curtain that performs.  The design’s performance is AMCA certified and meets the vestibule exception of building and energy codes, ASHRAE 90.1-2019; ASHRAE 189.1; the IECC -2015, and the IgCC.

The Architectural Elite’s patented geometric, balanced shape is inspired by the Golden Ratio, which is a radical departure from the industry’s century of rectangular boxy cabinet designs. The triangular shape targets U.S. and Canadian architects, interior designers and business owners searching for a quiet, functional air curtain performance that matches today’s retail, restaurant, hotel, and hospital doorway design aesthetics.

Few patrons will notice the clear satin, anodized aluminum bottom panel as it angles upward out of their peripheral vision when passing through a doorway. Once inside, the only visible parts are the smooth, upward-pointed bottom panel and triangular-shaped sides.

The Architectural Elite also features the Berner AIR^™ advanced technology control platform for air curtains, which Berner developed in-house. This platform uses a wireless controller, encrypted at the processor level, to connect the Berner App 2.0 to Berner’s built-in Intelliswitch^™ digital controller. The Intelliswitch can operate as a stand-alone air curtain controller, interlock with any building management system (BMS) and interface with the Berner App 2.0. It has a time clock, time delay, built-in thermostat, 10-speed fan control, and other integrated, end-user customizable features. The Berner App 2.0 allows account-based user management and lets facility managers add air curtains from different locations for air curtain programming and universal monitoring from their smartphone.  The Berner AIR platform includes BACnet integration capabilities, a proactive weather-based adaptive setting, and simplified remote troubleshooting resources for Berner factory technicians.

The Architectural Elite 8 and 10 cover 8- and 10-foot-high (2.4 and 3-meter) doorways, respectively. The new design replaces the contemporary-styled former Architectural Elite, but with a negligible pricing difference. While competing brands bolt together shorter units for wider doorways, the Architectural Elite 8 and 10 come in single length construction of 120 and 144-inches-long (305 and 365-cm), respectively. Single unit construction doesn’t interrupt laminar airflow, and requires no midsection support anchors for quicker ceiling or wall-mounting installation.

The Architectural Elite 8 and 10 air curtains use 1/5-hp and 1/2-hp EC motors, respectively, for unprecedented air curtain efficiencies and better articulated fan speed control. Both models use Berner’s patented high efficiency, low noise, articulating Pro-V Nozzle, which strategically discharges air to meet the floor a few inches outside the threshold or “break” for a total air seal.

Optional factory-installed hot water coils feature innovative hidden top-panel connections instead of conspicuous side input/output 5/8-inch-diameter (15.8-mm) piping. The AE08 uses a single-stage electric heater and the AE10 uses the Berner’s patented, high-efficiency Venturi open element electric heater.

Other Architectural Elite features are:

·       Factory assembled and tested; 

·       Five-year warranty on ambient, two-year warranty on heated models;

·       UL/cUL-listing and AMCA certification;

·       Hot water coils are tested to 450-psi;

·       Architectural Elite 8 (AE08) is 11 (h) x 23 (d)-inches (27 x 58-cm). The Architectural Elite 10 (AE10) is 14.5 (h) x 28.25 (d)-inches (36.8 x 71.7-cm);

·       The RoHS compliant Intelliswitch Gen 4 is recessed out of sight into the top of the stainless steel cabinet, but easily accessible with a ladder for direct programming, and for initial pairing with the Berner app;

·       All Berner air curtains are simple to install, operate, and maintain.  Washable aluminum filters are removable and cleaned in less than five minutes;

·       Made in U.S.A.

For more information on Berner International air curtain products, please call 724-658-3551, visit www.berner.com; or email: sales@berner.com.

About Berner: Berner International LLC is a 65-year-old U.S. manufacturer and a leader in the air door/air curtain equipment engineering and manufacturing industry. Berner is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), The Green Building Alliance (GBA), the Air Movement & Control Association (AMCA), and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). For more information on Berner and its products, please call (724)-658-3551 or visit www.berner.com