Crista Shopis
Synairco
Crista Shopis, LEED AP, is the President of Synairco, an emerging new company manufacturing ultra-efficient air conditioners.
Synairco has developed a new air conditioner that drastically reduces electricity and uses no chemical refrigerants.
Crista is also a Project Engineer at Taitem Engineering and the Energy Audit Services Department Manager,
overseeing the EAS department at Taitem. While at Taitem she led the team that built the first prototype
of this new innovation in air conditioning. Before Taitem she worked installing photovoltaic systems. While a
member of the Peace Corps in Paraguay, Crista designed and managed construction of running water systems.
In May 2009, Crista received national recognition for her work from Consulting Specifying Engineer Magazine as one of their
Under 40 outstanding young engineers.
She has a Bachelor of Science, Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University.
Innovation in ultra-efficient air-conditioning
Abstract: Air conditioning is a large end-use of energy, is the largest contributor to peak electric demand problems and power outages,
and poses many challenges to allow independent control of temperature and humidity.
Abundant free cooling is available from the ground, because the ground is
constantly cooler than the temperature of indoor air in summer. The deep earth temperature in New York State
is below 54F. If this free cooling were tapped, the opportunity to reduce electricity usage for air conditioning would be dramatic.
But, this free cooling cannot be used by itself, because it is not cold enough to dehumidify air, a critical component of air conditioning.
By developing a completely new cycle for air conditioning SynairCo is able to utilize this free cooling, resulting in reduced energy
and elimination of harmful refrigerants. SynairCo accomplishes this by using a patented process that uses the properties of air in a novel way.