KCC and Transaera partner to scale MOF-based outdoor air systems for high-efficiency humidity control

# What happened

# Why it matters Humidity, or latent load, is a major efficiency problem for many commercial buildings. Conventional packaged rooftop equipment handles latent load by overcooling air below the desired space temperature and then reheating it, which consumes energy twice. Traditional liquid or wheel desiccant systems avoid overcool-and-reheat but require high-temperature regeneration, which carries its own energy penalty.

Transaera's MOF sorbent releases moisture at much lower regeneration temperatures than conventional desiccants. That characteristic lets the system follow an all-electric heat-pump approach rather than relying on high-temperature reheat or combustion for regeneration. Transaera reports 40% energy savings compared with conventional packaged DX-only systems and says it has demonstrated more than double the current US minimum efficiency standard for moisture removal.

# How the technology is being commercialized Transaera developed the MOF-based sorbent and the core chemistry. KCC's role is to make that core into a product that can be manufactured, installed, and serviced at scale. KCC engineers and builds the cabinet, integrates the refrigeration and desiccant stages, implements Transaera's proprietary control sequences, and supplies domestic manufacturing capacity.

KCC adapted a dedicated outdoor air cabinet for the first-generation unit and is co-developing the next-generation cabinet with Transaera. The companies have integrated controls so the desiccant stage and refrigeration stage operate as a single machine rather than two separate systems.

# What company leaders say Kevin Muldoon, KCC's director of research and development, said: "Latent load is where a lot of rooftop equipment quietly loses. What makes the MOF approach interesting is that it removes moisture at a much lower regeneration temperature, which is what puts an all-electric path to humidity control genuinely in reach. Our role has been to make sure the system around that core performs the way the material does."

Transaera CEO and co-founder Sorin Grama summed up the partnership value: "KCC has been making dedicated outdoor air systems for decades, and they brought a production platform, a controls organisation, and real manufacturing capacity to a company our size."

# Deployment and market context Additional units are already in production and volume is expected to grow as demand for high-efficiency, all-electric humidity control increases in commercial and multifamily buildings. Transaera previously announced a multi-year collaboration with Amazon to expand deployment of its high-efficiency heat pump technology after a six-month field trial at an Amazon logistics facility in hot, humid conditions.

# Practical implications for building owners and engineers

• The system targets rooftop footprints and dedicated outdoor air applications, so it can be considered where packaged rooftop units are common.
• Expect lower energy use for moisture control compared with DX-only rooftop equipment because the MOF removes moisture at lower regeneration temperatures.
• KCC's manufacture and standardised cabinet design aim to make servicing and commissioning consistent with existing HVAC technician skill sets.

# Bottom line