Projects

Island Star operates out of the downtown Kingston docks and offers customers a scenic dinner cruise through the beautiful 1000 Islands river area. While the vessel’s glass canopy offers passengers breathtaking, unobstructed views, it also presents a unique challenge for climate control due to the greenhouse effect it creates. To ensure guests remain comfortable even in the summer heat, Island Star required a robust HVAC solution that could handle the significant cooling demand of the enclosed glass environment.

Engineers determined that Island Star would need 40 tons of cooling capacity—equivalent to a typical four-story office building. This high demand led to replacing the existing chiller with a more efficient and powerful solution. The compact design of Daikin’s water-cooled VRV (Variable Refrigerant Volume) modules made them an ideal choice for this project. These units were installed discreetly below deck, within the boat’s hull, ensuring they remain out of sight and do not interfere with the guest experience.

A pump and heat exchanger glycol system utilizes lake water to keep the VRF system cool. An Oxygen8 Terra with a DX cooling coil connected to the VRF system continuously pumps fresh, treated outdoor air to the cabin guests. All this is controlled through the user-friendly iTouch manager, which acts as a central control hub for boat staff. This interface allows the boat staff to easily monitor and adjust the climate, ensuring an optimal environment throughout the cruise.

DXS supplied the following equipment:

• 4x 12-Ton Daikin Water Cooled VRF Systems
• 1x Oxygen8 Make-Up Air Unit
• 2x Pumps
• 1x Heat Exchanger