Glacier Bay Time Line
1990
Glacier Bay, Inc. is founded in 1990 with the goal of developing and commercializing innovative, environmentally-friendly technologies. The following year, the company introduces the world’s first refrigerator to use the non-ozone depleting refrigerant HFC–134a. The Freon-free system is marketed to long-distance cruising sailboats and wins the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association (NMMA) Innovation Award in 2003.
Reputation for innovation
1990 – 2002
Glacier Bay quickly earns a reputation in the marine industry for thermal management engineering excellence. Fortune 500 companies and governmental organizations soon request advanced research and development work. Glacier Bay teams with Westinghouse to create an ultra-high efficiency hermetic brushless DC compressor. This pioneering design eventually leads to the company’s groundbreaking variable-speed technology.
Ultra-R™ advanced super vacuum insulation is created with an R-value of up to R-50. Later, it becomes the insulation of choice for thermally efficient storage systems in the International Space Station.
Over the next thirteen years, Glacier Bay expands its expertise and technology portfolio, designing a cutting-edge thermal management system for IBM’s S/390 mainframe computer as well as systems for NASA, Hewlett-Packard, L3 Communications, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Lockheed-Martin, DARPA and others.
In 2000, Alsius Corporation (now Zoll) a medical equipment manufacturer, asks Glacier Bay to produce a risk-reducing thermal management device that cools patients from the inside-out. This revolutionary system is now recognized internationally as the industry standard for intravascular cooling.
A bold new direction
2003 – 2005
Early 2004, Glacier Bay creates a DC battery powered air conditioner (known as DC Breeze) for the marine market.
DC Breeze
Later in 2004, Glacier Bay focuses its R&D on solving complex power management problems by creating highly controllable components and integrating them under a common control system. Removing the static (non-controllable) elements of the power chain and bringing the entire system under a single, dynamic control yields greater system performance and efficiency, far beyond anything possible by only improving individual components.
Initial applications of this innovative technology are a series of 6kW, 9kW, 13.5kW, 25kW and 200kW water-cooled marine generators. These units are smaller, lighter weight, and more efficient than comparable units available in the market.
Applying the same variable speed technology to an entire power system, Glacier Bay develops the OSSA Powerlite® Marine integrated diesel electric propulsion system and introduces it to rave reviews in the marine industry in the fall of 2006.
Pioneering the future
In June 2006, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), one of the world’s leading venture capital firms, makes a major investment in Glacier Bay.
In late 2007, a leading truck fleet approaches Glacier Bay with the request to develop a no-idle solution for Class-8 sleeper trucks utilizing Glacier Bay’s high efficiency air conditioning and integrated platform control technology. Glacier Bay initiates a major development program combining its variable speed control technology with its DC air conditioning technology, and ClimaCab® launches commercially in 2008.
ClimaCab is Glacier Bay’s innovative solution for truck sleeper cabs that provides driver comfort without using any fuel. The electric auxiliary power unit reduces noxious emissions, is a verified Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) technology, and is used by many leading green truck fleets across the nation.
In the summer of 2009, premier green venture capital firm the Westly Group makes a significant investment in Glacier Bay.
The present finds Glacier Bay utilizing its integrated power platform control technology in load following generators for non-lethal weapons systems for Raytheon and the US Navy.
The future is bright for Glacier Bay, as the cutting-edge company continues to refine energy management solutions for applications across a broad spectrum of industries.
