June 2004
June 2004
Get up to date with market trends and technical developments in the
air-conditioning market.
Technical competition is joining price as one of the driving forces in the UK air-conditioning market. Ignacio de Alvaro has the details.
With air-conditioning being such an energy-demanding service, achieving and maintaining an efficient system is vital. Gareth Holden gives some pointers to making an immediate impact on the efficiency of chiller plant.
With the threat of a ban on the use of HFCs for stationary air-conditioning equipment having been lifted, responsibility is placed on the industry to prevent leaks, says Andrew Keogh.
For the appropriate air-conditioning installations, evaporative cooling offers much lower life-cycle costs than dry cooling — as well as a host of other benefits. Robert MacLeod-Smith explains.
VRF air-conditioning systems owe their growing popularity to their ability to meet a wide range of requirements, as Tony Nielsen explains.
With the launch of its R410A RZQ inverter series, Daikin claims to the the first manufacturer to offer a full range of R410A inverters — from the smallest split to the largest VRV systems.
Trox’s engineering and technical expertise in air conditioning is being made available to construction professionals by the setting up of the Trox Design Bureau.
Gas-powered air conditioning with all the features of a VRF system is offered by Sanyo in its GHP range. Instead of an electrically driven compressor, a GHP unit has an open-drive compressor driven by a gas-powered engine. Either natural gas or LPG can be used.
Dadanco chilled beams with around three times the output of traditional active beams installed in the James Clerk Maxwell Building of Edinburgh University have enabled a much more conventional ceiling layout to be used — looking very similar to that associated with a fan-coil systems.
Peak summer temperatures in excess of 35°C in a bedding factory and warehouse have been reduced to around 25°C following the installation of Breezair evaporative-cooling equipment.
LG has introduced a range of VRF air-conditioning products that can operate up to 16 indoor units from one outdoor unit. Multi V is initially available in two sizes — 4.5 and 10 hp and can be operated via the Internet, a PC, a deluxe or simple controller.
Air conditioning — including dehumidification, heating and cooling — has been provided for a domestic conservatory in west London housing a range of exercise equipment. The free-standing conservatory is close to the house and thus requires heating in winter and cooling in summer to offset the considerable heat gain through its glazed roof.
Quietness in operation was the key criterion in the selection of air-conditioning plant for the upgrade of a 90-bedroom hotel on a sensitive site on the south side of the River Thames in London and very close to the Tate Modern.
Mitsubishi Electric has radically revamped its range of small air-conditioning systems with the launch of a new R410A M-Series range of inverter-driven heat pumps.
Longcross Refrigeration has installed a Daikin VRV2 heat-recovery air-conditioning system in the control centre of train operator FirstGroup in Manchester, which runs the TransPennine Express trains.
Stulz’s CyberAir precision air-conditioning range incorporates new ventilation technology, new micro-processor and a completely new structure. Electronically commutated fans are used in all models.
CIBSE’s new president Graham Manly is concerned that the building-services industry lacks the resources and competences it needs for a sustainable future.
Without close teamwork and the extensive use of prefabricated services modules, 10 weeks would have been added to the installation time for a new hospital in Coventry and nearly 20% to services installation costs.
Managing risk on construction projects can be a nightmare. The newly developed COMPASSure scheme provides a means of transferring risk to those parts of the supply chain that are best equipped to carry it. Alan Kennedy explains.
Following over 20 years in commissioning, engineer Duncan Selby has developed an electronic commissioning device for piped services that is said to provide the ultimate in accuracy, reliability and convenience.
The Wefatherm pipework system from Durapipe is based on polypropylene-random, so it can be completely recycled or disposed of in landfills, where it behaves in a neutral and non-toxic manner.
Bitzer now offers from stock the most popular models from its range of air-cooled Euroscroll LH condensing units. These popular units are initially available with 2 to 9 kW nominal motor power and include various options to suit customer requirements.
Lockable 13 A socket outlets have been added to the Ultra flat-plate range of wiring accessories from Eaton MEM. They are suitable for commercial premises and public areas where the use of socket outlets needs to be restricted.
Trane has introduced a fan-coil unit that is suited to the requirements of the hotel market.
Titon is adding powered ventilation products to its portfolio. The company is well known for its trickle ventilators and window fittings.
Control of warm-water underfloor heating systems from simple to sophisticated is provided by a specially designed control module from Coster Environmental Systems.
Pipe Center has expanded the range of Sabiana fan-coil units that it distributes with the addition of the Futura designer-cased version. Their enclosures have rounded corners suitable for professional offices, surgeries and similar locations where image is as important as functional performance. A vandal-resistant version is also available.
Claimed to be the most efficient solar cells commercially produced in Europe are the Saturn 7 series of power modules from BP Solar.
Five models of heat-recovery air-handling units from Exhausto cover airflows from 400 to 7700 m3/h. Units in the VEX100 range are compact in size so that they can be sited virtually anywhere. The largest unit has a footprint of just 2.7 m2.
Simple and effective control to switch off lighting when there is sufficient daylight and to dim and brighten lamps as light levels fluctuate is provided by the LightSpot photocell from Ex-Or.
In readiness for higher efficiency levels for commercial boilers expected in the 2005 update of the Building Regulations, Ideal Boilers has added floor-standing condensing boilers to its Imax range. Six boilers provide outputs from 80 to 280 kW, and boilers can be installed in multiple formation to provide larger outputs.
Endurance long-life luminaires from Chalmor have a working life of 60 000 h before replacement is required — equating to 20 years of operation at 10 h use a day.
Ferroli has enhanced its Pegasus range of atmospheric boilers with the introduction of a high-low burner design to boost efficiency. These burners are used on all boilers in the range, which cover 12 outputs from 51 to 289 kW.
Axair Climate has introduced an upgraded range of air-to-air heat-pump systems using R407C.
Vapac has launched a customised maintenance package designed to maximise the reliability and energy efficiency of humidifiers.
As part of a complete product relaunch including three new ranges, Yorkshire Fittings has rebranded its PressFit plumbing products as XPress.
A family of modular wiring systems from Apex Wiring Solutions is described as providing a faster and more flexible alternative to conventional wiring for lighting, underfloor power and ‘buswire’ distribution systems.
JS has launched two electrode-boiler humidifier packages for contractors. The ELMC Plus package includes all the elements needed to supply 5 or 10 kg/h of steam directly into a room or to a duct.
Three of Airedale’s chiller ranges are listed on the Energy Technology List, so that they qualify for Enhanced Capital Allowances.
CIBSE has expanded and updated its guidance to Part L of the Building Regulations dealing with energy efficiency in buildings. One of the most significant additions to Guide F is the comprehensive data on energy-consumption benchmarks by type of building and type of room/area in a building or complex. Other checklists include one on why buildings fail on energy on energy. Practical enhancements include a design checklist and how to carry out an energy survey.
The guide costs £112, plus postage, and £56 for CIBSE members. Non-members can join CIBSE as affiliate members and immediately benefit from the discount. Membership fee is £77.
The latest ‘Trade price guide’ from national distributor Pipe Center runs to 128 pages and provides a reference for specifiers and installers. It gives the latest information for pricing and specifying on the company’s complete range of pipe and fittings, valves, plumbing and heating and ancillary equipment for commercial and industrial environments.
The guide includes details of the latest additions to the competitive and high-quality Jet range of products.
Guidance on comprehensive on-site and technical services for consultants and contractors has been published by air-conditioning supplier Mitsubishi Electric.
The company’s engineers can conduct a complete inspection and unbiased appraisal of the installed system to validate warranties and confirm that it is operating within its design parameters.
Other services include diagnostic health checks to maintain the desired environment and monitor efficiency. Diagnostic software checks for correct refrigerant levels, provides an on-screen snapshot of system performance, confirms that correct maintenance procedures are being followed and produces a full written reports.
air.conditioning@meuk.mee.com
LB Lighting’s new website provides specifiers with a clear understanding of LB’s expertise in the design and manufacture of bespoke luminaires. It includes a wide range of examples to illustrate the benefits of bespoke designs in practice.
CIBSE has enlarged the scope for membership by being able to accept competent building-services engineers as corporate members without demanding that they meet the narrower requirements of the Engineering Council at the same time. The changes that the Privy Council has approved are in line with developments in other engineering institutions. Candidates for corporate membership will still be required to meet CIBSE’s own competence standards.
Emap has acquired the 50% shareholding in Interbuild that was formerly held by Montgomery Exhibitions. Formal ownership starts on 7 July.
A 25 to 30% improvement in the energy performance of buildings over present ratings can be expected when revised Building Regulations come into effect by the end of 2005, according to Alan Aldridge, executive director of the Energy Systems Trade Association. He was speaking at the London event of a series of nationwide seminars organised by ESTA ‘Keep your eye on the ball’.
A chartered accountant employed by McQuay has won an award for her dedicated voluntary work on a community project in Northumberland.
Daikin has acquired one of the UK’s fastest-growing air-conditioning suppliers, MacQueen Air Conditioning.