Air Conditioning World
Staying focused is vital for a bright HVAC future
The HVAC industry has put in significant efforts in recent years to adapt to new regulations and changes to government policy. With more changes to come, work must continue to ensure a bright future, says Graham Wright the new President of Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning Manufacturers Association HEVAC.
resources to tackle the skills shortage and comply with new regulations.
Training
Graham Wright
decade, the HVAC industry has been bombard- ed with significant amounts of leg- islation, from safety standards, building regulations and perform- ance criteria, through to rules on the disposal of old equipment. While manufacturers and others have worked extremely hard, not only to ensure compliance, but also to support and help influence Government policy, the situation is unlikely to get easier, with new challenges and more rules and regulations coming in the next few years. It is therefore crucial that industry continues to provide
Anyone working in the renew- ables field will realise there is a significant skills shortage, not only in the capability to install new technologies, but also in under- standing and promoting how building design can benefit through their use. Manufacturers, in particular, have to continue to provide support and training of technicians and designers and work with training bodies to enable the skills gap to be closed. This will also help industry meet customer demand created by Government incentive schemes such as the domestic and non- domestic Renewable Heat Incentives.
F-Gas regulation
At the end of 2014, the new F-Gas Regulation will come into force,
introducing phase downs and phase outs of gases such as R22, along with complexities of dealing with lower Global Warming Potential refrigerants. Collectively, industry must make these regula- tions work effectively HEVAC, along with the BRA and other industry bodies, will help commu- nicate these changes to members, their customers and a wider audi- ence but everyone will have to continue to work to ensure the new rules are adhered to.
Building regulations
Discussions are underway to start the new revision of Part L 2016, which will affect the entire HVAC sector, and the Government has restated its commitment to meet- ing the CO2 emission targets set down by Europe, by using the current regulations and allowable solutions. However, with the General Election next year, the future is uncertain in many respects. If history is anything to
Luxury hotel replaces R22
approach to air conditioning system replacement has delivered dramatic energy sav- ings at the Grade II listed Bloomsbury Hotel in London, owned by The Doyle Collection. The £1 million project replaced an ageing system using R22 refrig- erant with a state-of-the-art Daikin VRV III-Q air conditioning system. With a complete ban on the use of R22 refrigerant at the end of 2014, building owners need to consider upgrading their climate control systems without delay. Daikin VRV III-Q system is a ‘whole building solution’, allowing control of multiple cooling, heating and hot water systems. It is an innovative alternative to complete R22 system replacement, as it allows existing pipework and some
indoor units to be retained. This lowers cost, speeds up installation and ensures business continuity. As part of an on-going upgrade programme, The Doyle Collection wanted to reduce energy usage and CO2 emissions by 30 per cent, whilst improving comfort levels for guests by optimising climate con- trol in all the bedrooms, meeting spaces, public spaces, bar and restaurant. The building also need- ed to comply with UK legislation on the use of refrigerant gases. The new system comprises 56 outdoor units linked to 209 indoor ducted and wall mounted con- cealed chassis units in the bed- rooms. In communal areas a com- bination of VRV, splits, wall and floor mounted units were used. Keeping to a nine-month pro-
34 | September 2014 | ACW supplement to HVR
gramme was essential, to ensure revenue losses were minimised. As a result, work was phased and planned on an hour-by-hour basis. The programme was managed between the client and the installer Temperature Control, with technical and logistical sup- port provided by Daikin UK. The biggest challenge was working in an operational hotel. The phased programme meant sections of the hotel were closed off, enabling the team to remain “invisible”, working safely and seamlessly in the background, without disturbing guests. Andy Grundy, project engineer
at Temperature Control said: “Along with Daikin UK, this was a great team effort – showing the benefit of a strong and lasting
working relationship between client and contractor.” VRV systems are modular, which means they are flexible in application and installation can be phased, further minimising disrup- tion. On this project, the compact and lightweight units could also be installed without using cranes, reducing costs further. VRV III-Q uses R410A gas, which can work at the lower pres- sures used by R22 systems whilst delivering much higher efficien- cies. The system is 40 per cent more efficient in heating and 25 per cent higher in cooling than R22 refrigerant systems.
Daily news update at
www.heatingandventilating.net
go by, whoever is elected in May will have their own agenda and will drive the regulations in the way they see fit.
While there are many chal- lenges ahead, I am confident that industry has the skills and desire to meet these head on. For exam- ple, I continue to gain a tremen- dous feeling of satisfaction when I see members of HEVAC working together to make a substantial contribution towards forming Government policy, by leading in the understanding of how renew- able technologies can help change the future for the better. Graham Wright is Daikin UK’s Legislation Specialist and became President of HEVAC in July 2014. A mechanical engineer who has worked in the air conditioning industry for 30 years, he has proj- ect managed some of the largest chiller projects in London and worked in product marketing and engineering across Europe for three major AC manufacturers.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60