BSEE COMMUNAL LIVING
Communal buildings have high levels of footfall and require heating and ventilation solutions that can cope with a fast‐changing environment. Graham Temple, of Mitsubishi Electric, identifies a range of flexible technologies designed to help improve efficiency and comfort.
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IN COMMUNAL AREAS Innovations in technology offer greater flexibility
oday’s building owners and operators are presented with the dual challenge of lowering running costs whilst ensuring the comfort of building occupants. They are now under greater pressure to find efficiency improvements but this can sometimes have a detrimental effect on many of the essential day-to-day operations. Government targets, legislation and climate change are also playing a part in how private and public organisation’s think about and consume energy. Offices, schools, libraries, leisure centres, care homes and other communal spaces where large numbers of people gather require reliable, efficient heating and ventilation systems capable of handling increases in demand during peak periods. In most cases, the technology has to be flexible and easy to control with easy access for scheduled maintenance. The good news is that there are now a whole host of innovative solutions on the market designed to help improve efficiency and comfort. Many of these technologies are scalable and have the capacity to work together with other systems to maximise their potential.
T Chillers
Chillers are a well-established and popular air conditioning solution and the latest systems offer an attractive combination of high performance cooling, heating and energy efficiency.
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Poor indoor air quality can affect the general health and comfort of building occupants and as understanding of the issue continues to grow, we are seeing an increase in the specification of Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) systems as well as advances in the development of Air Handling Units (AHU).
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Government legislation and initiatives such as Part L of the Building Regulations, The Energy Saving Opportunities Scheme (ESOS), Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) mean that more than ever, chillers are required to offer increased performance, improved reliability and overall efficiency.
Thankfully, there are several solutions including our own range of advanced modular e-series chiller systems which can be available without the long lead times associated with ‘traditional’ units. They can also be connected together, reducing rooftop space requirements and simplifying installation. These join the extensive and comprehensive line up of Climaveneta models that can be built to order and matched to almost any building or requirement. Together, they offer specifiers and building operators an almost unlimited choice of solutions.
Heat pumps
Air, water and ground source heat pump systems are now proven to be able to reduce running costs and lower CO2 emissions.
In addition to being a highly effective way of introducing renewable heating to a building, they can also be used in conjunction with existing heating in a hybrid solution and are a great way of delivering low carbon heating and hot water in buildings of all sizes. Now a viable alternative to gas, oil and direct electric heating systems, heat pumps are straightforward to design, install and maintain. They can also be used in isolation or grouped together in a cascade system that will rotate demand amongst the individual units to match the load requirement and prolong equipment life.
Heat pump technology has been utilised in communal projects for many years and solutions such as our own Ecodan range are recognised by Government as renewable heating products. This means that in addition to helping in the battle to achieve renewable energy targets and reduce running costs, operators can also qualify to receive up to 20 years’ payments from the Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).
Poor indoor air quality can affect the general health and comfort of building occupants and as
16 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER DECEMBER 2016
understanding of the issue continues to grow, we are seeing an increase in the specification of Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) systems as well as advances in the development of Air Handling Units (AHU).
MVHR units supply fresh air to a building while simultaneously extracting stale air. In doing so they also recover valuable heat energy, significantly reducing the energy needed to bring the incoming air up to room temperature.
The latest versions of our Lossnay systems can recover up to 89% of the heat energy from the outgoing air and are capable of rescuing both latent and sensible heat, enabling comfortable temperatures and optimising levels of humidity inside the building whilst saving on running costs.
These are joined by a range of AHUs, which can be configured to suit buildings, large or small and can deliver advanced levels of performance and energy efficiency – enhancing the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) of the building.
A new water‐based approach
Variable Refrigeration Flow (VRF) air conditioning systems have become increasingly popular because of their capacity to provide independent control of indoor units coupled with outstanding flexibility when it comes to design and installation.
There are, however, situations where water-based air conditioning is preferred and there is also an increasing focus on the types of refrigerants used, which is where the award-winning Hybrid VRF system can offer an ideal solution.
With no refrigerant in occupied spaces, complete flexibility of design and cost-effective installation, Hybrid VRF can still deliver simultaneous heating and cooling over 2-pipes in a way which maximises both comfort and efficiency.
Controls
Without the right controls package, there is a risk that any heating, cooling or ventilation solution will fail to reach optimum levels of performance. Controls can assist in improving efficiency and driving down running costs, allowing the building operator to get the most from the investment.
Advanced HVAC control systems are also capable of controlling additional elements within the communal building – from lighting to fire detectors and alarms – removing the need for a more expensive and complicated BEMS system.
The right fit
When it comes to providing ideal, energy efficient comfort in communal spaces there is no default solution. By considering patterns of usage and the needs of the occupants, identifying the right system or collection of different systems will become a simpler task.
Upfront costs will always be a significant factor, but the potential energy savings often fully justify the investment. Financial packages like our own MELFinance solution are also available and can help spread the cost and minimise the effect on cashflow. Whatever the project, there is an energy efficient heating, cooling and ventilation option capable of providing the necessary levels of comfort demanded in modern communal buildings.
Mitsubishi Electric has produced a number of CPD Guides on legislation and the technological solutions that can help building operators and these can be downloaded from the company’s document library:
http://library.mitsubishielectric.co.uk/ VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
www.bsee.co.uk
uA new air conditioning system at a contemporary London venue.
uArley Primary School near Nuneaton is benefiting from a Mitsubishi Electric renewable heating system.
uPlans are drawn up for St Mungo’s – a charity that helps the homeless.
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