AIR CONDITIONING
A great summer for HVAC
Gboyega Obafemi, managing director UK & Ireland, Johnson Controls Hitachi Air Conditioning Europe SAS, summarises the eff ects and opportunities of the long, hot summer.
W
ith the Met Offi ce revealing we’ve experienced the driest start to summer since modern records began and daily temperatures across the country between 01 June and 19 July averaging just below 21°C, it could be the hottest UK summer on record if temperatures continue to hold, or rise.
A 2008 Mintel report found just 0.5% of domestic property in the UK had any kind of air conditioning which means the UK homeowner is ill-prepared for a short heatwave or a long, hot summer.
Changing climate
Whether 2018 is record breaking or not, it could be a sign of things to come so specifi ers would do well to consider including air conditioning in domestic or commercial new build or refurb projects as we potentially move away from a temperate maritime climate.
On the commercial side, casual dining is apparently ‘uncool’ – contributing to the diffi culties for Prezzo, Jamie’s Italian, CAU and
28 September 2018
others – so upscale establishments need to rise to the challenge, providing optimum ambient temperatures to help create the right ambience for diners. And high street stores with air conditioning will fi nd footfall increasing when temperatures outside are high.
Newspaper headlines and news reports across the summer have served our industry well, and considerable opportunities have opened up as new audiences look upon climate control or air conditioning increasingly as an necessity, rather than a luxury.
Improving air quality
Air conditioning can provide heating as well as cooling, off set solar gain and some models even remove odours, allergens and bacteria from the air, improving indoor air quality and the quality of life for those coping with breathing diffi culties or airborne allergies. It’s also a space-effi cient solution for heating and cooling with compact wall or fl oor mount units taking up little space compared to traditional radiators and, in the
case of new builds, fully ducted units or ceiling cassettes take up little or no internal space at all. Traditionally, air conditioning is seen as expensive to run, costly to the environment, drying and unhealthy but manufacturers have made signifi cant improvements such as introducing well-designed, eco-friendly models with self-cleaning functions, eco sensors, hydrating mists and stainless clean fi lters.
Eco-friendly
Many manufacturers have launched eco-friendly R32 refrigerant models and Johnson Controls Hitachi Air Conditioning Europe is no exception, having recently launched its R32 single splits range aimed at residential and light commercial applications following on from the R32 Summit launch last year.
One of the biggest opportunities ahead for our industry is the residential/domestic air conditioning sector and this summer has generated high levels of interest. It’s now up to the sector to capitalise on this.
www.acr-news.com
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 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
