HEAT RECOVERY INTERVIEW THE NEED FOR SPEED
Daikin’s Martin Passingham talks to Ewen Rose about its variable heat recovery products, and why clients are looking for products with proven performance
The VRV configurator software supplied T
he technical specifications of Daikin’s ‘new generation’ of variable refrigerant volume (VRV) heat recovery products are certainly impressive – not least
the use of manufacturing techniques from Formula One racing cars to produce the extremely robust new coil and compressor. It claims to be 28% more energy efficient
than the previous generation of VRV, but Daikin UK’s DX product manager, Martin Passingham, believes the challenge for manufacturers goes beyond hardware (and control software) to the education process for consulting engineers and installers. ‘We have a big job to do in explaining
what is now possible within indoor comfort,’ Passingham told CIBSE Journal during the recent ACR Show in Birmingham. ‘Our business is not about shifting boxes. Our systems have to work – and be seen to work – for 10 to 15 years or more. Our technology has to be able to respond to changes in the environment and end-client needs. ‘Our reputation depends on that, and equipment performance is measured against a very long life-cycle.’ Energy efficiency is still not the top motivator for installers when choosing a chiller or VRV system, according to Passingham. Many are looking for ease and speed of installation first, but it is possible to satisfy that need for speed while ensuring the end-client has a system that will meet their needs in the long term, he believes.
58 CIBSE Journal March 2014 Martin Passingham
with Daikin’s VRV IV is designed to speed installation and commissioning, but it also allows for the management of multiple systems at different sites. The use of lightweight multi-port BS boxes means the system is much easier (and therefore quicker) to install; a mixture of multi- and single-port boxes gives consulting engineers the required flexibility of design. This modular design means it can be configured to suit most commercial spaces and accommodate changes to internal layouts. The system integrates heating, cooling, ventilation, air curtains and hot water, recovering ‘free’ heat from areas requiring cooling and using it to warm other areas and provide hot water. Passingham said it takes established three-
Martin Passingham
Flexibility The challenge facing consulting engineers and installers to deliver improved flexibility into commercial office comfort systems will only increase as the market recovers – and manufacturers can help support that process with training and technical back-up. ‘New VRV technology has been designed
with this requirement for flexibility in mind, but it does challenge the installation team because they have to think about how the system will be used over a long period of time,’ said Passingham. Close co-operation with FMs and end-
clients is still something of a holy grail for the building services sector, and will be increasingly important if sophisticated technology is specified. ‘VRV with heat recovery will deliver and we
have control software and installation guides to support installation and commissioning. But, to achieve optimum performance, you need a clear idea of occupancy patterns, and so on,’ said Passingham.
pipe heat recovery technology to another level by incorporating variable refrigerant temperature, which gives the impressive 28% efficiency improvement, according to the company’s test figures. By continually adjusting refrigerant temperature to match heating or cooling demand and the outside temperature, less power is needed. An added benefit is that higher refrigerant temperatures prevent cold draughts. The system also continues to provide heating during its defrost cycle, which avoids the drop in indoor temperatures normally associated with this process. The need to address indoor air quality
was also a consideration, and Daikin has designed-in the ability to adjust the mix and volume of fresh air – again depending on occupancy patterns. Clearly, the potential for the new technology is there, but will the UK market support it? ‘Everything we do has to deliver a value, so
we can’t just build a new product of such high specification that nobody can afford to buy it,’ said Passingham. ‘The market will support a price premium for improved performance, but only to a certain level. ‘The challenge for the industry is to make
sure design, installation and commissioning is of sufficiently high quality that the end user gets the full value of any improvement we build into the technology.’ CJ
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