AIR CONDITIONING, COOLING & VENTILATION Taking the stand to reduce carbon
T
he UK has a legal target to meet Net Zero by 2050. This target is now starting to bite. Buildings account for 40% of energy use in
Europe and approximately 35% of emissions. The construction industry is aware it has to build for the future, now. Although we have made great strides in construction when it comes to energy efficiency, it has now reached the point where energy efficiency alone is not enough to meet our carbon goals.
As we see a rise in architects designing low-carbon buildings, consultants are under pressure not only to specify more sustainable products but to also ensure their performance. This is leading to an increase in requests for the witness testing of products. Here consultants can visit a manufacturers’ in-house test facility, such as the one Diffusion has, to see the fan coil units they have specified operating under precise test conditions. The test facility accurately simulates the environment of a project so that a fan coil unit can operate
and be Certified in front of the consultant or end-user. This delivers assurance that the fan coil being tested will meet and often exceed the project’s criteria and demonstrates it in real time. Tests are conducted in accordance with a detailed method statement explaining each stage of the performance testing process. Here the test facility can simulate how the fan coil unit will perform under the customer’s specific project parameters, which are often complex. In accordance with a detailed method statement these tests simulate the unit operating, giving the customer further peace- of-mind that it will operate in the building as designed. Customers do not pay for the unit until they are happy with the performance reports and it is Certified in their presence. Tests that are offered include Volumetric, Acoustic and Thermal performance testing. In addition to Diffusion’s own robust, in-house testing we also commission the industry’s reputable Sound Research Laboratory to independently verify the sound test results and give further reassurance to our customers.
Performance
As fan coil units reach their pinnacle of energy efficiency it is important for consultants to consider embodied energy too. It is therefore crucial for manufacturers to consider at the design stage both the whole life costing and the performance. For example, this was central to Diffusion’s design of the new Modular Highline 235 fan coil range. Diffusion looked at every element of fan coil design and developed the range with optimum performance, low noise, improved efficiency and ease of serviceability and maintenance in mind. Emphasis was on using the most energy efficient components with the latest technology, utilising less materials, reducing the volume of materials transported, minimising carbon footprint and lowering running costs per unit size. These design innovations ensure reduced energy usage, reduced heat loss and product longevity. For example, the new Diffusion Highline 235 modular fan coil range has been carefully designed so that it is energy efficient with high efficiency EC motor and fan assemblies that provide improved Specific Fan Powers (SFP) as low as 0.14 W/l/s, reducing overall building energy consumption. In
Building Services Forum qp 2 BSEE
May24.indd 1 8 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER MAY 2024
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addition to meeting specification criteria on market-leading energy efficiency and exceptionally low sound levels, the latest fan-coil innovation is challenging previous designs, offering the first truly modular solution.
Modular and sustainability features
Modular design offers limitless options, it also helps avoid energy wastage since it gives customers the flexibility to select the exact fan coil for their project. For example, Diffusion’s new Modular Highline 235 fan coil range design comprises eight modules, including 13 fan combinations with almost 300,000 configurations ensuring customers can select the fan coil to fit their individual application. The unit’s core becomes the foundation of a customer’s selection, containing components such as filters, heat exchangers and fans, providing the base for the modular approach. Specifiers can then choose from a wide range of attenuator and plenum options to suit their specific projects acoustic requirements.
Other sustainability advantages of modular fan coil units, such as the new Highline 235, are that they have been designed
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