Cool Services’ air conditioning team were recently called in to a prestigious Learning Campus, situated in the Midlands. This large sports complex and community association serves local schools and community groups with a variety of facilities, including a sports hall, grass pitches, specialist classrooms and other meeting rooms.

The Challenge

When the existing VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) air conditioning system reached the end of its operational life, the management company faced a significant investment decision. The objective was not only to meet the heating and cooling needs of the facility but also to reduce carbon emissions and work within a constrained budget.

The Requirement

The Management company enlisted the help of Cool Services to find a solution that balanced these needs. Ben Cheadle, Technical Solutions Manager at Cool Services, outlined the complexity of the task: “We had many factors to balance in proposing the right equipment for the installation, such as speed of installation, energy efficiency, and budget limitations. After a comprehensive survey and consultation with the management company, the decision was taken to replace the air conditioning system with exactly the same equipment from the same manufacturer. This approach brought several key benefits, including cost savings since all the existing condensate drains, refrigerant pipework and interconnecting cables could be used with minimal modification. The savings in installation time also made this the ideal solution.”

The Project

The commercial air conditioning installation project to replace the existing system was split into 2 phases in order to prioritise the works and to help it run smoothly.

The first phase was undertaken in the Spring half term holidays. Priority was given to the server room due to the critical equipment housed there. Cool Services’ team decommissioned 4 under ceiling cassettes and replaced them with like-for-like units.

Phase 2 was designed to replace the end-of-life VRF system with 2 outdoor units and 8 indoor units installed in classrooms.

Despite being like-for-like replacements, the new equipment is significantly more energy-efficient than the original units.  This is because the replacement systems are inverter-driven, allowing them to adjust motor speed based on the temperature requirements. This technology is particularly beneficial for managing high cooling demands in large spaces, ensuring optimal energy use and reduced operational costs.

The outcome

Simon Chapman Group Managing Director praised the team working on this project “the installation ran smoothly despite the tight timescale and was completed as planned, in terms of budget and schedule.”

This commercial air conditioning installation not only met the immediate heating and cooling needs of the various buildings within the Learning Campus, it also achieved significant energy efficiency improvements, aligning with the goal of reducing carbon emissions. The new inverter-driven systems ensure that the facility can maintain optimal temperatures in a more efficient way, supporting both environmental and budgetary targets.

When the team at Medivet made the decision to renovate the interiors of their branch in Thurmaston, Leicester it became clear that it was an ideal opportunity to install an air conditioning system.

Medivet, a high profile veterinary services company wanted to get the benefits of energy efficiency of modern air conditioning systems, which they would use for both cooling and heating in this busy practice.  Their interior makeover was specifically focussed on improvements in terms of comfort and amenity for staff and customers and to maximise work flow enabled by a better use of space within the building.  

Project Plan

The refurbishment of the interiors was managed by Apex Design and Refurbishment Ltd.  and Cool Services’ sister company Yee Group worked with their project team to programme the installation and commissioning of the new air conditioning system.  Improved comfort for occupants means more than simply heating and cooling. The Medivet team understood this and wanted the benefits of high indoor air quality that a commercial air conditioning installation can bring. Pollutants such as moisture, dust, allergens and pathogens are removed from indoor air in addition to heat, when the system is in cooling mode. This is a major benefit for the health of sick animals who are undergoing surgery and recuperating.

Installation Overview

9 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries single split air conditioning units were installed with wall units positioned in x-ray, operating rooms and consultation areas.  To reflect the new stylish reception a ceiling cassette was installed.  These units provide heating and cooling from one easy to use system. All indoor units were mounted on the walls and in the ceiling in order to maximise the usable floor area. Outside the building our engineers installed external units discreetly on exterior walls to save space and allow Medivet to refurbish the adjacent flat roof in the future.   

Experience and Expertise

The building was originally a domestic property and not purpose-built. This posed a challenge of working in small rooms alongside other contractors. Jak Parnell, Air Conditioning Project Manager, praised their expertise in undertaking installations quickly and efficiently in these conditions  and often during opening hours. The supply of materials and equipment was closely managed due to space constraints and a tight 12-day turnaround. The air conditioning installation carries a 7-year warranty, highlighting the benefits of working with experienced contractors like Yee Group and Cool Services.

A Satisfied Client

The refurbishment has received a very positive response from Medivet whose staff and clients are very pleased with their new surroundings. Ross Pinching from Apex Design and Refurbishment Ltd stated, “The practice is really transformed, it has more light and is really comfortable to work in now. The rooms work better and visiting the vets it’s a more pleasant experience for both animals and their owners, the benefits of the refurbishment are substantial.”

Britain’s prisons are struggling for accommodation space and one of the strategies for increasing capacity is to deploy modular buildings using offsite construction methods. This creates extra capacity that can be brought on stream quickly and efficiently.  Using offsite construction methods is much faster and cheaper than building new prisons or extending existing buildings.

These accommodation units require fitting out to make them habitable for inmates, in the same way as a standard prison cell has plumbing and electrical services.

The Project

Cool Services was delighted to win the contract to supply and install air conditioning systems in more than 7,000 modular buildings for deployment in prisons.  A team of F-Gas certified air conditioning engineers was assigned to this contract for 12 months from Cool Services’ head office in Shrewsbury.  

The team installed and commissioned air conditioning systems in thousands of the units including sleeping accommodation, accessible accommodation and ancillary units during their manufacture.

Air conditioning in Modular buildings

Air conditioning is an excellent heating solution for modular and portable buildings as it does not require a mains gas supply and offers greater energy efficiency compared to electric heaters. By installing air conditioning units in portable buildings, occupants can enjoy room cooling during summer and reliable heating throughout the winter, ensuring year-round climate comfort.

The results

Our client commended the workmanship of the Cool Services team.  Their ability to cooperate with other contractors working in close proximity in a very busy working environment was also praised.  “Our field engineers are always professional” stated Group General Manager Jason Cooper. “They are highly skilled and organised, are dependable in adhering to Health and Safety standards and work in a tidy manner.” 

While working at an offsite manufacturing location may have been unconventional for Cool Services, companies within our Group undertake similar projects installing electrical systems, intruder alarms, CCTV, fire alarms, and air conditioning units in modular buildings. The ease of relocating these units and the lack of the need for extensive foundations make them a popular choice for many government departments, schools, the NHS, other healthcare providers and many other businesses to address short-term accommodation requirements. 

Cool Services Ltd installs Air Conditioning at new high tech training facility.

Cool Services was delighted to work on the new Fire training Centre being built at the Kingsbury Water Park site near Tamworth. Sub-contracted to local electrical contractor, Kendalls Electrical Services based in Telford, Cool Services was proud to be part of the team working on the prestigious new facility.

The new state of the art training centre will be used for lectures, theoretical training and virtual reality incident command training, that is not possible to replicate in real life.

The Spec

The latest in ventilation and air conditioning was specified by Warwickshire County Council to meet their strict indoor air quality policy. The works involved installing ventilation and air conditioning in the main training centre building.

The ventilation and cooling demands of various room types had to be considered including a reception area, control room, computer room, briefing room, incident command office, admin offices, operation policy room, operation instruction room, main lecture room, breakout area with refreshment area, shower facilities, toilets and changing areas.

The Solution

Cool Services’ role included the design and installation of comprehensive systems to provide room air conditioning and ventilation to meet the regulations for air exchange in the building.  The ability to provide effective control of the air quality and working environment inside the various rooms and spaces, with their varying uses and occupation levels, had to be considered.

Daikin wall mounted units with inverter-driven condensing units, were chosen to provide air conditioning together with a Nuaire ventilation heat recovery system.

The Nuaire solution offers three distinct user-selectable modes which are: supply air warming, fresh air cooling and neutral, all whilst automatically regulating fan speeds according to demand.

Air Conditioning System Installer

The Outcome

Using products from manufacturers with extremely high-quality standards, allowed Cool Services to meet the building’s indoor air quality requirements in full and the experienced team installed the equipment to high engineering standards. 

Cool Services was able to meet the requirements of the build programme and to deliver the works on time. 

Kendalls are highly satisfied with the service and installation from Cool Services.

Kendalls Project Manager Rob Yeomans added, “It was important that we partnered with an air conditioning and ventilation specialist who has the knowledge and expertise required to meet all project deadlines. This is a highly technical building with exacting requirements.”

Commenting; Cool Services’ Project Manager, Dean Robinson said, “As well as employing our technical expertise, we always work efficiently and in a clean and tidy manner, conscious of the need to support and liaise with other contractors working on site.”

When occupied; the building will offer state of the art fire training facilities with an easy to regulate, low energy, low noise, air cooling and warming system, to keep all occupants comfortable and healthy.

The recent Covid 19 pandemic has heightened awareness of the spread of respiratory viruses and has placed scrutiny on indoor air quality. These concerns have led the facilities team in many organisations to take proactive action, to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of all employees and visitors.

While planning the safe return of large numbers of employees to the workplace; many companies and organisations are focussing on the quality of the indoor air in their buildings. It goes without saying, that the priority is the need to make indoor air free from viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens. As a result, attention has turned to finding a solution for the air conditioning units located throughout buildings, some of which have been switched off during lockdown.

The innovation

Many air conditioning system manufacturers are developing “cleansing” technologies and innovations for incorporation into new air conditioning units.  Here at Cool Services, we are successfully installing an air purification unit into existing air conditioning units. This unique, brand-new technology utilises UV lamps to sterilise the air every time it passes through the air conditioning unit. It has been developed to be retrofitted into air conditioning ceiling cassette units of varying brands and ages, and provides a solution for existing air conditioning units.

Why Choose Cool Services?

Cool Services is an air conditioning services specialist with more than 43 years’ experience of installing and maintaining systems in commercial buildings. Our role in helping businesses upgrade to self-sterilising units means we liaise with the manufacturer and install the air purification technology into your air conditioning units.  

Ben Cheadle, Project Manager at Cool Services said, “the technology is a very clever piece of kit and retrofitting it into existing ac units keeps capital costs down and minimises disruption to the daily operation of the workplace”.

The Benefits

The sterilisation units once commissioned, have been shown to provide a 99% kill rate of airborne bacteria and viruses. This offers considerable peace of mind for building operators and owners. Importantly, the added purification units do not have any impact on the energy efficiency or performance of the existing air conditioning ceiling cassettes and can be easily installed by a professional air conditioning company.

The deployment of an air sterilising unit within the existing air conditioning unit, is a cost-effective addition to the public health and hygeine steps a business can take, to maintain a healthy and Covid-secure workplace.  

Contact us today for further information and expert advice on 0800 374217.