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.