ACR Journal - Sep 2015 by ACR Journal - Heat Pumps Today

ISSN 2058-4407

VOLUME 1 No8

Essential Information for the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry

SEPTEMBER 2015 1989-2014

AN N RY

01 Cover Sept15.indd 1

IV E RSA

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ENTER

NOW Closing date 16th September

HERE ARE THE AWARD CATEGORIES: > ACR Commercial Project > Domestic Air Source Project > ACR Retail Project > Domestic Ground Source Project > Non Domestic Air Source Project > Non Domestic Ground Source Project > Air Conditioning Product > Heat Pump Product > Refrigeration Product > ACR Ancillary Product > In-Situ Monitoring > Heat Pump Installer > ACR Contractor > Wholesaler/Distributor > HVAC&R Champion

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LG SPECIAL

September 2015

Why is LG growing

in the UK ACR Journal editor, Will Hawkins, spent a week in South Korea with LG learning about what makes this company so impressive.

G’s UK Head of Air Conditioning and Energy, Jody Lees, invited me out to Korea to see how they operate. The group consisted of Consultants from Buro Happold, Mitie, JCW Energy Services, North Bristol NHS and Bublshop.

LG’s heating system in one of its dormitories

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The air conditioning market is as about as competitive as it gets in the UK. To compete against the

manufacturers with the biggest market shares, you have to have a clear strategy. You need great products, great service and top people in place to stand a chance of being successful.

GROWTH FROM CHANGE Jody has had a big impact on LG’s fortunes in the UK. Since arriving at the company, a few years ago, sales have increased. LG is the fastest growing air conditioning brand in the UK (according to Jody). A combination of changes in the business has made LG’s growth possible. The ﬁrst change made was getting the right team in place. He recruited a strong team of sales and marketing experts. They have the right attitude, skills and experience to put Jody’s master plan in place. Next, LG brought its products up to speed to be able to compete. That is testament to his work with LG’s UK Product Manager, Steve Jung. The pair worked hard to bring the LG product range up to a standard suitable to the UK market. Customers can take LG seriously. Jody explained that he has made subtle changes in his approach to developing future business in the UK. In a market which thrives

on its strong relationships, LG’s engineers work more with customers early in the design process. It’s a popular approach.

WORKING CLOSELY WITH CUSTOMERS The engineers help their customers’ commission and install their LG products. This ensures they works as designed. It seems like an obvious approach, but strategy seems to be working. Such a simple change of tack has improved LG’s business. The team now receives ‘inbound’ leads from the referrals the ‘handson’ approach generates. Jody explained how the European subsidiaries now store their stock in the Netherlands. This change has increased the speed at which they get units out to customers. If customers want it ‘next day’ in the UK they can buy it from the well-known air conditioning and refrigeration wholesalers. Jody has transformed LG’s service levels in the UK with the changes.

BIG ENOUGH TO COMPETE The main LG factory is, as mentioned, in Changwon, a city near Busan, Korea’s second city. The ﬁrst to thing to strike you when you arrive at the LG factory is the sheer scale of it. The site is massive. It is not surprising, considering the number of air conditioning, heat pump and compressors units the company each day. More interestingly (given the group’s focus on building services), we then went to see the factory where LG makes its Multi V IV VRF units. Like many factories in this part of the world, it operates on a LEAN basis. It rotates its workers around various tasks to keep them stimulated so they maintain the quality of its products.

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LG SPECIAL

acrjournal.uk

“If there is one thing that today with LG showed me about the company, it is its scale of capability.” The factory is a mix of human operators and robots. Most of the robots are moving components around the ﬂoor. If you happen to get in their way, they pause, honk their horns and move on when clear. Each delivery robot is tracked around the factory to see when and where parts are delivered. Along the production line are screens showing the targets for each shift. The factory builds around 200 units a day in the summer, seven days a week. Multi V IV units use R410A refrigerant. They launched in the UK in January 2014. LG tests a percentage of the units coming oﬀ the production line for performance. Leak detection is also part of the production process. This ensures they know everything is up to the high standard it sets itself. In the testing centre, we also saw some of the products coming ‘down the line’. I am not able to tell you what they are, unfortunately. But, it

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highlighted the speed at which LG develops its new products. The indoor units are made upstairs in the factory where they make around 1,200 units a day. This increases in the summer. We moved onto one of LG’s ‘dormitories’ for its employees in the town to see how it uses its own products. The dormitory uses LG VRF, solar panels and high temperature heat pumps to provide heating and cooling. The boiler room contained LG air handling units too, with the Multi V IV outdoors units on the roof. It was an impressive installation. Finally, we visited the air conditioning, heat pump and refrigeration showroom. On top of its well-known AC and air source heat pump systems, LG has geothermal, and water source heat pumps. The company also makes solar PV solutions andenergy eﬃcient retail refrigeration solutions.

SCALABILITY If there is one thing that today with LG showed me about the company, is its scale of capability. Having a massive factory is one thing. But, being able to handle big projects is another. To deliver large scale air conditioning projects, you not only need the volume of products to make it possible. You also need to have the technical skills to provide the solution. LG took us to see a reference site which aptly demonstrated what LG is capable of delivering. In Busan, as you drive in from the airport, there is a group of high rise, luxury apartments which stand like sentinels guarding the city. These glass-fronted buildings include the ‘Zenith Tower’, an 80-ﬂoor residential tower block. It is over 300 metres high and went up in 2011. It took four years to build and it has nearly 1,800 individual apartments. The Zenith Tower is the second tallest building in Korea. LG provided the air conditioning systems, namely its Multi V III units for the entire building. Each apartment has its own LG system providing cooling. The Zenith Tower is an impressive project. If you think that LG is a small player in the global air conditioning and heat pump market, think again. LG is big, capable and responsive to a fast-changing market.

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LEAK DETECTION

acrjournal.uk

Saving you both time & money whilst complying with legislation “fixed leak detection is going to play an important part” the next few years, it would seem a shrewd investment, and one that would help users to comply with the new revised F-Gas legislation.

THE LEGISLATION SURROUNDING LEAK DETECTION

arly detection of refrigerant leaks has never been so important. Whether it’s for safety due to flammability or to maintain, optimum energy efficiency, minimise the cost of the refrigerant lost, or to comply with legislation such F-Gas, there has never been so many compelling reasons to find leaks and fix them early and quickly. With the cost of a basic automatic leak detection system little more than the price of a 60kg bottle of refrigerant, and with the higher GWP refrigerants predicted to dramatically increase in price over

The revised F-Gas 517/2014 legislation came into eﬀect on 1st January 2015 placing greater importance on minimising refrigerant emissions and requiring more regular leak checks on many types of equipment. Article 3 requires operators of equipment containing F-Gases to take precautions to prevent leakage

and take all measures, technically and economically feasible, to minimise leaks. Furthermore, they have to ensure equipment is repaired without undue delay. Many of the principles of the 2006 F-Gas legislation remain in Articles 4 and 5, but, equipment with higher GWP refrigerants will need to be checked for leaks much more frequently. The refrigerant charge is no longer the reference point, instead it’s the CO Tonnes equivalent charge value. This is calculated by multiplying the charge in kg by the GWP value of the refrigerant in the system.

CO2 Tonnes equivalent value = Refrigerant charge in kg x GWP value of the refrigerant /1000 ₀ Any equipment containing 5 Tonnes CO equivalent or more needs to be leak checked and documented, as required by Article 6 on record keeping. ₀ For R-404A this is reduced to 1.3kg charge, R-410A to 2.4kg, although R-134a has increased to 3.5kg. ₀ For hermetically sealed systems the threshold doubled as it applies from 10 Tonnes CO2 equivalent. ₀ For systems with a charge of 3kg or less (6kg for hermetic systems), the leak check requirements don’t apply until 1st January 2017. ₀ For all other systems the new requirements are already in force.

Continued on page 22

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REFRIGERANTS

September 2015

Continued from page 20

LEAK DETECTION: SYSTEMS AND SENSORS The frequency of leak checking is dependent upon the CO Tonnes equivalent value, with thresholds also at 50 and 500 Tonnes CO equivalent. Those systems with automatic leak detection that alerts the operator do not need to carry out a leak check as frequently. The logic being that if a leak were to occur, fixed leak detection would identify it immediately rather than waiting until the mandatory leak check. For systems with 500 Tonnes CO equivalent or more, fixed leak detection is mandatory. For R-404A this applies to anything with a charge of 127kg or more, whilst for R-407C it would be 282kg. The incentive for fixed leak detection is to minimise emissions and early detection of a leak starting to occur, which for high GWP refrigerants is particularly important. Useful tools are available, such as the F-Gas Solutions app from Climalife, which can advise GWP levels and calculate the CO equivalent tonnage for all common refrigerants.

KEY BENEFITS of installing a refrigerant leak detection system 1. Safety – monitor refrigerant leakage to avoid harming people and protect assets. 2. Efficiency – leaks reduce energy efficiency and may increase wear and tear. 3. Cost savings – reduce the amount of refrigerant being used. 4. Environmental – reduce the amount of refrigerants released to atmosphere 5. Compliance – EN 378, EN 14624 and F-GAS.

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Leak detection systems There are several different types of leak detection systems available using different sensing technologies. Point detectors have a sensor which is mounted at the probable point of a leak and have the advantage that every instrument continuously monitors the air at that location, resulting in much shorter response time. Aspirated systems sample gas via tubing from various locations to a central sensor and act as a complete centralised control system where the sampled air is evaluated within the system and all measure values are displayed in one unit. Leak detection sensors There are a number of different sensor technologies available for use in refrigerant leak detection systems. Semiconductor sensors (suited to HFCs, CFCs, HCFCs and propane) respond to a broad range of gases and are usually a lower cost option. Infrared sensors (suited to HFC, CFC, HCFCs, NH3 and CO2) and Electrochemical sensors (suited to NH3) are more gas-specific types and provide higher performance, enhanced accuracy and smaller detection limits.

HOW AND WHERE SHOULD YOU MONITOR? Chiller plants, refrigeration plants, cold stores and store ﬂoors should be monitored, so too should air conditioning systems to

“There are a number of different technologies”

ensure building occupant safety. There are a number of companies in the UK, such as Climalife working in partnership with Bacharach, who can advise on various leak detection solutions for a range of building needs and provide more tailored guidance around location of equipment, type and number of sensors to use.

LEAK DETECTION IS HERE TO STAY To meet the F-Gas quota reductions on the amount of refrigerant that can placed on the market each year, ﬁxed leak detection is going to play an important part in reducing leaks and will be very cost eﬀective as refrigerant prices escalate, particularly those with higher GWP values.

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12/08/2015 12:54:22

SYSTEM FLUSHING

September 2015

LIFE BEYOND R22 System Flushing Saves Time and Money Clean Through – Clean Up

By Tom Fitzsimons M.inst.R. DiversiTech Product Manager, Pump House

As you will no doubt be aware, it is now illegal to use HCFC (Hydro chlorofluorocarbons) refrigerants, such as R22, in any refrigeration, heat pump or air conditioning systems. This is due to its high ozone-depleting potential.

or many years R22 had been routinely used in AC systems but, since 2004, it has been illegal for use in new AC equipment. It could, of course continue to be used in exiting systems for servicing and top up requirements, at least until 2010. However, in 2010 a European regulation called the ODS Regulation came into force which made using new, virgin R22 illegal to maintain existing RAC equipment. Since 2010 only recycled R22 obtained from decommissioned RAC equipment or reclaimed R22 could be used for servicing and replacement and of course, such recycled or reclaimed R22 became increasingly scarce and expensive. As there were many systems out there that were still in service using R22 this has had an increasing eﬀect on air-conditioning costs. This all changed from January 2015 because it became illegal to use any R22, whether that be virgin, recycled or reclaimed, in any RAC system.

Therefore there were two options for such RAC systems:

OPTION 1: Replace With New AC Equipment. Older systems, including those that are in poor condition, inefficient or not meeting their current (or forecast) cooling load, should be replaced with new systems using a non-ODS refrigerant. These can include HFCs (but these must comply with the EC F gas Regulations) or a “natural” refrigerant like hydrocarbons, ammonia or carbon dioxide. This option can have a number of benefits including a significant improvement in energy efficiency, a possible reduction in refrigerant charge, either by using new “critical charge” systems or by employing secondary coolants. However, replacement is the most expensive option in terms of up-front cost.

in the system, then a complete system flush is recommended to ensure that any remaining mineral oil and / or contaminants remaining in the system are removed prior to the introduction of the new oil and refrigerant. There are a number of flushing systems on the market ranging from liquid based flushing fluids which are “pumped” around the system for a period of time and then removed, to solvent based, high evaporation rate fluids which are single pass products One such system is DiversiTech’s Diversi-Flush system which is a safe, non-toxic, and residue free product. In addition, DiversiFlush meets EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Program (SNAP) standards.

OPTION 2: ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Retrofit to an Alternative Refrigerant Of course, ﬂushing out systems

Things to consider when choosing which the better option is: 1) The age and condition of the current AC system 2) Existing and potential leakage problems 3) The efficiency of the system 4) Cost 5) Whether alternative refrigerants are compatible 6) Efficiency and availability of an alternative refrigerant 7) The equipment manufacturers’ advice about using alternative refrigerants

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For many types of RAC systems, as long as they are in good order, it is possible to consider a retrofit solution. This could be as simple as finding suitable HFC refrigerant designed as a replacement for R22 and depending on the system type, could even be compatible with the system’s existing mineral oil. If not, then a system oil change will be needed to a POE oil and perhaps some additional modifications to add additional compressor and/or heat exchanger capacity. If the decision is to retrofit and it is necessary to change the oil

and pipework in order to retroﬁt an R22 system is only one use for a ﬂushing system such as DiversiFlush, as it can also be used to clean out and remove contaminants from systems following compressor burn outs. It can also save a lot of time and money by being used to clean through existing pipework to reuse when replacing and upgrading indoor and outdoor AC units. Diversi-Flush is distributed by Nottingham based Pump House and is available from most Refrigeration and Air Conditioning wholesalers throughout the UK.

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12/08/2015 13:28:12

REFRIGERANTS

acrjournal.uk

A2L – Mildly Flammable Refrigerants Jane Gartshore, from Cool Concerns, explores the challenges with A2L refrigerants

here is no perfect refrigerant. To meet ever strengthening F Gas legislation we need refrigerants with a low global warming potential. But, these refrigerants all have challenges – the high pressure and system differences associated with R744 or flammability. There are a number of new HFC type refrigerants which have low flammability. For this type of refrigerant there is a trade-off between GWP and flammability – the refrigerants with the lowest GWP are flammable. The low GWP / low flammability HFCs include: Refrigerant

GWP

Application

R32

675

Split AC, possibly VRV / VRF in future Performance similar to R410A

R1234ze

Trials in integrals and chillers Capacity lower than R134a so new compressors required

Solstice L20, L40, L41

< 600

Honeywell replacements for R407C, R404A and R410A respectively, available for trials

DR3, DR7, DR5A

< 500

Dupont replacements for R407C, R404A and R410A respectively, available for trials

WHAT DOES LOW FLAMMABILITY MEAN? Refrigerants are classiﬁed according to their toxicity and ﬂammability:

A: lower toxicity B: higher toxicity

• • • •

1: non flammable 2L: lower flammability 2: lower flammability 3: higher flammability

R404A and R744 are A1 refrigerants; R717 is B2L; Hydrocarbons such as R290 are A3 refrigerants; The refrigerants listed in the table above (R32 etc.) are classiﬁed A2L. Continued on page 28

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REFRIGERANTS

September 2015

Continued from page 27

The table to the right identifies the characteristics which determine the flammability classification. In layman’s terms this means that, compared to propane, you need more of an A2L refrigerant to achieve a flammable mix. It is harder to ignite and when it is burning the flame travels more slowly. ₀ When applying the refrigerant this means the maximum charge size is greater compared to HCs such as propane. ₀ When handling the refrigerants this means you should take the same precautions as you would with a hydrocarbon.

APPLYING A2L REFRIGERANTS EN378 is currently being revised and the revision will include A2L refrigerants. It provides data on lower flammability level and practical limits which then determine maximum charge sizes for different applications. As an illustration, the table shows the maximum charge sizes for air an conditioned room, using R290 (propane, an A3 refrigerant) and R32 (an A2L refrigerant). The calculations have been done for a wall mounted indoor unit. The calculations are valid for split systems or VRV / VRF systems for comfort cooling or heating. Cooling using chillers would generally enable a larger maximum charge size. The different A2L refrigerants would have slightly different maximum charge sizes because they have different lower flammability levels but the table shows that most splits, will be able to use R32 with minimal problems, whereas for HC, the charge limit is restrictive. In addition, with A2L refrigerants, if larger charge sizes are required,

cool concerns.indd 28

Safety classiﬁcation

Lower ﬂammability level, % in air by volume

Heat of combustion, J/kg

No ﬂame propagation when tested at 60°C and 101.3 kPa

Flame propagation

2L , lower ﬂammability

>3.5

<19,000

Exhibit ﬂame propagation when tested at 60°C and 101.3 kPa and have a maximum burning velocity of ≤ 10 cm/s when tested at 23°C and 101.3 kPa

2 , ﬂammable

>3.5

<19,000

Exhibit ﬂame propagation when tested at 60°C and 101.3 kPa

3 , higher ﬂammability

£3.5

<19,000

Exhibit ﬂame propagation when tested at 60°C and 101.3 kPa

Room size

R290 max charge, kg

R32 max charge, kg

3 m by 3 m

0.23

3.08

5 m by 9 m

0.51

6.89

15.8 m by 15.8 m

1.19

16.24

such as with VRV systems, it will be possible to use additional safety measures such as: ₀ Refrigerant detection plus alarm; ₀ Forced ventilation which can be permanent or turned on if refrigerant is detected; ₀ Automatic valve shut down to limit the quantity of leaked refrigerant into the cooled room.

HANDLING A2L REFRIGERANTS As an industry we are already handling HC refrigerants – the handling of A2L refrigerant would follow the same procedure. In essence this includes: ₀ Ensure the work area is well ventilated a free of sources of ignition ₀ Ensure the correct tools and equipment are used (e.g. R32 recovery machines are now available) ₀ Prior to unbrazing, recover R32 from the system down to a vacuum and break the vacuum with dry nitrogen to avoid ignition ₀ Use appropriate leak detection.

Training for engineers on the safe use of A2L refrigerants is now available from suppliers and training providers (including Cool Concerns).

SUMMARY A2L refrigerants have a signiﬁcant part to play if we are to reduce the GWP of the refrigerants we use. The low ﬂammability poses some challenges. Appropriate training is required and for many systems additional safety measures are needed. These will increase costs but are not major barriers or show stoppers for most end users. Further information can be provided by Cool Concerns Ltd, info@coolconcerns.co.uk

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REFRIGERANTS

September 2015

WISE-UP

to a low GWP future A-Gas Managing Director, John Ormerod on why low GWP R32 is a good alternative to R410A in air conditioning and heat pump systems

32 is a low GWP (Global Warming Potential) HFC refrigerant which is back on the agenda and provoking some discussion in the ACR industry. There are air conditioning manufacturers that view R32 as the next cab oﬀ the rank to replace R410A – a high GWP gas which under the F-Gas Regulations will eventually be phased out. Any gas with a GWP higher than 750 will be banned from use in low-charge split air conditioning systems from 2025. R32 is a single component, zero ODP gas with a GWP of 675, signiﬁcantly less than R410A which tops the 2000 mark. Some leading manufacturers have more than dipped their toes in the water. In split air conditioners and heat pump systems they consider R32 as a good replacement for R410A and believe it will grow in popularity in the domestic and commercial markets.

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EFFECTIVE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY R32 is a tried and tested option for replacing R410A but like the hydrocarbons available it is mildly flammable. The long view on R32 has always been that it is an effective refrigerant with good environmental properties. This has been tempered by concerns about its mild flammability and to a large extent this has hindered its growth in the market.

A CREDIBLE R410A ALTERNATIVE It has also been rejected in Europe in the past because of worries about its operating pressures but as the F-Gas Regulations have been ramped up, the popularity of R32 has grown and the gas is emerging as a credible option for R410A. R32 is more efficient than R410A and has an ASHRAE classification of A2L or mildly flammable. Ironically, R410A is a mixture of R32 and R125 – the R125 suppressing R32’s

ﬂammability. To my mind engineers and end users should not get stuck on the ﬂammability issue. Now is the time to consider R32’s full potential.

THE FLAMMABILITY QUESTION Legislation surrounding flammable gases is very black and white – they appear to be highly flammable or not flammable at all. No allowance is made for refrigerants like R32 that fall into the “grey area” of mild flammability. R32 is particularly difficult to ignite. Flame speeds are very low and typically, if there is a problem, often or not the flame will die before causing any further issues. With this in mind, I believe that legislation on the amount of flammable refrigerant allowed in a public space needs to catch up with the needs of the industry. I am not alone in suggesting that changing safety and building codes is vital for the HFC phase-down.

07/08/2015 18:44

REFRIGERANTS

31 acrjournal.uk

R32 IN VRF SYSTEMS Accepting that R32 is a good alternative to R410A in air conditioning systems where charge sizes are pretty small, I expect more manufacturers to recommend the switch. Bear in mind that R410A is likely to get more expensive as the deadline looms, on that basis I predict that well before 2025 R410A equipment in smaller systems will be long gone and the industry will have migrated to R32. I also suspect that R32 will be used in VRF systems before too long but as this happens air conditioning engineers will have to become more adept at risk assessing systems and their suitability for R32. Clearly, engineers will need more training in this area and to some extent a new PR oﬀensive is needed in persuading the industry that R32 is a safe alternative to R410A in larger size systems.

change is likely to happen rapidly. It is fair to say that lower GWP is very much a trade-off with mild flammability. Lowering GWP inevitably raises flammability and vice-versa but it should not be an issue that cannot be managed. If you are an engineer or an end user, start to understand that R32 is part of the future. The legislative pressure will not be too taxing on the industry but change will happen and I would advise that you should plan for it. So wise-up to flammable refrigerants, they are going to be around for some time.

ATTITUDES TO R32 ELSEWHERE R1234YF used in cars is mildly ﬂammable but long ago vehicle manufacturers were persuaded that it was safe, as the associated risks could be managed, and to my thinking this also applies to R32. The industry is also ready for the switch from an equipment perspective. Manifolds and hoses for R32 are already on the market – and there are recovery units and dedicated recovery cylinde vailable oﬀ the shelf that can deal with issues posed by R32. Where R32 is already making its mark is in developing countries. Here refrigerant legislation is less advanced and this is where two thirds of R22 production ends up. R32 equipment is emerging as the popular candidate to replace R22 equipment in a straight swop. In Thailand R32 systems are widely advertised and in countries like this

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07/08/2015 18:44

REFRIGERANTS

September 2015

HFC Regulation in the

EU and US Mexichem’s Stuart Corr explores hydrofluorocarbon regulation on each side of the ‘Pond’ ,

aving successfully transitioned from the ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) refrigerants to the more environmentally acceptable hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), the traditional users of these refrigerants, blowing agents and propellants are again entering into a period of significant change with respect to the portfolio of options likely to be available to them. Whilst many HFCs have significantly lower global warming potentials (GWP) than the fluids they replaced (for example R-12 GWP = 10,900, R-134a GWP = 1,430), some HFCs are still perceived to have unacceptably high GWP.

MAC AND R-134A Stuart Corr

This concern has led to the regulatory proposals and legislative measures in a number of regions including the MAC Directive (2006/40/EC) and F-Gas Regulation (517/2014) in the EU. The MAC Directive effectively bans the use of R-134a in new cars from January 2017 and the F-Gas Regulation imposes a phase-down in the total CO-equivalent (CO2e) sales of fluorinated gases into the EU market coupled with a number of specific end-use bans.

REFRIGERANT AVAILABILITY In an increasingly global marketplace it is important to understand at some level, the differences in the requisite regulations that apply to the products of interest. There is no doubt that such regulation will significantly alter the refrigerant availability landscape with knockon effects on import or export of refrigerant pre-charged products and on the selection of refrigerants for future equipment design and optimisation. Similarly endusers may need to manage their equipment estate with potentially multiple refrigerants serving the same purpose.

HYBRID APPROACH The EU approach to regulation is a hybrid one where there is an overall cap on the quantity of HFCs that may be placed on the market coupled with speciﬁc bans on particular end uses. HFC consumption is then phased down by reducing the cap from its initial baseline value in stages through to 2030. This system is based on the CO2e so those refrigerants having the highest GWP will consume proportionately higher

proportions of the quota available e.g. 1 ton of R-134a consumes the same quota as 360kg of R-404A. Canada has recently proposed a similar hybrid approach.

HOW THE US DIFFERS The United States EPA has adopted a different approach, that of delisting. In the US, a refrigerant must be approved for a particular use prior to commercialisation and placed on an approval list, taking into consideration a number of factors including safety, efficiency and the overall risks to human health and the environment. This Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program can limit approval for only certain uses or require certain precautionary measures to be in place. The delisting approach can lead to the situation where in some cases there is a blanket ban on the use of a particular refrigerant, either alone or as part of a blend, in others it leaves open the possibility of submitting new reduced-GWP blends for SNAP approval. In contrast, the European regulation is focussed on specific GWP thresholds for acceptable Continued on page 34

Mexichem.indd 32

11/08/2015 15:31

REFRIGERANTS

acrjournal.uk

Continued from page 32

refrigerant products in each application sector. Table 1 below, which is by no means intended to be exhaustive, highlights some of the key refrigerants and end-uses controls in the EU and US, but in many cases it is not possible to provide a direct correlation. Details of the complete list of refrigerants aﬀected by the SNAP Rule and of particular use exemptions can be found on the US EPA website http://www.epa.gov/ozone/snap/ download/FINAL_SNAP public factsheet_070215_508compliant.pdf

RETROFIT RESTRICTIONS The SNAP Rule also places restrictions on the use of refrigerants for retroﬁt. Given the relatively large number of supermarkets operating with R-22 in the US, the bans on retroﬁt to R-404A/R-507 in key applications

USE/SECTOR

APPLICATION

from mid-2016 is likely to promote the use of the remaining approved fluids such as R-407A. Unlike F-Gas where the use of virgin HFCs with GWP greater than 2500 for servicing is banned from January 2020, there are no apparent restrictions on servicing existing equipment with their original HFC in the Final Rule. Unlike F-Gas, there is no specific CO2e ceiling imposed in the SNAP Rule. Instead, we would expect that the specific end-use controls imposed will result in a significant reduction in CO2e emissions based simply on the effective bans on, for example, use of R-404A/R-507. Whilst the European approach has hard-coded GWP maxima for any alternatives to be used in various applications, the US will use the SNAP approval process to determine refrigerant acceptability taking into consideration safety

REFRIGERANT DELISTED

and environmental aspects and the availability of suitable alternatives perhaps allowing a degree of finetuning as to what GWP is most appropriate for a given end-use. There is growing movement towards a more global approach to HFC regulation. The Kyoto Protocol, which particularly focuses on CO but also encompasses some fluorinated gasses, has perhaps been less effective than originally anticipated. There have been moves over the last few years to amend the Montreal Protocol to include HFC phase-down with proposals from at least the EU and collectively from the United States, Canada and Mexico (NA). An indication of the rate of phase-down in CO -equivalents for the NA proposal is shown in Figure 1 with the existing EU F-gas phase-down schedule for comparison.

SNAP DELIST

EU EQUIVALENT

MAC

New cars

R-134a

Model Year 2021 GWP<150 Jan. 2017

Refrigeration

Supermarket systems

R-404A, R-507, R-422D, R-428A…

Jan. 2017

GWP<150 Jan. 2022 multipack

Stationary refrigeration

No delisting proposed

n/a

GWP<2500 Jan. 2020

Vending machines

R-404A, R-507, R-407A, R-407F….R-134a

Jan. 2019

GWP<2500 Jan. 2020 GWP<150 Jan. 2022

Domestic

No delisting proposed

n/a

GWP<150 Jan. 2015

HVAC

R-134a, R-407A, R-407F, Retail food Stand-alone medium-T ****<2.2kBtu/hr R-404A, R-507….

Jan. 2019

Retail food Stand-alone medium-T >2.2kBtu/hr (ﬂooded)

R-134a, R-407A, R-407F, R-404A, R-507….

Jan. 2020

Retail food Stand-alone low-T*****

R-134a, R-407A, R-407F, R-404A, R-507….

Jan. 2020

Retail food Remote condensing units

R-404A, R-507…

Jan. 2018

Heat pumps and air conditioning

No delisting proposed

n/a

Single split a/c (<3kg) GWP<750 Jan. 2025 Moveable room a/c GWP<150 Jan. 2020

* and blends thereof **acceptable subject to use conditions ***only acceptable for FDA-approved medical applications ****cold space above 0°C ***** cold space at or below 0°C

Mexichem.indd 33

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CONDENSATE REMOVAL

35 acrjournal.uk

SUSTAINABILITY AND GROWTH

PLANNING FOR TOMORROW A commodity that most take for granted. Seen by a many as worth more than gold, and with most people unaware that this treasure can be right in the room with them... Serge Becker of Aspen Pumps explains more. SUSTAINABILITY AND GROWTH – THE CITIES OF TOMORROW As more countries around the world look into smarter ways of urban development and sustainability, we are seeing a signiﬁcant growth in resource being channelled towards more self-sustaining and ecological construction solutions. At the last count, Asia had a population of 427 billion people, which accounts for over 60% of the world’s population. Although there are still vast amounts of people living and working in rural areas, Asia is now over 40% urban. Providing water, sanitation and other resources is easier for the Government to manage when people live in close proximity to each other and opportunities for sustainable development and energy management are easier to predict and manage. During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, the whole concept of ecocities were generally thought to have been the dream of idealistic people and generally out of reach. However in recent years not only has the dream become the reality, we are seeing more and more countries take up the sustainability baton and try to replicate others success. The ideology behind the construction of these cities follows very simple rules. They must be in line with the cities natural growth, they should encourage more environmentally and socially responsible behaviour and should have a minimal ecological impact when being developed. Many of these developments follow strict environmentally friendly

Aspen.indd 35

guidelines when being constructed to ensure minimal impact on the environment during build up. To develop a fully functioning Eco City, developers and architects will look at waste management, energy saving initiatives, urban layout, poverty reduction and water recycling. These considerations help to maintain the green infrastructure being created. Interestingly of all the sustainable practises that the eco city developers take advantage of, water recycling is one of the most overlooked. Although there are sustainable urban drainage systems, rain water harvesting and Xeriscaping (advanced irrigation systems,) a huge source of water recycling potential is overlooked. “Condensate water generated by air conditioning units is an often overlooked resource when developing sustainable cities. With the right drainage systems and correct pumping methods, it is entirely possible to have suﬃcient recycled grey water to signiﬁcantly impact on water recycling.” Serge Becker explained. Sustainable cities are not a new phenomenon in South East Asia. India for example, will be investing more than $10 billion on clean energy in 2015, (according to a recent forecast from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF),) and Singapore will be supporting the Indian State Andhra Pradesh in building a new sustainable capital city at a cost of $16.5bn.

Serge Becker went on to say: “Aspen Pumps is a company who has been at the forefront of air conditioning grey water recycling innovation and it has been providing water condensate removal solutions to the industry for over 20 years. Being able to reuse grey water is imperative to ensuring that Aspen, and other companies involved in this area, work in a way that can only benefit sustainability projects. Aspen offers a range of pumps that will lift the water up and into storage tanks, outside water butts, and other water drainage systems, which means that the water can then be reused and recycled as appropriate.” Incredibly an average tower block with 150 flats - could recycle up to 22,500 gallons of water per month, which is enough water to fill a 21ft swimming pool! With over 50 million air conditioning units used in China annually, if every one of those units had a condensate water pump fitted, there could be a saving of over 700 trillion gallons of grey water per year. With more than $1.6 trillion invested in 2013 in energy supply, the focus on energy savings is growing. Eco cities that can house millions of people are on the rise and water – which can be a scarce commodity – will in turn become more valuable. With this in mind, forward thinking governments, architects and engineers will be looking at the recycling opportunities that condensate water presents. This easily accessible source of grey water can be accessed with the right pump, trunking and accessories and the average household will reap huge benefits from water sustainability and economic savings. This means that whatever the country or environment, if there is an air conditioning unit, there is an opportunity to tap a valuable source of recyclable grey water. For more information on water sustainability pumping systems, please contact Aspen Pumps on sales@aspenpumps.com or visit www.aspenpumps.com

13/08/2015 10:44

DE/HUMIDFIERS

September 2015

Electrode vs. Resistive Humidifiers Dave Marshall-George, UK Sales Manager at Condair plc (formerly JS Humidifiers), looks at the pros and cons of electrode vs resistive electric steam humidifiers for the contractor and their customer.

lectrode and resistive are the two main types of electric steam humidiﬁer a HVAC contractor will buy and install. Both are versatile and come in a variety of sizes for either in-room or induct applications.

Condair CP3 electrode humidifier

From a contractor’s perspective the main considerations when selecting a unit are often purchase cost and ease of installation. For a customer or end-user the initial cost is also important but so are on-going operating costs and maintenance requirements.

Condair RS resistive steam humidifier

Dave Marshall-George, UK Sales Manager, Condair plc

STEAM CREATION The main diﬀerences between electrode and resistive technologies are how they heat the water to create steam and how they control steam output. The electrode boils water by passing electrical current through it. The more current passes through the water, the greater the steam production. So output increases with a higher water level or when higher mineral levels make the water more conductive. To maintain an accurate output, the concentration of minerals in the water is regulated through drainage and replacement with fresh water. This typically allows

Condair.indd 36

for humidity control of around +/-5%RH. Resistive humidifiers create steam through the transfer of heat from the resistance heater elements to the water. Steam output is controlled by applying more or less heat to the water rather than controlling water level or conductivity. This results in more accurate humidity control of around +/-2%RH with mains water. As the mineral content of the water has no impact on steam output, resistive humidifiers can also operate on RO water. As the mineral content of the water is very low, this virtually eliminates scale build-up, significantly reducing maintenance requirements. It also improves humidity control by removing the need for fresh (cold) water to be regularly introduced to reduce mineral levels. A consistent water temperature results in a consistent steam output and enables a resistive humidifier operating on RO water to control humidity to +/-1%RH.

14/08/2015 14:02:51

DE/HUMIDFIERS

37 acrjournal.uk

COSTS Electrode humidifiers tend to have the lowest capital cost of the two technologies. Installation costs for both electrode and resistive are comparable plus both are simple to install as they require connection to power, water mains supply and drain only. The cost of operating a steam humidifier is largely determined by two things. The energy required to turn water from a liquid to a gas and the cost of dealing with what’s left behind in the humidifier after this has happened. When run on mains water, the energy costs are the same for both humidifiers, as they use the same amount of electricity to create the steam. However, if the resistive unit is run on RO water, electrical consumption is less as very little hot water is sent to drain. Although energy consumption is improved by the use of RO water, water consumption is increased as 50% of the water is sent to drain as part of the initial filtration process. With an electrode boiler, as steam is produced, any minerals in the water build-up within the plastic cylinder as limescale. When these cylinders are full of limescale they are replaced, which is straightforward Electrode humidifiers offer rapid servicing and minimal downtime

and offers the benefit of very rapid maintenance and minimal downtime for the humidification system. The disadvantage is that cylinders can be expensive and represent an on-going spares cost. As resistive steam humidifiers do not pass current through the water they can operate with stainless steel boiling chambers that can be cleaned rather than replaced. This avoids the expense of disposable cylinders reducing spares costs. So much so, that the initial cost of the more expensive resistive unit can be recouped within 18 months. So although on-going operating costs can be less with a resistive humidifier, servicing takes longer as the unit needs to be emptied of scale. However, some advanced systems, such as the Condair RS resistive steam humidifier, reduce this service burden through innovative scale management features. An external scale collector allows limescale to be removed quickly and easily without needing to open the main body of the humidifier, greatly reducing service time.

SUMMARY As we’ve seen, both technologies have advantages and disadvantages and the choice of

Condair.indd 37

system largely depends on the end-user’s needs. If very close humidity control is needed resistive humidifiers with or without RO water could be the best option. If close humidity control isn’t important, but simple maintenance with minimal downtime is, an electrode boiler with its replaceable cylinders could suit. But if a customer wants the lowest whole life cost across capital, service and consumables, then a resistive humidifier will provide this. The most important thing to remember when advising your customers is to get good guidance from a competent supplier. From product selection to servicing, there are often opportunities to up-sell to improve your customers’ satisfaction and avoid many common errors along the way. A quality humidifier supplier will work alongside you to help you make the most from each project. Things to specifically look for in a supplier include a comprehensive range of CE approved products, a company, which offers support and advice on installation, commissioning and servicing, and quality standards such as ISO and Investors in People.

Resistive humidifiers stainless steel cylinders reduce spares costs

07/08/2015 18:33

DE/HUMIDIFIERS

September 2015

When ice

Dehum schmatic

isn’t nice High humidity in cold rooms can result in reduced energy efficiency and disruption to processes. John Barker, Sales Director of Humidity Solutions discusses desiccant dehumidification and the potential for heat recovery.

nyone involved in operating a cold store will be familiar with the problems that can result from iced up evaporator coils as a result of excessive humidity in the air. Not only does this impair efficient performance, it also potentially leads to downtime for defrosting.

John Barker, Sales Director, Humidity Solutions

Dehumidification has been the accepted solution for many years, with desiccant dehumidifiers being the technology of choice in most applications. Desiccant dehumidifiers can reduce moisture levels at temperatures as low as -70°C, removing moist air from the cold room and re-introducing dried air. However, the operation of a desiccant dehumidifier results in the dried air that re-enters the cold room being at a slightly higher

temperature than the air in the cold store. This is because as the water vapour in the air is adsorbed onto the desiccant, some heat energy transfers to the air. Clearly this is a concern for some cold store operators as there is an inevitable – albeit small – increase in energy consumption to cool the air again.

RECOVERING HEAT (COLD) One solution to this problem is to use heat recovery – though in this case perhaps it should be called ‘cold’ recovery as it works in reverse to the heat recovery process used to conserve heat in buildings. This works by passing the dried air through a plate heat exchanger

How desiccant dehumidification works Rotary desiccant dehumidifiers work by using a desiccant substance such as silica gel to adsorb moisture from the air. Air is drawn from the cold room through a filter and passes through a desiccant rotor (a rotating wheel containing desiccant) where it gives up most of its water vapour, so that as the air passes out of the other side of the rotor it is drier than when it entered the rotor. The moistened section of the rotating desiccant wheel then passes through another air stream that dries (reactivates) the silica gel and this moistened air is exhausted to the atmosphere.

where the sensible heat that was gained in the desiccant rotor is given up before the air returns to the cold room. The key thing here is that there is no change in enthalpy (isenthalpic) so the dried air returns to the cold room at the same temperature as it left, thus there is no increase in refrigeration requirement. The key point here, when selecting the best option for a particular cold store, is to get the right balance of capital investment against reducing operating costs. A desiccant dehumidifier, without the heat exchanger, will still deliver significant energy savings by preventing the icing of the coils. This more than compensates for the slight increase in temperature of the air returning to the cold room. Introduction of heat recovery will certainly increase these energy savings, but additional capital investment in a plate heat exchanger will be required – so the critical question is what sort of payback will that extra investment deliver? The answer to that is, that it will depend on the individual application. There is no hard and fast rule that will cover all eventualities. So, it is advisable to seek specialist advice to ensure getting the best solution that delivers the required performance with a sensible return on investment. Desiccant dehumidifier

For cold rooms, experience shows that the choice of desiccant is important, as it mustn’t deteriorate under low humidity conditions. Synthesised silica gel has shown itself to be both chemically and thermally stable with low maintenance requirements as it can be washed with water.

Humidity Solutions.indd 38

07/08/2015 19:05

i0522-102 Condair RS Half Page.qxp_ACR Journal 102x297mm HP 04/08/2015 15:44

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New resistive steam humidifier with advanced scale management

The new Condair RS steam humidifier’s patented scale management system makes servicing simple. Scale detaches from the heating elements and falls into the external collector tank where it is easily removed. As the humidifier has a cleanable boiling chamber, it does not need disposable boiling cylinders, significantly reducing operating costs in comparison to electrode boiler systems.

Discover more about the Condair RS www.condair.co.uk/RS T: +44 (0)1903 850 200

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p39_acrsept15.indd 1

1hr in-house CPD seminars available

Humidification and Evaporative Cooling

12/08/2015 13:48:21

p40_acrsept15.indd 1

12/08/2015 11:37:14

CONTROLS

acrjournal.uk

air conditioning Pacair UK revisits 30 years of controls

n 1985, a new range of ducted split systems were launched in the UK. All very basic and of course they used R22. A choice of two fan speeds was made during installation and the compressor operated at a ﬁxed speed. But they included a previously unknown feature: A single controller which could be networked to up to 16 indoor units that independently heated or cooled around a common set point; and to reduce the eﬀect of simultaneous inrush currents, compressors were started separately.

In the subsequent thirty years, control of air conditioning systems has continued to develop. Whether using split or VRF systems, end-users have become accustomed to sophisticated control systems. The local controllers, which still follow Toshiba’s original 120 x 120 mm dimensions: incorporate temperature sensors, can be scheduled for weekly operation, can provide run/standby operation in equipment rooms, and even incorporate PIR movement sensors to stop the air conditioning unit when the associated room is unoccupied. A wide range of features can be conﬁgured from the controller, allowing the air conditioning equipment to be ﬁnetuned to the application. In machine-room application the standard controller can be used to provide run-standby operation of two systems with the standby unit

automatically started if a fault is detected with the running system and/or the room temperature is too warm. SMS technology has been used to monitor un-manned rooms via a mobile telephone. An alert being broadcast if the air conditioning equipment has a fault or the room is too hot or cold. In turn, new settings can be sent from the telephone as a text message.

CENTRAL CONTROL

YEARS

easier when central controllers were able to be connected to the local area network and all functions are accessible through standard web browsers. Additional functions, now available through central controllers, include: automatic correction for British Summer Time and Greenwich Mean Time; a timed set back function, which instructs the local air conditioning unit to operate in the most eﬃcient manner, should a local area become too hot or too cold; connected equipment can also be interlocked through the central controller (a room is ventilated when the air conditioning is used; an indoor unit is operated when another is in an alarm condition); outdoor units can be instructed to operate in a quiet mode, overnight. Conﬁgurations can be saved on a USB memory stick, allowing settings to be backed-up; these

1 9 8 5 - 2 0 1 5

Modern-day

CONTROLS

With increasing network speeds becoming available, central control has allowed over 200 indoor units to be controlled from a single point. The life of the Facilities Manager has been made considerably easier with this development. Room temperatures and the status of the indoor units can be monitored and any changes made to the settings locally will be reﬂected centrally (and vice versa. This became even Continued on page 42

Pacair.indd 41

12/08/2015 17:20

CONTROLS

September 2015

1 9 8 5 - 2 0 1 5

Continued from page 41

Pacair.indd 42

settings can easily be copied to other controllers that will be used in a similar application. A common application is hotel rooms: to standardise the room conditions, they are reset to standard, seasonal settings, when the air conditioning is ﬁrst started, while allowing; they are automatically stopped on the guests’ departure to minimise unnecessary power consumption; and for the conditions to be prepared during the popular check-in times (this feature is disabled overnight, to prevent the air conditioning from starting unexpectedly). Central control can also operate with 3rd party equipment: • Temperature and humidity sensors can be monitored with a programmed response to out of range values; • Pulse meters can provide data from gas, water and electricity meters (billing software can use the electricity consumption and link it to demands from the associated indoor units, to produce apportioned bills). • Digital inputs and outputs can be controlled and monitored. They can be given their own operating schedule and/or interlocked to the associated air conditioning equipment. An input from an underﬂoor heating system can be used to disable the air conditioning.

CONTROL VIA COMPUTER

WHAT NEXT?

The central controllers can be given suitable IP credentials and connected to the Local Area Network; indoor unit performance can then be monitored and adjusted via a standard web browser. This method is very powerful and easy to set up and can provide a central control point for an entire building. When required, all common BMS protocols (Trend, Lonworks, BACnet, Modbus, KNX) are supported via an appropriate interface. While the primary functions (on/oﬀ control; mode selection; set temperature; fan speed and louver position) can be monitored and controlled through the BMS, we recommend that the air conditioning equipment’s intrinsic controls are used as far as possible; while any values (including error codes and air temperatures) can be monitored.

In the 30 years of networked control we’ve seen plenty of developments. Liquid Crystal Displays provided an opportunity for much more information to be made available to the customer and service engineer. But this information was accessed by a bewildering sequence of the 20 buttons on the key-pad. Local controllers have now become much easier to use, with typically 8 intuitive buttons, which are intuitively used to navigate through the various functions which are password protected at multiple levels. WiFi technology has been introduced. However, the security of a permanently wired, central controller is a sensible addition.

CONTROL PANELS In order to simplify the installation of these controls, PACAIR design and supply bespoke panels, which are fully manufactured, set up and tested prior to despatch. The amount of setting up is of course dependent on the appropriate information being supplied. The objectives are to provide a combination of controls, power supplies safety devices and connections that are manufactured and tested in a workshop environment. They normally, just require a power supply and the external components to be connected. Network connections are provided on the side of the panel, and socket outlets are provided to assist the commissioning and service engineers.

Virtual local controllers can be set up on end-users’ computers, allowing them to control their own environment without the need for a physical controller. Central controllers now use touch screens as standard and have become much easier to use and set up. Compatibility with all external controls will continue to be important; control over energy consumption is featured in all developments. But what other developments can we expect over the next thirty years?

12/08/2015 17:20

p43_acrsept15.indd 1

12/08/2015 13:46:10

CONTROLS

September 2015

CAREL’S UPGRADABLE MODULAR PLATFORM HERALDS NEW GENERATION OF CONTROLS CAREL’S new ‘UltraCella’ Coldroom Controller is the latest addition to the company’s ‘Cella’ range of coldroom solutions and is already increasing the Italian manufacturer’s market share and UK customer base.

he ‘UltraCella’ which is the largest of 3 controllers in the range, is aimed at medium, large and specialist coldrooms, and represents an impressive evolution based on the experience and success of their existing and well established mid-sized ‘MasterCella’ controller. CAREL has also launched the ‘SmartCella’ for small coldrooms earlier this year, and thereby ensuring the range oﬀers a solution for coldrooms of all sizes.

‘UltraCella’ really offers total control: It is easy to install with an installation track for DIN rail and more GND terminals. Commissioning is simple with several ways to set up the coldroom: using the Wizard, which guides you through set up by asking you a series of simple questions; selecting one of 10 preset configurations for main conservation room types or uploading the profile from a USB stick. As you would expect from any of the CAREL range, the interface design is excellent and day-to-day operation is highly intuitive. The big display ensures clear messages and a double display option allows you to show two functions at the same time, for example temperature and humidity.

ULTRACELLA PROVIDES TOTAL CONTROL

UltraCella

Compressor management - with safe coldroom working mode in case of virtual probe failure – so food doesn’t deteriorate while waiting for service. Defrost management – defrost can be activated by a button on the keypad and by digital input

Carel.indd 44

with or immediately allowing you to synchronise defrosting of multiple units. Evaporator fans management – evaporator fans can be forced to work even when the compressor isn’t working, to avoid stratiﬁcation inside the cold room (food being at diﬀerent temperatures depending on whether it is on a high or low shelf). Data Logging – pull down the temperature information you need onto a USB stick for ease of collection and storage. Other key features include – Floating Condensing pressure for energy saving, variable speed condensing fan control by pressure / temperature, Humidity logging, high & low humidity alarms, Set point variation by digital input, smart management of the light activation and many more.

COMPLIANT WITH HACCP UltraCella is fully compliant with HACCP international food safety standards. It can store and visualise up to three high temperature alarms and show the day, hour, minute and temperature on a scrolling text display.

USB AS STANDARD UltraCella has 4MB of internal memory available for data logging so it can store temperature data for up to 4 years. This can be saved as a CSV ﬁle and exported via USB so that is instantly available in Microsoft Excel for use by an end user or a standards inspector.

12/08/2015 17:22

CONTROLS

45 acrjournal.uk

“Unique in the controls market” The ability to upload and download via USB also means when you have multiple coldrooms to set up you can commission one, then download the settings and upload them to all the subsequent units saving valuable time. Similarly when new contents, algorithms and applications are released it will be simple to upload software directly.

INNOVATIVE UPGRADABLE MODULAR PLATFORM The feature that makes ‘UltraCella’ unique on the controls market is its innovative modular design, which, as an open platform, allows you to add features as required and upgrade quickly and easily as new modules are released. There are currently four easy to assemble expansion modules:

ULTRA EVD EXPANSION MODULE This works with CAREL’s EEVs to achieve outstanding energy savings and includes an internal power transformer already connected.

ULTRA POWER EXPANSION MODULE Allows you to add electric devices or additional features, comprises a circuit breaker, ground terminals and an additional 3Hp (30A) relay for a large or second compressor.

ULTRA 3PH FULL MODULE Can be used with a condensing unit from 4Hp to 7.5Hp, an evaporator 6kW – 9kW, and optional EVD.

Carel.indd 45

Power module for UltraCella

ULTRA 3PH EVAPORATOR MODULE For use with an evaporator 6kW – 9kW, and optional EVD. The modules, whilst looking great when located next to the ‘UltraCella’ unit, they can equally be located apart to enable a huge reduction in installation costs. See just how easy it is to install the ‘UltraCella’ by visiting https:// www.careluk.com/retail-andrefrigeration/ultracella and view the video. “We are very excited about the UltraCella because it completes our offering to the cold room market perfectly and the modular platform is a real leap forward,” says Richard Hay, Sales Manager - Refrigeration, at CAREL. “It will offer our existing and new customers total control, easy installation and commissioning as well as fantastic energy efficiency savings and we are confident that it will have a positive impact on our market share in the coming months.” For further information contact CAREL on 0208 391 3540 or visit their website www.careluk.com

14/08/2015 13:34:48

WOMEN IN ACR

September 2015

Details of current employer I work for Oceanair UK Ltd in Mansﬁeld. We are distributors of Panasonic air conditioning units and heating products. They are a great bunch of people and I worked with most of them in my previous employment.

What type of projects do you work on? All sorts really, from a single split system to Air to water heat pumps, VRF and Gas engine heat pumps. I really enjoy working with contractors and consultants, getting work speciﬁed to Design and Build (D & B) projects which are challenging but very rewarding.

This month’s ‘Women in ACR’ interviewee is Lisa Woodcock from Oceanair. Name and job title including brief summary of role Lisa Woodcock, Area sales Manager at Oceanair UK Ltd. I work with contractors and consultants helping them with designs and provide them with equipment that is best suited for their applications.

Where did you study and what course? I had a traditional education not really building services biased, although my Father and uncle were both Refrigeration engineers, so I suppose it’s in the blood! I still have my dad’s college text books from 1962.

42_Women in ACR.indd 46

What is the most memorable project you have worked on so far? In 2013, we worked with restaurant chain Carluccio’s to reduce their energy bills as well as their carbon footprint. FWP Air Conditioning had been asked to install a system which would provide the desired volume of hot water, at the correct temperature while at the same time reducing energy costs. This is where we at Oceanair stepped in to specify Panasonic’s Aquarea air to water heat pump system as the perfect sustainable solution. Following a consultation with Carluccio’s, it was decided that the restaurant chains new site in the Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheﬃeld would be the ideal location as it had the correct attributes for

the installation of an air to water heat pump system. Previous restaurants in the chain had been fitted with a more traditional 12kW boiler system. FWP installed Panasonic’s 12kW Aquarea T-CAP mono bloc unit which would allow for the free air from the kitchen roof space to be transferred through condensing unit providing hot water at the optimum temperature. With a high coefficient of performance (COP), for every kW of electricity the system uses, it provides 4kW of energy. This makes the Aquarea far more cost effective than a conventional heating system. Later in the year when Carluccio’s compared the Sheffield site to one of their existing restaurants of a similar size, the energy savings were considerable. To heat the water for their Leeds restaurant cost £3782 whilst at the Meadowhall site the comparable cost was just £951. These sizable savings meant the site saw a return on investment within two years and has achieved a COP of 3.91.

Describe your typical day / the sort of work you’re involved in? It can vary dramatically, from site visits, delivering the odd split, to talking through VRF designs.

What attracted you to the industry? I started oﬀ working behind a trade counter, meeting and chatting to the engineers and getting to know the industry; which I really enjoyed. So it’s the people side, I suppose.

12/08/2015 16:33

WOMEN IN ACR

47 acrjournal.uk

What excites you about the industry and your part in it now? There’s a lot going on right now, air to water heat pump development, R22 replacement and the continued growth of VRF. It feels like the industry is getting back on its feet and we are working with some great clients who are doing really well.

What would you say to other women who are considering coming into the domestic or commercial heating and cooling industry? It’s a people industry and as long as you do what you say you are going to do and look after your customers, it’s a rewarding one. I know my technical abilities and limitations. But I have a great team around me who I can trust and always have my back so don’t be put oﬀ by the technicalities, just make sure your team support you!

Have you ever felt that being a woman has prevented you from developing your career in this industry, or compromised your prospects in any way?

Carluccios

What are the benefits of being in your role? I have the freedom to go where I’m needed. I have a very varied day, I see diﬀerent people, a lot of which are now friends. I particularly enjoy seeing my work come from design through to commissioning. I work with a very knowledgeable team who never let me down and allow me to make promises I can deliver to people who trust me so it’s great!

No, never.

Where do you see your career developing? I love my job and the people I work with. We have completed some serious projects in the past but I am equally happy delivering a unit for a customer, who needs it desperately, so more of the same, please!

What are the challenges in this industry? Margins are still tight and recently we have seen a number of casualties who couldn’t sustain their businesses because of that. We still have the challenge to keep prices low but to also make sure that the equipment is right for the job.

42_Women in ACR.indd 47

Carluccios

12/08/2015 16:33

OUT AND ABOUT

September 2015

Out and About with Will Hawkins

Weatherite

Will Hawkins visits bespoke air conditioning and air handling systems manufacturer Weatherite, to see what makes this company so successful. machinery. But mainly due to the people and providing them with the right working environment. Some of his team have been with him since the early days. For example, Technical Director, Paul Griﬃths, joined the company two years after it started.

OPEN COMMUNICATIONS

The Weatherite factory, packed with bespoke products

t must be good being a Weatherite customer. The ‘Black Country Welcome’ is probably one of the warmest in the industry. And that comes right from the top of the business from Weatherite’s chairman, John Whitehouse.

John explained how he started the business in 1972 from ‘humble beginnings’ and how it evolved into the group today. It is designing, manufacturing, installing and maintaining heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for retail and industrial customers. Weatherite has no products on its shelves. Everything it produces is bespoke. He put its success down to investing wisely in both people and

Out & About.indd 48

Although the company has ‘line management’ in place, the business does not rely on it to hear what is happening. John gets out among its people and speaks openly with them. He is an approachable man and you can see this works well. In other businesses, employees often complain that the lack of internal communications means that the company works in ‘silos’ and not together. That looks unlikely to happen at Weatherite when the senior leadership is so close to its employees. Communications are important in the business. But, to evolve, you also need to invest to be successful. John explained that making bespoke solutions requires a lot of brain power. They do not rely solely on computers to design their solutions. The deep experience of the team is crucial to their success. They have a joint venture in research and development with a local university.

The venture and the approach encourages people to think and get away from ‘the norm’.

SELF-RELIANCE AND INVESTMENT John does not have much patience with politicians or bankers. When talking with a former Trade and Industry Secretary about unnecessary EU regulation and its list of ‘3,000’ rules imposed upon businesses, the politician did not believe him. John described this ‘out of touch’ politician in a short but meaningful way. By investing back into the business, Weatherite has not had to rely heavily on bankers to innovate and evolve. John would, no doubt, have had some equally succinct and descriptive phrases if he had had to lean on ﬁckle banks for investment.

RIGHT FOR THE UK Many Weatherite customers are consultants and, John explained, they prefer not to design or build ‘from a catalogue’. This approach is diﬀerent from the US. In the 1960s and 70s, air conditioning was dominated by American products. But, their approach was not totally right for the UK market. As a result, the UK’s production approach evolved into a market which has a number of smaller manufacturers using low cost

12/08/2015 11:53

OUT AND ABOUT

49 acrjournal.uk

machinery to make products suitable for UK conditions. Now, Weatherite ships its products across the globe. On the factory ﬂoor, on the day I visited, a system ready to be shipped to Qatar. John and his team saw this need and set up the business to help UK customers with UK solutions. Weatherite creates a wide range of solutions for customers who need anything from data centre cooling, to heating solutions, to air conditioning in large buildings. The company has a long relationship with many of its customers. For example, Marks and Spencer has been a customer for 30 year’s. Tesco is another long-standing client. Despite the long relationships with customers, John is not complacent. “We place them on a pedestal,” he said. “Customers need a secure route to solve their problems. We are very good at these.” To illustrate the point, John explained how a senior engineer in a retail client had, in 1989, challenged them with an HVAC problem concerning their existing in store bakery extract product. The Weatherite team provided him with a design within two weeks and solved the problem quickly afterwards. The retailer has a been a customer ever since. The teamwork, great communications and experience built the company’s reputation in

Out & About.indd 49

the industry for meeting and beating customers’ expectations. Customers have exacting demands on cost, space and eﬃciency. Weatherite is very good at providing what their customers want and need.

BIGGEST YEAR FOR NEW PROJECTS The retail market has taken a beating recently with increased competition and price wars. To counter any reliance on one market, John and his team are constantly looking at new markets for their skills. It seems to be going well. This year (2015) has been their biggest ever for new projects. A major cinema chain is a new customer. John cited a project where they replaced an air conditioning system on the roof of a site which had to ﬁt into the existing space used by the old system. Shutting down the theatres entirely was out of the question. Weatherite managed to design, build and install a new, far more eﬃcient system in the same space. The customer lost no revenues and is now saving enough on its energy bill to help provide a quick pay back.

CAN DO It is Weatherite’s ‘can-do’ attitude which is perhaps its most impressive attribute. John leads this and summed it up as follows: “We have never had any major problems in our business. It is because we never walk away from problems. If something goes wrong, we always ﬁx it.” That is why it must be good to be a Weatherite customer. Their customers must feel as though they are being looked after by some of the most intelligent, caring, friendly and determined people in the industry. In a world where there is a lot of talk about ‘customer service’ and ‘innovation’, Weatherite is one company that delivers on both, brilliantly.

The Weatherite Directors with John Whitehouse (3rd from left)

14/08/2015 13:36:23

COMPANY PROFILE

September 2015

THE FUTURE LOOKS COOL FOR During the first part of 2015, Transtherm celebrated a cool 26 years in the HVAC industry. We take a look at how this family-run business has grown and developed their offering to sustain their business.

n the early 1980s Ken Bound worked for a heat recovery company as an engineer, developing domestic boilers. In 1989 Mr Bound and his wife, Lynda founded UK-based Transtherm Ltd.

Initially setting out to develop bespoke heat recovery solutions, the company re-branded in 2003 to focus on the cooling aspect of the company and so, Transtherm Cooling Industries Ltd was born. With the focus remaining on providing bespoke, cost-eﬀective water cooling solutions to industrial and commercial customers, the company is now headed up by the next generation of Bounds; Tim and Nick. Their UK-based manufacturing plant in Coventry aims to champion local suppliers where possible, some of whom have been part of this family-run company since day one.

IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR Nick Bound, Managing Director of Transtherm Cooling Industries Ltd, along with younger brother Tim is very much hands-on when it comes to the research and development side of the business. With Tim heading up sales, Nick is more involved in the design and build of the units. Both brothers liaise with suppliers and contractors in order to ensure that delivery schedules are adhered to and quality is ensured every step of the way.

ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS Over the past twenty six years, Transtherm has developed a unique reporting process. Balancing tight budgets and product eﬃciency is something this company does on a daily basis. By putting together detailed thermal, acoustic, carbon footprint and ROI product data,

Transtherm enable their trade, distributor and OEM customers the potential to make informed, conscious decisions when specifying the correct cooling solution for the end user. This detailed data adheres to guidelines expressed by professional bodies such as; the Carbon Trust, the British Health and Safety Executive, the Biological Agents Unit and The Institute of Sound and Vibration Research Centre. The information is utilised at the pre-manufacture stage in order to ensure designs are tested and safe, while minimising the impact on the local environment. Their air blast coolers, adiabatic coolers and pump sets oﬀer PLC based controls and Human Machine Interface touchscreen technology, as part of a growing need to attach

3 x Large Adiabatic V-Coolers on route to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital

Company Profile.indd 50

12/08/2015 11:56

COMPANY PROFILE

51 acrjournal.uk

equipment control to site building management systems and the industrial internet of things. This user-friendly feature helps to improve performance and eﬃciency following install as the impact on total system eﬃciency created by alterations to temperature set points and fan settings, can be viewed from anywhere in the world. A unique over-cooling prevention system for critical applications, such as data centre cooling, also means that systems can protected from over-cooling even in low ambient temperature and part load conditions.

BESPOKE SOLUTIONS THAT PAY FOR THEMSELVES Following years of supply and demand, the applications that the cooler and pump sets can be used for has only grown. With preinstall reports detailing noise and energy consumption, bespoke heat exchange and cooling systems are designed with ROI data in mind to the highest quality. Tapping into their pool of approved suppliers and using 2D and 3D

Company Profile.indd 51

modelling techniques, Transtherm is able to oﬀer their most advanced and ﬂexible range of products with a range of unique, optional extras.

GOING ABOVE & BEYOND Over the last 26 years the company has standardised their suppliers and streamlined their productrange. As a home-grown company based in the West Midlands, the team works closely with the MET office in order to produce an environmentally-sound and location specific solution. Not only is the company ISO 9001 compliant, it also has unique internal processes in place ensuring customers are always left satisfied. Aftersales care is second to none with engineers, manufacturers and experts happy to help customers offering support, documentation and product training. Customers are always able to make informed decisions through Transtherm’s transparent processes and are very much welcomed into the Bound family.

SERVICING THE FUTURE So what does the future hold for Transtherm? With the company’s focus on eﬃcient, high quality solutions, it’s no wonder they’re constantly producing and developing future-focussed, adaptable designs. Transtherm has a long-standing history of supplying global companies with air blast coolers and pump set solutions. The company has already worked with an impressive portfolio of clients supplying its products for the Automotive, Power Generation, Retail, Commercial Buildings, Hospitals and Educational sectors, Transtherm provides smart, innovative solutions through. With expansion within the contractor and export markets, Transtherm is keen to take the world by storm through identifying project-speciﬁc requirements and integrating the latest technologies to deliver timely, impressive solutions.

Ensemble - coolers and new pumpsets

12/08/2015 11:56

MAINTENANCE

September 2015

detect and remove acid from HVAC systems In the first of a series of “How To…” articles by ACR service and maintenance experts, Advanced Engineering, we discuss the common problem of corrosive acid in refrigeration systems, how to detect its presence, and how to effectively remove it from a system.

he development of acid in air conditioners and refrigeration systems causes serious internal corrosion, reductions in performance and can drastically shorten the lifespan of both your compressor and your refrigerant.

These acids can be formed by the presence of air and water in the system and by chemical reactions with components and/or materials of construction, lubricating oils and/ or impurities. If a system is not operating at optimum eﬃciency due to clogged air ﬂows or a failed condenser fan, the increased temperatures will accelerate the formation of acids. The more acid you have, the more will form, creating a destructive build-up of acid. If this chain reaction is left unchecked, you can face serious problems. The acid will corrode the system from the inside, attack the compressor and increase the wear on motors and components and likely lead to an expensive and fatal compressor burnout. Regularly checking a system for acid is therefore an essential part of every professional engineer’s preventative maintenance routine.

TESTING FOR ACID If you suspect that an HVAC system has an acid problem, you will need to test the oil for acidity. The method you choose is likely to be an oil sample from the system. For systems which don’t give engineer’s easy access to the oil, a product such as QwikCheck is ideal.

How to_AE.indd 52

It works for all refrigerants and oils and is safe for all systems. The engineer can take a small sample – via the low pressure service port – by venting a short blast (2-3 seconds) through the QwikCheck. If acid is present a colour change will occur? Where engineers can access the oil, a more traditional test solution such as RectorSeal’s Acid Detector for POE can be used. Add a small amount of the sample oil into the supplied glass bottle and the colour change liquid will show how acidic the oil is.

RectorSeal Acid-Away POE RectorSeal’s Acid-Away POE (polyol ester oils) is one of the most wellknown and popular acid solutions on the market. It operates on polyol ester lubricants and requires direct access to the oil. The uniquely eﬀective formula circulates throughout the system and chemically neutralises any residual acids and prevents them from corroding the system. It will work with all refrigerants and oils and all HVAC systems and, like Acid-Buster, it remains in the system and continues to neutralise acid as it forms, until all treatment is exhausted, making it an eﬀective preventative maintenance method.

SOLUTIONS QwikShot Acid Flush QwikShot Acid Flush works by chemically attaching to the acid and/ or moisture molecules and flushing them to the filter drier. It’s added to the compressor oil using the companion QwikInjector applicator. It works with all refrigerants, oils and filter-dryers; does not leave behind any disruptive residues; and it is a proven method for removing acid rather than neutralising it. The only disadvantages are that it is not an “on-guard” product, so it will not alert you to the formation of acids, and once it has captured the acid it must be removed from the system (along with the acid) using a filter dryer, which can be time consuming.

Spectroline Acid-Buster Spectroline’s Acid-Buster is arguably one of the quickest and easiest solutions to the problem of acid. It is a ready-to-use acid scavenging solution that is simply injected directly into the low pressure service port using the proven EZ/ BEZ injector, a handy, pre-ﬁlled, calibrated, disposable cartridge. This delivers the precise amount of acid neutralising treatment necessary – avoiding the risk of any overdose.

CONCLUSION Whichever method you choose, it is the duty of every good service engineer to be both aware of acid levels in HVAC systems and be ready to deal with them before they cause irreversible system damage. If you need further information about anything in this artice contact the Advanced Engineering support hotline on: +44 (0) 1256 460 300.

12/08/2015 12:11

HEAT PUMPS

53 heatpumps.today

Aquarea Heat Pump success in

traﬀan Manor has recently been announced as an award winning development in the Panasonic PRO Awards 2015. A Panasonic Aquarea heating and hot water system was installed in all 21 of the 5-6 bedroom luxury homes in Straﬀan Co.Kildare, Ireland.

THE BRIEF The client, Mulberry Properties Ltd was dedicated to not only comply with building regulations but aspired to surpass them to set a new standard. The key objectives in the construction of these new homes were to ensure that they achieved an A2 building energy rating utilising renewable energy sources and exceed the requirements to reduce the carbon emissions outlined in Part L. Mulberry Properties Ltd wanted to install a user friendly heating system that would be easy to operate and maintain now and in the future, as well as complement

Panasonic.indd 53

Ireland’s famous Ryder Cup village

the overall aesthetics of the development. Other key features taken into consideration were energy eﬃciency, low running costs and minimal disruption or excessive ground works during the construction phase.

THE PANASONIC SOLUTION After extensive consideration between Shane Duffy of Heat Merchants, Mick O’ Shea and Mulberry Properties Ltd, it was decided that a system featuring a heat pump was the best. This offered the capability to integrate the heat pump with other additional renewable energy solutions, thus delivering high performance whilst remaining energy efficient and affording the added bonus of low running costs. The excellent build quality of the Aquarea

units coupled with the availability of a local Panasonic service engineer sealed the deal. The new homes now beneﬁt from a split system, which generates 100% of the domestic hot water and heating needed for the homes all year round, without the need for back up from a supplementary system. The requirement of heating stored hot water to eliminate the risk of Legionella. Unlike conventional systems, there is no need to prioritise between heating and hot water. Due to the large volume of the thermal store there is never a dramatic drop in the temperature, allowing the Aquarea heat pump to comfortably recover the temperature. This solution maintains the eﬃciency of the heat pump keeping both energy consumption and costs to a minimum.

14/08/2015 13:37:54

HEAT PUMPS

September 2015

A new intelligent method of operation

for air source heat pumps An opinion for discussion?

By Rich Cartwright BEng MCIPHE, Director of RDC Energy Ltd

eat pump manufacturers are researching and developing their models to be more efficient by improving components, refrigerant and using inverter driven compressors. Weather compensation has also proved to be an excellent way to control your heat pump and improve running costs and performance.

Rich Cartwright

A good location for this thermal store in a 2 to 3 bedroom house could be challenging, but the architect could design a suitable location for it, possibly bury it in the garden using an anti-corrosion cylinder. This of course can lead on to more ideas to discuss. Would be great to hear from manufacturers, maybe we could start working together on this. Email: Rich@RDC-Energy.co.uk

Richard Cartwright.indd 54

As I’m not employed by a manufacturer and therefore am not involved with internal product improvement, I started to think about other parameters which could influence an air source heat pump’s efficiency. The EN 14511 standard of presenting air source heat pump’s performance is based on 45°C flow temperature and 7°C outside. Heat pump manufacturers like publishing this, because the unit output and COP are then extremely impressive. However, professionals who are familiar with the technology know how important it is to review the performance at low external temperatures and against design flow temperatures; COP’s will fall and therefore running costs will increase. What if we could eliminate the air source heat pump working at these cold external temperatures of say -3°C or -5°C simply by turning off the heat pump when the property requires heating? Using a method to predict what the external temperature is likely to be in the evening / early morning (10pm through to 5am) Newly built homes don’t have much thermal mass so turning off the heating in the evening isn’t often recommended. As most heat

pump installers will recommend, the heat pump should remain on at a low steady operation, trickling out a 35 to 45°C flow temperature into the distribution system radiators, underfloor, fan convectors etc. Using weather forecasting live data which communicates to the heat pump program via internet connection could well provide a new intelligent method of operation. Since air source heat pump performances are improved with warmer external air conditions, and winter day time temperatures are warmer than twilight hours, it would make sense (not in all cases) to turn the heat pump on in the day time and store the heated water in a thermal store. This saves the energy within the thermal store for twilight demand. There will, of course be days when heating is required in the day time and therefore the weather forecasting heating operation could not be activated. But during day times (6am to 8pm) when heating demand is low and the weather is predicating low temperatures at

twilight hours this new approach of operation could work well. The size of the thermal store will be calculated from the daily energy demand for the property, hence a room by room heat loss calculation is required. What size thermal store would be required? A typically well insulated new build 2 to 3 bedroom property would potential only need between 5000 to 9000kWh of energy per annual for heating. Therefore if we assume on a cold winters day 10kWh of energy is required to heat the home (24 hours period) and the maximum flow temperature to the underfloor heating is 45°C. The delta T is (45°C – 20°C) = 25°C We can assume if the thermal store energy is completely used each time there is a demand, then towards the end of the usage on the return pipe temperatures could be 20°C (feeding into the bottom of the thermal store). The thermal store would then be ready for another forecasted heating period.

We can calculate the estimated size of the buffer:

Litres of water for thermal store =

Energy (kWh)

(

(ΔT) x specific heat capacity of water J to kWh

(

Litres of water for thermal store = (25K) x

4187 ( 3600000 (

Therefore litres of water required for thermal store to be heated on a daily basis (winter days) = 344 litres A 3.5kW air source heat pump would be able to heat up the 344 litre store within 3 hours.

11/08/2015 16:17

Visit our new website www.pacair.co.uk

Units 1&2, The Heron Business Park, Eastman Way, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 7FW

p55_acrsept15.indd 1

12/08/2015 14:06:50

HEAT PUMPS

September 2015

How Ground Source Heat Pumps Keep C Will Hawkins, ACR Journal editor, visits a warehouse in the North East for an exclusive

L to R: Howard Tribick, HT Energy, and Neil McShane, AV Dawson

hen you have to keep £15 million worth of steel at the right humidity for a nearby car plant, you need to think carefully about how you do it. Get it wrong and all that steel attracts condensation and becomes unusable.

That is exactly the challenge faced by the logistics ﬁrm AV Dawson in Middlesbrough. Their customer, TATA Steel, has an exacting client, namely Nissan, the carmaker. Nissan needs steel to arrive in perfect condition to be able to use it. In fact, the steel has to be stored in conditions that have 65% humidity or less in the atmosphere. AV Dawson has other warehouses on its sites next to its quays on the

NIBE.indd 56

River Tees. The company stores and handles a wide range of goods in warehouses that, typically, have 85% humidity in them. TATA needed a new low energy solution for keeping steel in good condition near to its customer. Working with their long-term supplier, AV Dawson, they built a new warehouse near to the quay. It covers the area of about three football pitches or about 130,000m. However, they needed a solution that would keep the warehouse at the right humidity at the same time as maintaining low energy costs.

WHICH RENEWABLE HEATING SOLUTION? The development team considered diﬀerent renewable heating systems including an anaerobic digester, biomass boilers

and a gas burner. They discounted the anaerobic digester because it was more diﬃcult to control. They dropped the biomass option because of its labour intensive nature. The maintenance costs on a gas burner were too high. Fortunately, Howard Tribick from HT Energy came up with a solution. He recommended using ten NIBE ground source heat pumps connected to Draper air handling units (AHU). Howard calculated that he could provide a consistent humidity to guarantee 65% humidity or less. In addition, he calculated that he could provide a Seasonal Performance Factor (SPF) of 3.65. In fact, since they commissioned the warehouse in November 2014, the SPF is 3.64 and the average humidity has been 47%. Gary Dawson, managing director at AV Dawson, said:

The AV Dawson/TATA Steel warehouse

07/08/2015 18:35

HEAT PUMPS

heatpumps.today

p Carmaker’s Steel in Good Condition

insight on how NIBE ground source heat pumps keep steel at the right humidity.

“The capital outlay for the heat pumps was greater than the other solutions we looked at. Nevertheless, they are much cheaper over time. Also, the ground source heat pumps give us much better control over our energy costs.” He continued: “Fitting the NIBE heat pumps was a ‘no brainer’ for us. In addition to the savings we make, there is nothing for us to do. It is a very low maintenance solution.” The heating system will save them 1.58 million kWh each year. This means the system will pay for itself within ten years. Moreover, it beneﬁts from the commercial RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) too.

One of the ten NIBE heat pump units

NIBE.indd 57

THE HEAT PUMP SOLUTION The NIBE 1345/60 kW heat pumps and Draper AHU’s sit down one side of the warehouse. The heat pumps work together through the control system and they collect heat from 70 boreholes dotted around the site. The boreholes are 150 metres deep and sit in an active water table. The ground heat never drops below 9C in winter. The heat pumps feed 500 litre hot water buﬀer tanks. Each unit has electric back up. The AHU’s contain heat exchangers, and louvres control the airﬂow. Each system can either recycle internal air, or take it from outside, depending on the local weather conditions. Solar panels on the roof provide 220 kWh for the heat pumps, lighting, doors and cranes. There is a generator outside as an emergency back-up. Neil McShane, facilities manager at AV Dawson, explained how well the project worked: “From being a building site to ‘handing over the keys’, this project took 208 days to complete. And, there has been no disruption for TATA Steel and Nissan.” The project has had a big impact on how Nissan perceives TATA and AV Dawson. The new warehouse has set a new standard for warehousing in

The control system

the automotive industry and at TATA. Using heat pumps like this gives conﬁdence in the quality of the steel Nissan buys from TATA, as well as conﬁdence in their capacity and ability to grow with their customer.

IMPACT BEYOND THE SOLUTION The warehouse is impressive. It is huge. Howard Tribick’s NIBE ground source heat pump solution is remarkable too. It is a showcase for how forward thinking businesses are using heat pumps to control and lower their energy costs in the UK. And, their impact goes beyond mere costs. In this case, they are having a wider, positive business impact on the customers too.

07/08/2015 18:35

ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

Heating & Renewables Roadshow: Bringing Trusted Experts To You In the last few weeks there have been mixed messages from Government on its green agenda for the UK, making life anything but straightforward for the renewables industry. In particular, there is much uncertainty and confusion over key legislation, subsidies and funding. The heat pump industry needs answers to some big questions – and for installers and contractors in particular, some understanding of what this all means to their businesses. This is why visiting this year’s Heating and Renewables Roadshow is more important than ever: with over 60 leading suppliers, manufacturers and trusted experts across five locations all on hand to help with your business needs.

Car parking is completely free of charge, courtesy of sponsors Glow-worm.

Making the decision to take time off work is always a difficult one, with client pressures taking priority. However, the unique regional format of the Roadshow eliminates a lot of the concern for visitors who might not want to take the time to travel to attend an exhibition. Instead, the Roadshow travels to them, making it fully accessible to installers, contractors and specifiers all over the country.

Equipping visitors with the necessary knowledge to increase profits and improve product specifications is at the very heart of the Heating & Renewables Roadshow, and we’ve worked hard to develop a comprehensive, stimulating – and free seminar programme.

This year’s Roadshow will showcase some of the most innovative heating and low carbon technologies. With energy prices fluctuating, the importance of how homes and workplaces are heated has been sharply brought into focus and so this will feature heavily alongside renewables at the Roadshow.

Key-supporting organisation, TrustMark, leads the way with valuable advice, whilst

Heating & Renewables Roadshow

Key supporting organisation

the seminar programme is brought to you in association with the Roadshow’s four Knowledge Partners: REHAU, Stroma Certification, Edmundson Electrical and Sustainable Building Solutions. Plus, a fifth specialist product theatre featuring Gas Safe Register. Added to this is the impressive list of confirmed speakers from trade bodies across the industry, including Ground Source Heat Pump Association, Sustainable Energy Association, Microgeneration Certification Scheme, HETAS, Building & Engineering Services Association, Electrical Contractors’ Association and the Heating & Hot Water Industry Council. With added theatres, maximum industry participation and many speakers presenting their considerable expertise, never has there been more compelling educational content and hands-on demonstrations for Roadshow visitors. For more information and to register for the show please visit www.heatingandrenewablesroadshow.co.uk

I T ’ S BAC K T H I S SEPT EMB ER Coventry - 10th Sep (Ricoh) Exeter - 15th Sep (Westpoint) Farnborough - 17th Sep (FIVE) Edinburgh - 22nd Sep (RHC)

2015

The UK’s only regional event for heating and renewable energy professionals brings the whole industry to your doorstep.

• Benefit from industry leading expertise provided by our four knowledge partners • Enjoy hands-on product demonstrations • Engage in our comprehensive and stimulating seminar programme • Test and quiz manufacturers to understand new innovations • Gain post-election clarity with new legislation looming Driven to learn, driven to earn?

Manchester - 24th Sep (Event City)

heatingandrenewablesroadshow.co.uk

Knowledge Partners

Supporting Organisations

Then don’t let the HRR pass you by!

14/08/2015 11:07:45

COMPETITION

acrjournal.uk

JULY/AUGUST WINNERS Congratulations to Mrs E Owen, Trend Refrigeration Ltd, who won a Spa Selection for 2 at Bannatyne’s Health and to runner-up James Wood, JGR Refrigeration Ltd, who won a Winning Raceday Package .

Welcome to our new Retreat competition, sponsored by Refcom. The law now requires stationary RAC companies to have obtained full F-Gas Certiﬁcation. If you’ve missed the deadline don’t risk prosecution, get registered now at www.refcom.com To demonstrate your commitment to best practice, you can also join voluntary registration scheme Refcom Elite. There are some SUPERB competition prizes this month from Refcom, the UK’s leading F-Gas register.

Simply find the 12 words we’ve hidden in the word search for your chance to win. E

CIRCUIT

CODE

INDUSTRY

INSTALL

REFCOM

RETREAT

The winner of this month’s competition will win: One Night Escape For Two.

ELITE FGAS HEATPUMP

LEGISLATION MEMBER PUMPS

One runner-up will win: Virgin Active Reviver Package For Two. Prizes may vary from that pictured.

CLOSING DATE IS TUESDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER 2015 Send your entry to: Competitions Department, ACR Journal, Warners Group Publications, The Maltings, West Street Bourne, Lincs, PE10 9PH Name ...................................................................................................................................... Company .......................................................................................................................... Job Title .................................................................................................................................. Business Address ........................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................ Post code ...................................... Tel ...................................................... Daytime/evening (please circle) .............................................................................. Company email address ..................................................................................................................................................................... Please sign here if you wish to receive or continue to receive a regular

FREE copy of The ACR Journal

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Signed ........................................................................... Date ................................................................... In relation to air conditioning and refrigeration products, please tick the most relevant box below. Purchase Specify Use Install Maintain Manufacture None of these Do you: Warners Group Publications plc will automatically provide you with relevant direct mail and/or telephone information. If you do not want to receive this information tick here . We may also e-mail you with information about relevant products/services. If you do want to receive e-mail please tick here . Warners Group Publications plc will occasionally allow selected third parties to contact you about their products/services. If you do not want to receive relevant direct mail and/or telephone information from third parties please tick here . If you do want to receive relevant email from third parties please tick here . All prizes are subject to availability and may change.

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WHAT’S NEW

September 2015

To advertise your product in the ‘What’s New’ section please contact Shelley Bright on 01778 391172 or e-mail shelleyb@warnersgroup.co.uk

RDM launch new Intuitive Controller and dmTouch with 10.1” screen

Team expanding to meet demand for Hitachi heating

Resource Data Management (RDM), leading HVACR control and remote monitoring solution provider, has announced two major product launches. The dmTouch, their colour HD touch screen management system front end now features a 10.1” screen. Further optimising the user experience the larger screen makes it even easier to monitor and control sites from one central point. A key addition to their Intuitive range is the new Intuitive Transcritical Superpack Controller. Designed for the retail and industrial refrigeration markets the Intuitive Transcritical Superpack Controller is a versatile expandable controller intended for HT/LT CO2 Pack, Gas Cooler and HT/ LT Oil monitoring and control. Building on the success of RDMs existing Transcritical software solutions the new Intuitive Transcritical Superpack controller has similar features and functions as the other controllers in the Intuitive Control range, with a number of key enhancements.

Hitachi Air Conditioning Europe SAS is continuing to grow its Heating team with the recent appointment of Andy Henson in the role of Technical Engineer - Heating. Andy’s background covers both heating and cooling products having worked extensively with Hitachi air conditioning and refrigeration equipment in the past, before moving to NIBE Energy Systems as a service engineer, progressing through to training and site support roles. “Andy’s role includes training at Hitachi’s UK aircademy centres, onsite training and commissioning as well as remote and onsite technical support. He’s currently working on a completely new course programme for our family of Yutaki air source heat pumps, which we’ll be launching later this summer,” said Andy Hooper, Sales Manager – Heating, Hitachi Air Conditioning Europe.

0141 810 2828 sales@resourcedm.com www.resourcedm.com

For more information about Hitachi’s Yutaki product line-up with five-year manufacturer’s warranty: 01628 585 394 aircon.uk@hitachi-eu.com www.hitachiheating.com

Wika Instruments measures up for HVAC 2015

Polygon UK retains Achilles accreditation for ﬁfth year

WIKA Instruments has joined other headline names by signing up to exhibit at HVAC 2015, part of UK Construction Week. The heavyweight in heating, air conditioning and ventilation instruments will be showcasing its products to the HVAC sector during the week of industry-dedicated events. WIKA Instruments manufactures mechanical, mechatronic and electronic instruments for the measurement of pressure, temperature and level in heating and ventilation systems. Its products are used in the design of boilers, gas thermal units, air conditioning systems, heat pumps and ventilation systems. The company’s extensive product range is underpinned by its long-term security of supply, stock control system, technical consultancy and customer support. Bringing together nine shows under one roof, UK Construction Week will take place at the Birmingham NEC from 6 – 11 October the event will unite 1,000 exhibitors with an expected audience of 55,000 visitors.

Following a successful review, Polygon UK has not only secured Achilles accreditation for the fifth year in a row but has increased the percentage scores achieved in all areas, demonstrating Polygon’s commitment to continuous and proactive improvement. Achilles is one of the world’s leading global supply chain risk management companies, managing supply chain data across a portfolio of 77,000 buyers and suppliers serving 23 countries. Polygon is part of the Achilles UVDB community, a dedicated community that serves the UK utilities industry. By association, it demonstrates Polygon’s capability to meet the industry requirements and comply with EU regulations. Pat Neal, Polygon UK’s HR Director explains, “Retaining the Achilles accreditation with increased scores across all areas, demonstrates our culture of continuous improvement and not only highlights our dedication to provide quality services, but also recognises our commitment to health and safety, environmental and corporate governance.”

For more information please visit www.ukconstructionweek.com or follow @UK_CW on Twitter.

Munters to Acquire HB Group Munters and HB Group Combine Expertise and Products to Provide High Quality Air Treatment Solutions to Customers Munters AB last week announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire HB Group (www.hbgroup.nl), an international company that specializes in customized hygienic climate control systems for the food/dairy industries. HB Group has locations in Almelo, the Netherlands and in Hrusky, Czech Republic. Munters is a global leader and premium partner in energy efficient air treatment solutions. Using innovative technologies, the group’s expert engineers create the perfect climate for customers in a wide range of industries, with the largest being the food, pharmaceutical and data center sectors. The merging of the two companies will strengthen Munters’ ability to be a valued partner to its customers. By offering a broader range of products and services, Munters will be better positioned to meet all the air treatment needs of its customers. +44 1480 413147 dryair@munters.co.uk www.munters.com

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01480 425180 andy.oakes@polygongroup.com www.polygonrental.com

JS Air curtains – Air Curtain at Marconi Building JS Air Curtains has supplied a bespoke Zen air curtain for use at the imposing Grade II listed Marconi Building in The Strand, London.The air curtain was specified to match the same colour as the entrance of the building, thereby meeting both aesthetic and functional objectives. The Zen is part of JS Air Curtains’ Designer Range and has a contemporary architectural style. It can be fitted with bespoke fascia panels of different materials and any RAL colour, and can also carry signage, branding or even elements such as clocks. It is available in 0.5m lengths from 1m to 2.5m, with electric or water heaters or as a non-heated, air only model. Low noise, double inlet centrifugal fans with external rotor motors provide up to 6,475m3/h airflow making it suitable for use on doorways up to 3.5m. JS Air Curtains supplies an extensive range of air curtains, as well as bespoke solutions, for all commercial and industrial applications. 01903 858656 01903 850345 info@jsaircurtains.com www.jsaircurtains.com

11/08/2015 17:14

Technical Sales and Support vacancies Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Refrigeration, Maintenance, Heat Pumps, Renewables

VACANCIES

VOLUME 1 No1

Essential Information for the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry DEC/JAN 2015

We have been asked by a number of prestigious clients to recruit for the following exciting vacancies throughout the UK:

Call Theresa now on 01778 392046 Improving to discover how our multi-mediayour packages Chain. can target Supply your ideal candidate.

Do you need an

experienced

reliable

A/C Engineer? Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Suppliers Refreshingly Different

Engineer and mate available for install, service and maintenance work, in the Manchester area. Will also travel nationally. With own uniforms. 1989-2014

Cranbourne Refrigeration Ltd

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Contact David Brown on 07778 104346 No agencies

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Sales Engineers – Industrial Refrigeration Sales Executives – Commercial Refrigeration Business Development Managers – Air Conditioning / Chillers Area Sales Managers – Air Handling / Ventilation Regional Sales Executives – Controls Project Managers – HVAC Chiller Engineers Industrial Refrigeration Engineers Air Conditioning Engineers Please also view our website : www.ts-international.net

www.rw-wholesale.co.uk

MISSING THAT VITAL MEMBER OF YOUR TEAM?

29/12/2014 11:38 20/11/2014 12:48

To apply for these or other new roles we are handling exclusively please call: 0118 930 4444 or email your CV to: vacancies@tsinternational.net You can also apply via our website: www.ts-international.com TSInternational Recruitment Ltd 7 High Street, Theale, Reading, Berks, RG7 5AH

Call us now on 01474 338705/338725 www.ashburyassociates.co.uk Email: info@ashburyassociates.co.uk

SERVICE MANAGER

TECHNICAL ESTIMATOR

INDUSTRIAL REFRIGERATION SERVICE

S.E. London/Kent c£42k+car+benefits An experienced manager is required to run the service and small works division of this well-established air conditioning contractor. You will have previous experience gained in a similar role, which should include strong technical, commercial and man-management skills. Ref:T3275

London/Essex to £36k+benefits This specialist HVAC piping company has a requirement for an experienced estimator to prepare estimates and tenders for Building Services piping fabrication projects. This could include pipework, heat exchangers, pumps, brackets and skids. Ref:T3283

London/Midlands/E. Anglia to £35k+van+o/t+t/t Industrial refrigeration contractor requires additional engineers to be responsible for the service and maintenance of a wide range of industrial refrigeration systems within food process applications. Industrial refrigeration experience, including ammonia systems required. Ref:T3281

CAD ENGINEER

NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER

COMMERCIAL SERVICE ENGINEER

London/Essex £26k+benefits Major pipe fabrication company requires an experienced individual with AutoCAD and Revit experience, to work on building services pipework fabrication drawings, producing material schedules/take offs. Candidates should have relevant engineering backgrounds. Ref:T3282

Southern England c£50k+car+comm+benefits. Our client a major player in the supply of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment and components is looking to appoint a National Accounts Manager. The successful applicant will be a hardworking and motivated individual, with a technical understanding of A/C and/or refrigeration systems. Ref:T3277

London/Kent/Essex c£30k+van+t/t+o/t You will have a strong background in commercial refrigeration and air conditioning and possess good people skills. City & Guilds/NVQ and F-Gas are essential. Good opportunity for someone looking to move away from the supermarket sector and to have a better work/life balance. Ref:T3280/89

TECHNICAL SUPPORT ENGINEER

PROJECT MANAGER

AIR CONDITIONING ENGINEEERS

E. Midlands to £32k+benefits & Bonus A major chiller service company requires an experienced engineer to deal with technical enquiries over the phone, prepare quotations for repair work and liaise and support field service engineers. Good knowledge of refrigeration, water chillers and ideally AHUs required. Ref:T3276

N. Kent to £45k+car+benefits This regional HVAC contractor has an immediate vacancy for an additional Project Manager to join their team. You will be responsible for the Project management of HVAC projects in and around the London area. Project values will range from £1k to £250K Ref:T3272

London/H. Counties to £38k+van +benefits This is an exciting opportunity for experienced air conditioning/ chiller engineers to join a well-established, privately owned company. You will be responsible for the service and maintenance of VRV systems, chiller plant and other air conditioning/refrigeration equipment, as required. Ref:T3285

PROJECT MANAGER

CONTRACT ENGINEER/ADMINISTRATOR

Eire c£45k plus benefits Leading Irish Industrial Refrigeration contractor wish to appoint an experienced Project Manager, who will be responsible for the design, selection, estimating and contracting of projects. Experience working on ammonia systems is essential. Ref:T3279.

Surrey/Middlesex c£35k+car+benefits Contracts administrator required with a background dealing with capital equipment contracts for an air conditioning manufacturer or distributor. You will be office based and responsible for liaising with foreign factories as well as customers and contractors, with occasional site visits. Ref:T3286

p61_acrsept15.indd 1

For further details please contact TERRY WHITE or ROGER For further details contactPRICE either TERRY WHITE or ROGER at Ashbury Associates, The Old Rectory,PRICE Springhead Road, Ashbury Associates Ltd., Kent Crown House, Northfleet, DA11 8HNHome Gardens, Kent DA1 1DZ 338749 t 01474 Dartford, 338705/338725 f 01474 t 01322 424636 f 01322 424637 e info@ashburyassociates.co.uk e info@ashburyassociates.co.uk

12/08/2015 14:24:46

CLASSIFIEDS

September 2015

F-GAS DETECTOR CALIBRATION

2620Frascold_RTS_90x92mmPSD.qxp_90mm h x 92mm w 02/04/2015 15:31 AIR CONDITIONING-COOLING HIRE

RTS and NHR/L Twin Screw Compressors

Frascold, your partner for compressors for refrigeration systems. With Frascold designed N-type screw profiles for perfect engagement and smooth quiet running. Suitable for industrial refrigeration, racks and systems, HFC and Hydrocarbons including R407A and R407F. LT, MT and HT range. THERMOCOLD 3_Layout 1 02/12/ CHILLERS COOLING SYSTEMS & SERVICES

For natural and low GWP refrigerants. ATEX approved accessories are available upon request. 34 models • 120 - 538 m3/hr • 30 - 160HP

Cooling Systems • Spares Service • Training • Free cooling chillers • Screw inverter chillers Free cooling chillers • 4-6 pipe simultaneous operation Screw inverter chillers • Water cooled chillers • Absorption chillers 4 - 6 pipe operation Tel.simultaneous 0844 3183722

+44 (0)113 239 1000 connect@airedale.com ww.airedale.com

Water cooled chillers www.dpac.co.uk Absorption chillers

FANS Tel. 0844 3183722

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www.thermocold-hvacsystems.co.uk DPAC.indd 1

16/12/2014 13:41:56

ADVERTISE

HERE IN ISSN 2058-4407

VOLUME 1 No8

Tel: 0117 980 2520 www.climalife.co.uk/www.climalife.dehon.com

GET YOUR COMPANY SEEN! Essential Information for the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry DEC/JAN 2015

✔ Refrigerants ✔ Heat Transfer Fluids ✔ Lubricants ✔ Waste Management ✔ Cleaning

Blue is better

For further information e-mail: howard.davis@frascold.it www.frascold.it

VOLUME 1 No1

Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Specialists

RANGE EXTENDED

Essential Information for the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry

MANUFACTURERS

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the creative choice in VRF distribution www.aircreation.co.uk

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Call Theresa on 01778 392046 or email theresag@warnersgroup.co.uk acrjournal.uk

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CLASSIFIEDS

acrjournal.uk

SPARES FOR SALE

REFRIGERATION & AIR CONDITIONING SUPPLIERS

ARE you PAyING Too MuCH FoR DAIKIN PARTS?

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Space Air have been supplying genuine Daikin parts since 1980.  Over 4000 spares in stock.  Constant stock replenishment.  Access to global network.  Parts identification service. Visit www.spaceair.co.uk for more information.

CAll Now FoR THE bEST PRICES AND AvAIlAbIlITy! NOISE CONTROL PRODUCTS

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SA Parts ACRAIR TodayTERMINAL 02.2015 92x40.indd 1 (SW)

LTD Makers of Aluminium Grilles ❚ External Louvres ❚ Linears ❚ Slot Diffuser ❚ Floor Grilles ❚ Wall Grilles/Registers ❚ Quick Delivery/Good Prices

Manufacturer of performance acoustic foam insulation. Supplied in sheets, rolls, acoustic kits.

T: 01736793053 F: 01736796823 Email: atswltd@aol.com

www.airterminalltd.co.uk

24/02/2015 14:53

• Bespoke Chiller & Freezer Coldrooms • Mortuary Coldrooms Designed & Installed • Refrigeration Installations • Food Preparation Areas Installed

W: www.milby-coldrooms.co.uk T: 0116 2606617 E: sales@milby-coldrooms.co.uk

EVAPORATORS/AIR COOLED CONDENSERS Coils

Unit Coolers

Dry Air Coolers

Air Cooled Condensers

Competitive prices - Quick Delivery HEATING & COOLING COIL PRODUCTS LTD Tel: 02392 501431 Fax: 02392 529272

Foam Techniques Ltd, 39 Booth Drive, Park Farm South, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8 6GR, United Kingdom

T: 00 44 (0) 1933 400096 E: sales@foamtechniques.co.uk

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01442 254401 sales@pacair.co.uk www.pacair.co.uk

• Fan coil Plenums, pre-designed, pre-insulated & lightweight. Returns c/w filter doors & rails. • A range of pre-selected grille packages to suit standard applications for each fan coil. • As seen in Mitsubishi Electric showrooms. • One stop shop for all major manufacturers, all made to order with optional spigot positions. • Downloadable price lists available on the web site www.plenums.co.uk • Aluminium surfaces and metal flanges made from 22mm rigid phenolic insulation panel with zero ODP. • Plenum and grille boxes are a one man operation as they are 85% lighter than their sheet metal equivalents. Grilles and boxes can sit directly on ceiling grids without further support and all are preinsulated so no additional insulation is required.

Tel:- 01235 200849 email:- mail@plenums.co.uk

ENTER NOW Closing date 16th September Visit: www.entertheawards.co.uk

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CHILLY CHATTER

September 2015

Book in for...

Get Ready for ...

and Learn to Speak with Your Mouth Shut!

the Scottish Gathering of the Institute of Refrigeration

The IOR Northern Dinner

Not long after the IOR Dinner in Newcastle is the IOR Scottish Branch Dinner in Glasgow. It is a big gathering and a great place to meet your colleagues and clients in Scotland.

The Institute of Refrigeration’s 12th annual northern dinner is just around the corner. If you want to catch up with colleague’s client or contacts in the north, this is a great place to do it. Not only that, the IOR Nothern Branch dinner is great fun, too. This year’s entertainer is Paul Zerdin, a man who can make you laugh without moving his mouth! Paul recently appeared on ‘America’s Got Talent’ this year with his act, and has taken his act onto the Royal Variety Performance and on other TV shows too.

The Scottish IOR presents their annual awards at the dinner, namely the Kooltech Award and Apprentice of the Year. Get your entries in NOW! Norrie Fraser is taking the Chair and the After Diner Speaker is Mr Peter Brown. Peter Brown loves making people laugh and his stories are about sport, life, and marriage; subjects we all relate in the world we live in today.

The IOR Northern Branch annual dinner is on Thursday 1st October 2015 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne at The County Thistle Hotel.

The IOR Scottish Branch Dinner is on Thursday 12th November 2015 at The Thistle Hotel, Cambridge Street, Glasgow.

Book your table or tickets now by contacting Becky Treece-Birch on 07711 152 662.

0141 892 3406 0141 883 3755 linda. mcvittie@jehall.co.uk

FG Banner ACRT 3_FG Banner 1 ACRT 23/01/2015 11:58 Page 1

CHILLY CHATTER SPONSORED BY

Fujitsu Air Conditioning

infinitely reliable infinitely

See why by going to www.fgeurofred.co.uk

A-Gas and friends have drawing power A-Gas sponsored this year’s Shaun in the City trail in Bristol. It will feature 70 large sculptures of characters from Aardmann Animations. Each of the individually designed ﬁve-foot sculptures will be grazing in iconic locations and tourist destinations around Bristol from July 6 to the end of August. After the trail, all the sculptures will be auctioned to raise money for Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal, the Bristol Children’s Hospital Charity. Bristol-based artist Vivi Cuevas designed the A-Gas sculpture, Buttercup. For more information about Shaun in the City, visit www.shauninthecity.org.uk. Find Buttercup at Ashton Court, near the A-Gas head offices in Portbury.

IOR Dinners_Chilly Chatter.indd 64

Waterloo helps fulﬁl cricket dream Waterloo Air Products is helping to build a brand new dedicated cricket clubhouse on Victoria Embankment at the Meadows Recreation Ground in Nottingham. Called the Field of Dreams Project, the new clubhouse is the vision of the Trent Bridge Community Trust to leave a true legacy from the Investec Ashes Test Series at Trent Bridge in 2013 and 2015.

Field of Dreams - work starts on site

11/08/2015 11:32

CHILLY CHATTER

acrjournal.uk

GOLF DAY RAISES MONEY FOR CHARITY Mitie, the facilities management giant, ran its ‘Masters Golf Day’ at Woodbury Park near Exeter to raise money for Devon Air Ambulance and Dream-AWay charities. Over 40 customers went to the Mitie one-day golf challenge including: Vodafone, Lloyds Bank, Hoare Lea, RLB, Claybrook Developments, CAP Ceilings and Partitions, Amber Management, Carillion Defence, Sweett Group, Devon Contractors, Wolseley, JLL, EDDC, QSPM COnsultants, Robinson White, Faithfull & Gould, AJ Carpenters, Kingshaw, ADG Architects, Exter College, Jones King, Bailey Partnership, URS, airey & Coles, Barratt Homes, Galliford Try and the ACR Journal. The event had several sponsors Sam Doick, Mitie and Will Hawkins, ACR Journal with the Webb Ellis Cup including Daikin, Pipe Center,

Air Systems, Newey & Eyre, Lindab, NOICO, Broag-Remeha, GoodPoint, Edmundson Electrical and Purple. There was some very skilful golﬁng and some shocking golf too (namely from the ACR Journal editor), all of whom had hosts from Mitie to guide them around the course once owned by F1 Champion, Nigel Mansell. Coincidentally, the 2015 Rugby World Cup tour was on site displaying the Webb Ellis Cup. The event raised £310 for the chosen charities.

Armstrong Fluid Technology Encourages 655 School Eco-Heros to Help the Planet Armstrong Fluid Technology had 655 schoolchildren enter its ‘Story to a Sustainable Future’ competition. The children created comic strips showing what it takes to be an ‘eco-super hero’. Armstrong Fluid Technology had 655 schoolchildren enter its ‘Story to a Sustainable Future’ competition. The children created comic strips showing what it takes to be an ‘eco-super hero’. Now in its third year, the challenge for children in primary schools is to show how they can help save the planet. Children on the shortlist came from 26 schools in and around Birmingham and Manchester. They went to The Crystal* in London on 24th June for the prize giving ceremony. Armstrong Fluid Technology director, Steve Cooper, said: “The prize giving event for our annual School’s Competition provides a great focus for looking back at all that has been achieved over the past year and setting our sights on the future.”