ACR Journal February-March 2019

VOLUME 5 No2

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

2020 ISSN 2058-4407

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

Essential Information for the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry

째 National ACR & HP Awards special Aermec profile 째 째 Focus on wholesale and distribution 째 Heat pumps

Now available from Dean & Wood...

Improved Air Quality

Energy Efficient

Affordable

Cool

Warm

Available Now

dean&wood

dean&wood the face of MHI acrjournal.uk

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E D ITOR /C ON TE N T S

KK’s star role on a night of celebration Meeting your heroes can be a nervy business. There’s always a chance that the figure you’ve admired from afar for so long will fail to live up to unrealstic expectations.

Kevin Keegan quickly banished any such fears when he arrived to host the National ACR & Heat Pump Awards 2019 in Manchester and played a major role in what was hopefully a night to remember for everyone who gathered at the Midland Hotel.

Once again, we had some exceptional entries across the board and congratulations are due to all the finalists, runners-up and, of course, the winners. Find out more in a bumper 12 pages of coverage, starting on page 22.

Among those to carry off a trophy were Aermec UK and elsewhere in the magazine we report on a visit to the factory in Italy and explore some of the values which have served it so well over many years.

There is also a special feature on the wholesalers and distributors who play such an important role in keeping the wheels of industry turning.

18

FEATURES Air conditioning

59

Education the key

18

Meeting the Aermec family

60

Construction

22

Awards

16

The quest for a greener gas

Saluting the National ACR &

Heat Pump winners

Refrigerants

Efficient buildings

Modern methods and the quest

for quality

68

Awards

Trainee of the Year Awards

Plus a full round-up of the ACR Trainee of the Year Awards.

36

Goodbye virgin R404A

Enjoy the magazine.

38

Focus on flammability

WHOLESALE & DISTRIBUTION

Editor David Todd T 01778 392094 E david.todd@ warnersgroup.co.uk

54

Refrigeration

41

HRP

42

Logicool

44

PACAIR

46

Cool Designs

48

The Coolstation

50

Fridgenius

52

RW

Why CO2 is a viable option

56

ACPs key to pizza delivery

HEAT PUMPS 57

Separating fact from fiction

58

Making a difference

February | March 2019

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03

CO NTENTS

REGULARS

14

Projects, products and people

62

Chilly Chatter

Industry chat and updates

Tools Talk

64

Changing Faces

HY-EX: The perfect upgrade

15

Mitsubishi Electric Column

VOLUME 5 No2

News

R32 is mainstream, but are you ready?

67

ISSN 2058-4407

Essential Information for the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

04

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

2020

Who’s new and who’s moved

° National ACR & HP Awards special ° Aermec profile ° Focus on wholesale and distribution ° Heat pumps

Now available from Dean & Wood...

...dooW & naeD morf

The Innovation Zone

The latest products and launches

Improved Air Quality

Energy Efficient

Affordable

Cool

Warm

Available Now

dean&wood

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tneicif fE ygrenE

woN elbaliavA

m r aW

dean&wood the face of MHI

IHM fo ecaf eht d

acrjournal.uk ACRCover.indd 1

05/02/2019 10:49

Multi Media Sales Representative Jordan Paylor 01778 395029 jordan.paylor@warnersgroup.co.uk

Editorial Design Ady Braddock

Advertising Design Natalie Reynolds

Production Sue Ward 01778 392405 production@warnersgroup.co.uk

Subscriptions

22

Single copy £3.00; Annual UK subscription £35.00 Overseas £65.00

Publishing Editor Juliet Loiselle CompCIPHE 01778 391067 julietl@warnersgroup.co.uk

Published by: Warners Group Publications Plc The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincs, PE10 9PH 01778 391000 01778 394748 www.warnersgroup.co.uk © Copyright 2018

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Aerofoil driving ahead

TF Solutions to sell Mitsubishi Electric TF Solutions is to sell Mitsubishi Electric equipment as part of the manufacturer’s Value Added Reseller (VAR) network.

Andy Cherrill, managing director of TF Solutions, said: “Our mission is to work together for success and this principle has allowed us to remain a vital part of our customers’ successes over the past 18 years. We see this new association with Mitsubishi Electric as continuing on that path towards success, by allowing us to offer our customers the very best products available.’’

The news followed the announcement in December that Dean & Wood was switching brands from Mitsubishi Electric to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

LU-VE BUYS AL AIR Four new major customers have been announced for Aerofoil, the Formula One-inspired energy saving device for openfronted retail fridges from Aerofoil Energy.

Following extensive trials, Marks & Spencer has seen proven energy savings, with the added benefit of a more comfortable in-store temperature. Results from existing client adoption of Aerofoils have shown that customers can save up to 30% on refrigeration energy costs through the retrofittable solution.

Aerofoil is influenced by Formula One aerodynamics from Williams Advanced Engineering, part of the Williams Group that also includes the Formula One team, and is similar in appearance to the rear wing of a Formula One car. It uses aerodynamics to guide cold air down the fridge more efficiently, meaning substantially less cold air is lost from the chiller unit, resulting in lower energy use, fewer carbon emissions and warmer aisles in stores.

Transformative The M&S news was followed by the announcement that global travel retailer SSP Group is also to use the technology for its chilled food cabinets. ​SSP operates a portfolio of more than 500 international, national, and local brands in 33 countries around the world. Brands receiving Aerofoils include M&S, Café Ritazza, Millies Cookies, Starbucks, Camden Foods, Upper Crust and Spar Express.

Ignite Energy conceived and implemented successful trials of Aerofoil in several SSP-operated stores in the UK, paving the way for the adoption of the technology more widely.

Community retailer Scotmid Co-operative has also adopted the Aerofoil. The initiative is led by Impact Shopfitting, who specified the equipment after excellent feedback from store trials. Impact will manage the installation in Scotmid’s 186 convenience stores across Scotland and the North of England.

And leading high street brand WHSmith has chosen to fit Aerofoils to its open-fronted refrigerators in more than 430 of its travel stores.

ASDA and Sainsbury’s are among other retailers already using Aerofoil technology.

LU-VE has announced the purchase Alfa Laval’s commercial/ industrial air heat exchanger business and says the deal will put the company in the top three global operators in the sector. For the 12 months ending June 2018 Alfa Laval Air Heat Exchangers Division had revenues of €97.8 million. AL Air, based near Vicenza, owns brand including Fincoil and Helpman and manufactures in Italy, Finland and India. The deal will include the transfer of about 400 employees mainly based at the production sites.

KEEPING IT SIMPLE Electrician Karl Pettit has developed a cable tray mounting spacer which he says offers improved installation time of all sizes of light and medium duty cable tray for air conditioning and refrigeration contractors.

TraySimple, which has taken four years to develop, is a plastic spacer that replaces the need to use either metal channel or stand-off brackets when installing cable tray onto walls and floors.

The individual spacers clip into a perforation on the tray, which is placed in position then drilled and fixed through the tray and spacer, securing the cable tray to the wall.

One spacer can be used to space the tray 21mm from the wall, to match up with tray already installed on shallow channel, or two spacers can be clipped together to provide a spacing of 41mm, to match up with deeper channels.

Nottingham-based Karl said: “I am an electrician working in the air conditioning industry and the one job I did not look forward to was the cutting of metal channel and the installation of cable tray. It’s ideally suited to external and internal pipework risers and around the floor of a compound or the roof of a cold room.”

TraySimple is available from Trentside Fixings in Nottingham, FCC in Mansfield (part of the ERF Electrical Group) and nationwide from Edmundson Electrical.

February | March 2019

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Stylish Where innovation meets creativity

Function and style for any space Daikin’s award-winning Stylish air conditioning unit brings together excellent design and technology to deliver a total climate solution for any interior.

Winner of the Red Dot and Good Design Awards, Stylish is one of the slimmest (189mm deep) wall mounted units on the market and achieves the best in comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and control.

The Stylish unit comes in three colours (white, silver and blackwood) with curved corners, for a discreet and space-saving design. So Daikin harmonises aesthetics and performance to create an innovative product that suits any contemporary interior.

The Coanda effect: optimises the airflow for a comfortable climate Fresh, pure air: provides the best indoor air quality using Daikin’s deodorising filter Quiet operation: with a new fan design delivering higher energy efficiency at low sound levels Smart control: of the unit, from your smartphone, with Daikin’s Online Controller

Find out more at www.daikin.co.uk

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MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC BOOSTS R32 LINE-UP Mitsubishi Electric has added R32 Standard Inverter and Inverter models to its Mr Slim air conditioning range, with eight different capacities from 2.5kW to 14kW. The Standard Inverter outdoor units are available from 2.5kW to 14.0kW and include extended pipe runs on larger models, compared to the previous R410A versions. The outdoor unit can connect to a range of indoor units including ceiling cassette, ceiling concealed, ceiling suspended and wall mounted models. The Inverter outdoor units are available from 7.1kW to 14kW as ceiling cassette systems.

The units incorporate Replace Technology, allowing installers to move to the new systems while maintaining existing pipework, while low noise levels makes the outdoor systems suitable for installation at a range of sites.

Meanwhile, the manufacturer has extended its line-up of R32 products with the new R32 M Series MSZ-HR wall mounted system, the entry level to the M Series range.

The inverter driven range is available in 2.5kW, 3.5kW and 5.kW system sizes abd is a direct replacement for the R410A MSZ-DM range.

The MSZ-HR series comes with an optional Wi-Fi capability, enabling control and monitoring of each system using smartphone, tablet or PC via the MELCloud app.

Mitsubishi Electric has also introduced a new range of R32 solutions for small computer rooms or areas that require a greater degree of sensible cooling. The M Series MSY-TP R32 Cooling Only High SHF Wall Mounted System is available in 3.5kW and 5.0kW sizes and includes an SHF (Sensible Heat Factor) of up to 0.98.

TOTAL SOLUTION WITH FLOWAY DX

Obituaries Ian Ramsay, a fellow of the IOR and veteran of the refrigeration industry, has passed away following a short illness. Ian was a refrigeration consultant and managing director at refrigeration design software specialist White Rose Software. He had spent more than 50 years in the industry and will be greatly missed.

Allan Maguire passed away in early December following a short stay in hospital. He retired from Glasgow Kelvin College in August after a long career as a lecturer in Building Engineering Services. A popular, wellloved colleague and a real gentleman, Allan is missed by family and friends.

Chris Lack, former technical director of Elta Fans, died in November following a battle with ill health.

He joined Elta in 1984 as a technical manager and played a crucial role in the development of the company’s impeller ranges. He retired in 2010.

David Ball, chairman of Elta Group, said: “Chris was a key part of a team of individuals who were the driving force behind the position and integrity and reliability that Elta Fans upholds across the world today.”

CIAT UK has joined forces with Toshiba Carrier UK to develop an integrated air handling unit (AHU) and direct expansion (DX) system.

Although demand for combined DX cooling and heating coils in AHUs has been increasing, bespoke systems with components from different manufacturers can be difficult to configure due to the ECEX has installed an elevated steel support gantry varied control systems and interfaces used. and associated screening louvres at Tate Modern’s Development engineers from CIAT worked award-winning 2016 extension, the Blavatnik together at a research and testing facility in Culoz, Building in London. The gantry supports three new France, to develop the Floway DX. A key requirement was 3,600kg dry coolers installed by ECEX customer SPIE to ensure that the CIAT coils within the Floway DX were optimised Building Services. for the most efficient output and control when connected to the DX outdoor units.

ECEX faced the challenge of fitting the gantry into Paul Smith, CIAT UK’s sales manager, said: “Until now, combining AHUs with a congested plant compound. The platform also had DX systems has required installers to purchase separate equipment, often from to be erected high enough for the heat rejected by different manufacturers, and go through the complex process of trying to make the coolers to discharge to atmosphere over the high them work together effectively. This can be time-consuming and may result in walls of the compound which contained the chillers. inefficiencies in performance as well as adding risk to the project. The Floway

ECEX SHINES IN SUPPORTING ROLE

DX solves this problem with a fully integrated airside and DX system in a proven combination that is supported by a single source supplier. This new solution opens up new opportunities for installers and eliminates the complications that arise from using different manufacturer’s technologies and control systems.”

Meanwhile, CIAT UK is opening two new training centres to update customers on its air movement and air conditioning technology. The centres, at Leatherhead and Stockport, will operate alongside the existing UK training network of sister company Toshiba Air Conditioning, which has 13 dedicated facilities across the country, and augment the global training centre at Culoz.

February | March 2019

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Compressors Screws | Scrolls | Reciprocating and more...

ThermaCom Tel: 01189 181400 www.thermagroup.com p07_acrfeb19.indd p59_acrapr18.indd 1

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MEXICHEM TO SELL R448A Mexichem is to distribute Honeywell’s R448A (Solstice N40) in the European Union and will sell the product as Klea 448A. Sarah Hughes, pictured, Europe, Middle East, Africa and India commercial director for Mexichem’s Fluor Business Group, said: “We are committed to offering our European customers a product range which suits their needs today as well as safeguarding the future. We identified Klea 448A as a product which would complement our current product offering and give our customers a product that meets the future requirements of the EU market.”

The agreement with Honeywell includes the UK and Hughes added: “The UK is a very important market for Mexichem and we have strong distribution channels. The retail sector is also very important and this gives us a lower GWP offering. Mexichem is still working very hard on developing ultra-low GWP products and our focus is on continuing to develop long-term solutions.’’

Julien Soulet, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Fluorine Products Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “Expanding the Honeywell distribution network in Europe will make Solstice N40 more accessible to customers, helping to accelerate the industry’s conversion to environmentally preferable and energy efficient refrigerants.”

RESEARCH HELP REQUEST

Air conditioning consultant Shaun Green is working on a research project which aims to produce a best practice industry benchmark that companies can use to compare their own service, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty performance.

He is hoping to generate support from within the industry for the study, which forms part of his MBA qualification at Henley Business School, part of the University of Reading. The research topic is ‘How do air conditioning companies’ service quality levels impact satisfaction & loyalty within the UK commercial building services industry?’

Shaun, of Weybridge-based air conditioning, refrigeration and heat pump specialists Customised Consulting, says the survey is estimated to take 15-20 minutes to complete. The survey is scheduled to be active between 22 March - 19 April 2019. Results are confidential so individual respondents will not be identified by name or organisation.

Participants will receive a copy of the final report for benchmarking.

Anyone interested can contact Shaun at s.m.green@programmemember.henley.com or register at http://henley.eu.qualtrics.com/ jfe/form/SV_3jVmXDimBi4JuD3

CAREL OFFERS INTEGRATED PROTECTION Carel has introduced a new series of speed drives for DC compressors.

The manufacturer says PSD2 comes with unique integrated and certified compressor protection to guarantee unit safety, with external protection devices no longer needed.

With PSD2, thermal overload devices (Klixons), circuit breakers (thermal over-current relays) and electromechanical devices (contactors, if used exclusively for compressor protection or activation in the event of overpressure) are no longer required, resulting in cost savings, less space requirements and simplified wiring.

The drives guarantee compliance with IEC and UL 60335-1, where applicable, as well as IEC and UL 60730-1, thanks to the integrated protection. Compliance with these standards, as well as guaranteeing safety and protection for users, is a legal requirement for all manufacturers.

In addition, the “safe torque off” (STO) input is certified according to EN13849-1 for use with safety devices, such as high pressure switches.

Carrier picked for prestige project Carrier’s AquaForce Vision 30KAV chiller has been chosen to provide air conditioning for the new International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales).

The project at the Celtic Manor resort is an £83.7m joint venture between the resort’s owners and the Welsh Government. The new venue, which opens this year, will accommodate 5,000 delegates and includes a 4,000sqm pillar-free main hall, a 1,500 seated auditorium, 12 flexible meeting rooms, a double-height glass atrium and a 2,500sqm plaza for outdoor events.

Two Carrier 30KAV chillers equipped with Greenspeed Intelligence inverter-driven screw compressors have been selected to air condition the new facility, each delivering 791kW of cooling. They are being deployed in a duty-share configuration, with each chiller sized for 58% of the diversified load to provide resilience and continuity of cooling.

Carrier says the 30KAV offers energy savings of 25-35% per year compared with conventional chillers, with smart energy monitoring enabling users to track real-time electrical consumption, cooling output and instantaneous efficiency ratios.

Carrier’s Russ Tyrrell on site with the Carrier chillers at ICC Wales at Celtic Manor

February | March 2019

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Panasonic: 100 Years of Product Innovation, Leading the Way in R32 At Panasonic, we believe in technologies that improve people’s lives. Which is why we have developed a complete range of residential and commercial R32 systems that will offer you the solution that perfectly matches your project requirements. Available in an extensive range of capacities and styles - all complemented by excellent performance, efficiency and lower environmental impact.

R32 – a “small” change that changes everything NEW 4 WAY 60X60 CASSETTE INVERTER • R32 GAS

R32 NEW REFRIGERANT GAS

NEW 4 WAY 60X60 CASSETTE

R32

A++

A+

R2 ROTARY

22dB(A)

-10°C

-15°C

R410A R22

BMS

R32

NEW REFRIGERANT GAS

6,50 SEER

Our heat pumps containing the refrigerant R32 show a drastic reduction in the value of Global Warming Potential (GWP).

Seasonal efficiency in cooling will bring you saving all year while heating.

Energy efficiency rank from A+++ to D.

4,20 SCOP

Seasonal efficiency in heating will bring you saving all year while heating.

Energy efficiency rank from A+++ to D.

COMPRESSOR

Inverter range provides more precise temperature control and keeps the temperature constant with lower energy consumption and a reduction in noise.

Panasonic R2 Rotary Compressor.

Designed to withstand extreme conditions, it delivers high performance and efficiency.

SUPER QUIET

With Super Quiet technology our devices are much more quiet than a library (30dB(A)).

COOLING MODE

HEATING MODE

R410A/R22 RENEWAL

Down to -10°C in cooling only mode. The air conditioner works in cooling only mode with an outdoor temperature of -10°C.

Down to -15°C in heating mode. The air conditioner works in heat pump mode with an outdoor temperature as low as -15°C.

The Panasonic renewal system allows good quality existing R410A or R22 pipe work to be re-used whilst installing new high efficiency R32 systems.

INTERNET CONTROL

INTEGRATION P-LINE

This unit is Ready to be ready to connect integrated and to internet and be managed by be managed by Panasonic smartphone, centralized with a powerful systems with and user friendly CZ-CAPRA1 App to manage the comfort wherever you are.

CONNECTIVITY

5

NEW FLOOR CONSOLE TYPE INVERTER+ • R32 GAS

www.eggeassociats.net

· Easy to combine with standard 60x60 ceiling grid · New refrigerant R32 · High energy savings A+ · Quiet operation from only 23dB(A) · Drain pump included · Easy to install: Flexible piping length and compact outdoor · Can reuse old piping · Weekly timer wired control · Smartphone control (Optional) · Connectivity by KNX, Modbus and Bacnet (optional)

YEARS

COMPRESSOR WARRANTY

Communication 5 Years port to integrate Warranty. the unit to home We guarantee and building the outdoor unit management compressors in systems most the entire range known for five years. standards.

R32

NEW PACI STANDARD CEILING INVERTER+ • R32 GAS

NEW REFRIGERANT GAS

NEW FLOOR CONSOLE with new nanoe™ X air-purifying system: outstanding efficiency A++ and comfort combined with a breakthrough design

R32 NEW REFRIGERANT GAS

NEW PACI STANDARD CEILING INVERTER+ · Wide air distribution for large rooms · Horizontal air flow reaches max.9.5m. · Fresh air connection available on the unit · Slim design with 235m height fits narrow space · Silent operation · datanavi simple support tool app with remote controller (CZ-RTC5B) · Twin, Triple and Double-twin split options · Easy connection and controlled of external fan or ERV using the connector PAW-FDC on the indoor unit PCB. The external device can be control by the remote control of the Panasonic indoor unit This data refers to specific units in the line-up, see full leaflet for technical details of each model.

R32

A++

A+

-10°C

-15°C

R410A R22

BMS

R32

NEW REFRIGERANT GAS

Our heat pumps containing the refrigerant R32 show a drastic reduction in the value of Global Warming Potential (GWP).

6,50 SEER

4,20 SCOP

Seasonal efficiency in cooling will bring you saving all year while heating. Energy efficiency rank from A+++ to D.

Seasonal efficiency in heating will bring you saving all year while heating. Energy efficiency rank from A+++ to D.

COOLING MODE

Wider operation Hz range of compressor realize more high efficient operation through the year. For Big PACi Series PE2.

The air conditioner works in cooling only mode with an outdoor temperature of -10°C.

HEATING MODE

The air conditioner works in heat pump mode even when outdoor temperatures are as low as -15°C.

R410A/R22 RENEWAL

The Panasonic renewal system allows good quality existing R410A or R22 pipe work to be re-used whilst installing new high efficiency R32 systems.

INTERNET CONTROL

CONNECTIVITY

Next generation system providing a user-friendly remote control of air conditioning or heat pump units from everywhere via internet.

Communication port to integrate the unit to home and building management systems most known standards.

5

YEARS

COMPRESSOR WARRANTY

5 Years Warranty.

We guarantee the outdoor unit compressors in the entire range for five years.

Discover the range now at www.panasonic.co.uk/aircon Contact Panasonic or one of our distributors (see website) for more details

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Cooling system fit for purpose Coolair Equipment is helping fans of a new fitness craze to keep cool.

The contractor’s Cannock office provided energy efficient cooling and ventilation packages from manufacturing partner Mitsubishi Electric for the roll-out of seven Blaze Studios at David Lloyd clubs in England, Northern Ireland and Holland. The studios have been designed for Blaze, a new workout class that combines mixed martial arts, intense cardio and strength training synced to upbeat motivational dance music.

The contract with PDS Design & Build of Wakefield, worth around £160,000, involved collaborating in the design and installation of the latest comfort cooling and heat recovery ventilation technology for seven Blaze Studios across England, Northern Ireland and Holland.

Coolair installed a twin direct expansion (DX) split system incorporating four-way-blow cassettes to directly cool incoming air, along with a Lossnay unit mounted above the ceiling to extract the stale air and replace it with fresh incoming air heated by the outgoing air, in each Blaze Studio.

RANKINE CONFERENCE 2020

The Institute of Refrigeration will be hosting the International Institute of Refrigeration Conference, Rankine 2020 - Advances in Cooling, Heating and Power Generation, in Glasgow next summer.

It coincides with the bicentenary of the birth of scientist William Rankine and will explore the synergy between the disciplines of Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) and Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps (RACHP), with a view to generating a flow of ideas between the two fields.

The conference, organised in association with the Knowledge Center for Organic Rankine Cycle and IESIS, will take place from 26-29 July 2020 at the University of Glasgow, where Rankine worked and studied. It will provide a platform to discuss the shared environmental challenges being faced today and there will be an anticipated 120 papers which will give delegates insights into new opportunities to deliver efficient, sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions.

The event will look at Rankine's ground-breaking research to see what modern engineering can learn from this great Victorian innovator. It will also offer a forum where the different disciplines of power generation, refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pumps can come together to discuss their common challenges. www.rankine2020.com

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Compact solutions from Trane Trane has launched three new compact chillers and heat pumps below 400kW for heating and cooling small commercial buildings, industrial facilities and industrial processes.

Trane says the City products are 38% more efficient at part load than the 2021 Ecodesign requirements, future-proofing building owners’ investments. They are designed with R1234ze refrigerant and use renewable energy, geothermal sourced water and waste water to deliver heating capacity up to 80 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, Trane has also introduced a new line of high efficiency large air-cooled heat pumps and says the CXAF units can fulfil both cooling and heating demands of medium to large sized commercial buildings and deliver best in class efficiency levels.

The heat pumps are available in capacities ranging from 280 to 700 kW and can operate down to -15C producing hot water of 40-45C without the need for auxiliary heating.

Trane has also launched Airfinity XL, a larger addition to its range

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of packaged HVAC rooftop units. The Airfinity XL, which exceeds the 2018 minimum seasonal efficiency requirements set out by the Energy-related Products (ErP) Directive, can be adapted to any application in medium to large buildings, with increased capacities from 120-220 kW and 42,000 cubic meters of nominal airflow.

When bundled with the Trane Energy Recovery Module, capacities can go as high as 290kW.

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HPA BACKS EFFICIENCY CAMPAIGN

The Heat Pump Association (HPA) is backing a campaign for improved thermal efficiency in all buildings to reduce energy use.

Renovate Europe, a political campaign group targeting an 80% reduction in energy use in buildings across Europe by 2050, has reported that the EU is well behind target, particularly in the domestic sector. There are an estimated 200 million dwellings in the EU in need of renovation and improved energy conservation measures. The current rate of renovation is 1% per annum whereas 3% pa is required to meet the 2050 target.

HPA president Graham Wright said: “Improved insulation and energy efficiency of dwellings makes sense whatever the heating system deployed since this will reduce emissions and fuel costs regardless of technology. Although there is an urban myth that heat pumps can only be installed in highly thermally efficient buildings, there can be additional benefits for heat pumps when retrofitted in renovated buildings.”

Separating fact from fiction, page 57.

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CAMFIL WELCOMES EUROVENT UPDATE

ECODAN DELIVERING COMMUNITY COMFORT A new residential development in Manchester is meeting environmental planning requirements with an Ecodan system from Mitsubishi Electric providing community heating to 105 homes.

The Aaben development in Hulme is a mix of apartments and town houses. The original design was based on a ground source heat pump, but the costs proved prohibitive for the required budget, so design consultant Engineering Design Partnership (EDP) recommended the Ecodan system.

Proline installed eight CAHV-P500YA Ecodan systems on the main roof of the development. These provide hot water to a heat interface unit located within each dwelling, providing hot water and heating for the occupants. Each tenant is charged accordingly via a heat meter measuring how much heat energy is taken from the network.

The system has a capacity of 344kW and can operate at sufficiently high temperatures to provide heating and domestic hot water. A 6,000-litre buffer also enables the system to store energy for short peak demand periods.

INVERTER DRIVEN CHILLERS FROM CLIMAVENETA

Mitsubishi Electric has added two new chillers to its Climaveneta line-up. The i-NX air-cooled range is offered in both standard and low noise options, whilst the smaller i-BX air-cooled range is available in both single and three phase variants.

The new models employ inverter driven compressors which ensures maximum efficiency at partial loads. The i-BX range offers capacities from 4kW to 35kW to deliver flexible and reliable units that adapt to the most diverse load conditions, whilst offering accurate temperature control and high levels of energy efficiency both at full and partial loads. All of the hydraulic components for installation are also already included within the outdoor unit reducing added cost.

For larger applications, the i-NX delivers capacities from 43kW to 129kW to offer

Filter manufacturer Camfil has welcomed the new classification for air filter energy efficiency introduced by Eurovent.

The Eurovent Energy Rating 2019, which came into force on January 1, is based on ISO 16890:2016, the international standard for particle filtration in buildings that replaced previous test standards on June 1, 2018.

Under the new classification, the demands on energy efficiencies have increased, meaning many filters previously considered A+ have been downgraded to A, forcing manufacturers to improve filter performance and acknowledging the general developments within the industry since the original Energy Rating was introduced in 2015.

Tobias Zimmer of Camfil, who worked with Eurovent to develop the new classification, said: “The energy consumption of air filters in general ventilation systems has become the focus of attention as energy prices increase, and demands to reduce CO2 emissions get tougher, not to mention our increased understanding of the effect of ‘bad air’ on our health and wellbeing. By classifying the air filters based on Eurovent’s new test standard, meeting these challenges will be more straightforward, helping specifiers, building and facilities managers save money and maintain healthy indoor air quality.”

exceptionally high levels of energy efficiency whether at partial or full load. These models incorporate a fixed speed scroll compressor and a scroll inverter compressor working together in the same circuit, with the promise of greater levels of efficiency than traditional fixed speed compressors systems.

The i-NX low noise version delivers a reduction of up to 7dBA over the standard models, increasing the flexibility of where systems can be installed, which is becoming a major factor in today’s congested urban environments.

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Recover FASTER Work SMARTER Comply BETTER Your onsite refrigerant recovery service, designed with you in mind!

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E QU IP ME N T

HY-EXPECTATIONS Steve Davies of JAVAC explains the benefits of the REFCO HY-EX-6 hydraulic tube expander.

Refrigeration tube expansion has for many years been achieved with the plier style of expander.

These are very common but have drawbacks and limitations, particularly in tight spaces with the space needed to expand the copper tube by force.

REFCO addressed this problem with the recent introduction of the HY-EX hydraulic tube expander.

The HY-EX-6 hydraulic tool kit with 6 expander heads covers all imperial sizes tubes of 3/8”, 1/2”,5/8”, 3/4”, 7/8” and 1 1/8” diameter.

The soft handle rubber grip and single handed operation gives easy and accurate swaging for all sizes.

The set includes a sturdy deburring tool and is delivered in a handy foamlined plastic case.

Using hydraulic power, this lightweight expander makes a perfect expansion of soft copper and aluminium tubing with only a few operations of the pump trigger.

As an added benefit, the HY-EX-6 can be upgraded to the HY-EX-7, which includes the 1/4” head and the HY-EX-10 is also available with extra 5/16”, 1 3/8” & 1 5/8” heads. All sizes are also available in metric from 6mm to 42mm.

Complete package The complete package for all applications, with a total of 13 different sized imperial heads being available, this tool makes the installer’s life much easier on site.

The REFCO HY-EX is a flexible robust expander tool for the HVAC industry and gives engineers a range of options for completing swaging of copper to the highest standard, helping to prevent future leaks and problems.

Easy single hand operation The hydraulic mechanism and release button makes one-handed swaging possible in the smallest of spaces and at any angle or elevation. Simply select the correct laser-engraved expander head, thread it onto the tool, and make a quality swage.

Small space capacity The compact pistol shape allows it to fit into the smallest and hardest to reach places at an angle of 120 degrees, plus the HY-EX system requires less effort than conventional tube expanders and offers complete flexibility.

The interchangeable heads fit all common HVAC/R Imperial size copper tubing, but heads for all metric size copper tubing are also available, with sizes ranging from 6mm to 42mm.

The HY-EX is compatible with the REFCO standard expander system and most other tube expander heads, making this a great upgrade to existing expanders.

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For more information visit: www.javac.co.uk

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R32 now mainstream but are you ready?

Air conditioning trainer Ben Bartle-Ross looks at what installers need to know about the refrigerant. as the main heat transfer medium and therefore removes any refrigerant from the vast majority of occupied spaces within buildings.

We’ve had huge interest in this as it still provides the only R32 VRF solution for large scale applications.

Training and support

As a trainer, I see lots of installers both young and old and I’m still getting questions about the ‘new’ refrigerant, R32, which says to me that some in the industry are yet to embrace the change and the opportunity it brings.

We know there is still a lot of R410A equipment on the market and this will be the case for a few years to come, so there is still good business to be done for installers in the short term.

But looking further ahead, what opportunities to grow your business are you missing out on by not getting to grips with R32?

“R32 systems is rapidly changing the air conditioning market here in the UK”

Transitioning market Certainly when it comes to our big corporate customers, most of them have embraced R32 models because they want to benefit from using equipment with a lower global warming potential (GWP).

In the main, these models are also more efficient, bringing even more performance

We’ve been including R32 in our training course for several years now although any F-Gas qualified installer will have the skills necessary to deal with this.

I therefore make a direct appeal to anyone in the industry who has yet to get their head around R32 because they are missing out a growing area of work for their business.

and benefits to customers.

They do this using about 20% less overall refrigerant as well which helps with general installation costs.

This means there will be savings in running costs to benefit from as well – something that customers both large and small can benefit from.

There is now an R32 solution in almost all kinds of RAC and PAC air conditioning systems, including our own recently launched Mr Slim Standard Inverter and Inverter models which join the hugely popular R32 Power Inverter units.

Not forgetting the technological advances as well, with indoor units that come with built-in sensors that can detect the temperature of individuals in the room and tailor the air conditioning to suit.

So, there’s little to stop most jobs converting to R32 now with the choice of indoor and outdoor units available.

Final thoughts The introduction of R32 systems is rapidly changing the air conditioning market here in the UK and it affects anyone who uses it, commissions it, designs, installs or maintains it.

This change is therefore coming to a building near you soon, especially as more and more customers realise that they notice little difference – apart from lower carbon emissions, higher efficiency and lower GWP. So, if you haven’t embraced R32 yet, please sign up for one of our training courses and make sure you are ready.

What about VRF? For larger systems, R32 has posed technical challenges for most manufacturers and so far, no manufacturer has released a VRF system utilising R32 – with one exception.

The notable exception is our own Hybrid VRF system of course, which uses water

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Ben Bartle-Ross is a trainer in air conditioning and heat pump systems at Mitsubishi Electric.

This and other articles of relevance to the sector can be found at: http://thehub.mitsubishielectric.co.uk, which also acts as a useful sales tool for installers.

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The quest for a greener gas Every right-thinking person agrees that global warming is a danger to the planet but there are ways for installers to help reduce its impact, says Christian C Rudio, European director of portfolio management, YORK HVAC. Unacceptable

There is a fundamental paradox at the heart of the chemistry of refrigerants – improving one element of a refrigerant gas means another will suffer. Using a refrigerant with a low global warming potential (GWP) to reduce the impact of global warming, for example, will probably mean the gas is more flammable (although this flammability remains low compared with a hydrocarbon, such as propane or butane).

Over the last decade or so, the industry’s focus has been on reducing the GWP, which is a relative measure of how much heat that specific greenhouse gases trap in the atmosphere standardised to carbon dioxide (CO2) (which has a GWP of 1).

Fluorinated (or F) gases are manmade gases used in a range of industrial applications including refrigeration and fire protection; there are three groups – hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride.

F gases used as refrigerants are particularly brutal in terms of their greenhouse effect with GWPs of 1500 to 4000 (that is 1,500 to 4,000 times more powerful than CO2). That’s why efforts to regulate them have grown over recent years.

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"It is very important to find the right balance between low GWP and efficiency when looking at alternatives"

However, as the GWP of a refrigerant (or refrigerant blend) falls below about 1000, these products tend to start exhibiting flammability, albeit low. So, the only way to have a non-flammable fluid is to accept a higher GWP. The trouble is, this has become unacceptable under environmental rules, including the F-Gas Regulation (see box on facing page). As a result, in recent years, the HVAC industry has invested heavily in the development of products using nextgeneration refrigerants and this trend is set to continue.

For example, my own company, YORK, has launched the YLAA scroll chiller, available with low global warming potential (GWP) R454B refrigerant from 190 to 530kW cooling capacity.

R454B is the lowest GWP replacement for R410A and provides similar properties and operating performance without major modifications to equipment design. With a GWP of 476 (75% lower than R410A), R454B is a next-generation refrigerant that provides the same capacity, but it operates at a higher efficiency than R410A as well as

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The YORK YLAA scroll chiller and (facing page) the YZ centrifugal chiller

offering incomparable performance in both normal and high ambient conditions.

R454B is a hydrofluoro-olefin (HFO) based refrigerant. This means it offers the best possible balance of properties to replace R410A in positive displacement, direct expansion air-conditioning, heat pump and chiller applications.

Efficiency There are also other alternative refrigerants including R513a or R1233zd.

YORK’s YZ magnetic bearing centrifugal chiller, for example, is optimised for use with R1233zd(E) refrigerant – a low-pressure fluid that is also low in toxicity, nonflammable and has a GWP of 1.

But, so far, only a few next-generation refrigerants have been classified as nonflammable. Next-generation refrigerants classified as being mildly flammable can be used safely, but some building owners may have concerns about using them. Hence, we can expect greater awareness and training on the use of mildly flammable refrigerants, as well as continued research into non-flammable alternatives.

But there really is no need to worry about using low flammable refrigerants because are very difficult to burn. They can, for example, be ignited with a bare flame, but as soon as the flame is taken away it goes out; the flame doesn’t propagate in a way that it would with a hydrocarbon such as propane or butane.

Finally, bear in mind that low GWP refrigerants impact on the efficiency of the units to which they are installed, which tends to mitigate against the other important regulation – Ecodesign. That is why it’s very important to find the right balance between low GWP and efficiency when looking at alternatives. Remember that 95% of the emissions are related to the indirect effect coming from energy use.

THE F-GAS REGULATION IN A NUTSHELL F-Gas is a European Union (EU) regulation on the use of fluorinated (or F) gases like HFCs. The original F-Gas Regulation published in 2007 was designed to reduce emissions from F gases, but it only really involved actions like leak testing, monitoring and servicing systems.

The only true ban it introduced was that automotive air conditioning would have to move to a refrigerant with a global warming potential (GWP) of less than 150 for new models by 2012 and for all cars from 2017.

The second F-Gas Regulation, which came into force in 2015, introduced a phase-down mechanism involving a gradually declining cap on the total placement of bulk HFCs on the market in the European Union.

The fundamental aims of the latest regulation include: • Better containment of F gases.

• Recovery of F gases from products and equipment reaching the end of their life.

• Training and certification of technical people and companies working with F gases.

• Reporting of production, import and export data within the EU. • Labelling of certain products and equipment containing those gases.

The overarching objective of the latest F-Gas Regulation is to contain and reduce emissions through responsible refrigeration practice. To this end, it sets out caps and phase down schedules for the sale of F gases. So, in 2015 there was a starting point volume allocated to companies that had placed F gases on the market between 2009 and 2012. They were given a proportion of the ‘quota’ of gases allowed based on sales.

In 2016 and 2017 respectively there was a 7% reduction. However, the big reduction came last year with a 37% reduction in quota. By 2030, only 21% of the current amount of HFC refrigerants used by the industry should remain in circulation.

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www.york.com

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Working with a passion David Todd visits Aermec in Italy and discovers that the manufacturer has its own way of doing things.

Business success can be measured in different ways. Increasing profits, growing market share and keeping hold of existing customers can all provide valid evidence that a company is heading in the right direction.

But less obvious indicators, like a contented and committed workforce and sustainable long-term strategy, can be just as important. Anyone who spends time at the Italian headquarters of air conditioning manufacturer Aermec would probably say it has the balance exactly right.

Export sales area manager Michele Gioachin and Aermec UK managing director Paul Lawrence acted as tour guides at the impressive 130,000 sq m factory and testing facilities at Bevilacqua, between Venice and Verona. And the welcome for visitors from employees at every turn revealed a unique culture which dates back to the creation of Aermec 65 years ago.

Michele, raised in the neighbouring town of Montagnana, said: “We don’t refer to colleagues, they are brothers and sisters.

We work with a passion and that passion comes from the top of the business.’’

If you ask the questions, or pore over the company literature, you will discover that Aermec is: ° The only independent air conditioning manufacturer in Europe ° The biggest air conditioning manufacturer in Italy, and ° The biggest manufacturer of fan coil units in Europe It has also seen regular and significant growth, with sales up from 103million euros in 2001 to 210m in 2017. Exports have increased to 49% of the output.

But that’s not really the part of the story that Aermec enjoys telling. The team would rather focus on the way they go about their business. Targets are shared to prevent individual employees from feeling isolated and the talented chef who served up lunch had been moved from a role in the factory because he mentioned at an appraisal that it had always been his dream to cook professionally.

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The Aermec factory covers 130,000 sq m

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Paul Lawrence and Michele Gioachin at the headquarters of Aermec

An extract from the company vision reads: “Aermec needs to have employees that love to work for us. Not like, but love, which means they work with passion regardless of their salaries.’’

That is a big ask and only possible if the employees feel truly valued and motivated.

So how did Aermec get to where it is today?

After emigrating to Brazil and then returning to Italy, Ettore Riello set up a manufacturing company in 1922 and produced his first oil burner in 1923.

Fast-forward four decades and Ettore’s grandson, Giordano, produced the company’s first air conditioning unit in 1961 and created the Aermec brand in 1963, moves which the company feels give it a valid claim to being possibly the first air conditioning manufacturer in Europe.

Giordano is now chairman of the company and, at the age of 90, is still looking ahead to the next five years. As Michele said, the passion comes from the top of the business.

Aermec remains wholly owned by members of the Riello family, with Giordano’s children Alessandro and Raffaella running the business. It forms part of the Giordano Riello Group, which has more than 1,600 employees in six manufacturing companies and five international sales companies, including Aermec UK, plus 70 distributors worldwide.

Robotics More than 90% of all Aermec products are made at the factory in Bevilacqua, a measure of the commitment to the local community and economy. Ignoring the obvious temptation of moving manufacturing elsewhere, Aermec continues to invest heavily on home turf with impressive levels of robotics and automation, along with some of the most advanced testing facilities to be found anywhere in the world. That level of

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Up to 36 of the 96kW WWM units can be combined and, importantly, each will fit into a standard goods lift

EXCITING TIMES FOR AERMEC UK Paul Lawrence recently celebrated three years with Aermec UK, latterly as managing director after initially joining as sales and service director from Carrier.

Although the company has completed numerous significant projects, including Wimbledon’s Centre Court, its profile in the UK has been low compared to some manufacturers. But Aermec’s reputation is growing and Lawrence believes its modular chiller innovation and free cooling solutions for data centres will lead to further growth.

He said: “I came to Aermec because of the unique culture and I firmly believe these are exciting times for the business in the UK. There will be a lot happening through 2019 that will help us to strengthen our position, although any growth will never be at the expense of listening to our customers and delivering what they want.’’

Recent product additions include the NRV outdoor modular air-cooled chiller with free cooling coils, enabling up to nine 105kW units to be connected for a cooling capacity of 945kW. Lawrence said: “This is a real problem-solver for somewhere like London, where getting a single large chiller onto the roof can be very difficult. We already have lease and hire purchase options and we are looking at going into rentals with this product.

“We offer a full support service in the UK, with 24-hour cover and 4-hour response, and 35% of that servicing is for data centres.’’

Further modular development arrived in the shape of the award-winning WWM heat pump chiller for indoor installation. Up to 36 of the 96kW units can be combined, giving up to 3.45mW of cooling. The modules each boast high-efficiency scroll compressors and, crucially for many applications in buildings with restricted space, will fit into a standard goods lift.

Lawrence added: “There are so many applications for modular chillers, in particular where large chillers are located in either basements or high-level plants rooms that are difficult to access.’’

Nine NRV chiller modules can be connected for a cooling capacity of 954kW

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Robotics on the Aermec production line

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testing helps the factory achieve a fail rate of 0.003% Robots and technology aside, when it came to improving efficiency at the factory Aermec worked with consultants from Porsche, who said significant improvements could be achieved with relatively small changes. By taking on board suggestions such as building templates for regular welding tasks and ensuring all tools are kept in the same position at every workstation, efficiency has since risen from around 80% to 95%.

A self-contained section of the factory is devoted to fan coil units, with around 270,000 produced last year and the capacity to increase that figure to 400,000 according to demand.

The core of the business, though, is an extensive range of chillers and heat pumps, with the 22,000 shipped in 2017 making up more than 40% of sales.

Aermec is proud of the quality of every piece of equipment which goes through the factory gates. There is equal pride in the way it got there.

TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE Aermec prides itself on being a business driven by R&D and nowhere is that more evident than its testing facilities, claimed to be the most extensive in Europe.

The largest climatic test chamber, top, certified to Eurovent and AHRI standard, can accommodate single air cooled chillers up to 2MW. It can also test to -20C to +50C, enabling Aermec to fully measure the performance of its free cooling systems. It is also able to offer data centre simulation testing.

There is a full suite of other chambers, including semi-anechoic for sound power level and sound intensity mapping, above, and a ventilation chamber for heat exchangers.

Aermec also works closely with external partners... an impeller for its fan coil units was designed in conjunction with aviation engineers at Padua University.

Strategically placed bicycles help employees cover large distances inside the factory

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To date, more than 25,000 design engineers, installers, and service technicians have been through the Aermec training programme.

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UK first for Daikin R32 chillers An office building in Berkshire has seen the UK’s first installation of chillers with Daikin’s Bluevolution technology, based on R32 refrigerant.

The EWAT-B units replaced two R407C chillers serving chilled water fan coil units and air handling units in the two-storey Astor House building in Newbury.

They were installed by Daikin D1 Partner Klimatec, which had upgraded a similar installation for a neighbouring building in the business park to Daikin R410A units before the R32 chillers became available.

Klimatec director Adrian Griffiths said: “The new technology appealed to us because of its increased energy efficiency and reduced refrigerant requirement. It was also an opportunity to future-proof Astor House because of the lower global warming potential of R32 in comparison with R410A.” The new generation of high efficiency air-cooled scroll chillers improve seasonal

The EWAT-B units are based on R32 refrigerant and feature Daikin's Bluevolution technology

energy efficiency ratios (SEER) by 10% in comparison with the previous R410A range.

They are available for cooling only and heat recovery applications from 80kW up to 700kW cooling capacity at nominal conditions.

Daikin offers two efficiency versions (Silver and Gold), and three sound configurations (Standard, Low and Reduced) – as well as full customisation on projectspecific requirements.

Options and accessories include refrigerant leak detection, fully integrated hydronic kits for fixed flow or variable flow operation and partial or total heat recovery for sanitary hot water production.

The series is compatible with the Daikin on Site cloud-based remote monitoring platform.

Master/slave functionality is standard, allowing sequence management of up to four units on one system – without the need for external control devices. The Intelligent Chiller Manager (iCM) option caters for more complex sequencing installations to maximise total plant efficiency.

Anti-Corrosion Coatings for Fin Coil Heat Exchangers • Doubles the life of your coils • Reduces your Energy Bills • Reduces the wear & tear on your units • Reduces Maintenance Costs • Reduces Call Outs • Reduces the need for early replacement

U N I T E D

K I N G D O M

Blygold UK Ltd, Olympic House, Unit 1 A, Corinium Industrial Estate, Raans Road, Amersham, Buckinghamshire HP6 6YJ T.01895 259346 F. 01895 259356 E. info@blygolduk.com W. Blygolduk.co.uk

Blygold UK Ltd, Units 2/3 Dinting Ind. Est., Dinting Lane, Glossop, Derbs, SK13 7NU T. 01457 859111 F. 01457 850715 E. info@blygolduk.com W. Blygolduk.co.uk CMYKCMYK / .ai / .ai CMYK / .ai

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2019

Manchester’s Midland Hotel was the setting for the National ACR & Heat Pump Awards 2019, a night of celebration for the air conditioning, refrigeration and heat pump industry.

Football legend Kevin Keegan entertained guests and handed out awards to the outstanding people, projects and products from the last 12 months. He also broke the unofficial world record for the most selfies with guests in Valid Until: 31st Dec 2018 Issue 1.7 a single night!

As always, the ACR Journal is indebted to our sponsors ONDITIONS OF SALE for their generous support of the event. They make it possible for to recognise excellence and innovation in be applied for on our application form stating two trade and one bankus reference at lowed for credit status clearance. Where no approved credit account already exists the industry. ll be opened for an initial order of less than £500.00. Goods dispatched per C.O.D. post accounts overdue and to claim all charges, legal andThanks otherwise, involved collecting alsoingo to our panel of respected judges, Nigel sion should these payment terms not be complied with. The Buyer shall permit access Hollett, Graeme Fox, doing shall be charged to the Buyer together with the restocking charge referred to Judith Evans, Graham Hazell, Steve ount opening letters sent at the time of opening. All credit accounts are reviewed Gill, Mike Nankivell and Juliet Loiselle, for their time on request. Minimum Invoice value excluding VAT is £20.00. Minimum Invoice value ng on the date of dispatch if applicable. and expertise.

ce ruling on the date of dispatch. Catalogue prices are exclusive of VAT.

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The reaction at this year's event, plus the results of a social

media poll s be notified in writing to the vendor within 14 days of receipt date.with Newcastle and Leeds as the alternative receipt date. venues, sent us a clear message that you would like to stay he date of invoice. move the buyer’s obligation to check goods on receipt notify the vendor for aand second year.of any ons of this clause are not complied with.

theofcase, we really hope that you can join us irectly or indirectly resulting from or caused by That an Act ofbeing God, outbreak war, eft, climatic conditions, Government Act or regulation, shortage of materials, strike, Hotel on Thursday 23rd January, 2020. again at the Midland sed by any other circumstance out with the vendors control.

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to book your place, email: julietl@warnersgroup.co.uk or visit: wwww.acrheatpumpawards.uk

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ee equivalent to the warranty or guarantee offered to the vendor by the supplier of

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AWA R D S

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AWA R D WIN N E R S

ACR WOMAN OF THE YEAR

ACR CONTRACTOR

JACINTA CADEN

GARRY SHAW AND SURE SOLUTIONS

Jacinta Caden entered the refrigeration and air conditioning industry as an apprentice with a contractor in Dublin in 2003.

She spent close to 10 years as a technical sales engineer with Dean & Wood and, following a spell as area manager for Tecnair, joined the Specialist Industrial Refrigeration Division of Integral UK, initially as business development manager and, since November last year, as spiral freezers operations manager.

She retains a huge enthusiasm for refrigeration in all its forms and, in an interview with the ACR Journal, said: “I am always intrigued and sometimes surprised about where I see refrigeration utilised and it makes me proud to be part of an industry that will never die, an industry that everyone needs.’’

Since it was established in 2016, SURE Solutions has made impressive progress and now employs 14 full-time staff, operating from a new 8,100 sq ft building.

The company provide environmentally friendly solutions to the meat processing, dairy, food and beverage, cold storage and distribution, blast freezing, HVAC and comfort cooling industries.

Managing director Garry Shaw is a firm believer in upskilling staff to allow progression from within. This is emphasised by the case of mature apprentice, John McHale, with SURE putting him through SMSTS and enrolling him at City of Liverpool College for his NVQ Level 3, with the aim of allowing progression to site manager.

SURE recognises the value of the apprenticeship scheme and recently recruited its first school-leaver, Aarron Thwaites. Garry Shaw strongly believes this approach will enhance the growth of the business and also give something back to the industry.

The winner of last year’s ACR Project category, SURE has been involved in three recent industrial projects and has secured service and maintenance contracts with blue-chip customers.

SURE undertakes contract reviews with all clients, regardless of contract value, and the sales manager is in constant contact with customers, enabling the company to focus on key issues and create bespoke maintenance packages and solutions.

Staunch supporter 2018 proved to be quite a year for Jacinta, as she was elected to the council of the respected Women’s Engineering Society, a charity and professional network of women engineers, scientists and technologists who offer inspiration, support and professional development. Then, in November, she was elected to the Institute of Refrigeration Board of Trustees.

She is also a member of the steering committee of the Women in RACHP network and is a staunch supporter of efforts to attract more women engineers into the industry.

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AWARD WINNER S

PHIL CREANEY’S ACR CHAMPION

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REFRIGERATION PROJECT Sponsored by Hitachi

JOHN AUSTIN-DAVIES

STAR REFRIGERATION, SNOZONE

John Austin-Davies has been at the cutting edge of many significant developments in refrigeration technology over the last four decades.

And despite his official retirement from the Epta Group in September last year, he seems unlikely to sever his links with the industry any time soon…

During his days at George Barker, he developed a number of innovative pack systems and also recognised the need to use HFCs with the lowest GWP at a time when there was little or no understanding of this key measure.

Snozone provides the UK’s leading snow centres for indoor skiing and snowboarding on real snow. The indoor centres, in Milton Keynes and Castleford, offer an authentic slope experience and have taught nearly 2 million guests since opening in 2000.

The Milton Keynes site was operating an R407C chiller system that was unreliable, expensive to run, and difficult to maintain.

Snozone could not afford a significant shutdown as this risked melting the ice floor and flooding the inside of the building.

Due to the positive experience of using ammonia at its Castleford facility, it was agreed that this would again provide a future proof, energy efficient solution. Star offered a packaged Azanechiller 2.0 “plug and play” solution that could be installed outside the existing plantroom.

Consultants Hulley & Kirkwood engaged Star Technical Solutions to carry out an Ammonia Hazard Assessment and the customer was able to continue operation as normal throughout the installation.

Energy consumption was a major driver since the existing plant had become so unreliable that hire chillers needed to be brought in for the summer. They were unable to hold temperature and were very expensive to operate. In the first four months of operation, the power associated with refrigeration reduced by 56% compared to the same period in the prior year.

Greatest contribution John is a Chartered Engineer and has served as president of the British Refrigeration Association and chairman of FETA. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Refrigeration, and a Trustee.

In the future, his work to help create the Trailblazer Apprenticeship programme may be viewed as one of his greatest single contributions to the RACHP sector. This is part of an initiative to give the industry the technical support it needs for the future. IOR Immediate past president Steve Gill said: “John’s dedication is driven by his conviction that this will be one of the most important training developments in our industry and will have significant long-term impact and benefits.’’

CMYKCMYK / .ai / .ai CMYK / .ai

Highly Commended: Aldi

acrjournal.uk NACRHPA.indd 27

06/02/2019 09:35

28

AWA R D WIN N E R S

REFRIGERATION PRODUCT

DOMESTIC ASHP PROJECT

Sponsored by LG

Sponsored by BITZER UK

SCM FRIGO/BEIJER REF CUBO2 SMART CONDENSING UNIT

VIESSMANN & MATRIX ENERGY SYSTEMS

CUBO2 Smart is a range of transcritical R744 condensing units manufactured by SCM Frigo. The range provides an option for small commercial HT and LT systems which traditionally use high GWP HFCs, but where flammable refrigerants are not an easy alternative.

Up to three evaporators/cabinets can be connected to one unit, making it ideal for convenience stores and small/medium cold rooms. Sites installed to date Heron Foods, Morrisons, Co-op, Sainsbury’s, cake factory and boutique hotel.

The unit is simple to install, requiring only suction and liquid interconnecting pipework between the unit and evaporator/ cabinet. It incorporates a liquid line filter drier, a suction accumulator, oil return system, over pressure protection and the additional valves required for transcritical operation.

The controller is pre set.

The units build on SCM’s experience in the design and manufacture of R744 transcritical packs typically used in large retail applications. This technology has been “downsized” and this allows R744 to be used in convenience store sized systems. In addition, Carel smart control technology ensures high efficiency operation utilising: ° Inverter driven compressor ° EC variable speed condenser / gas cooler fan motor ° Floating suction pressure and head pressure control ° Electronic expansion valve with variable superheat control ° Management of the high pressure valve and the receiver pressure regulating valve.

Highly Commended: Star Refrigeration, Azanechiller 2.0

February | March 2019

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The winning installation is part of a prize-winning self-build ‘eco home’ project to be featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs in 2019. The client wanted the property – a three-bedroom, detached, two-storey house – to eventually be off-grid, with a flexible heating and hot water system tailored to his family’s needs.

Matrix Energy Systems discussed numerous options with the client. A ground source system was considered but there was insufficient space to lay a horizontal collector and local geological conditions and lack of room for a drilling rig meant a borehole was not an option.

Integrated controls An exceptionally efficient air source solution from Viessmann was eventually chosen because of the ability to integrate controls across photovoltaic (PV) and mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR) systems and to link in a battery at a later stage if energy monitoring showed it to be beneficial.

The installation is unique because it integrates an air source heat pump with a solar thermal system, a mechanical ventilation heat recovery system and an underfloor heating system.

All parts are operated with Viessmann controls to provide heating and hot water comfort for the end user at great efficiency, without the need for a complex building management system.

Highly Commended: Panasonic, Primrose Development

Volume 5 No.2

06/02/2019 09:35

AWARD WINNER S

29

ACR PRODUCT

NON-DOMESTIC GSHP PROJECT

Sponsored by 3D Plus

Sponsored by ACR Journal

TOSHIBA, SUPER DIGITAL INVERTER SMART CASSETTE

GS RENEWABLE, MANOR FARMS R&D

Toshiba’s new Super Digital Inverter “Smart Cassette” claims a new global standard for energy efficiency, low running costs and occupant comfort. It is the highest efficiency product in its class, as measured by Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) for cooling performance and Seasonal Coefficient of Performance (SCOP) for heating.

A combination of energy-saving technologies and design features contribute to its performance to enable a SEER value in excess of 9 when connected to a Super Digital Inverter outdoor unit: ° Improved coil technology ° A self-cleaning mechanism maintains open airways and surface cleanliness to ensure the energy efficiency of heat exchange is maintained ° Air flow across the exchanger is constantly mixed to ensure improved heat transfer rate ° It uses the latest high efficiency DC fan motor ° The vent in the cassette has an enlarged opening to allow easier air flow and reduce resistance ° An automatic occupancy sensor detects when no one is present in the conditioned space, and switches the unit to standby mode or stop, further reducing energy waste It is suitable for use in retail sites, offices and leisure applications and despite improving airflow by utilising an enhanced air path, noise levels are lower compared with standard cassette systems.

Customer Manor Farms commissioned GS Renewable to measure and investigate heat loss through the concrete floors of its poultry houses and harvest and recycle the heat without causing any litter damage.

Harvested heat would then be stored in a buffer tank and upgraded by heat pumps. When a new batch of day -old chicks arrived, heat would be drawn from the buffer tank and used as a heat source for the heat pumps, which in turn would heat the base slab underfloor heating.

The first stage of the project saw the installation of the UFH in the base pad floor of the new building, creating the different conditions for monitoring.

Amazing performance This allowed GS Renewable to simulate the different conditions of existing buildings and see the benefits of insulating the floors. The portable plant room was built off site and transported to the site location in Northern Ireland.

There was no disruption to the customer because plantroom construction was off site. All monitoring and systems controls were carried out in conjunction with the farmer and to coincide with the batches of birds, and cycles of production.

The customer is amazed by the performance of the system, saying: “The simplicity of operation is amazing considering the complexity of the installation.”

CMYKCMYK / .ai / .ai CMYK / .ai

Highly Commended: YORK, Amichi chiller

Highly Commended: Calibrate Energy, grain plantroom

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AWA R D WIN N E R S

ACR PROJECT

HEAT PUMP INSTALLER

Sponsored by IOR

Sponsored by PACAIR

AERMEC UK, DATA CENTRE ROOFTOP INSTALLATION

R A BROWN HEATING SERVICES

When one of the of the UK’s top banking and financial companies decided to replace all the chillers at one of its mission critical sites, the key requirements included resilience, energy efficiencies, reduced emissions and lower PUEs (Power Usage Effectiveness).

The cooling system also had to meet the company’s own stringent environmental and sustainable policies.

Five highly efficient 1.366MW Aermec NSM free cooling chillers with screw compressors were specified to provide a robust mechanical cooling solution.

Free cooling The free cooling route offered a greener and more ecoresponsible route that would also help boost the data centre’s green credentials. An ice chiller with no free cooling was also included in the specifications.

Each chiller took 12 weeks to design, build and factory test. Each unit measures 13 metres and weighs 11 tonnes. Three chillers are required to run the data centre, but running four is more economical and maximises the benefits of free cooling.

The CHW temperature is 13 C/19 C in normal mode and 17 C/23 C in high temperature mode to maximise free cooling.

The chillers have saved £50,000 per month – 1,124,028.90 kWh (data collected from September 2016-January 2017). During the three months of November 2016 – January 2017, 100% free cooling was achieved, with no compressors running at all.

Highly Commended: Aldi

February | March 2019

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R A Brown Heating Services has been installing ground and air source heat pumps since 2007. It now employs 22 people, including six fully qualified installers and five apprentices.

Originally a successful plumbing and heating company, heat pump installations have become its main source of business. In the last year it has completed 52 individual heat pump individual installations which have been a combination of ground and air source, an increase of 73% on the previous year. In the last 11 years it has completed 164 air source and 77 ground source installations in Norfolk and North Suffolk. These projects cover retrofit, new-build (concentrating on bespoke or self-build), conversions, estates, social housing, commercial properties and listed buildings.

High standards As a company, R A Brown stopped offering new oil installations some years ago as it followed its belief of renewables being the better environmental option.

Its reputation has been built on high standards of work and to maintain this R A Brown ensure that staff are fully trained both in terms of apprenticeships, manufacturer product training and health and safety training.

Its showroom base allows potential customers to see mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) systems, radiators, underfloor heating (UFH), wall heating, ground source heat pumps (GSHP) from Vaillant & NIBE and air source heat pumps (ASHP) from Vaillant, NIBE & Mitsubishi.

Highly Commended: Finn Geotherm

Volume 5 No.2

06/02/2019 09:35

AWARD WINNER S

31

ACR TRAINING PROVIDER

DOMESTIC GSHP PROJECT

Sponsored by Samsung

Sponsored by ACR Journal

COOL CONCERNS

VIESSMANN & MATRIX ENERGY SYSTEMS

Cool Concerns has been providing specialist training and consultancy for the commercial refrigeration and air conditioning sector since 1991.

It provides a wide range of short courses and designs and develops training to meet the needs of engineers and others effectively and efficiently.

The company has been providing R744 training for around 10 years and was asked by Beijer Ref to develop a session specifically for its new range of SCM CUBO2 Smart R744 condensing units.

Ludford Mill is a grade II listed 17th century working water mill on the River Teme at Ludlow, Shropshire. Some of the machinery has been preserved inside the building and it also houses a modern Archimedes’ screw which provides energy for the local community.

The old gas boiler, which provided heating and hot water, was coming to the end of its useful life and customer wanted a replacement solution that would take advantage of the electricity generated by the Archimedes’ screw in order to reduce environmental impact and save money.

Matrix Energy Systems chose a Viessmann ground source heat pump to deliver all the heat and hot water required, covering peak heat loss and hot water demand.

Technical back-up The training needed to encompass the basics of R744 and safe handling with product specific information about the range of transcritical units, including installation and commissioning.

Cool Concerns installed HT and LT units at its training HQ – the first working installation in the UK and amongst the first in Europe – and this has enabled them to provide feedback to Dean & Wood and HRP to be included in their technical documentation.

The company also provides technical back-up by phone and on site if required.

Approximately 150 engineers and Dean & Wood and HRP sales/ technical personnel have attended the one-day course to date. All feedback has been very positive.

Carbon negative The Viessmann Vitocal 350-G 27 kW ground source heat pump can operate at up to 70OC and still be more efficient than a gas boiler thanks to its enhanced vapour injection (EVI) refrigerant circuit.

As Ludlow Mill only requires a flow temperature of 60OC, coupled with the fact that the system’s output is boosted to 34.7kW due to high input temperatures from the river water, it can operate with a seasonal efficiency as high as 5.5. The pump never consumes more than 7 kW of electrical power, therefore ensuring this is a truly carbon negative site.

CMYKCMYK / .ai / .ai CMYK / .ai

Highly Commended: ChillAir Training Academy

Highly Commended: Kensa Contracting & Engie, Enfield tower blocks

acrjournal.uk NACRHPA.indd 31

06/02/2019 09:35

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AWA R D WIN N E R S

ACR ANCILLARY PRODUCT

WHOLESALER/DISTRIBUTOR

Sponsored by Dean & Wood

Sponsored by Toshiba

KLIMA-THERM, ALTHERMO DMR-H

HRP

The Althermo DMR-H is a new type of hybrid adiabatic dry cooler, designed in the form of a compact cylindrical module.

It delivers a new level of energy efficiency and application flexibility thanks to several innovations in components, design and control.

Due to its cylindrical shape, the exchange surface of the microchannel heat exchanger is 50% greater than units with a traditional configuration and the same footprint. In addition, due to its design, it draws air from all sides with a 360deg catchment. This enables it to be installed very close to walls and other permanent fixtures, reducing the overall installation surface by up to 75%.

Trading since 1945, HRP is one of the longest established refrigeration and air conditioning wholesalers in the UK. Since acquiring HRP in 2016, Beijer Ref has invested heavily to allow it to thrive once again, with customer satisfaction at the heart of the business.

HRP has long been recognised as a ‘go-to’ destination for specialist and hand tools, and the roll-out of the ToolHUB initiative during 2018 has taken that service to another level, with a wider choice than ever before. Importantly, branch teams have been trained to give advice on tool choice.

The company always aims to stock products that are selected by engineers for engineers and can be delivered when needed at a value for money price.

Compact footprint It can be used as a single module or multi-plexed to create a compact array, providing high performance, high efficiency cooling up to 2.3MW. It can also be deployed in a closed-circuit, through installation of another plate heat exchanger with a recirculating pump for even greater efficiency.

It is ideal for providing additional cooling in existing data centres, due to its compact footprint and flexible configuration.

It can also be used in all commercial and industrial applications where space is limited or obstacles, such as walls or other plant, are an issue for conventional systems.

In-depth knowledge

Highly Commended: Toshiba, online training portal

Highly Commended: Hawco

February | March 2019

NACRHPA.indd 32

Core brands include Tecumseh, Marstair, Danfoss, MHI, LU-VE Embraco and CUBO2 Smart.

Its commitment to being more than simply a “box-shifter” is highlighted by its complete support package for the CUBO2 Smart condensing units, including in-house technical expertise and hands-on training via Cool Concerns.

Training is another key area of investment for HRP, ensuring that the internal teams have in-depth knowledge of their customers’ needs and offering extensive training support for external customers.

Volume 5 No.2

06/02/2019 09:36

AWARD WINNER S

33

HEAT PUMP PRODUCT

ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE

Sponsored by Blygold

Sponsored by Advanced Engineering

DAIKIN ALTHERMA 3

JGR BUILDING SERVICES

Daikin’s Bluevolution technology combines highly efficient compressors with the energy efficient and environmentally friendly refrigerant R32, ensuring the Altherma 3 delivers exceptional performance.

The Daikin Altherma 3 is available in 4, 6 and 8kW versions.

The split wall mounted unit is a flexible system and includes an optional connection to deliver domestic hot water. It can be combined with a separate domestic hot water tank of up to 500 litres, with or without solar support.

The integrated controller includes the “Daikin Eye’, which constantly displays the status of the unit. Performance of the single fan, low-height outdoor units has been enhanced by increasing the heat exchanger surface area by 9% and by incorporating a new-design fan motor and a hermetically sealed swing compressor. The units also have additional corrosion protection.

The outdoor units can extract heat from the outside air even when the temperature is -25°C. Systems can deliver temperatures up to 65°C, which means water is stored at 60°C, reducing dependence on direct acting immersion heaters and thus reducing energy costs.

The range is A+++ rated, with a heating efficiency of 5.1 COP at 7 - 35°C and a DHW efficiency up to COP 3.3 (EN16147. Its weatherdependent set-point controls and inverter compressors maximise the system’s efficiency, ensuring consistent room temperatures.

JGR Building Services chose two HT R744 CUBO2 Smart transcritical condensing units from SCM to trial a non HFC alternative system for convenience/petrol forecourt applications with Lincolnshire Co-op.

The units provide cooling for five 5 Pastor Frigor HT cabinets with MPXPRO controllers and one HT cold room with an 85 bar g LU-VE evaporator on an UltraCella controller.

The cabinets and cold room are fully networked to the units. An RDM controller monitors the cold room and cabinet temperatures and plant fail inputs and is connected to an RDM data manager for local and remote access.

Energy efficiency This is an R744 transcritical solution utilising advanced, complex software which is as simple to install as the traditional HFC units it replaces. The result is a high efficiency, reliable installation.

The potential for leakage for is minimised by rated pressure of 80 bar g on the intermediate and low pressure parts of the system, virtually eliminating the venting of R744 if the system is shut down for any reason, all brazed joints in the construction of the condensing unit (apart from machine-made mechanical joints for transducer connections), and K65 tube and brazed joints for interconnecting.

Energy efficiency is maximised using a Carel control system which accurately matches the unit capacity to the load.

CMYKCMYK / .ai / .ai CMYK / .ai

Highly Commended: Mitsubishi Electric, Ultra-Quiet Ecodan

Highly Commended: Chemours, ASDA & WAVE

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06/02/2019 09:36

HE COOLSTAT

34 Everything you need for the supply, installation an Focus on flammability air conditioning and refrigeration system R E F R IGE R A N T S

While increasing numbers of lowGWP fluids are being developed, more and more products on the market are classified as flammable. How are these fluids classified? What measures should be taken into account?

What fluid charge can be loaded into equipment? This article from Climalife aims to shed light on the subject, particularly on A2Lclassified refrigerants.

Refrigerants are safety classified according to ASHRAE 34 standard, using approved test methods to assess their toxicity and flammability.

The classification from the ISO 817 standard is used to identify these categories. The letter indicates the level of toxicity, A= low toxicity refrigerants and, B= the higher toxicity ones, whilst the number indicates the level of flammability, 1= Non-flammable, 2= flammable, 2L= lower flammability and 3= higher flammability.

With the need of F-Gas to move to lower GWP refrigerants, a new group was created some time ago with a classification of A2L and is being integrated step by step into various standards. This is particularly the case with the latest revision (2016) of the EN378 safety standard about environment of refrigeration installations and heat pumps, recognising the A2L classification and allowing for greater charge sizes than A2 and A3 refrigerants based on the lower flammability limit.

Examples of A2L refrigerants are R1234yf, R32, and R455A. A requirement of an A2L refrigerant is that it has a burning velocity below 10cms/second and they have a restricted flammability area compared to A2 and A3 refrigerants. By combining these various criteria, the final classification is shown in this ASHRAE classification diagram.

A2L fluids: how to use them and for which applications

A few examples of applications: ° R32 is recommended as a replacement for R410A in new split systems with charges of less than 3kg. R32 cannot be used as a drop-in replacement for R410A because the thermodynamic characteristics and its classification as an A2L-category refrigerant requires design changes. ° R1234yf is widely used in car airconditioning systems for all enginedriven vehicles produced since 1 January 2017. ° R1234ze is now used as a replacement for R134a in new installations adopted by most chiller manufacturers. Its properties are perfectly suited for high-temperature applications. ° A2L blends containing R32, R1234yf or R1234ze have been developed for other applications and have been certified or are in the process of being approved by equipment manufacturers. R455A and R454C in particular are being used, mainly as a replacement for R404A in commercial cooling systems, as well as in industrial applications. R452B and R454B are considered potential alternatives to R410A.

And much, much more!

Under European legislation, very lowGWP fluids must be used for certain applications, both currently and in the future. In order to meet these requirements, producers have thought ahead and developed new HFO molecules in order to achieve a global warming potential of less than 1. But the lower the GWP, the higher the flammability. A compromise therefore had to be found between flammability and GWP in order to meet professionals’ needs as effectively as possible and provide solutions that were both environmentally friendly and efficient.

The new A2L fluids can be used for many applications and various different processes – as could HFCs and HCFCs – while at the same time complying with current legislation and recommendations associated with their low levels of flammability. Currently, they must only be used with new purpose-built equipment or with systems specially designed to operate with these products. Under no circumstances should a system operating with a non-flammable fluid be retrofitted to run on a flammable fluid without carrying out studies or preliminary reclassification and authorisation in order to ensure continued compliance with current regulations.

Bridgwater Branch, Unit 1D, Polden Business Centre, Bristol Road, Bridgwater Tel: 01278 421608 Email: bridgwater@coolstation.co.uk

fluids perRoad, application Swindon Branch, Unit 18, The Orbit Centre,A2L Ashworth Swindon SN5 Tel: 01793 616721 Email: swindon@coolstation.co.uk Applications

Fluid

G

Oxford Branch, Unit 13, Harrier Park, Southmead, Didcot OX11 7PL R-455A (L40X) R-454C Tel: 01235 519581 Email: oxford@coolsation.co.uk Commercial cooling/

February | March 2019

Climalife article.indd 34

Industrial refrigeration

R-1234ze

www.coolstation.co.uk

R-452B (L41y) Stationary air-conditioning system R-454B R-32 Heat pumps

R-452B (L41y) R-454B R-455A (L40X)

Chillers

R-1234ze

Domestic cooling

R-1234yf

Car air-conditioning

R-1234yf

Volume 5 No.2

07/02/2019 11:12

REFRIG ERANTS

35

A2L fluid charges: which reference should be taken into account?

Fluid charges in refrigeration and airconditioning equipment are governed by international and European standards, as well as local regulations. For equipment manufacturers, for example, the main priority is to ensure compliance with the product’s safety standard (eg: the EN 603352-24 standard for domestic refrigeration appliances). If the new A2L classification is not incorporated, the second priority is to use the group’s safety standard.

The reference in use today is the European EN378: 2016 standard. This does not apply to systems designed before the date on which it came into force. It does, however, apply to extensions or alterations carried out on systems after its publication, or in the event of systems being transferred and then used on a different site. It introduces the concept of risk assessment. The EN 378 standard can be used to calculate an installation’s maximum charge, taking three criteria into consideration: the characteristics of the refrigerant selected, access category and equipment location.

GWP*

Additional information

146 146

Condensing units Built-in units Low-temperature refrigeration

<1

CO2 cascade system

675 675 677 675 466 146 <1 <1 <1

Refrigerators New vehicle models since 2011

Examples of how charges are calculated depending on the application according to the EN378 standard

° Calculations are for guidance only and do not cover all the details specified in the EN378 standard. Individual companies must ensure they comply with EN378.

Maintaining equipment with A2L refrigerant charges The relevant training is mandatory for technicians and personnel. To ensure safety when working on systems in enclosed areas, a few best practices should be adhered to, for example: ° Install safety and ventilation systems that are appropriate for the location and for A2L-category fluids. ° Install a leak-detection system in the working areas. ° In the event of an accidental leak, ventilate the area before entering it. Use breathing equipment, if necessary.

A2L-category fluids must be recovered for compliance with regulations. They must be packaged in special packaging for flammable fluids, and then labelled and identified as such in order to prevent any accidents.

The maintenance equipment used will

depend on the type of systems concerned.

Although certain tools, such as hoses and manifolds (care should be taken to avoid contamination) may be used, tools incorporating electric circuits or motors must be specifically designed for use with A2Lcategory fluids, and must be in compliance with local regulations (ATEX, for example).

Vacuum pumps, recovery machines and leak detectors, for example, must meet specific requirements if they are to be used with A2L-category fluids.

Never use equipment designed for A2L-category fluids to handle A3-category flammable fluids.

CMYKCMYK / .ai / .ai CMYK / .ai

Article courtesy of Climalife Contact 14

acrjournal.uk Climalife article.indd 35

07/02/2019 11:12

36

R E F R IGE R A N T S

Goodbye virgin R404A A-Gas managing director John Ormerod on progress being made by the industry to meet the new challenges laid down by the F-Gas Regulations.

Change can be unrelenting in the refrigeration industry. The F-Gas Regulations move into a new gear in 2020 and installers and end users will need to understand fully what’s happening and how it will affect their business over the coming years.

Next year there’ll be a ban on the placing on the market of stationary refrigeration equipment using high GWP refrigerants (>2500 GWP) with an exception for equipment operating below -50°C. The ban on the use of virgin refrigerants with a GWP of more than 2500 will give the industry plenty to think about. Irrespective of the size of the system, this means you will be unable to install refrigeration equipment that uses gases above this threshold. This effectively brings the installation of new R404A equipment to an end.

February | March 2019

A-Gas.indd 36

of CO2 equivalent – that’s equal in amount to approximately 10kgs of R404A. Users of equipment still running on R404A could be forgiven for feeling confused with all these thresholds that mean you can service smaller equipment with virgin R404A but not larger equipment.

If the system contains a charge of gas that’s more than 10kg of R404A the ban on servicing that equipment with virgin product will mean that an alternative low GWP refrigerant is needed. The good news is that this is not the only option as reclaimed R404A can be used up until 2030, regardless of the charge size.

There will also be a ban on servicing existing equipment with virgin refrigerants that have a GWP of more than 2500 and where the charge is greater than 40 tonnes

Less pressure I strongly suspect that refrigerant suppliers will simply remove all stocks of virgin R404A from sale and switch to reclaimed

Volume 5 No.2

05/02/2019 16:37

REFRIG ERANTS R404A. In truth this will make it easier for the contractors who will at least know that they can use all they are buying without falling foul of the regulations.

We’ve passed through two years where there’s been a great deal of uncertainty about refrigerant availability and if there will be sufficient amounts of the new generation gases to support the phase down. What 2018 has taught us is that it’s going to be a mixture of new – and reclaimed refrigerants – that will support the transition away from high GWP gases.

There’s less pressure on supplies and what has emerged is that the market has now stabilised and we can plan for the future with some degree of confidence.

One thing you can be certain of is that this year the major refrigerant suppliers will say goodbye to virgin R404A. It is significant that the big supermarkets and many in the food processing industry have adapted well to the change. The last two years has seen this sector make considerable progress in converting to lower GWP gases and

utilising the A-Gas Rapid Recovery offering to ensure a smooth transition. Pretty much all the major supermarkets are well advanced on reducing their reliance on R404A. Most seem to be moving to interim replacements like R448A and R449A which will give them some breathing space to the mid to late 2020s.

Significant drop If you roll forward into 2021 and 2022 greater change is on the way. In 2021 there’s the next stepdown in the F-Gas quota when virgin refrigerant availability will drop by another 29 per cent, on a CO2 equivalent basis, taking the industry down to 45 per cent of the 2015 baseline level.

This is quite a significant drop and some market volatility is to be expected. In 2022 the bar for the use of virgin HFCs is raised even higher when the threshold drops from

37

2500 to 150 GWP for hermetically sealed equipment and multipack centralised refrigeration equipment above 40kW. This will really ramp up the pressure on the industry.

In the meantime, enjoy 2019 and the slow run up to the major changes taking place in the years to come. Our advice at A-Gas to installers and end-users, is don’t hesitate to seek advice from your refrigerant supplier, especially if you are unsure on how to react. Experts are on hand to help. The A-Gas website has a wealth of information to help you switch to a low GWP refrigerants. We are also happy to provide advice at the end of the phone.

You can be sure that however difficult the journey may appear to be at the start, there is always help available to guide you in the right direction and a positive outcome. www.agas.com

2020 Ban on the use of HFCs with a GWP of

more than 2500 (except below -50°C) in stationary systems.

2020 Service ban on existing equipment with virgin

HFCs with a GWP of more than 2500 where the charge is greater than 40 tonnes of CO2.

2021 Cut in the F-Gas quota of 29% for virgin HFCs. 2022 Threshold for virgin HFCs drops from 2500 to 150 GWP. CMYKCMYK / .ai / .ai CMYK / .ai

F-GAS: More Change Is On The Way acrjournal.uk A-Gas.indd 37

04/02/2019 15:14

Development of J-Series VRF from 2004 to Now!!

SERIES

Current model / 6HP class Height:1334 mm

It all started in 2004 with the original J-Series ‘aka Little Napoleon’ 15 years of developments and improvements we now have the outstanding J-IIS

Weight:117 kg

60Pa

High Static Pressure External static pressure is available up to 60Pa for 14/16HP. (20Pa for 8/10HP, 30Pa for 12HP)

Height difference

998 mm ▲25%

Light weight

87 kg ▲26%

Total pipe length

Max.

Model / 6HP class

80 m

It Can be Easily Carried and Installed in restricted Places

Compact Design Due to the lowest and most compact design in the industry, the appearance of the building is not affected even when installed on the roof

Twin fan version of the J-IIS with a maximum pipe run of 180m and available in single phase and 3 phase.

Flexible installation This model is front blow type and slim & low body, so installation space is compact.

Building windows are not blocked and space saving multiple units installation is possible.

AIRSTAGE TM J-Series outdoor unit

AIRSTAGE TM V-Series outdoor unit

www.fujitsu-general.com/uk Double page VRF J-Series Advert.indd 1 p38_39_acrfeb19.indd 38

05/02/2019 12:23

Series

2-Pipe Heat Pump | 12 - 45kW (50kW is coming!!)

Fujitsu Air Conditioning | The name you can rely on p38_39_acrfeb19.indd 39

22/01/2019 08:18:59 05/02/2019 12:24

40

CASE STUDY

Genting Resorts World – Sky Bar, Birmingham

Genting UK Plc own and operate Resorts World Birmingham and is a part of the global leisure business, the Genting Group, headquartered in Malaysia. Resorts World Birmingham is Genting's first leisure destination to open in Europe.

Flexi Support Systems were ordered, via Smith Brothers Stores, for their customer Hockley Building Services, the M&E contractors who were installing these rooftop services. An assortment of products was required to support various services such as cable trays, ductwork, in-line fan and air-handling units. Some frameworks

February | March 2019

Gentings Resorts World Birmingham Case Study.indd 40

were also supplied with an increased frame height, to suit certain services that needed to be positioned higher above the roof finish.

Negating the requirements for traditional concrete plinths, our fully adjustable framework solutions offer a fast and simple installation process, avoiding awkward waterproofing details or roof penetrations. All solutions provide the installer with greater flexibility to make last minute changes, and are supplied hot dip galvanised to suit external environments.

Project: Genting Resorts World – Sky Bar, Birmingham.

Products: Flexi Everyday – H Frame Kits and Flexi-Feet, Flexi Light – Base & Extender frames, Flexi heavy – Modular Frameworks & Custom Frame Services: Cable trays, Ducts, Fan & Air-handling units.

Roof build-up: Warm roof design – PIR/PUR insulation with PVC/TPO field membrane.

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HRP

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Head Office Details: 15 Bruntcliffe Avenue, Leeds 27 Industrial Estate, Morley, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS27 0LL

Wholesaler of the year HRP has been trading since 1945 and is one of the longest established refrigeration and air conditioning wholesalers in the UK.

LIST OF BRANCHES & CONTACTS:

HRP offers excellent pre and after sales support for an impressive portfolio of products. The branch network is 14 strong, with new branches in Redruth and Cardiff opening soon, giving national coverage from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

Since the business has been under the Beijer Ref umbrella it has benefitted from a substantial investment in money and resource.

For instance, increased stock levels and branch refits have improved customer satisfaction both internally and externally.

The HRP team is 95 strong and offers a wealth of experience within wholesaling. Customer satisfaction is the key objective for the business.

HRP is keen on developing people throughout the business.

As an example of this, HRP has developed an in-house training programme for trainee sales engineers. The programme includes both practical and theory. The practical side this is carried out both with our training partner in a workshop environment and out in the field, working alongside qualified engineers. The training programme takes up to 2 years and when completed the trainees will be awarded industry recognised certification.

HRP has been around for a long time with a loyal customer base.

The business is financially strong and ready for continued investment through innovation, not forgetting the firm roots of the past.

Cardiff - Branch Opening Soon Gateshead

Redruth - Branch Opening Soon

MAIN PRODUCT RANGES/BRANDS SOLD:

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Danfoss Optyma, Lu-Ve coolers and condensers, Tecumseh condensing units and compressors, Embraco condensing units and compressors, TEV cellar Cooling, Cubo 2 SMART, Bitzer, Lawton Copper Tube, Sauermann, Blue Diamond and Aspen condensate pumps and MaxiPro.

Bedford Unit B6 Manton Centre Manton Lane Bedfordshire MK41 7PX T: 01234 272 702 F: 0845 319 2827 bedford@hrpwholesale.uk.com Birmingham Unit J4 Fulford Drive Minworth Trade Park Birmingham B76 1DJ T: 01213 136 720 F: 0845 319 2813 birmingham@hrpwholesale.uk.com Bristol Unit 100 Quadrant Industrial Est Ash Ridge Road Bradley Stoke BS32 4QA T: 01454 456 430 F: 0845 319 2815 bristol@hrpwholesale.uk.com Fareham 9 Standard Way Fareham Industrial Park Broadcut PO16 8XB T: 01329 443 515 F: 0845 319 2829 fareham@hrpwholesale.uk.com Gateshead 322H Mayoral Way Team Valley Trading Estate Gateshead NE11 0RT T: 0191 389 6482 F: 0191 487 5914 gateshead@hrpwholesale.uk.com Glasgow 140 St. Andrew’s Road Pollokshields G41 1PP T: 01414 201 606 F: 0845 319 2821 glasgow@hrpwholesale.uk.com Leeds Unit 1 Aintree Court Hunslet Business Park National Road Leeds LS10 1TF T: 01132 775 000 F: 0845 319 2823 leeds@hrpwholesale.uk.com CMYKCMYK / .ai / .ai CMYK / .ai

Merton Unit 2 Saxon Business Centre Windsor Avenue Merton SW19 2RR T: 0208 544 1010 F: 0845 319 2831 merton@hrpwholesale.uk.com Norwich 4/6 Murrayfield Road Fifers Lane Norwich NR6 6NQ T: 01603 409 616 F: 0845 319 2817 norwich@hrpwholesale.uk.com Redruth – OPENING SOON Unit 29 Cardrew Trade Park Redruth TR15 1SW T: 0120 931 1701 redruth@hrpwholesale.uk.com Sheffield Unit 2 Brightside 443 Brightside Lane Sheffield S9 2RS T: 01142 448 222 F: 0845 319 2819 sheffield@hrpwholesale.uk.com Slough 561 Ipswich Road Slough Trading Estate Slough SL1 4EP T: 01753 495 710 F: 0845 319 2801 slough@hrpwholesale.uk.com Swanley Unit 3 The Interchange Wested Lane Swanley BR8 8TE T: 01322 614 811 F: 08453 192 811 swanley@hrpwholesale.uk.com Walthamstow Unit 12 Waltham Park Way Walthamstow E17 5DU T: 02085 319 321 F: 0845 3192809 walthamstow@hrpwholesale.uk.com Warrington 5 Rivington Court Hardwick Grange Warrington WA1 4RT T: 01925 837 688 F: 0845 319 2825 warrington@hrpwholesale.uk.com

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WH OLE S AL E & D IS T RIBUTIO N

LOGICOOL AIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMPS LTD Head Office Details: The Machine House, Newfields, Moira, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE12 6EG

Logicool is a technically biased and customer focused specialist distributor of Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric and Panasonic air conditioning and heat pump products, including parts & spares.

We excel in customer service and project support. Logicool promise an unrivalled and unbiased approach to all project enquiries, always providing a solution for every application.

Established in 2008, Logicool are celebrating our 10th anniversary this year. The last 10 years have seen us witness numerous challenges and experience unforgettable high points that have made us what we are today.

Formed in 2008, at the height of the recession, Logicool has grown into a £6.5m turnover business with 15 staff and a growing reputation in an ever-challenging market. The business retains a strong ethos based on values which promote respect, standards and teamwork throughout our involvement in the supply chain.

Logicool sits in an almost unique place in the AC service sector. Only a handful of companies are able to offer the level of support and attention to detail that Logicool are able to offer. This positioning allows us to grow primarily through reputation. This unique offering can be explained as follows: The air conditioning supply sector in 2019 is split into two typical service offerings, both of which offer challenges for designer, the purchaser and especially the installer.

° T he “direct” market, where the contractor purchases the equipment only directly from the manufacturer ° T he wholesale market where the contractor purchases the air conditioning equipment and their installation accessories and ancillaries from a “one-stop shop” business model.

The direct approach does not typically offer a quick turnaround response time for enquiries. Going forward, the onus seems to be shifting towards the contractor preparing their own quotations and selections rather than relying on the manufacturer to assist with their superior product knowledge.

The wholesaler route offers more choice but less technical support and less product knowledge. This is due to the wholesaler having 50,000+ products in their armoury.

The Logicool approach offers speed of response, pre-sales product knowledge and the after-sales technical support. We remain in favour of a phone which is answered in less than four rings by a person that introduces themselves. Quotations are dealt with immediately with same-day being a worse-case scenario. This is proven by Logicool spare parts division alone achieving sales in excess of £1.25m annually.

In addition, we treat all enquiries equally and one of our mantras is that “it is never “only” a 2.5kW wall mount”. It is a customer enquiry.

The size of the order or the margin comes secondary to issuing the quotation and selecting the correct equipment.

Sarah, Yasmin, Jayne, Anna, Lilly, Lisa

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Karl, Gill, Steve H, Dan, Steve C, Angela

Our relatively small team have a combined experience of over 200 years’ experience in the air conditioning sector. Our technical support team are ex-engineers and each of them take individual responsibility to train the newer members of our team.

We believe that modern businesses requires realistic thinking. This does not mean “blue-sky” ideas but working together and respecting our responsibilities and expectations. A supplier to the Building Services sector cannot rely on a culture of digital marketing. It needs to promote real communication and understanding of our customers’ requirements. We try to educate new staff with the reality that employees within the air conditioning sector cannot expect to walk into work with a plan. Everything changes by 9.00am and we, as a supplier to the HVAC market, need to be able to understand that environment and embrace the challenges that it presents to us daily.

These facts represent the core of what and how we educate our staff.

We try to understand our clients and offer the best possible service that they can expect. This isn’t always possible, but it is how we deal with things that either reduces or increases our reputation with the Logicool client base.

We exist in a market which is presenting challenges that we have never faced before. Presently, F-Gas and Kigali do not offer us a clear view of what the marketplace will look like when we celebrate another 10 years. We understand that the air conditioning market may see very little growth over the next ten years and therefore we expect Logicool 2028 to look very different. We aim to continue to grow our air conditioning sales by taking more of the market share via our growing profile and commitment to great customer service whilst also focusing on emerging products and technologies.

We expect that this will include growing sales in heat exchangers, air to water, chillers, air handling units and IT cooling. What we will not do, however, is lose focus with the clients that have got us to where we are today. Our strategy is to grow together.

Peter, Bob

MAIN PRODUCT RANGES/BRANDS SOLD: Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric and Panasonic

CONTACT:

The Machine House, Newfields, Moira, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE12 6EG T: 01283 218277 E: sales@logicool-ac.com logicool-ac.com CMYKCMYK / .ai / .ai CMYK / .ai

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PACAIR Head Office Details: Units 1&2, The Heron Business Park, Eastman Way, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 7FW

Eric Zeline joins the PACAIR team as Specification Sales Engineer, bringing with him over 12 years’ experience in building services, with experience at VES, Kampmann and Daikin UK. Nick Ryman, PACAIR’s Specification Sales Manager, says: “This appointment shows our ongoing commitment to working with consultants on design solutions across all of the brands we work with. Eric will assist in helping us to grow our LG business, with their exceptional range of VRF and hot water solutions. Eric’s existing experience with consultants will help us to continue to augment our specification led sales incrementally.

Right: Eric Zeline Right below: Nick Ryman

We at PACAIR have always prided ourselves in our consultant and technical design-led approach, striving to find the right solution for the consultant and client. With access to a portfolio of 3 of the major VRF brands, 2 chilled water brands, and also their associated hot water solutions, we are well placed to provide an independent solution that fits the relevant project well.”

Eric’s addition to the PACAIR team now increases the UK specification coverage nationally, adding to existing offices in the North West, Midlands and Hemel Hempstead.

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PACAIR TURNS 15 PACAIR was established in November 2003 and is proud to have recently

Stuart Law

celebrated its 15 year anniversary.

In 2013 PACAIR North West opened, headed by Stuart Law, and the branch has grown impressively over the last 5 years. In 2017, PACAIR Midlands opened, headed by Steve Rees, and is growing progressively.

PACAIR now has a total of 18 staff over the 3 branches.

PACAIR has a proven record in providing multi-disciplinary air conditioning solutions, attained through years of excellence in the design, application and supply of air conditioning systems. As an air conditioning supplier, PACAIR has successfully evolved its range of

Steve Rees

expertise. Through continual development and improvement the company has kept itself at the forefront of the industry, always striving to maintain knowledge of current regulations, new procurement routes and innovative products.

PACAIR wishes to thank its valued customers, and indeed its supply chain, for their support over the last 15 years, and looks forward to continuing to grow with them in the years to come.

LIST OF BRANCHES & CONTACTS: Head Office Hemel Hempstead Units 1&2, The Heron Business Park, Eastman Way, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 7FW T:01442 254401

Midland Office Birmingham 4200 Waterside.

Birmingham Business Park, Solihul Parkway.

Birmingham B37 7YN T: 0121 516 5442

North West Office Wigan Suite 15, 112-114 Market Street, Hindley, Wigan WN2 3AY T: 01942 252888

CMYKCMYK / .ai / .ai CMYK / .ai

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WH OLE S AL E & D IS T RIBUTIO N

COOL DESIGNS LTD Head Office Details: South Shore Rd, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE8 3AE, Tel 0191 5496964

CDL’s newly opened 15,000ft2 head office has started bringing in stock, with the total level to be close to £2M

From modest beginnings a little more than a decade ago, Cool Designs Ltd has grown to become one of the UK’s largest independent air conditioning distributors.

Early on the company notched up a significant accolade by becoming the first air conditioning supplier in the UK to achieve carbon neutral status.

Darrel Birkett, founder and managing director, says: “Environmental factors are obviously a key driver in our industry, and early on weidentified this is a leadership issue. We wanted to put the businesson a carbon neutral footing not only because it’s the right thing to do as custodians of the planet, but to demonstrate it could be done, and could also be good for business.”

Another key to its success has been its emphasis on customer service, and the provision of high quality training. In the past few years, more than 3000 engineers have attended its courses on technology, application and servicing at the company’s three centres around the country.

CDL relocated its head office in January 2019 offering an additional 10,000ft2 storage as well as increased capacity for training. Having well-established branches in the North East, North West and Scotland, where it employs some 28 staff, it is now looking to expand coverage further South, with local stocking to ensure the same level of rapid response as the rest of its network.

Over the years, its biggest selling unit has been Toshiba’s RAVSM806KRT 7kW wall mount, an efficient, reliable workhorse used in a wide range of applications. To date, CDL has shipped some 6,000 of the units to customers across the UK. Flexibility is a core theme in CDL’s approach. Darrel says: “We understand that life and business are dynamic, and things can change and sometimes go wrong. We stay in close touch with our customers, and are responsive to changing needs and situations.”

The company’s portfolio was expanded significantly in 2018 with the addition of CIAT products, adding a comprehensive range of HVAC systems to its established DX range. The addition has proved highly successful in its first year, widening

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CDL has a reputation of being highly tech-savvy, and has harnessed its in-house digital skills to develop high quality online video training, bespoke controls and other customer enhancements. On the digital theme, do they foresee a time when orders will be placed directly online, without the need for human intervention?

“That is possible now, and we are exploring ideas around this.

However, I wouldn’t like to see the human element removed.

The personal touch is important, and sometimes we can make suggestions that benefit our customer and the end user.”

Whatever legislative and technical developments emerge, with its vision and customer-centred approach, CDL is laying the ground to build on its success in the years ahead.

the range of projects CDL can cover, effectively enabling it to offer a one-stop solution, from splits and VRF to AHUs and Fan coils – and even chillers.

Is air conditioning still a good sector to be, and how does the future look? “It’s still a great industry to be in,” says Darrel, “but there are some obvious uncertainties to navigate. The situation over R32 is a case in point. The view emerged that this is an interim solution, and that something better will emerge in time. We await to see developments with interest.”

MAIN PRODUCT RANGES/BRANDS SOLD: Toshiba, CIAT, Fujitsu and Aspen

CONTACT: Training centres in Gateshead, Glasgow, Warrington 0191 549 6964 www.cdlweb.info CMYKCMYK / .ai / .ai CMYK / .ai

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WH OLE S AL E & D IS T RIBUTIO N

THE COOLSTATION Head Office Details: Bridgwater Branch, Unit 1D, Polden Business Centre, Bristol Road, Bridgwater TA6 4AW

EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR THE SUPPLY, INSTALLATION AND SERVICE OF AIR CONDITIONING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS

The Coolstation is a major wholesaler for Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Ancillary products.

They have fully equipped trade counters operating from Bridgwater, Swindon and Oxford.

Both the Bridgwater and Swindon branches have recently moved to larger premises to accommodate the company’s continued growth.

They have a fleet of delivery vehicles ensuring they get your delivery to the right place at the right time.

All of the Trade counters are laid out in a Supermarket ‘walk around’ style so customers can easily and quickly choose the products they need.

The Coolstation has a wealth of experience in the design, application, distribution and ongoing technical site assistance for Air Conditioning and Refrigeration contractors, with most of the staff having been in the Industry for many years.

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The Coolstation sell everything that the contractor needs to install refrigeration or air conditioning systems, and servicing. They also have access to nearly all Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Manufactures Spare parts.

49

The Coolstation prides itself on being an easy and friendly company to deal with and are growing Year on Year. There are plans to open more branches in the near future.

They offer an extensive range of products from ancillaries through to refrigerants, compressors and ACR tools, spanning across industry names such as Toshiba, Hitachi, Fujitsu, Daikin, Marstair, Maxkold, J & E Hall, Climalife and Javac.

THE COOLSTA THE COOLSTATI THE COOLSTATIO TION ATION LSTATION STATION

service of of and service ms

Everything you need for the supply, installatio

Everything you need for the supply, installation and serv Everything you need for the supply, installation and servicesy of air conditioning and refrigeration air conditioning and refrigeration systems air conditioning and refrigeration systems

COOLSTATION

supply, installation and service of ply, installation and service of systems drigeration refrigeration systems

u need for the supply, installation and service of LIST OF BRANCHES & CONTACTS: conditioning and refrigeration systems Swindon Branch Bridgwater Branch

er TA6 4AW

6 4AW

uch N5 7YG more!

Unit 1D Polden Business Centre Bristol Road Bridgwater TA6 4AW T: 01278 421608 bridgwater@coolstation.co.uk

And much, much more!

And much, much more!

And much, much more!

Bridgwater Branch, Unit 1D, Polden Business Centre, Bristol Road, Bridgwater TA6 4AW Oxford Branch Tel: 01278 421608 Email: bridgwater@coolstation.co.uk

Unit 13 Harrier Park Bridgwater Branch, Polden Centre,Road, Bristol Road, SN5 Bridgwater TA6 4AW Swindon Branch,Unit Unit1D, 18,Southmead The OrbitBusiness Centre, Ashworth Swindon 7YG Tel: 01278 421608 Email: bridgwater@coolstation.co.uk Tel: 01793 616721 Email: swindon@coolstation.co.uk Didcot OX11 7PL 1D, Bridgwater Branch, Unit Polden Business Centre, Bristol Road, Bri

T: 01235 519581 Swindon Branch, Unit Orbit Centre, Ashworth Road, Swindon SN5 7YG Tel: 01278 421608 Email: bridgwater@coolstation.co Oxford Branch, Unit18, 13,The Harrier Park, Southmead, Didcot OX11 7PL oxford@coolsation.co.uk www.coolstation.co.uk Tel: 01793519581 616721Email: Email: swindon@coolstation.co.uk Tel: 01235 oxford@coolsation.co.uk

And much, much more! h, PL much more! entre, Bristol Road, Bridgwater TA6 4AW

G

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Unit 18 The Orbit Centre Ashworth Road Swindon SN5 7YG T: 01793 616721 swindon@coolstation.co.uk

CMYKCMYK / .ai / .ai CMYK / .ai

Swindon Branch, Unit 18, The Orbit Centre, Ashworth Road, Swin

Oxford Branch, UnitTel: 13, Harrier Southmead, Didcot OX11 7PL 01793 Park, 616721 Email: swindon@coolstation.co.u www.coolstation.co.uk Tel: 01235 519581 Email: oxford@coolsation.co.uk acrjournal.uk Oxford Branch, Unit 13, Harrier Park, Southmead, Didcot OX

Tel: 01235 519581 Email: oxford@coolsation.co.uk www.coolstation.co.uk

anch, Unit 1D, Polden Business Centre, Bristol Road, Bridgwater TA6 4AW

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FRIDGENIUS - THE SMALL TOOL WITH A BIG AT Head Office Details: 293 Sopwith Crescent, Merley, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 1XQ

Fridgenius was established in 1995 by David Slydel, Managing Director. The company is a family business which is now run by his son, Chris Slydel. Under Chris’s leadership, Fridgenius has grown and fully established itself as the leading supplier of Solenoid Valve Operating Magnets – The Small Tool with a Big Attraction! The company has seen much growth and is proud to supply national and international distributors.

when recovering refrigerant from a plant that has already been decommissioned and the power removed. In emergency situations, such as the failure of a solenoid valve coil, it can be used to keep the system operating whilst a replacement coil is found.

Proving to be a crucial and adaptable tool in an engineer’s toolkit, the Solenoid Valve Operating Magnet controls and assists in the installation process, commissioning and decommissioning of plant and machinery, and the recovery of refrigerants. The Fridgenius Solenoid Valve Operating Magnets are highly flexible, easy to use

The Solenoid Valve Operating Magnet was invented and designed in 1995 by David Slydel to solve the problem of operating a solenoid valve manually when a system is not under power. The Solenoid Valve Operating Magnets are available in three sizes, 10mm (up to 10mm stem size) which comes in white, 15mm (up to 15mm stem size) which comes in orange and 18mm (up to 18mm stem size) which comes in red. The Solenoid Valve Operating Magnet fits all make of solenoid valve.

The Solenoid Valve Operating Magnet converts an electrically operated solenoid valve into a hand-operated valve in seconds and is the same shape and size of a large cotton reel. When the tool is placed onto a solenoid valve (with the coil removed), it causes the armature to open or close. This enables the valve and system to be controlled by the engineer. This eliminates the need to wire up the system or to worry about the correct voltage. It can be used

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IG ATTRACTION!

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The use of this ingenious tool ultimately saved 14,000 litres of milk which resulted in one very happy customer!

The engineer returned home in time for the end of the rugby match!

“Thank you for a truly innovative product” Paul - refrigeration engineer

and maintain. They are also able to service, diagnose or allow the manual operation, control or testing of pilot operated systems.

Where there are multiple solenoid valves in a system, using a Solenoid Valve Operating Magnet for each valve can help diagnose and isolate the fault and control the system.

Fridgenius offers a customised Solenoid Valve Operating Magnet option. This custom variant is available in all three sizes, 10mm, 15mm and 18mm. They can be manufactured in the colour of your choice and can be produced in RAL or Pantone colour references. They can also be customised using our standard colours, white, orange and red. Company branding specifics, such as a company logo, slogan or barcode, can be printed if required.

Please visit www.fridgenius.co.uk/pages/customised for further information.

The pocket-sized Solenoid Valve Operating Magnet is a fast and easy solution. The wide range of services that the tool brings makes it ideal for use in refrigeration, air conditioning, marine industry, water industry, gas industry, oil industry and all other HVAC applications.

At a recent refrigeration exhibition, an engineer congratulated Fridgenius on its “superb product!”

He recounted that whilst watching a rugby match on TV, he had received a call from a milk processing plant customer. His plant was warming-up and he needed help.

The fault was identified, and he had discovered that the solenoid coil had burned out and by using the Fridgenius Solenoid Valve Operating Magnet, he was able to run it permanently – setting it to cut out under pressure.

A brand new and updated website has recently been launched, www.fridgenius.co.uk Here you can find out further information about the product, its many applications, see examples of customised SVOM and enquire about becoming a UK or International distributor.

With over 20 years of satisfying its customers, Fridgenius prides itself on fantastic customer service and its client range and distribution areas. An ever-expanding networking platform has enabled the company to grow nationally and internationally. Fridgenius are a company moving forward and is always looking for new clients and distributors to work with.

Fridgenius Ltd will be exhibiting at the 2020 HVAC & Refrigeration Show at ExCel London.

CONTACTS: For further information about the Solenoid Valve Operating Magnet and becoming a distributor please see the website and contact details below.

Head office 293 Sopwith Crescent Merley Wimborne Dorset BH21 1XQ T: 02380 323745 enquires@fridgenius.co.uk www.fridgenius.co.uk

CMYKCMYK / .ai / .ai CMYK / .ai

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RW REFRIGERATION WHOLESALE Head Office Details: 15 Bruntcliffe Avenue, Leeds 27 Industrial Estate, Morley, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS27 0LL RW (Refrigeration Wholesale) has established itself as an independent brand within the ACR industry.

As a national wholesaler of high quality refrigeration and air conditioning products we offer breadth of geographic cover and total commitment to the highest level of customer service.

MAIN PRODUCT RANGES/BRANDS SOLD:

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Danfoss Optyma, Embraco, Tecumseh, Searle & National Refrigerants.

LIST OF BRANCHES & CONTACTS: Basildon Unit 23 Bakers Court Paycocke Road, Basildon Essex SS14 3EH T: 01268 968 486 F: 01268 522 705 basildon@rw-wholesale.co.uk

Exeter Forrest Units, Hennock Road Marsh Barton Industrial Estate Exeter EX2 8RU T: 01392 823 992 F: 01392 829 446 exetc@rw-wholesale.co.uk

The RW team is 44 strong and includes experienced branch managers and trade counter teams. Placing the customer at the heart of all we do, we pride ourselves on good local stock of top branded products at a realistic price.

Belfast Unit 5 Loughside Industrial Park Dargan Crescent Belfast BT3 9JA T: 02890 767 364 F: 02890 781 429 belfasttc@rw-wholesale.co.uk

High Wycombe Unit 6 Wycombe Ind Mall West End Street, High Wycombe Buckinghamshire HP11 2QY T: 01494 473 330 F: 01494 473 057 higtc@rw-wholesale.co.uk

RW has a pool of industry trained technical engineers to offer a second to none pre and after sales service. The team can advise you on product selection and guide you, for instance, through the maze of refrigerant choice. RW is committed to assist you through all the industry changes.

Birmingham 14/15 Park Street Aston, Birmingham B6 5SH T: 0121 328 1122 F: 0121 328 3030 asttc@rw-wholesale.co.uk

Hull 1 Manor Court Priory Park East Hull HU4 7DY T: 01482 974 500 F: 01482 354 034 hultc@rw-wholesale.co.uk

Although recognised as an independent brand, RW enjoys the synergies of being a Beijer Ref company. Beijer Ref being the largest European refrigeration wholesaler brings with it product availability, technical expertise and financial security.

RW operates from 14 branch locations across the UK drawing on centralised in house stock and making products easily accessible.

Bristol Unit 5, Eldonwall Ind Estate Whitby Road, Brislington Bristol BS24 3QQ T: 0117 977 2616 F: 0117 977 3616 britc@rw-wholesale.co.uk

Working directly with manufacturers of market leading brands eliminates potential communication problems. This allows your voice to be heard in the development of new products.

Crayford Unit 14-15 Bourne Ind Estate Bourne Road, Crayford Kent DA1 4BZ T: 01322 529 994 F: 01322 550 190 cratc@rw-wholesale.co.uk

Crayford

Dorset Unit 9 Victory Close Woolsbridge Ind Park Wimbourne Dorset BH21 6SX T: 01202 824 186 F: 01202 829 573 wimtc@rw-wholesale.co.uk Edinburgh 3 Liggatt Syke Place East Mains Ind Estate Broxburn EH52 5NA T: 01506 855 306 F: 01506 854 324 editc@rw-wholesale.co.uk

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Leicester Unit 11 Meer End Hallam Fields Industrial Est Birstall LE4 3EH T: 0116 267 2800 F: 0116 267 5500 leicester@rw-wholesale.co.uk London Acton 8 Kendal Court, Acton London W3 0RU T: 0208 896 9187 F: 0208 992 7515 acttc@rw-wholesale.co.uk London Bow Unit 2 Primrose Works Stour Road, London E3 2NT T: 0208 525 9888 F: 0208 525 9797 bowtc@rw-wholesale.co.uk Stockton Unit H Lustrum Trade Park Cheltenham Road Stockton on Tees TS18 2QQ T: 01642 673 149 F: 01642 677 314 stocktontc@rw-wholesale.co.uk

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R E F R IGE R AT ION

Why CO2 is a viable option

Carbon dioxide offers a wealth of benefits when used as a natural refrigerant, says Ed Whinyates of Stonegrove Refrigeration.

In a period of massive change for ozone depleting HFC refrigerants, the impact is being felt within the perishable goods industry. As a designer and installer, we appreciate how this is impacting on refrigeration installations. Because of regulation on the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;phasing outâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of certain refrigerants, it is important to work with customers to offer the best possible solution for their long term needs; this entails designing and installing plants with longevity. By moving away from environmentally harmful refrigerants towards installations using natural refrigerants - like ammonia (R717), propane (R290) and CO2 (R744) - we can future proof refrigeration equipment.

Natural alternative CO2 is is not new to refrigeration, with its initial use traceable back to the mid-19th century. However, with the advent of man-made refrigerants during the 20th century, the use of CO2 within the food and drink industry was vastly reduced

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REFRIG ERATIO N with the introduction of CFCs and HFCs. With global legislation putting pressure on refrigeration users to reduce their environmental impact, the knock-on effect is a move away from both commercial and industrial HFC systems to natural alternatives. When used as a natural refrigerant, carbon dioxide has a wealth of benefits.

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Myths surrounding CO2

There are some common myths surrounding CO2, one being that it is too dangerous in a refrigeration system. Given the wrong conditions, all refrigerants can potentially cause harm. With proper design and installation, CO2 is just as safe as any other refrigerant. There is also an assumption that it requires more in the way of leak detection compared to other refrigerants. CO2 does require leak detection, as it is colourless and odourless vapour, but this requirement is no more or less important than other HFC refrigerants.

A third myth is that it is more expensive to install and operate. There is a very strong argument to say this is no longer the case.

Important and noteworthy characteristics:

Non-toxic & non-flammable Natural refrigerants can sometimes be limited due to toxicity and flammability concerns. CO2 lends itself to applications when these issues arise (primary, cascade or secondary), so offers an excellent solution.

Environmentally benign It has an Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) of zero and an extremely low Global Warming Potential (GWP) = 1. This is directly comparable with other natural refrigerants; propane ODP = 0 GWP = 3 and ammonia ODP = 0 and GWP = 0 High pressure benefits Compressor capacity is significantly higher compared, for example, to ammonia. It has good potential for heat reclaim, which will help with refrigeration plant running costs.

Compressors can be up to six times smaller than more traditional applications (R22 for example). It also has a higher suction pressure with improves efficiency.

High refrigeration volumetric capacity This leads to a reduction in pipework sizes (up to five times that of 404A), and a significant reduction in suction line valve costs, so a big saving on installation costs.

High heat transfer characteristics This allows an evaporator to operate at higher temperatures. The lower temperature difference between the refrigerant and the air offers increased efficiency. This results in an increased capacity in heat exchangers.

Material compatibility Because CO2 is an inert and stable substance, there are no concerns over chemical reactions with polymers. As it is non-corrosive with most materials there are very few differences to the materials used in HFC systems.

Inexpensive and readily available There are cost benefits when installing a CO2 system. With a high refrigeration capacity due to a high volumetric cooling capacity (approximately up to six times that of R404A), this has a positive impact on the compressor displacement and the sizing of heat exchangers and pipework. Smaller evaporators and condensers are required due to the high heat transfer, high pressure and density. Due to high discharge temperatures there is greater potential for heat reclaim.

Because CO2 is a stable molecule there is a lower potential for decomposition within the refrigeration system, which gives it a much greater life span compared to HFC systems. The overall investment cost of a CO2 refrigeration installation has reduced in recent years and is now comparable to other refrigerants for both industrial and commercial applications. CO2 itself is inexpensive to produce and widely available.

Efficiency advantages It has been argued that it offers better operating conditions. It is not affected by higher pressure drops so the impact of long suction lines and liquid lines is diminished.

The lower temperature differences between the refrigerant and the air increases efficiency. Lower compression ratios means the compressor doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to work as hard.

Solutions for CO2 in refrigeration

The first area where CO2 has made a successful comeback is within the industrial refrigeration sector, where it can be used either as the low-stage refrigerant in cascade installations or as a secondary coolant. Due to the continued advances in design and technology, it is also becoming a more viable option in the commercial sector - where in the recent past the only assumed solution would be man-made refrigerants.

To find out how Stonegrove can help with your refrigeration requirements, please contact 01279 408690 ed@stonegroverefrigeration.co.uk www.stonegroverefrigeration.co.uk

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R E F R IGE R AT ION

Packing a punch

BITZER equipment helps deliver pizza plant solution with ‘game-changing’ ammonia system.

Kevin Glass

Two BITZER ammonia compressor packs (ACPs) with a combined cooling capacity of 1.4MW are delivering high performance refrigeration for a major new pizza production plant in the north of England.

The industrial scale single-stage pumped ammonia system serves all the cooling needs of the 60,000sq ft facility for one of the UK’s leading food companies. The installation by Integral UK uses the BITZER ACP systems to deliver multi-temperature cooling for the plant’s 2°C chill store, -5°C spiral chillers, -18°C freezer cold store.

Integral UK designed the multi-compressor packaged ammonia solution to maintain the highest levels of efficiency, whilst minimising payback time on the project. Resilience was also a key design factor, with built-in standby capacity provided by the BITZER design combining with the company’s renowned reliability to ensure continuity of cooling around the clock, 365 days a year.

The ACP units selected have three compressors per pack, giving standby capacity and resilience needed for such critical process applications. It enables engineers to service a compressor while the others remain operational, reducing process down-time and improving life-cycle cost.

Following commissioning earlier this year, the plant has operated smoothly and quickly established itself as the most energy efficient plant of its kind operated by the food production company.

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Highest quality The ammonia packs are based on compact screw compressors, which BITZER says result in a smaller footprint than equivalent-capacity reciprocating compressors. In addition to the inherent efficiency of screw compressors, the speed of the lead compressor is controlled by an integrated variable speed drive (VSD), which significantly increases part-load efficiency and enables soft-start. Efficiency can be further enhanced with the addition of an optional economiser module.

A further benefit for end users is that screw compressors have much longer maintenance intervals than reciprocating compressors, which substantially reduces the cost of ownership over the lifetime of the plant.

Kevin Glass, managing director of

BITZER UK, said: “This superbly executed Integral UK project is an excellent example of how to harness the strengths of BITZER’s modern ammonia refrigeration systems to deliver an efficient, safe, resilient and costeffective solution. Ammonia systems have traditionally been built as one-offs, often in less than ideal conditions. BITZER builds ACP units in a pristine factory environment, ensuring the highest possible quality and integrity, absolutely necessary when working with ammonia.

“The modular design means that contractors can quickly connect up ACP units on site with a few simple pipework and electrical connections. This dramatically speeds up with whole process of installation and commissioning. We believe it is a gamechanger for industrial refrigeration.”

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HEAT PUMPS

Don't fall for the fiction

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In the first of a series of columns for ACR Journal, Graham Wright, president of the Heat Pump Association (HPA), explores some of the stories casting doubt on heat pumps as a viable long term option and separates the fact from fiction.

In 2018 the UK continued to commit to more energy efficient building practices and this was underlined in May in a speech by Prime Minister Theresa May, which committed the UK to reduce its building energy usage by half. Mrs May’s reference to more energy efficient buildings and smart technologies was certainly welcomed by the HPA, as heat pumps represent one of several environmentally friendly heating solutions for the long term. Although a major short term shift to solely heat pumps would be neither practical nor sensible, it cannot be denied that heat pump systems of all genres are capable of significantly reducing carbon emissions. Misinformation inevitably has led to concerns in some quarters over whether heat pumps present a suitable option for enough properties for them to be considered a viable long term heat source, but in my view the case for heat pumps was made a long time ago. We need to ensure that our focus on delivering heat pumps to the domestic market is sustained as it has been in the commercial sector with significant success and recognition in aspects of building design.

Fabric insulation One of the most common and longest running myths suggests that heat pumps only work with well insulated buildings.

While it is true that heat pumps do work better in well insulated buildings, the same can be said for ALL heating systems, in the sense that this means less energy output,

wherever it is derived from, is required.

However, if a building needs heating to a particular level then it will need a finite amount of energy (kWh) each year to achieve that, regardless of the source of heat. Hence the most optimal method to provide that amount of energy will need to be sought. You can find many examples of low energy, low running cost heat pump systems installed in thermally poor buildings, including Grade 1 listed buildings with no insulation and original leadlight glazing. A badly insulated building may require slightly higher flow temperatures than ideally desirable if existing heat emitters are to be re-used, which may reduce the efficiency slightly.

Take an old Victorian house with no insulation in the cavity and 50mm in the roof void. If the radiators have been selected using a crude rule of thumb it may be they are massively oversized when working at say a 70°C flow (typical of condensing boilers). With no additional treatment of the building they could provide enough heat output at a reduced temperature of, say, 55°C from a heat pump, but that is not

the ideal operating temperature for a heat pump. However it’s discovered (by checking all the radiator outputs at 45°C) that by increasing the size of all of the radiators requiring a flow of, say, between 45-55°C, the system can run at design conditions at a maximum flow temperature of 45°C and satisfy the heat demand. Hence by uprating certain radiators the system is more efficient and this will result in lower running costs. Of course, by insulating the cavity the overall heat demand will reduce and now the existing heat emitters may be sufficiently sized to provide the new demand at a lower flow temperature that suits heat pumps. This will have the added benefit of reducing the energy demand for heating and hence reduce fuel bills, regardless of the heating system employed.

Floored understanding Another false belief that is widely expounded is that heat pumps only work with under-floor heating. In fact this is just a slight misapplication of a correct principle, the principle being that heat pumps work better with as low as possible delivery (load side flow) temperature. Under-floor heating can work effectively at flow temperatures of 35-40°C if correctly designed and the building can be effectively heated with a low temperature source (see above). Natural or fan convector heat emitters will generally need to be larger than previously or run at slightly higher temperatures, resulting in small reductions in efficiency. www.heatpumps.org.uk Next issue: Noise and the UK climate.

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H E AT P U MP S

Making a difference How heat pumps technology can help transform the way we live.

Heat pumps have an important role to play in changing the way we build the homes of the future, according to Mitsubishi Electric.

Consultants, specifiers, architects and housing associations attended an event at the company’s Hatfield headquarters.

Among the presenters at Transforming the Housing Technology Mindset was architect, campaigner and TV presenter George Clarke, who is an ambassador for Mitsubishi Electric’s Ecodan air source heat pump.

He said much of today’s housing was still built in largely the same way as the Romans and highlighted the advantages of using modern methods of construction (MMC), where buildings are produced in a factory environment and then constructed on site.

He said this helped ensure the quality of materials and reduced building times.

He said “When you look at almost all other aspects of our life, the pace of change and revolution has been exceptional.

A government report released in 1997 recommended sweeping changes to the way homes are built and heated. When you consider this report was released a year before Google was founded, you only need to look at the technological revolution that followed for this to see how far behind the

housing industry really is. Unfortunately, the housing technology market has made very little progress since 1997. We need systematic change at a global, national, local and personal level to get houses to a standard they should be. It’s time for the housing revolution.”

Huge opportunity “Other industries have moved on, with staggering levels of R&D and disruptors coming in. We are still building houses like the Romans.’’

He also stressed the importance of convincing the public of the benefits of renewable options, including heat pumps: “Without education, nothing will change.

The public need to understand and until we help to change that mindset, they will still order a gas boiler.’’

Also speaking was Professor Nick Whitehouse, an experienced fellow architect and part of the Build Offsite organisation.

Mitsubishi Electric believes heat pumps technology is ideally placed to be used alongside MMC. Max Halliwell, Martin Fahey and Stuart Bell from the host company looked at the way we heat our

homes and how that is expected to change as we are forced to reconsider our reliance on fossil fuels.

Martin Fahey, head of sustainability at Mitsubishi Electric Living Environmental Systems, identified heat pumps are a key technology in the move towards an electric economy and said properties off the gas grid should be moved very soon, according to the Committee for Climate Change.

He added: “Demand for heat in the UK accounts for a third of all our carbon emissions and half of all greenhouse gases.

This represents a huge opportunity and is an area that needs to change if we are to ever cut our own carbon emissions, and it’s an area that can change quite quickly if we apply the technology. Heating is one way in which we can take a step towards making a difference. We need a mix of low carbon heating solutions and better thermal efficiency of buildings. Embracing innovative and renewable heat sources, like air source heat pumps, we can become prosumers – both producers and consumers of energy.”

Market growth Max Halliwell, communications manager for renewable heating, described living with an Ecodan, having had one installed in the family home eight years ago. He also traced the development of the range from its arrival in 2007, with almost 60,000 since installed in the UK. It is now available from 4kW-48kW and the line-up includes the Ultra Quiet Ecodan, built in Scotland and launched this year, which the manufacturer says is based on 10 years of knowledge and sets a benchmark for others to follow. ​His thoughts on market growth were echoed by national specification manager Stuart Bell, who said heat pumps accounted for more than 50% of new heating installations in Germany last year, significantly ahead of figures for the UK despite a similar climate and population. ​He said a fully electrified UK heating market would see 425,000 air source heat pumps (ASHPs) installed in 2030 – around 20 times the current figue. Even moderate predictions would see 100,000 installations by 2030, he added, bringing the UK into line with the French market.

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EFFICIENT BUILDING S

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Education is key to change Andrew Slater predicts a major move towards more efficient buildings to protect the environment.

As a new year rolls in, bringing with it a period of political uncertainty, one thing remains clear: the drive to improve the environment we all live in will continue.

Whilst attending a series of seminars last year, I listened intently to some highly passionate, intelligent individuals showcasing their research. They discussed how changes to the built environment should take place, and the lobbying in government that seems to have fallen on deaf ears. One point right at the end of a Q&A session really stood out for me; a point that no one had a counter-argument for. It came from what I believe to be an undergraduate engineer. She stood up and said: “Whilst I understand perfectly the points from today, when I discuss these topics with my peers from other industries or professions, they only have knowledge from the mainstream media and so cannot understand fully how to utilise the buildings we provide them.

We find ourselves so immersed in our own industry and our responsibility to solve all problems, do we not think it is better planning to educate tomorrow’s generation on the importance of reducing our carbon footprint and the methods of doing so?”

The 2018 progress report produced by the Committee on Climate Change suggests that we need to reduce emissions by 3% as a whole each year to meet the 2025 and 2030, 4th and 5th Carbon budgets. Using 66% of all electricity produced, the built environment accounted for 19% of the total UK emissions in 2017, generated through both direct and indirect means. Even though the power sector has seen the greatest reduction over previous years, a lot more progress directly within the building sector is required.

Increased responsibility April last year saw the introduction of minimum energy efficiency standards for domestic and non-domestic property, using restrictions on financial gain in forcing landlords to increase a building’s rating.

Referencing the world renowned NABERS1 scheme in Australia, the Better Building Partnership (BBP) found a poor correlation between building rated efficiency and operational efficiency. Working alongside

of change reassures in that restriction, eliminating a clash of purposes between optimising the built environment’s efficiency and individual wellbeing.

Hindering development

forward-thinking consultant bodies and property estates, the BBP has started producing sample sites with a view to implementing in the UK. Building modelling and environmental simulation will be introduced as more and more focus is placed on operational efficiencies. Designs, manufacturers’ data and control strategies will be put to the test when the reality of operation is compared to simulation results. A prolonged building handover and optimisation will create a dynamic of increased responsibility from consultant, manufacturer and installer.

Hopefully using more frameworks like BSRIA’s3 Soft Landings.

Education is the key. A complete skillset will be critical and levels of upskilling in design, specification and commissioning have been identified as required across the UK. With operational efficiency a priority, a system will not just be able to be switched on and left to run, it will need to be controlled and regulated as designed.

However, complete automation of a building poses its own complications.

People want control of their environment, but with restricted manual control options.

A firm understanding of why and how a building is reacting and the consequence

The Committee on Climate Change has advised that ‘low carbon heat’ should be promoted and headway is being made for possible heat networks. However, the push in the domestic heat pump market is expected to bigger than ever. RHI2 details, currently awaiting an update, but recently quite settled, give weight to convincing a nation of gas consumers to switch to renewable technologies.

With the rise of ‘pop up’ renewable experts who follow government grants, we run the risk of ruining this sector before it has really taken off. Public conception of air to water heat pumps is that they are expensive to run and unreliable. The industry contains some fantastic products and is full of well-trained, reliable, competent people, but it’s a shame that the cheaper ‘pop up’ option from people who are only present short-term hinder its development. Introducing ‘mildly flammable’ refrigerant in the form of R32 to domestic AWHP is further reason to educate these individuals and companies.

Education is critical to the development of any sector and we should remember that continuing professional development is just one side of the coin. We also have to think about how industry outsiders view and interact with us, and to ensure the broader knowledge of future generations.

Without their co-operation, we can only achieve a fraction of what is possible with the buildings we provide. °A ndrew Slater is managing director of HVAC Communications. www.hvaccommunications.com

"With the rise of ‘pop-up’ renewable experts who follow government grants, we run the risk of ruining this sector before it has really taken off."

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1N ABERS – National Australian Built Environment Rating System 2 RHI – Renewable Heat Incentive 3 BSRIA – The British Services Research and Information Association

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C ON S T R U C TION

Off-site increasingly vital in the quest for quality Wider adoption of modern methods will be crucial if the building services industry is to meet increasing demand for its expertise, says BESA president Tim Hopkinson.

Building engineering services will have to take a leaf out of the manufacturing industry’s book as it strives to deliver an increasingly challenging workload.

Over the next two to five years, we will see modern methods of construction starting to redefine the way we work. Building engineering contractors will have to become less and less about people working on sites and more about digital procurement and design linked to off-site manufacture.

Like product manufacturers, we will have to focus on producing more complete modules off-site. This will be partly driven by our acute skills and resource shortages, but also by a need to improve quality and compliance. Born of necessity, it will also herald a new era that will bring with it many technical, social and financial benefits – and make our industry a far more appealing career prospect for a wider cross-section of our population.

Adopting more of a production line approach will allow us to develop a less disruptive supply chain management and payment model. Successful off-site construction depends on collaboration, which in turn will produce to a new contract model that removes old areas of conflict – like late payment.

It should also ensure that the finished product works better in the long run – so addressing many of our performance and safety problems.

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This, along with many of the other things that make our industry so unattractive to young people, will be transformed. Off-site construction is inherently safer, cleaner and more technologically driven – and if this makes it more profitable and less adversarial, building engineering services suddenly looks like a much more appealing career.

Transformation However, this is not just about medium to long -term transformation of our industry, there are also immediate problems confronting building engineering firms that must hasten the adoption of new ways of working.

‘Mega projects’ like HS2, Heathrow’s controversial third runway and two new nuclear power stations will put an increasing strain on our pool of available skilled manpower – and our departure from

the EU will step up the pressure still further.

Heathrow is likely to need up to 15,000 site workers and the two planned nuclear power stations at Hinkley Point and Wylfa Newydd could each pull in more than 6,000 site-based technical staff. HS2 will absorb people from all over the country and it was recently reported that Crossrail was still recruiting M&E workers despite the ninemonth delay on the project being put down to purely train-related issues.

These high profile projects have the pulling power and the budgets to attract the labour they need, but often at the expense of other employers who have their own commitments to fulfil. Next year engineering, infrastructure and housing projects of all shapes and sizes face the prospect of not being able to meet deadlines due to staff shortages.

The industry is already at full capacity; there are tower cranes all over our major cities and we are continually being exhorted to employ more skilled people, but where are they going to come from?

EngineeringUK says we need 1.8 million new engineers (in all fields) by 2025. The latest call from the Chartered Institute of Building suggested construction needs more than 150,000 new recruits by 2021 to keep up with the current demand. Increasingly, these figures look simply unattainable.

In the past, the knee-jerk reaction would have been to flood projects with labour from

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CO NSTRUCTION the EU. That will no longer be an option once the UK leaves, but on the other hand, that could well turn out to be one of the long-term benefits of Brexit.

Rather than simply bringing in people with varying levels and types of qualifications, we will have to ensure that everyone has completed the right training and has appropriate skills in line with these new working approaches.

We will still be short of people, but our lack of manpower will add fuel to the offsite revolution, which will also further improve quality. If you build something in a factory – rather than on a building site – you have a far better chance of ensuring it is finished to the right quality. You can manage the quality control process much more easily and provide better and safer working conditions for your people.

The House of Lords has spotted the importance of a big shift to offsite and modular methods of constructon. Its Science and Technology Committee recently reported that offsite manufacture could improve productivity by as much as 70% while also delivering better and more energy efficient buildings.

"EngineeringUK says we need 1.8 million new engineers (in all fields) by 2025. The latest call from the Chartered Institute of Building suggested construction needs more than 150,000 new recruits by 2021 to keep up with the current demand.

Increasingly, these figures look simply unattainable."

“There are clear and tangible benefits from offsite manufacture for construction, which make a compelling case for its widespread use,” said committee chair Lord Patel. “The construction sector’s business models are no longer appropriate and are not supporting the UK’s urgent need for new homes and infrastructure.”

He highlighted that the construction industry’s current culture is not well suited to offsite methods and needs a radical overhaul.

The report, Offsite Manufacture for Construction: Building for Change, attacked the fragmented culture of the sector and the lack of trust, which led to poor levels of the collaboration needed to make offsite manufacturing work. It also criticised the tendency for public sector procurers to put low cost ahead of “lifetime value”, which had often mitigated against adopting more modern approaches.

Uncomfortable truth The report highlighted the fact that off-site manufacture for construction provides clear and tangible benefits including: ° Better quality buildings and infrastructure ° Enhanced client experience ° Fewer labourers and increased productivity ° Creating more regional jobs away from large conurbations ° Improved health and safety for workers ° Offering building safety advantages— making it easier to ensure buildings meet quality assurance standards ° Improved sustainability of buildings and infrastructure ° Reduced disruption to the local community during construction.

Off-site may address some of our immediate concerns with delivering existing and imminent projects, but it also requires significant long-term investment to really make inroads into some of our more fundamental problems. Not least, the current and future workforce will need

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re-training. The Lords committee urged the government to work with the industry to make sure that new technical qualifications will close this skills gap and equip the workforce for off-site working.

It also welcomed the Government’s commitment to changing its procurement models so that the public sector can procure for whole-life value rather than upfront cost. This, along with the Government’s ‘presumption in favour’ of off-site manufacture across five departments, will provide an important signal to the construction sector that there will be a consistent pipeline of projects, allowing companies to invest in off-site manufacturing facilities.

Designers, contractors and suppliers must all have early involvement in a project for off-site manufacture to be successful. This requires a change in business models among both private and public sector clients. Off-site usually requires greater upfront investment than ‘traditional’ construction techniques, but it is better placed to deliver building lifetime benefits like energy efficiency and low maintenance costs. However, to secure these long-term gains procurers will have to wean themselves off the habit of always going for the cheapest upfront price.

However, it is not only our clients who have to change. The uncomfortable truth for our sector is that many of the barriers to the greater uptake of off-site manufacture, such as a lack of collaboration and attitudes to risk, are cultural and can only be dealt with by the sector itself.

That is our challenge and one that we should embrace.

Tim Hopkinson is serving his second year as BESA president and is managing director of E Poppleton and Son.

www.theBESA.com

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C H IL LY CH AT T E R

Star's community spirit shines through Star Refrigeration has contributed more than £10,000 to good causes proposed by staff following the introduction of a formal corporate social responsibility scheme.

The Star Community Involvement Programme is aimed at supporting charitable efforts, educational initiatives and community development projects all over Britain. It was instigated by Dr Andy Pearson, group managing director, who said: “SCIP support can take the form of funding, resources or time dedicated towards furthering a good cause that is in some way connected to the department or branch itself.

The programme is open to any branch, office or department as long as the lead applicant is both a Star employee and personally connected to the cause, with registered charities and established educational organisations preferred targets of support.”

To date Star has contributed over £10,000 to causes proposed by staff, not counting the time and material support also given.

Examples include: °M acmillan Cancer Support: In September 2018, the Derby and London branches of Star Refrigeration held a coffee and cake morning complete with delicious baked goods, a raffle and prizes. The events raised £548 for Macmillan Cancer Support. °C hildren’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS): In support of the great care CHAS provides to families for children with lifeshortening conditions, a team of 15 staff from Star Refrigeration’s Thornliebank office signed up for a day of volunteering in May. This involved helping the Robin House Hospice with a day of gardening as part of their spring tidy-up activity.

°G lasgow Kiltwalk 2017: To commemorate their late father Billy Campbell, who had served as executive director of Star Refrigeration, his daughters undertook the Kiltwalk in 2017 and raised an incredible £7,350 for the British Heart Foundation. Star aided their efforts with a donation from the SCIP fund.

J ° ohnstone Jets Youth Cycling Club: George Hamilton, a draughtsman in the Thornliebank design department, received a grant of £500 in 2017 to finance the training of two new coaches for the youth arm of his cycling club.

°D iverse Abilities: Operations training manager Dave Bartlett recently set himself the goal of running 12 half-marathons in as many months and, along with the help of his daughter Abigail and the support of SCIP, not only achieved his own target of finishing a half-marathon in less than two hours, but also raised £1,575 for the charity.

In addition to the cases mentioned above, Star has also provided financial support, resources and staff time to a community theatre, a choir, a respite home, several junior sports clubs and other charities.

Ken enjoys rare winning feeling

Ken Lofthouse, operations director of Bolton-based ETL Air Conditioning, won a Yellow Jacket R32 reclaim unit worth £1,000 as part of a promotion organised by Oceanair and Daikin UK. Throughout last summer, Oceanair and Daikin partnered to offer customers exclusive offers equal to 2% of their Daikin spend, in addition to a prize draw for claimants for the reclaim unit.

Ken has been with ETL since the company was formed 1987 and his son, Andrew, has recently taken up the post of operations manager.

The prize draw was carried out by Oceanair managing director Tony Evanson, with a surprised and delighted Ken commenting that it was the first thing that he had won in his entire working career!

Ken Lofthouse of ETL

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CHILLY CHATTER

COOLAIR NIGHT RIDERS RAISE £2,000

Coolair Equipment colleagues Steve Valentine and Scott Lighfoot have raised more than £2,000 for charity on a 56-mile night bike ride.

Regional director Steve and sales & design engineer Scott rode from Manchester to Blackpool in aid of the British Heart Foundation.

Steve took on the fundraising challenge in memory of his dad, John, who died suddenly from a heart attack this year at the age of only 68. His fundraising appeal inspired Scott, who had undergone heart surgery, to join him.

Having completed the 400-mile Agra to Jaipur Cycle Challenge in 2014 for Save the Children, Steve Valentine (left) and Scott Lightfoot celebrate at the finish line in Blackpool Steve found his latest ride equally demanding.

He said: “The midnight start, hill climbs and freezing conditions, with the thermometer dropping to minus one degree centigrade, made this just as tough as my cycle ride across India. At the finish I was freezing cold and very tired but thrilled at having completed my first-ever cycle ride through the night.

“When I started training I set myself a target of raising £600 and increasing awareness of heart disease amongst friends, families and customers. I was delighted that we raised so much money, which will be split between the British Heart Foundation and a local BHF store.”

Contractor Coolair, which has offices in Manchester, Cannock and Kent, provides cooling and heating services to the retail, residential, commercial, education and hotel sectors.

Students claim Italy prize with Clivet

Susan Crombie (second left) and Mercedes DeQuer (fourth left) with fellow students and Graham Evans of Clivet (back left) and John Wincott from Fife College (back right)

College students Susan Crombie and Mercedes DeQuer have won a trip to Italy to visit the Clivet factory and learn more about heat pump systems.

A competition to design the interior of a Fife College ecohouse challenged students to take the blank canvas of a basic house and design an interior that makes it into a home.

The college has been working with Clivet on a project that will use the company’s ELFOPack heat pump systems to demonstrate and teach the theory and practice to students. The ecohouse, based at the College’s Stenton Campus, will also be used to demonstrate the system to possible users, builders, and local councils, so that they have a chance to see it in operation in a ‘real’ house.

Graham Evans, Clivet residential heat pump & light commercial business development manager, said: “Clivet Group UK are pleased to offer the students and staff the opportunity to understand the importance of renewable energy and in particular heating, cooling and air quality.

It is our intention and responsibility to introduce these products to the next generation of installers and designers and what better place to start than Fife College, where the enthusiasm to learn and embrace the technology is clear and very welcome.”

John Wincott, environmental services coordinator, said: “Fife College is delighted to be working with Clivet and using our ecohouse project to demonstrate this innovative use of heat pump technology.

One of the biggest challenges facing the domestic heating marketing going forwards is our reliance on gas central heating. The Clivet system provides heating, cooling and hot water in one integrated unit, as well as filtering the air in the house to ensure that the home environment is as comfortable as possible. The system is ideally suited to new build properties where energy efficiency is part of the design. For our Interior design students to be involved in this project illustrates how wide-ranging the skills requirements are in modern building projects.”

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FUJITSU OPEN DAY AT DUDLEY COLLEGE

Fujitsu hosted an open day to mark the official launch of its training room at Dudley College.

The event followed the recent opening of a training suite at the Yorkshire home of leak detection specialist TQ Environmental, while Fujitsu also has a presence at Belfast, Glasgow Kelvin and Eastleigh colleges.

In addition to apprentices using the latest equipment, local contractors are able to keep up to date with training and developments from the manufacturer.

Support on the day came from Aspen Pumps, TQ Environmental, Advanced Engineering, Intelligent Controls and the Institute of Refrigeration.

Guests were joined by apprentices from the college and Fujitsu technical manager Martyn Ives delivered a R32themed CPD session.

BACKING FOR AIR AMBULANCE Grant UK will be supporting Wiltshire Air Ambulance throughout 2019.

The Air Ambulance provides a vital emergency service in Wiltshire and surrounding counties.

For a number of years, Grant UK’s employees have participated in a selection of fundraising events to support local causes, raising money for organisations such as Julia’s House which has been the company’s chosen charity since 2016. In 2018 alone, Grant UK staff raised £3,000 for Julia’s House, and a cheque was presented to the

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C H AN GIN G FACE S

TERRY SHARP

TONY FLEMING

PATRICK AMRHEIN

Terry Sharp is the new vice-president of the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA). He has worked in the controls industry for over 35 years and is an associate at NDA Consulting, the specialist BEMS and energy consultancy practice. Previous experience includes UK and European leadership roles for Johnson Controls, sales and marketing director for Sontay and product marketing manager for Satchwell Control Systems.

Terry re-joined the BCIA Management Committee in 2017 and has already helped bridge the gap between manufacturers and installers. Jon Belfield, president of the BCIA, said: “I know Terry's strong leadership skills and hands-on approach will bring us huge benefits.”

Terry said: “It is a great honour and I am looking forward to steering the work of the association to help influence the uptake of control technologies and shape this fascinating sector for future generations of engineers.”

Humidification specialist Condair has appointed Tony Fleming as the Head of Sales Cluster Northern Europe. He takes on responsibility for the operations of Condair’s two sales and manufacturing facilities based in the UK and Denmark, as well as the Condair sales offices in Ireland and Sweden.

He said: “I am delighted to take on this new role of developing operations in the key markets of the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia. The Condair Group has made significant investment in these regions as part of its recent global expansion and has seen good growth in all fields of humidification, evaporative cooling and dehumidification.”

The appointment follows a restructuring of regional operations and the association of the UK and Ireland with Scandinavia as “Sales Cluster Northern Europe”. All regional positions remain unchanged, including Tim Scott remaining as sales director for Condair in the UK and Ireland.

Patrick Amrhein has been appointed commercial strategy director at A-Gas. He joins the Bristol-based company from Honeywell, where he was the marketing director responsible for refrigerants, foam blowing agents, aerosols and solvents across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India. While at Honeywell he was in charge of the F-Gas Regulations’ quota management.

Patrick, a trained chemist, believes that there are many opportunities developing in the refrigeration industry around the challenges presented by the F-Gas Regulations and the uncertainty brought about by Brexit.

He said: “These are exciting times for the refrigeration industry. The growing importance of refrigerant reclamation means A-Gas has an opportunity to help the industry make some smart decisions on the options available, make the most of the reclaimed material and leapfrog to a new generation of low GWP refrigerants.”

www.condair.co.uk

www.agas.com

VICE-PRESIDENT, BCIA

www.bcia.co.uk

HEAD OF SALES CLUSTER NORTHERN EUROPE, CONDAIR

COMMERCIAL STRATEGY DIRECTOR, A-GAS

HAT-TRICK OF APPOINTMENTS AT HANWELL

Wireless environmental monitoring solutions manufacturer Hanwell Solutions has made three senior level appointments.

Tony Groom is the company’s new quality and health & safety manager, with a focus on regulatory compliance and ensuring that projects stay on schedule and on budget. He will be working alongside Paul Taylor, who has been promoted to the role of continuous improvement manager, with the aim of helping all colleagues embrace Hanwell’s continuous improvement philosophy. which helps them towards their goal of excellence at all levels.

Jim Ryan has been appointed as Service Manager to look after customer installations and use his expertise in environmental monitoring to develop further enhancements to the service experience. Jim is supported by an extended technical support team helping customers across the world to maximise the functionality of their Hanwell solutions, which range from simple “plug and play” options through to complex multi-site, multichannel support.

Tony Groom said: “Quality is a key part of our culture, and focusing on quality drives us towards excellence in every department, reducing costs and downtime for ourselves as well as customers.”

From left, Paul Taylor, Tony Groom and Jim Ryan

Hanwell recently won the Hygiene and Food Safety category in the Food Processing Awards for its highly versatile IceSpy wireless monitoring solution. www.hanwell.com

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HARRIET EVANS

DAN HIGGINS

NICOLA POWNER

Beijer Ref UK and Ireland has appointed Harriet Evans as MHI sales director, with sales responsibility for HRP, Dean & Wood, RW Refrigeration Wholesale, 3DPlus and DWG Ireland.

A statement from Beijer Ref said: “Following many years in leadership and senior sales roles with Mitsubishi Electric, Harriet brings to Beijer Ref a wealth of air conditioning product and market knowledge.”

The appointment followed news that Beijer Ref UK had secured exclusive distribution rights with MHI for all its UK businesses, with Dean & Wood switching brands from Mitsubishi Electric. Air Creation merges into 3DPlus, Beijer Ref UK’s joint venture with MHI. John Billson, managing director of Beijer Ref UK & Ireland, said: “Positioning MHI as lead air conditioning supplier to Dean & Wood is a natural step for our business following the partnership in our joint venture 3DPlus. Both HRP and RW have experienced spectacular sales growth with MHI during 2018 and the time is now right for Dean & Wood to enjoy the same freedom in the market.”

Dan Higgins has been appointed sales manager, instrument solutions, at BSRIA. In almost 20 years working for public and private sector organisations in the environmental, waste and water utilities sectors, his career emphasis has been in air quality, emissions, occupational hygiene, landfill, contaminated land and water quality monitoring.

Alan Gilbert, business manager, BSRIA Instrument Solutions, said: “We see this appointment as a crucial step in our continued development for the strategic direction BSRIA Instrument Solutions is taking. He has worked in a range of technical and commercial positions which lends itself perfectly for this significant role.

“Dan’s diverse credentials will boost BSRIA Instrument Solutions’ reputation as the first-stop industry leader in delivering a total test and measurement service.”

Nicola Powner has joined air conditioning and heat pump distributor Oceanair as an area sales manager for the Midlands.

Her experience began when she started her first job as a school leaver as an office junior for a Panasonic distributor. In the 18 years since then, she has built up a knowledge of the three air conditioning brands distributed by Oceanir - Daikin, Fujitsu and Panasonic - as well as other manufacturers.

Nicola says she enjoys speaking to customers and reacting to enquiries efficiently to ensure they receive an excellent service. She adds that she will admit when she doesn’t know an answer and then make it her mission to find the correct information.She joins a growing team at Oceanair aiming to deliver more cost effective and energy efficient heating and cooling solutions in areas including retail, hotels, offices, restaurants and the public sector.

dan.higgins@bsria.co.uk

www.oceanairuk.com

MHI SALES DIRECTOR, BEIJER REF UK

SALES MANAGER, INSTRUMENT SOLUTIONS, BSRIA

AREA SALES MANAGER, OCEANAIR

MANAGEMENT CHANGES AT ISD SOLUTIONS

Cold store specialist ISD Solutions has announced a senior management reshuffle due to a change in role for company CEO Andy Moon.

The Gloucester-based firm, a trading division of The P&M Group, employs more than 100 staff and trades across the UK and internationally.

Mr Moon, whose grandfather Edgar Moon founded the company in 1947, will become chairman of The P&M Group. His key responsibilities will be to represent the interests of shareholders, to guide the business and to ensure its culture and values are upheld.

Tony Wall will become group managing director and will champion the ISD Solutions global brand, as well as facilitating new opportunities in areas such as pipe insulation and roofing and cladding. He will continue his current commercial role in terms of group sales activity but will increasingly focus on business development.

Adrian Smith, who has been technical director at ISD Solutions since 2010, will become the new managing director of ISD Solutions.

Completing the board of The P&M Group is Gareth Ross, who is financial director at the company he joined in 2007.

Mr Moon, who turns 61 in April said: “With exciting times ahead

From left, Gareth Ross, Andy Moon, Adrian Smith and Tony Wall

this is definitely not retirement. However, I will greatly reduce the operational things I do and, at the same time, it is an opportunity to refine the structure of the company.

“Tony and Adrian have collectively been with the business for almost 60 years. Between them, they have unrivalled knowledge of our industry and our particular niche specialisms and I am confident that, under our joint leadership and as appetite for quality composite solutions grows, we can develop ISD and The P&M Group even further.’’

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isd-solutions.co.uk

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LEE BELL

AREA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, FUJITSU Lee Bell has been appointed area business development manager for Fujitsu General Air Conditioning (UK) in the Midlands. Lee has extensive air conditioning industry knowledge, having worked in the HVAC sector for over 25 years.

Reporting to Stuart Eagleton, he will be responsible for developing new direct business for Fujitsu with installers, consultants and end users throughout Nottingham, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and the West Midlands.

He said: “I am delighted to have joined Fujitsu at such an exciting time in the company’s development. There are many opportunities over the next 12 months to develop and nurture new direct accounts, create new customer relationships and expand Fujitsu’s portfolio of blue-chip companies throughout the Midlands.”

“The air conditioning sector remains extremely competitive, as established brands continue to compete for market share. However, what sets Fujitsu apart from others is the level of customer service available; since joining the business in November, I’ve been really impressed with everybody’s commitment and dedication. We strive to honour our promises on delivery and availability, which goes a long way to growing and developing customer relations through repeat business.” www.fujitsu-general.com/uk

MARTIN SPOWAGE

KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER, BRYMEC Building services supplier Brymec has appointed Martin Spowage as a key account manager.

He previously spent 24 years with distributor BSS, first as a sales supervisor and then as branch supervisor at BSS Lewes, specialising in pump sizing, plastic systems, press systems, and controls for the industrial plumbing and heating industries.

He said: “Brymec is far more advanced in terms of technology than its competitors and I was attracted to the company because of its pioneering outlook and advanced ways of working. One of the biggest draws was Brymec’s vision, which is “To be the supplier of choice to the Building Services Industry in the era of smart construction” This commitment to continuous improvement and an unwavering focus on delivering products and solutions for customers really resonates with me.’’ www.brymec.com

IAN MELLOR AND SAM NEWMAN

SAUERMANN GROUP Sauermann Group has underlined its ambitions for further growth with two additions to its UK team.

The leading manufacturer and provider of HVACR solutions has appointed Ian Mellor as business development manager and Sam Newman as marketing and communications officer.

Ian, pictured, joins Sauermann UK from Mitsubishi where, as senior sales engineer, he was responsible for delivering full solutions to a range of end users. With commercial experience within the HVACR sector spanning over 20 years, coupled with a high level of technical knowledge, he will deliver a growth strategy for the KIMO instruments range.

Sam joins from the medical device industry. With experience of implementing effective B2B marketing and communications strategies, Sam’s interest in marketing and communications was heightened during his studies at Lancaster University.

Sauermann UK managing director, Ernest Bate, said: “We already have an extremely talented team in the UK and overseas.

With these foundations already in place, Sauermann will continue to increase its offerings and be the ‘go-to’ for solutions. Attracting people of this calibre into the business is a great endorsement of our strategy and ambition.” www.sauermann.co.uk

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

FOR NEW AND EXCITING ROLES IN THE UK : Sales/Sales Management/Business Development/Key Account Management, Project Engineers, Contract Managers, Technical & Sales Support, Estimating, Service Managers, Service & Maintenance Engineers in : Air Conditioning, Refrigeration (Industrial & Commercial), Chillers, Ventilation, Boilers / Heating, BMS & Controls Please visit our new website :

www.ts-international.com Please call: 0118 930 4444 or email your CV to: vacancies@tsinternational.net website: www.ts-international.com TSInternational Recruitment Ltd 7 High Street, Theale, Reading, Berks, RG7 5AH

February | March 2019

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PRO DUCTS & SERVICES

The Innovation Zone

67

The guide to what’s new for ACR Journal readers, offering vital industry news.

COOL-FIT 4.0: THE REVOLUTION CONTINUES When GF Piping Systems introduced the revolutionary COOL-FIT system, it completely changed the way refrigeration applications are planned, installed and operated.

COOL-FIT 4.0 continues the revolution spectacularly: a technological leap for users with the highest demands for production and process safety and maintenance of high quality food storage facilities. COOL-FIT 4.0 helps you work with maximum efficiency while simultaneously reducing your maintenance and operating costs.

COOL-FIT 4.0 is a complete system made of factory pre-insulated pipelines, fittings, valves and hoses for secondary cooling with brine, glycol and ethanol as well as water in the range of – 50°C to 60°C.

production, such as fruit and vegetable processors, slaughterhouses, breweries and supermarkets.”

COOL-FIT 4.0 shares the advantages of all COOL-FIT products compared to metal systems.

100% maintenance-free, as plastics are permanently corrosion-free, the media pipe, insulation and shell of COOL-FIT are made of highquality plastics and so are corrosion and maintenance-free throughout the system’s entire operating life. This reduces expensive interruptions of operation and lowers maintenance costs and personnel requirements.

For more information, visit:

www.gfps.com/uk

“COOL-FIT 4.0 brings the unique advantages of our pre-insulated systems to users with the most demanding cooling and freezing applications,” says Mark Bulmer, Global Segment Manager Cooling at GF Piping Systems. “These include companies in food and beverage

BOILERMAG TEAMS UP WITH SPEAR & JACKSON

NEXT GENERATION FROM KSB

The BoilerMag range of heating protection products will now be marketed under the world-renowned Spear and Jackson brand name.

Previously marketed by sister company Eclipse Magnetics, the range will now benefit from the heritage of the Spear & Jackson name.

KSB Group will unveil its latest generation of high-efficiency circulator pumps at ISH 2019 in Frankfurt (11-15 March). The Calio S and Calio-Therm S type series are used for heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, as well as for drinking water circulation systems (Calio-Therm S). KSB says they have been developed for ease of use and compatability with exisiting systems.

The BoilerMag domestic filter system ensures that virtually all ferrous oxide and scale is removed on first pass. It can be installed and cleaned in minutes, removing both magnetic and non-magnetic debris.Filters are also important for larger buildings. The BoilerMag XL is designed for use in medium sized commercial, retail, or large residential properties, while the BoilerMag XT is aimed at industrial heating systems. Both offer a 10 year warranty.

www.boilermag.com

For applications requiring heads of up to eight metres, two additional sizes, Calio S 25-80 and Calio S 30-80, will be on offer from mid-2019. The pumps are available in standard overall lengths of 130mm and 180mm in grey cast iron or stainless steel. All 180 mm pumps are fitted with thermal insulation shells as standard.

www.ksb.com

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To advertise your product in this section please contact jordan.paylor@warnersgroup.co.uk

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AWA R D S

Some of the industry’s outstanding young engineeers were honoured at the 9th ACR Trainee of the Year Awards.

Industrial refrigeration apprentice Tom Woolston of Star Refrigeration was named ACR Trainee of the Year 2018 at the annual awards ceremony at The Belfry Sutton Coldfield. He received a cheque for £1,000 plus a range of other prizes provided by sponsors Sauermann UK, ITE UK, Dean & Wood and the Institute of Refrigeration (IOR).

Tom said: “I was privileged to be nominated by my trainers and employers, and to go on to win the award is an incredible honour.

Attending awards ceremonies is such a fun experience and just one of the many perks of working for an organisation such as Star Refrigeration. Thank you to the whole team for supporting me on my learning journey.”

Oliver Drury of JD Cooling was runner-up and received £500, while Tom Fearon of Source BioScience was highly commended and received £300. Both also received the prizes from Sauermann UK, ITE UK, Dean & Wood and the IOR. The judges paid tribute to the high standard of entries and seven other finalists were also recognised.

They were: Evan Minns of JD Cooling, Alex Wilson (Dunbia), Ben Wilson (Knight Engineers), Grant Leniewski (Coolbreeze), Ben Hornby (Acme Facilities Group), Daniel Warren (James Mercer Group) and Stephen Day (Culm Cooling). Each received £200, donated by Dean & Wood, plus prizes from ITE UK and the IOR. The not-for-profit event will celebrate its 10th anniversary on 5th December 2019 and has now ploughed more than £40,000 back into the industry to help develop the next generation of engineers.

ACR Journal publisher Juliet Loiselle said: “It was another fabulous event and it’s such a pleasure to see so many talented young engineers being recognised.

“This event would not be possible without the wonderful backing we get from our sponsors and supporters. Some of them have been involved from the very beginning and we can’t thanks them enough.

“The next one will be the 10th and hopefully we can make it bigger and better than ever!’

The ACR Trainee of the Year Awards will take place at The Belfry on Thursday 5th December 2019.

To sponsor, enter or book places, contact Juliet Loiselle on 07786 336606 or email julietl@warnersgroup.co.uk

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AWARDS

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Winner

2018

Tom Woolston Star Refrigeration Trained by Eastleigh College

Employer Statement Tom Woolston joined Star Refrigeration in September 2017 as a 3rd year apprentice and has become a valuable member of the engineering team at Bristol, assisting with a variety of tasks from maintenance visits on large industrial ammonia refrigeration systems to reactive works on a variety of refrigeration systems.

The engineers that Tom works with say he is a very good apprentice, able to carry out tasks assigned to him from maintenance logs on large ammonia systems and being able to identify faults through the interrogation of the logs taken.

Every time I have observed Tom working on site I have been able to question him on the function and operation of system components and their integration into the large systems that Star Refrigeration typically work with.We are now exposing Tom to more complex tasks and sites.

He is likely to progress to become an engineer by the end of the year and I fully expect him to rapidly rise through the Star grading system.

apprentice with knowledge and experience with larger systems he decided that he would work with another student with less experience in the practical sessions and show him how to strip down a C02 semi hermetic compressor. He also put himself up for the National SkillFRIDGE competition and got through to the regional finals.

Having spoken to Tom’s employer, I wasn’t really surprised that they all hold him in such regard. From a lecturer’s point of view, Tom is a pleasure to teach as he really wants to learn. Watching young men like him moving into our industry fills me with pride, knowing that we are helping to produce good quality engineers for the future.

Shaun Creech Lecturer/assessor Eastleigh College

Gary Jones Service manager Star Refrigeration

Trainer Statement Tom joined Eastleigh College on the level 3 course after completing his level 2 at another college. He came over as a very confident young man, who worked well under pressure. He is selfmotivated and has shown he adapts well to different challenges and environments.

He has shown that as a young apprentice, if you want to, you can get a lot out of training in a subject you enjoy. As an

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Runner-up

2018

Oliver Drury JD Cooling Trained by Grimsby Institute

Employer Statement Since Oliver’s arrival three years ago to begin his modern apprenticeship with JD Cooling Systems, he has demonstrated a vast amount of skill and dedication.

Oliver has adapted fantastically well to new skills and his understanding of complex systems has been rewarded with more responsibility, being part of the service team and on the call out rota.

His enthusiasm and commitment to training has rubbed off on the other apprentices, as he is now having apprentices working with him. He continually takes on new responsibility and is never worried about trying different tasks. He always takes the opportunity to learn from others within his peer group.

Oliver has excelled at college with all his hard work and grades and is now providing a high standard of service to our customer sites with his committed attitude.

JD Cooling are very excited about this young lad, as he has the potential to be one of the very best in terms of engineering ability and enthusiasm.

Oliver demonstrates a high level of understanding of both practical and theoretical principles and I am sure that he will continue to prove an asset to his company and to the industry.

I have no doubt that Oliver will become an accomplished engineer.

Jason Clark Senior trainer consultant Grimsby Institute

Richard Corby Service director JD Cooling Systems

Trainer Statement Oliver has studied at Grimsby Institute since 2014, successfully achieving City & Guilds 6187 Level 2 and now working towards City & Guilds 6090 level 3. His attendance, commitment and enthusiasm have been exemplary, and he is always polite and considerate to staff and his fellow students, sharing his previous experiences to the benefit of all, aiding the understanding of fellow students.

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AWARDS

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Highly Commended

2018

Tom Fearon Source BioScience Trained by Practical Refrigeration

Employer Statement Tom is currently part of our field service department, which primarily offers support to the pharmaceutical sector, supplying environmental chambers and a range of service/maintenance options for our manufactured products.

From the onset of his employment with us, Tom has demonstrated the aptitude and potential to become a key member of the team. He has demonstrated over a short space of time his ability to excel in the various aspects of the role and is eager to progress.

He is able to present himself in a professional manner whilst dealing with clients and staff at differing levels of authority. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very approachable and helpful, which is important for site-based engineers who are client-facing.

I believe by investing the time to train Tom that he will undoubtedly continue to be an asset to Source BioScience and will have a bright future with our company.

His fault-finding skills are excellent; during electrical training he was required to install, test and commission components and controls, as well as fault find. He excelled in this training.

Overall, Tom is a gifted young engineer who is easily able to express himself.

Ian Cross Programme development co-ordinator Practical Refrigeration Training Centre

Michael Whatmough Field service manager Source BioScience

Trainer Statement Tom deserves his nomination as he is a model pupil. Attendance, punctuality and reliability are never in doubt with Tom. He copes admirably with technical aspects of ACR principles, which enables him to put forward thoughts that are usually right and technically accurate. He is able to contribute to classroom technical debate regularly, seeking solutions to obstacles encountered.

He has a very strong grasp of his industry and the need to lower the carbon footprint through service, maintenance, installation and design. His success has also seen him shortlisted or the reginal SkillFridge competition.

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Finalists

2018 Evan Minns JD Cooling Trained by Grimsby Institute Evan is a very promising young engineer who has excelled in both practical and theory topics during the two years he has attended Grimsby Institute of Further & Higher Education studying for City & Guilds 6187 at Level 2 and has been accepted to study for City & Guilds 6090 at Level 3. He demonstrates many of the skills usually associated with a seasoned engineer.

Alex Wilson Dunbia Trained by Practical Refrigeration Alex is a gifted engineer with wide and varied abilities. He came directly onto our level 3 course after undertaking a skills scan in which it was very apparent that Alex was a competent individual. Able to express himself eloquently with his peers, Alex has fantastic communication skills. He perceives written documentation accurately and is producing work consistently to a high standard from design through to project planning.

Ben Wilson Knight Engineers Trained by Practical Refrigeration

Ben is everything that you would want in an apprentice; dedicated, bright, enthusiastic and committed. For an engineer in the novice stage, he already displays all the personal attributes required for a very successful career in the RACHP industry. He has submitted NVQ reflective accounts of the work he has carried out on site.

Grant Leniewski Coolbreeze Trained by Practical Refrigeration

Grant is an absolute pleasure to teach. He is enthusiastic and highly committed to his industry. He displays maturity way beyond his years and is never afraid to ask questions, seeking answers to progress in his studies.

He has a strong grasp of site-based H&S and is ever mindful and appreciative of varying types of clientele.

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Ben Hornby ACME Facilities Group Trained by Practical Refrigeration Joe has an excellent attitude to work and is a very punctual and well-presented young man. He is able to work either independently or as part of a team. One of his key qualities is that he can learn new technical principles and types of equipment very quickly. Joe has great prospects to not only become a full engineer, but to progress into one of our senior members of the team.

Daniel Warren James Mercer Group Trained by Practical Refrigeration Daniel is a highly disciplined and mature young engineer who has produced work of a high standard all the way through his training. He has an ultra-professional approach to his studies. Never afraid to ask trade specific questions in classroom debate, Daniel will seek answers to technical challenges. His planning is always highly detailed and very mindful of the standards and codes of practice required.

Stephen Day Culm Cooling Trained by ChillAir Training Academy Stephen has been with us for almost a year now and we are very happy with his work so far. When working with him I have witnessed outstanding technical knowledge and exceptional installation skills. His knowledge of refrigeration is far beyond his age and we are very impressed with his professional approach to every challenge.

He is a valued, conscientious member of our team and a very good role model to our younger engineers. We look forward to having him work with us for many years to come.

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JUDGES

Calum Shaw

Howard Noble

Steve Taliadoros

Graeme Fox

Juliet Loiselle

Consultant/Director CSC Ltd

Director of Innovation Beijer Ref

Director LU-VE UK-Eire Group

Head of REFCOM schemes

Publishing Editior ACR Journal

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AWARDS

75

Sponsors and Supporters

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