Coventry University.indd
PDF | 193.14KB
After nearly two decades’ excellent service, failure of an air conditioning system based on the now-banned R22 refrigerant – making it impossible to replace failed components – left Coventry University Technology Park with no alternative but a total system replacement. The three storey Enterprise Centre is one of several buildings in the park, accommodating start-up and small technology businesses. When problems hit the air conditioning system, consultants Pick Everard and Daikin installer Envirotech Climate Control were called in. Technology Park manager Jane Rawlings-Purcell held several meetings with the Envirotech project team at the start of the project so that issues could be identified.
‘Techno’ park gets an air conditioning technology makeover
In a 12-week project, the centre’s entire air conditioning installation was replaced with a VRV IV heat recovery system from Daikin UK. Richard Cobb, an Associate at Pick Everard, says: “We designed and phased the works to limit disruption for occupants: all work within the building was conducted out of hours.” Envirotech Climate Control director Brett McKay says the centre now has nine condensing units in a compound behind the building. “There are three systems – one for each floor – giving a total of 136hp. Indoors, there are medium static pressure ducted fan coil units. Daikin heat reclaim VAM units provide energy efficient ventilation.”
“My expectations were exceeded and the result was a well-designed system that was seamlessly installed without any hitches. It made a pleasant change to work with a very professional team that actually listened to our needs and managed the job faultlessly.”
- Jane Rawlings-Purcell - Technology Park manager
Flexibility for tenants
To give tenants some flexibility with the temperature of their offices, the fan coil units and the ventilation units are individually controlled via Daikin wired remote controllers. Overall, the systems are controlled with a Daikin i-Touch Manager with a Bacnet gateway interface to link with a building management system. The installation, in a fully operational building, posed some problems for Envirotech. Brett McKay says: “We worked on one fl oor at a time, entirely out of office hours so as not to disturb the tenants. With a team of 10 on the project, we were able to complete the project on schedule.”
