When Contour Homes was
looking for a new chiller due to ongoing problems with its old one, Preston
based GOS Mechanical & Electrical Ltd recommended the installation of three
Mitsubishi Electric EAHV-P900YA-N e-series heat pump chillers to provide a low-carbon,
cost-effective option for the Housing Association.
Contour Homes, part of
the Symphony Housing Group, is one of Manchester’s largest registered social
landlords with over 12,000 properties under its ownership and management across
23 local authorities.
The Housing
Association provides a wide range of services from a number of local offices
throughout the North West. Its main office, based on Christie Way, West
Didsbury, once belonged to leading pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca. It
comprises offices and meeting rooms and is staffed during office hours.
“Our chiller had
failed and we had been trying to get it replaced for a number of years due to
complaints from staff,” explained Rob Brierley, Gas Technical Surveyor at
Contour Homes. “The offices often overheated during the summer and it wasn’t a
good working environment.”
The existing chiller
system eventually failed in September 2017, so when funds became available a
new chiller system was a high priority. As well as the efficiency benefits of
the new system, there were other factors to be taken in to account before the new
chillers could be installed.
One problem with the
old system was the level of noise it created. Employers have a duty of care to
ensure their workers are not exposed to excessive noise.
Prolonged exposure to
noise can lead to gradual hearing loss, so a much quieter system was sought for
this project. By utilising highly efficient components within a uniquely shaped
chiller, the e-series offers low noise levels.
Cooling is one of the
main contributors to energy usage in buildings, so Contour Homes’ new system
had to be energy efficient to help the building comply with modern efficiency
requirements, such as the Minimum Energy Performance Standard, which came into
force on 1st April 2018.
Another potential
issue was the fact the existing plant space is extremely tight, making access
to the area very difficult. Interruption to office opening hours and staff
activity also had to be kept to a minimum.
Preston based GOS
Mechanical & Electrical Ltd has years of experience in providing
mechanical, plumbing and boiler services throughout Preston and Lancashire.
They completed the installation between October 2017 and December 2017.
Peter Jackson,
Managing Director at GOS Mechanical & Electrical Ltd, believes the choice
of chiller played a key role in ensuring a straightforward installation. He
said: “The e-series chiller was a sensible choice as it was available
immediately. The only concern we had was the tight working space, but the
flexibility of Mitsubishi Electric’s modular approach meant it could be easily
manoeuvred into position.”
The e-series’ unique
modular approach allows up to six individual units to be connected together to
provide a system capacity from 90kW to 540kW. Using this modular approach
reduces space requirements and simplifies lifting and installation.
The e-series modular
chiller has two inverter driven compressors that allow the unit to operate
between 8% - 100% of capacity. By having a broad operating range the e-series
has exceptional part load efficiencies which is where most systems will
operate.
Contour Homes is
delighted with the new system, which provides the office building with a
cooling capacity of 270kW as Rob Brierley concludes: “Mitsubishi Electric has
provided us with a modern, reliable and energy efficient chiller that I’m sure
will prove to be a great investment in the long term.”
