Case Study: Mayfair London

A complete office renovation project in Mayfair London, Client uses Cross Refrigeration to design & install Gas Fired VRF systems

Three Sanyo gas fired heat recovery VRF systems, operating with R410A, have been installed at an up-market recently renovated listed building in the heart of Mayfair London. The seven storey building will be let to both the office and retail sectors; it’s retail tenant being Sun Seeker Yachts. Cross Refrigeration facilitated the design of the systems, working in conjunction with White Young Green the M&E consultants, JBE Building Services the design and build services contractor and Sanyo UK the equipment manufacturer.

The client had a decision to make at an early stage of the project whilst considering his air conditioning alternatives. The major factor which would ultimately influence his decision was the shortfall in the electricity supply required to run VRF equipment currently existing on the premise, he therefore had to decide whether to upgrade the electrical supply (install a new substation) or look for an alternative. Various options were considered, the most cost effective option was to install Gas fired plant; although the capital cost of the equipment was considerably higher than that of the electrical alternative it was still the most economical option when the entire building design was considered.

Because of the stringent planning legislation at this address in central London, various implications were made apparent by the design team that had to be adhered to comply with local regulations; sound levels from outdoor equipment, size of roof plant, structural integrity, etc were all considered during the design, close liaison between Cross Refrigeration and all professional parties was critical to achieving an environment which would be ultimately comfortable for the tenants and comply with local and environmental laws.

The building will be occupied with multiple clients and therefore each tenants running costs needs to be monitored and billed appropriately. This was achieved by installing a very hi-tech Sanyo centralized control panel which is positioned in the building. This controller provides an interface for the office manager to monitor usage, restrict operation for staff to prevent system abuse, diagnose faults and apportion running costs. The entire system can be accessed remotely with this front end control panel via the internet with relevant IP addresses and password protection. This was of particular interest to the facilities management company responsible for managing the site when the project had ended.

Energy monitoring systems are proving increasingly popular in the latest new office energy monitored building services regimes. It is vital today on two counts to be able to monitor the energy use of ac systems – firstly it is important to ensure you have an efficient system contributing effectively to your obligations under Part L and secondly so many large office blocks are split into shared tenancy that it is important to be able to give each tenant precise energy use billing.