Water-cooled VRV air conditioning system

Heating and cooling are provided by a water-cooled VRV system, with condensing units rejecting heat to a water circuit rather than directly to outside air.

In a shopping centre this is the arrangement that works. There is no roof space or plant deck available to an individual tenant, so external condensing plant is not an option. Water-cooled units sit within the unit itself, connected to the centre's condenser water system, and the heat is carried away through the water circuit.

That keeps refrigerant pipe runs short and allows the plant to be positioned where the unit allows rather than where external space dictates. It also removes any external visual or acoustic impact on the centre.

Output modulates to suit demand in each zone rather than running at fixed capacity. In a retail unit that matters, because the load changes constantly through the trading day as footfall rises and falls, and varies between the shop floor, fitting rooms and back of house areas.

General ventilation

Fresh air is supplied and stale air extracted throughout the unit, with ductwork, diffusers, grilles and dampers installed to suit each area.

Ventilation rates are driven by occupancy rather than floor area. A shop floor at peak trading, a bank of fitting rooms and a back of house stockroom all have different requirements, and the distribution was installed to deliver the right volumes to each rather than a uniform rate throughout.

The installation was coordinated with the ceiling layouts, the lighting and the retail fit out, so distribution reaches every area without compromising the finished space or the available void. In a store environment where the interior is tightly specified, that coordination is what keeps the services out of sight.

BMS controls

All mechanical systems are brought together under a building management system.

The BMS sets the operating strategy, sequences the air conditioning and ventilation so they are not working against one another, holds conditions across every zone and runs the store to trading hours rather than continuously.

It also gives visibility. Plant status, temperatures, run hours and faults are monitored centrally, so issues are identified before they become failures and energy performance can be tracked rather than estimated.

For a brand operating a large international estate, that consistency matters beyond this one store. Monitored performance is what allows sites to be compared, maintenance to be planned rather than reactive, and efficiency commitments to be evidenced.

Plumbing works, including the chilled water system serving the VRV installation

The plumbing package covers the unit's water services alongside the chilled water system serving the VRV installation.

The water circuit is what makes a water-cooled system work. It carries heat away from the condensing units to the centre's system, so the capacity of the air conditioning depends directly on the pipework, pumps, valves and controls serving it.

Pipework was installed with insulation, isolation and access designed in from the outset. Every valve, pump and connection point remains reachable, so maintenance can be carried out without disturbing the rest of the installation or disrupting trading.

‍